Pickled power

Hill women, long deprived of any economic rights, have found their independent, confident voice in activities spurred by a welfare group

In Mowgli's land

ANJOLI BANDYOPADHYAY visits Pench Tiger Reserve, the site of many a conservation scheme and finds the woes wrought upon the people there by …

Rajstan tribals return to herbal healing

Jagaran, a voluntary body is seeking to re-establish traditional herbal medicines in an impoverished tribal area in Udayapur district.

Mystique of metal therapy

Incredible though it may seem, it is being claimed that cancer and multiple sclerosis, the two deadly diseases that have often eluded cure, can …

Relish it

Staying healthy is not a daunting task if one regularly eats neem dishes

The Maoists mean business

So does government, in a rush for profits from a medicinal herb

The mushroom of the royal

Nature has bestowed Kashmir with extraordinary climatic conditions and forest cover, apt for different mushroom varieties including gucchi (…

Bamboo shoot

It is rich in nutrition as well as flavour

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 …

A drugs story

NGOs all over southern India are helping to revive the system of local medicinal plants and herbs, holding out the promise of not just cheaper …

A moosli mafia is at work

It has put paid to the authenticity of a wonder herb

Is pregnancy a disease?

The development of birth-control methods that use the body's immune system may be more convenient than condoms and pills. But several groups …

Anti-AIDS treatment aims at tolerating virus

Ayurveda practitioners in Kerala are experimenting with a novel approach to tackling AIDS: herbal medicines that increase the patient's immunity …

Checking population growth through the ages

The concept of family planning control dates back to the ancient Greeks. Though many scientific advances have been made in the field since then, …

Losing jobs in the jungle

Irula tribals are rich in the knowledge of traditional medicine. They used to catch snakes and practise herbal medicine for a living. Today they …

Karanda: Rural India's rich fruit

Karanda is a versatile but under-exploited plant found throughout the dry regions of India. It is cultivated for its edible fruits in Rajasthan, …

Science reveals the magic in herbal cures

Recent studies have brought to light the science behind traditional herbal medicinal systems.

Bringing better health to the Indian woman

Efforts are on to tackle the abysmal state of female health in India, especially among the poorer sections

How To Sell A Wonder Herb

There is arogyapacha. A rare herb with extraordinary medicinal properties. There is the Kani tribe of Kerala. It has preserved the herb and the …

Tried and tested

Traditional medical and agricultural practices, usually dismissed as unscientific, are regaining favour, with some help from Honeybee -- a …

Bad Medicine

First there were the quacks. Then came the mass manufacturers of substandard herbal drugs and cosmetics. Cashing in on the goodwill of …

Lab's labour lost

Products designed by premier scientific institutions fail to find the pulse of the market

Little boxes of herbs

SUMANA NARAYANAN finds a 125-year-old shop selling herbal medicines in the lanes of Chennai

Home remedies

Right from the backyard

Written word protects

Registers can help preserve the traditional knowledge of India's healers