Traditional Medicinal Knowledge in North Eastern Region of India: A Case Study of their health Care practices among the Meetei Maiba healers of Thoubal District, Manipur
Journal Title: International Journal of Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Studies (IJIMS) - Year 2017, Vol 4, Issue 2
Abstract
Traditional healers are still pivotal manpower resources of health care provisioning with a wide range of healing methods in Manipur, North Eastern Region of India. Meetei Maibas are local health care male healers and their continuity of knowledge and practices are inextricably linked with the indigenous flora and fauna and social recognition. Their system of health care knowledge and practices are transmitted through oral tradition, direct observation, and hands-on experience from one generation to the other. Their health care practices are locally known as Maiba Laiyeng Pathap or Maiba health care system of treatments. The present paper is an outcome of my fieldwork conducted in the valley district of Thoubal in Heirok Kendra among the Meetei Maibas in Nongpoksekmai, Sikhong, and Heirok villages respectively. Altogether, 9 Maibas who practically possessed the knowledge and skills of Maiba Layeng Pathap were interviewed in their respective residences. Direct Observation, face to face in-depth interviews, recording and still photographs were used in the fieldwork. Above all, how they acquired the knowledge and practices and the queries for types of ailments, treatments and the medicinal plants they utilized, the method of preparation, the frequency of use, which medicinal plants used as daily food consumption, and also the evidence of healing testimonies were documented. The paper also discusses the type of Meetei Maiba healers and their traditional knowledge and methods of health care treatments. The continuity of this particular type of health care practices will benefit within and across the country at large scale if their health care knowledge and practices of the economic medicinal plants and their uses are properly studied. The paper also brings out the present situation of Maiba Laiyeng Pathap in Manipur and future prospects.
Authors and Affiliations
Asem Tomba Meetei
Keywords
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