 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(May 2009) |
Patalkot (Sanskrit for "Very Deep") is a valley in the Tamia tehsil of Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh, India. Patalkot is 78 km away from Chhindwara district headquarter. This valley is home to a tribal culture and enormous herbal wealth.
The Patalkot valley is spread over an area of 79 km2. at an average height of 2750–3250 feet above Mean Sea Level from 22.24 to 22.29 ° North and 78.43 to 78.50 ° East. The valley is located at a distance of 78 km from Chhindwara in the North-West direction and 20 km from Tamia in the North-East Direction. 'Doodhi' river flows in the valley. This horse–shoe shaped valley is surrounded by hills and there are several pathways to reach the villages located inside the valley. The rocks are mostly by the Archaean era which are nearly 2500 million years and comprised with Granite gneiss, green schists, basic rocks, quartz with Gondwana sediments including conglomerate sandstone, shales and carbonaceous shales. The composite carbon on the rocks called Shilajit is also found on few patches in upper zones.
'Patalkot' name comes from Sanskrit word "Patal" that means very deep. There is a belief that after worshipping Lord Shiva, Prince Meghnad son of Ravana had gone to Patal-lok through this place only. People say that Bhonsle Kings ruled this place in the 18th and 19th Centuries and that there was a long tunnel connecting this place to Pachmarhi in Hoshangabad District. The Bhonsle King after defeated by British Army found this place suitable for hiding and went deep into the forest of Patalkot. The area is called Rajakho in Patalkot. Traditionally, the site is believed to be the entrance to Patal. This valley had long been cut off from the outside and was discovered only a few years back.[ citation needed ] Patalkot has been a home to a tribal culture and custom since its origin.
In recent years,[ when? ] the government has been trying to make Patalkot an eco-tourism destination. [1] The monsoon season is a popular time for visitors, as it is a sheltered area.[ citation needed ] Tourism marketing focuses on the local nature and adivasi culture connections - though this may change with increased impact from tourism and outside pressures.[ citation needed ] Patalkot is known for retaining its original culture and customs for a long time.[ citation needed ] Until a few years back,[ when? ] it was a world in its own with no influence from outside. To reverse the process of deforestation and forest degradation by positioning in ecotourism as a joint product. The Patalkot model of ecotourism, with the involvement of indigenous communities, has demonstrated its operational deliverance, adaptive evolution capabilities as well as being recognized as a successful model with several elements for replication.[ citation needed ] It started in 2009 with the joint effort of the 'Centre for Forestry Research' and HRD Poama, District Administration and District Olympic Association in which 3000 tribal youth were trained in adventure activities like parasailing, paragliding, rock climbing, trekking, bird watching and water sports. Every year a festival called Satpuda Adventure sports festival is organised during the month of October.
This deep valley is situated on the way to Bhopal from Chhindwara. Patalkot is 78 km away from Chhindwara, on a diversion route towards Tamia. It can be reached through taxi from Chhindwara. There is no facility of accommodation in the valley, the nearest accommodation facility is in Tamia at the forest or PWD guest house and few private hotels can be booked.
There are in total 12 villages and 13 hamlets with a total population of 2012 (1017 male and 995 female) in the valley. These villages are located at the distance of 2–3 km each. The main villages of the valley are: Rated, Chimtipur, Gujja Dongri, Sahra Pachgol, Harra-ka-Char, Sukhabhand, Dhurni malni, Jhiram, Palani Gaildubba, Ghatlinga, Gudichattri, Gaildubba, Kareyam, Ghana, etc.
Gonds (Gondi people) and Bharias mainly constitute the population of Patalkot. It is said that Bharias have been living here for more than 500 years. Tribal men, women and children wear traditional dresses during their festive times. Chulki, Mundri, Binoria, Toda, Hasli, Kardona, Paijan, Mohanmala, Kushmala, Mungiamala, Markadhana mala and Patli are the common ornaments they wear at this time. Tribal members perform prayers and rituals every day. The place where they perform Pooja (prayer) is called as Devghar. Tribals worship Mahadev, Badadev, Madai, Madmi Mai, Doolhadev, Nandia, Surjadev, Agiadev as their gods and goddesses. Nagda, Timki, Shehnai, Chakule, Singa, Tambura, Chikara, Bansuri, Ghunghru, Khadtaal, Madar, Dhol, Dahak and Tudiya are the common instruments played during certain ceremonies and rituals.
