Abstract:

In this study, covering nineteen settlements between 800-2000 m asl and as many as 500 respondents drawn equally from both the sexes in Central Himalayan region of India, an effort was made to document indigenous knowledge system of medicine and health care practices and its relevance in physical well being of the local people, resource conservation and socio-economic development. Documentation of more than fifty indigenous healthcare practices that are in practice among the local people revealed that females are the real custodians of the indigenous knowledge system as 52% of them have the knowledge on thirty practices against that of 26% for males. This indigenous knowledge system of medicine existing as a super structure, effectively serves the people of the region. Further, the indigenous practices being easily administrable and cheaper, relieve the practitioners from time and financial hardship. However, growing requirements of the continually increasing population and associated poverty besides largescale commercial use of bioresources is resulting in their uncontrolled exploitation, leading to their erosion and extinction. Their non-availability may threaten the continuation of these practices.