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Ramanathapuram: A walk through arid pastures to coastal creativity. 47th Shodhyatra | May 21-27, 2022 | Part I |
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Sangam literature identifies five interior landscapes. We journeyed through four,1 namely, ‘palai’ (desert), ‘mullai’ (forests and adjoining lands), ‘marutham’ (fields), and ‘neythal’ (seashore). Our 125 km Shodhyatra through Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu brought us amongst farmers, fishers, weavers, healers and many more. |
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"Few Yatras have offered as much scope to observe such diverse landscapes and communities as this one. The fisherfolk have developed simple but effective innovations. One of these is a fishing device using only a basket, a plastic bag, and stones. Though the catch from such an apparatus is small, they have chosen not to use more advanced equipment to avoid endangering the population of fish. They cultivate seaweed for food, fertilizer, alginates as well as a source of sustainable dyes for children’s toys. They also make children’s toys out of palm fruit. In fact, palm has several uses in food, medicine, art and architecture. Sixty shodhyatris had the opportunity to see how the people of Ramanathapuram protect nature, their health and their culture. Honey Bee Network Volunteers from the DHAN Foundation, SEVA, The Cuckoo Forest School, GIAN and SRISTI organized the Yatra.
Livestock Farming
People in the district have retained their animistic roots. We came across a tree at the entrance to a village on which farmers had hung plastic bags with cow placenta in them. They believe it wards off negative energy, and is a prayer offering for the well-being of new-born calves. Kumara, a shepherd from Pirappan Valasai village, values the welfare of his goats as his young children rely on goat milk. Though goat kids fetch about Rs. 5,000, he sells them at the age of 7 years, after their teats have dropped and they can no longer lactate, for Rs. 3,000. ‘Kidaai Muttu’ (goat fighting) employs special breeds of fighter goats,2 which sell for roughly Rs. 13,000. A shodhyatri, Shakuntala Devi has been associated with SEVA and Honey Bee Network for many years. She has helped farmers procure herbal treatments for diseases in sheep, and goats. This has saved them the trouble of going to veterinarians for minor ailments.
Mr. P. Kabilan is a member of the Thozhuvam - Farmer Producer Company Ltd. (FPCL) in Madurai. More than 750 FPCL members rear the Pulikulam breed of cows.3 He has innovated seed pots made from this indigenous breed’s nutrient-dense dung. These provide additional nutrients to seedlings in an eco-friendly way. The FPCL also produces dairy products like A2 milk, and encourages farmers in the state to revive the use of draught animals. Mr. Kabilan explains the process of ‘sedaovathal’ in which bulls are employed to crush weeds, and then pull a land levelling device over the crushed weeds to mix them into the soil. After the harvest, bullocks help in threshing the grains by trampling over them. Mr. Kabilan spoke of how pastoralists collect cow dung in ‘kottakarams’ or cattle sheds and sell it to farmers who use it as manure for a plentiful harvest. The thriving dung economy of the region depends heavily on sales to farmers in Kerala, who use manure on their plantations. Madurai’s cattle owners earn about Rs 50,000 - 60,000 in a month from this, with an 80 kg bag priced at Rs 120.
The cattle population in the district is less than 90 thousand, whereas the population of sheep and goats is over 2.4 lakhs and 2.2 lakhs respectively. Farmers rear sheep and goats as they are relatively less expensive to maintain and plentiful availability of pastures. Sheep penning is done with about 200 sheep per acre. It is a natural means of restoring soil fertility.4 We found a farmer experimenting with a method to train his goat kids to graze on higher branches of leaves. He would hang bunches of fresh leaves at a height which the goats could only reach by standing on their hind legs. After some time, he would raise the branches higher, helping them build their strength. Poultry is cultivated mainly through backyard farming. We came across a initiative in a village where eggs of ‘naati murgi’ (country hens) were being delivered in shoeboxes lined with straw. The shopkeeper had noticed that eggs would break when he sold them in plastic bags to young children. This was a solution which also reduced waste by utilizing paddy straw, and reusing the boxes which customers return. Agriculture and a Heritage of Healthy Food.
For most farmers in the region, rearing livestock is a supplementary source of income, while their livelihood mainly depends on harvesting crops. Agriculture is rain-fed, and farmers try to avoid chemical inputs. The main crops grown in the district are paddy, ragi, pearl millet, various other millets, pulses, maize, ginger, cotton, groundnut, palm, and coconut. They are important in the region’s heritage, and form the local staple diet. Mr. Segapi, whom we met in Yanivallam village, attributes his long life of 95 years to eating fresh fish and vegetables daily. The people of Ramanathapuram, regardless of age, seem to have a strong awareness of the health benefits of food. For instance, we all know about date palm jaggery but not many are aware of its use in remedies for skin diseases.
We learnt how to make several simple but highly nutritious meals through recipe competitions for women. Vinsen Mary from Kombadi, and Sasikala from Kunappenandal shared their recipe for the digestive aid, ‘kambu kulu’. It is made by combining ‘kambu’ (pearl millet) and salt. It regulates haemoglobin and sugar levels. Vinsen also mixes the leaves of the ‘thuthuvalai’ plant (Solanum trilobatum L.)5 into a roti dough made with rice powder and onion. The leaves help in managing diabetes and increasing strength.