As mentioned by Dr Deepak Acharya in an article published in ECOS MAGAZINE- Australia Wisdom from the Heart of India, Patalkot is home to a tribal culture and custom. The valley now faces threats of deforestation.[ citation needed ]
Patalkot is the home of some rare medicinal plants and herbs, used by herbal healers known as bhumka. They include Abrus precatorius, Aloe vera, Annona squamosa, Bryonia lacinosa, Aegle marmelos, Madhuca indica, Ficus racemosa, Holoptelea integrifolia, Lawsonia enermis, Tylophora asthmatica, Gloriosa superba, Gymnema sylvestre, Hemidesmus indicus, etc. The tribes of Patalkot use the forest plants to make medicines. The herbal practitioners are known as Bhumkas. They make pulps and extracts of plants for curing illnesses. They have medicinal treatments intended to aid with illnesses including, measles, cholera, hypertension, diabetes, coughs, snake bites, and pains (Acharya and Shrivastava, 2008). The ethnobotanical studies done by Dr.Suneesh Buxy in the area revealed that nearly 220 number of floral population are used by Bharia community for treating different diseases. Some of the medicinal plants are highly endangered species and needs protection like Sundew.[ citation needed ]
Due to the exposure of Patalkot's herbal remedies and plants to the outside world, the eco-balance of the valley is in question.[ citation needed ] The system of the valley that encompasses several villages and their lives has been self-sustained over a long period of time.
Traditional medicine comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the era of modern medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines traditional medicine as "the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness". Traditional medicine is often contrasted with scientific medicine.
Pachmarhi is a hill station in the Narmadapuram district of Madhya Pradesh state of central India. It has been the location of a cantonment since British Raj.
The Satpura Range is a range of hills in central India. The range rises in eastern Gujarat running east through the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and ends in Chhattisgarh. The range parallels the Vindhya Range to the north, and these two east–west ranges divide Indian Subcontinent into the Indo-Gangetic plain of northern India and the Deccan Plateau of the south. The Narmada River originates from north-eastern end of Satpura in Amarkantak, and runs in the depression between the Satpura and Vindhya ranges, draining the northern slope of the Satpura range, running west towards the Arabian Sea. The Tapti River originates in the eastern-central part of Satpura, crossing the range in the center and running west at the range's southern slopes before meeting the Arabian Sea at Surat, draining the central and southern slopes of the range. Multai, the place of Tapi river origin is located about 465 kilometer far, south-westerly to Amarkantak, separated across by the hill range. The Godavari River and its tributaries drain the Deccan plateau, which lies south of the range, and the Mahanadi River drains the easternmost portion of the range. The Godavari and Mahanadi rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal. At its eastern end, the Satpura range meets the hills of the Chotanagpur Plateau. The Satpura Range is a horst mountain and is flanked by Narmada Graben in the north and much smaller but parallel Tapi Graben in the south.
Chhindwara is a city in India and a Municipal Corporation in Chhindwara district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The city is the administrative headquarters of Chhindwara District. Chhindwara is reachable by rail or road from adjacent cities Betul, Jabalpur and Nagpur. The nearest airport is in Nagpur (130 km); however there is a small airport located in the city which is not serviceable for passenger planes.
Bharia is one of Dravidian-speaking tribes of Madhya Pradesh in India. The Bharias live in Patalkot, which is completely isolated valley some 400 metres below Tamia in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. This valley is the source of Dudhi River. Patalkot is totally inaccessible by road and one enters along a footpath only. But recently The Madhya Pradesh government established good road inside the Patalkot valley.
Ethnomedicine is a study or comparison of the traditional medicine based on bioactive compounds in plants and animals and practiced by various ethnic groups, especially those with little access to western medicines, e.g., indigenous peoples. The word ethnomedicine is sometimes used as a synonym for traditional medicine.
Chhindwara district is one of the major districts of Madhya Pradesh state of India, and Chhindwara town is the district headquarters. Chhindwara is the largest district in Madhya Pradesh with an area of 11,815 square km. The district is part of Jabalpur division.
