A dying tradition
Dearth of knowledge has frustrated attempts to revive a traditional but viable method of making iron.
Reviving rustic remedies
Ayurveda gets a shot in the arm in this unique NGO experiment
Thought therapy
Spiritual healing is in. New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences is introducing it in its departments. Companies across USA are using …
The past fights cancer of the future
Traditional systems of medicine offer holistic and effective formulations to handle cancer
The healing touch
Centuries-old tribal knowledge about our environment is the wellspring of local health traditions
The fundamentals of Vedic mathematics
Though Vedic maths evokes Hindutva connotations, the fact is that it's a system of simple arithmetic, which can be used for intricate calculations.
A tradition is revived
Across the Palk Strait, Sri Lanka turns back the pages and rejuvenates its traditional indigenous systems of medicine
Patent injustice
Commercial interests profit from unprotected artisanal knowledges
The wood femine
Decline in supplies has badly affected many traditional crafts. Woodcarving in Saharanpur is one of them. Despite a revitalised export market, …
Science of the Common people
A recent congress highlighted the relevance of people-oriented science and technology such as the management of water, forests and agriculture.
Oasis underneath
Local people in the arid Churu district of Rajasthan know how to store sweet rainwater for the scorching, parched summers
Unveiling the past
People are now realising that the solutions to many modern problems lie buried somewhere in our traditional sciences
A dying craft
The technique of producing iron from low-grade ore used by the Agarias was environmentally sound. But the community is marginalised today, and …
Patently bad drafting
The amended patents act is replete with inconsistencies and vague terms
The rebirth of ancient wisdom
The role of dais, traditional Indian midwives, is being reevaluated as modern medicine finds their lore ideally suited to Indian conditions
Mud housing is the key
Mud's low cost and malleability makes it an ideal building material. But its use can be popularised only if such drawbacks as its …
The spirit of the sanctuary
Sacred groves - tracts of virgin forests - are vestiges of an ancient practice in which people protected a forest to avoid the wrath of its …
The other course
Traditional curative systems like ayurveda, homoeopathy, acupuncture... are being revived as alternative medicine. But in India and the Orient, …
Break the Deadlock
In 1995, many in India were outraged to learn that a university in the US was granted a patent to make and sell haldi (turmeric) for its wound …
Bitters for starters
A typical Bengali meal is eaten course by course. Kaushik Das Gupta shows how the tradition helps refine taste buds
Losing the edge
As the world increasingly resorts to natural, plant-derived cures for illnesses, the wealth of India's traditional medicinal systems lies …
Going back to the past for a better future
The Tarun Bharat Sangh is helping drought-hit villagers of Alwar district of Rajasthan grow crops by reviving a traditional system of dam …
Campaign
A partial success
But escape clauses weaken radical decisions taken at the recent convention on biodiversity
What's cooking?