Ragi (finger millet) is a staple food. At Rameswaram, we were introduced to ‘ragi puttu’, a pudding with coconut shavings, jaggery, oil, onions and red chillies. It is said to aid digestion, control cholesterol, and strengthen bones. The recipes were given by three ladies, Muttivanachiyar, Vimala and Vattara. Jan Mary of Kombadi puts a local spin on ‘ragi roti’, adding jaggery, shallots, moringa leaves and cumin. This combination regulates body temperature and increases bone strength.
Popular snacks like ‘paniyaram’ (pan-fried dumplings made of moong dal and rice powder) and ‘kolukattai’ (stuffed dumplings with rice powder, coconut, jaggery, and gram flour) are believed to energize and strengthen and sugar. It cools
the body down and reportedly provides essential vitamins.
‘Narathangi oorugai’ is a pickle of the citrus fruit, with chili powder, garlic, and dry red chilies, known to improve digestion. It i s important to preserve t h e m e dicin a l properties of such botanicals when they undergo processing. The ‘Multi-purpose Dharamveer Kambhoj (See Honey Bee 20(1):10-12; 2009), achieves this by allowing the operator to control the internal temperature and speed. He demonstrated to farmers and other Shodhyatris how the device can be used to create juices, candies, pickles, and add value to several kinds of horticultural produce.
The Dharani Agroresearch and Rural Empowerment (DARE) Foundation, founded by Mr. Dharani R. Murugesan, sells certified organic products. They have a store in Velipattinam town of the district, and an e-commerce site (url: darefoundation.in). They stock various vegetables, spices, oils, millet flours, pickles, and varieties of rice such as ‘attur kichli sambar’ rice, among others.
Traditional Knowledge of Medicinal Plants and Herbs
The community’s collection of healthy foods complements their tradition of plant-based medicine. As we walked from Paramakudi to Rameshwaram we were introduced to over 30 plant-based remedies.
C. Mohana Krishna provided the information about the above remedies. He has acquired the knowledge from elders in his family, who were Ayurvedic specialists. He adds to this knowledge when needed with an extensive study of the flora at the foothills of the Pachamalai and Koli Hills. He has discovered several plants with ayurvedic uses. He is an organic farmer, growing and selling nearly a thousand varieties of rare medicinal plants. Innovators like Mr. Kambhoj and Mr. Krishna have found efficient ways to extract and process a wide range of horticultural plants. They aim to make them readily available around the country for those looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Such diffusion bolsters the people’s efforts to preserve their heritage.
Yatris held a ‘biodiversity competition’ amongst children where they asked them to identify and name the uses of various local plants. In Ila Mannur, valuable information was shared by Kayash, Raiyashree, Menikashree, Harshitasri and Harshini. They won the competition. Several other children from the village also participated in building our knowledge base, including Mukil, Harishma, Keerthika, Yuga Mughileshwaram, Deepak, Poorvika, Kavinaya, Arish Kumar, and Minnadhi.
Horticulture
Vegetables grown in the district include chilly, onion,eggplant, ladyfinger, and coriander. Chillies are more popular especially the endemic ‘mundu chili’ (Capsicum annuum L.) which is prized for its rich flavour. About 20,000 h.a. of the district are covered by various horticultural crops. Betel vine grows well in loamy soils near the backwaters from the Gulf of Mannar and Bay of Bengal. A betel vine cultivator has to invest heavily in quality planting material, and plant protection measures.
Jasmine flowers are offered during prayers, and women wear garlands and flowery hair decorations when they visit temples. Flowers are used in perfume-making at a unit in Mandabam block. Over 13,000 farmers grow the endemic ‘Ramnad gundumalli’ variety of jasmine in and around Madurai. We spoke with farmers in Pirappan Valasai village, where the quality of water is good. Mr. Krishnavallie shared his deep knowledge of modern and traditional practices followed in jasmine farming.
The plants are covered with palmyra leaves for the first thirty days, after which a small opening is made through the palmyra for new jasmine buds to sprout. It is believed that pruning the flowers by 1 meter on the tenth day after the ‘amavasya’ (new moon) would result in more blossoms. New branches emerge within three months, and plants are further propagated through air layering. Layering allows roots to grow from a visible part of the stem, and this stem becomes an independent plant after being cut away from the mother plant. Flowers are not picked during the winter monsoon (December
- January). To pick flowers during February to June, the leaves are completely removed in January.. Ramnad gundumalli requires irrigation only twice a week in sandy soils, and is grown on small plots of land ranging from
0.25 to 2 acres, at a spacing of 2.5 by 2.5 metres. Each bud sells for Rs. 1.5 – 3. Saplings grown by farmers in Ramanathapuram district are taken to Madurai, where they bloom into the famous ‘Madurai Malli’ jasmine. However, the GI rights are owned solely by a farmer’s association in Madurai --a bone of contention with local farmers.
The lotus flower is also considered sacred. The Thamaraikulam village is so named for its 15 acre lotus pond , which will soon be the site of a common purpose temple. A fund of Rs. 15 lakhs has been sanctioned to build it. There were so many lotus lakes around temples, which provided relief from the dry landscapes in between. Some of the water ponds were also found in the derelict condition.
Wish the technique of weaving lotus silk developed by Bijiyashanti Tongbram (supported under MVIF by GIAN), could be practiced in this region too, to augment the income of local communities
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| Volume No. |
Honey Bee, 34(1)17-21, 2023 |
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