Category Archives: Bees and honey

“Without [bees] there would be no pollination. Without them there would be no future food. And the small farmers are the primary source of food.” – Video message by Vandana Shiva in support of The “Save Bees and Farmers!” European Citizens’ Initiative (28 February 2020)
https://www.savebeesandfarmers.eu/w/files/videos/200219-vandana-supports-the-eci_smaller.mp4
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=12161

“Living in the Nilgiris, the Kattunayakans are one of the last few remaining honey gathering communities of the world. Over many generations they have mastered the skills required to tap honey and they take great pride in their knowledge and expertise. For the tribal community, honey gathering is of social, cultural, economic and spiritual relevance. […] With their lives in the forest being steadily pulled away from under their feet, communities like the Kattunayakans are losing their sense of culture and meaning. Without the ritual of tapping honey, a rich history of song and dance associated with the practice will have no place in their lives.” – Priyashri Mani in “Home is where the forest is….” (At the Edge of Existence, 29 August 2013)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=12436

“Constructing these bamboo-ladders [used to extract honey from beehives] is an architecture itself. Building them is a secret. It is done only at night. Non-community people will not be allowed to be present when tribals build them. These ladders can be sometimes 200 feet tall.” – K.T. Gandhirajan quoted by T.S. Subramanian in “Ancient rock art dating back to 1500 B.C. found in Tamil Nadu” (The Hindu, 28 September 2016)
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/Ancient-rock-art-dating-back-to-1500-B.C.-found-in-Tamil-Nadu/article14769223.ece
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=21555

“Living in the Nilgiris, the Kattunayakans are one of the last few remaining honey gathering communities of the world. Over many generations they have mastered the skills required to tap honey and they take great pride in their knowledge and expertise. For the tribal community, honey gathering is of social, cultural, economic and spiritual relevance. […] With their lives in the forest being steadily pulled away from under their feet, communities like the Kattunayakans are losing their sense of culture and meaning. Without the ritual of tapping honey, a rich history of song and dance associated with the practice will have no place in their lives.” – Priyashri Mani in “Home is where the forest is….” (At the Edge of Existence, 29 August 2013)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=12436

“Constructing these bamboo-ladders [used to extract honey from beehives] is an architecture itself. Building them is a secret. It is done only at night. Non-community people will not be allowed to be present when tribals build them. These ladders can be sometimes 200 feet tall.” – K.T. Gandhirajan quoted by T.S. Subramanian in “Ancient rock art dating back to 1500 B.C. found in Tamil Nadu” (The Hindu, 28 September 2016)
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/Ancient-rock-art-dating-back-to-1500-B.C.-found-in-Tamil-Nadu/article14769223.ece
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=21555

Honey and wax production “a major seasonal activity” for Mahudharali (Honey gatherer) communities – Odisha

Posted on 04/01/2021 by website administrator

Honey and wax production is a major seasonal activity of bees in forest areas. Around 5000 locals earn their livelihood by gathering honey and bee-wax in the season from April to June. They are locally called as ‘Mahudharali’ (honey collector). […] … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Bees and honey, Figures, census and other statistics, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Health and nutrition, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Rights of Indigenous Peoples | Comments Off on Honey and wax production “a major seasonal activity” for Mahudharali (Honey gatherer) communities – Odisha

Knowing their rights and making it known: The four indigenous communities in the Gudalur valley of the Nilgiris – Tamil Nadu

Posted on 20/12/2020 by website administrator

The Gudalur valley in the Nilgiris is home to four distinct indigenous communities – Paniyas, Kattunayakans, Mullukurumbas and Bettakurumbas. Learn more: https://cultureandconservation.wordpress.com/test/ >> On 15th December, 2014, members from 31 Tribal Gram Sabhas of the Gudalur and Pandalur Taluks organized … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi / Adibasi, Bees and honey, Community facilities, Customs, Democracy, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Health and nutrition, Names and communities, Nilgiri, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Southern region, Storytelling, Success story, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Knowing their rights and making it known: The four indigenous communities in the Gudalur valley of the Nilgiris – Tamil Nadu

The “participatory guarantee system” (PGS Organic Council): A renewed effort to sustain the lives and cultures of indigenous communities – Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

Posted on 29/11/2020 by website administrator

Rich Forests: Making a living under the canopy […] PGS has been received enthusiastically in India and elsewhere. The PGS Organic Council was registered in Goa, India, in April 2011. Since then, the Government of India – under the national project on … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Bees and honey, Community facilities, Customs, eBook download sites, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Ethnobotany, Figures, census and other statistics, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Health and nutrition, History, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Networking, Nilgiri, Organizations, Particularly vulnerable tribal group, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rural poverty, Scheduled Tribe (ST), Southern region, Tips, Tribal elders, Wayanad, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The “participatory guarantee system” (PGS Organic Council): A renewed effort to sustain the lives and cultures of indigenous communities – Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

Learn more about tribal communities in Tamil Nadu

Posted on 28/11/2020 by website administrator
Posted in Anthropology, Bees and honey, Childhood and children, Community facilities, Customs, Democracy, Eco tourism, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Endangered language, Figures, census and other statistics, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, History, Literature and bibliographies, Multi-lingual education, Organizations, Particularly vulnerable tribal group, Revival of traditions, Seasons and festivals, Southern region, Success story, Tiger, Tips, Tourism, Tribal elders, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology, Women, Worship and rituals | Comments Off on Learn more about tribal communities in Tamil Nadu

Forest dwellers in early India – myths and ecology in historical perspective

Posted on 27/11/2020 by website administrator

By Romila Thapar, Emeritus Professor of History, Jawaharlal Nehru University  The hunt introduces us to the forest dwellers. These tended to be either creatures of the imagination such as the raksasas who are abundant, or else humans with supernatural faculties. Raksasas have … Continue reading →

Posted in Bees and honey, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Ecology and environment, Elephant, History, Literature and bibliographies, Misconceptions, Nature and wildlife, Quotes, Resources, Sacred grove, Storytelling, Trees, Women, Worship and rituals | Comments Off on Forest dwellers in early India – myths and ecology in historical perspective