Cite this article:
Tejashwee, Pradhan and Deshlahara (2016). Indigenous Beliefs and Practices Regarding Health and Disease among Gonds of Kalidarha Village, District Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh. Journal of Ravishankar University (Part-A: Science), 22(1), pp.24-33.https://doi.org/
Journal
of Ravishankar University,
Part-A,Vol-22, pp.24-33, 2016 ISSN 0970 5910
Indigenous Beliefs and Practices Regarding Health and
Disease among Gonds of Kalidarha Village, District Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh
G. Tejashwee, Ashok Pradhan and Gulshan Deshlahara
G. Tejashwee , School of Studies in Anthropology, Pt. Ravishankar
Shukla University, Raipur.
Ashok Pradhan, School of Studies in Anthropology, Pt. Ravishankar
Shukla University, Raipur.
Gulshan Deshlahara, School of Studies in Anthropology, Pt. Ravishankar
Shukla University, Raipur.
[Received: 29 September 2015; Revised
Received: 13 October 2015; Accepted: 18 October 2015]
Abstract:
The present study was conducted during
February-March 2014 in Kalidarha village of district Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh
In our work, we have applied methodologies like interview-schedule,
semi-participant observation and case-study among all 45 Gond families. We
found that 48.9% of Gonds believed the climatic changes as their cause of
disease. 57.8% of them responded that a change in the body temperature is their
identification of illness. More than half of the Gond people (57.8%) first
prefer a physician i.e. an ANM/NMA/MPW for their diseases and 91.1% of them are
aware of vaccination. There is strong and successful traditional medicinal
system which is useful for many diseases among the Gonds; hence it should be
protected and used for the human welfare. Keeping in mind the cultural
relativism, we suggest that the modern medical and health system should be
applied along with their traditional practices.
Keywords:
Indigenous beliefs, Illness, Gond tribe, Modern
medical health system
NOTE: Full version of this manuscript is available in PDF.