Seoni is a city and a municipality in Seoni district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. This tribal household dominated district was formed in the year 1956. Rudyard Kipling used the forests in the vicinity of Seoni, or as was spelled during British colonial rule, Seeonee, as the setting for the Mowgli stories in The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book (1894–1895), although the area is not an actual rainforest. Seoni is a city where tributary of the river Godavari, the Wainganga, originates. Seoni is reachable by trains & road, major adjacent cities are Nagpur and Jabalpur. The National Highway 44 north–south corridor crosses from Seoni. Seoni Railway Station serve as the primary transportation hub for Seoni district and connect Seoni city to National capital and State capital (Bhopal) directly via express trains .The nearest airport is Nagpur (130 km); a small airport (air-strip) is available at Seoni near Sukhtara village for landing charter airplanes/helicopters. The Wainganga is a river in India originating in the Mahadeo Hills in Mundara near the village Gopalganj in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh. It is a key tributary of the Godavari. The river flows south in a winding course through the states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, roughly 579 km (360 mi). After joining the Wardha River, the united stream, which is known as the Pranahita River, empties into the Godavari River at Kaleshwaram, Telangana.
Jawhar is a city and a municipal council in Palghar district of Maharashtra state in Konkan division of India. Jawhar was a capital city of the erstwhile Koli princely state of Jawhar. Situated in the ranges of the Western Ghats, Jawhar is known for its picturesque setting and a vibrant cultural heritage. It is one of the few remaining tribal regions of Maharashtra and is known for its vibrant Warli painting that are a characteristic landmark of this place. Established in 1918, Jawhar is one of the oldest municipal councils in the state of Maharashtra and tourist spot near Mumbai.
Sarni is a town located in the Betul District of Madhya Pradesh. It is administered by the Municipal Council of Sarni, which oversees the four contiguous settlements of Sarni, Pathakhera, Shobhapur Colony and Bagdona.
Assam is the main and oldest state in the North-East Region of India and as the gateway to the rest of the Seven Sister States. The land of red river and blue hills, Assam comprises three main geographical areas: the Brahmaputra Valley which stretching along the length of the Brahmaputra river, the Barak Valley extending like a tail, and the intervening Karbi Plateau and North Cachar Hills. Assam shares its border with Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal; and there are National Highways leading to their capital cities. It also shares international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh and is very close to Myanmar. In ancient times Assam was known as Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotishpura, and Kamarupa.
Madhya Pradesh, often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh was originally the largest state in India until November 1, 2000 when the state of Chhattisgarh was carved out. It borders the states Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
A Bhumka is the term for a traditional herbal healer in the valley of Patalkot, India. The valley is mainly home to members of the Bharia and Gond tribes, with 2,000 residents scattered between various villages and hamlets. Tribes people traditionally use herbal medicine, under the auspices of a herbal expert and holy man known as a Bhumka.
Chempanoda/Chempanod is a village located in the northeastern part of the Kozhikode district of Kerala, India. It is situated near the popular tourist destination of Peruvannamuzhi.
Ch. Surender Singh Memorial Herbal Park, Kairu is a herbal and medicinal plant park in Kairu village between the cities of Bahal and Bhiwani in the Tosham tehsil of the Indian state of Haryana. It is also the location of a Chinkara Breeding Centre run by the Forests Department of the state government.
The Shatavar Vatika Herbal Park, Hisar, named after the shatavar herb, is a 125-acre herbal park for the conservation of several endangered ayurvedic medicinal herbs. It is located on Hisar-Dhansu road, which runs off 'Hisar-Barwala NH-52', in Hisar city of Haryana state in India.
Kali Bari Chhindwara is a temple dedicated to Goddess Kali and the center of Bengali culture in Chhindwara, India. Established in 1995, the deity in the temple is Maa Kali.
Junnardeo, formerly known as Jamai, is a city and a municipality in Chhindwara district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Junnardeo is the head office of the Kanhan area of WCL. It has Asia's largest Coal Wash Plant.
Bhawna Dehariya is an Indian mountaineer born in Village Tamia, District Chhindawara, Madhya Pradesh. She has climbed the summits of several peaks around the world including the summit of Mount Everest on 22 May 2019. She holds a Guinness World Records title for promoting and popularising Indian Himalaya with the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute on 15 August 2020. She is the Vice President and Brand Ambassador of Jan Parishad, a national level social enterprise.
The medical ethnobotany of India is the study of Indian medicinal plants and their traditional uses. Plants have been used in the Indian subcontinent for treatment of disease and health maintenance for thousands of years, and remain important staples of health and folk medicine for millions. Indians today utilize plants for both primary medical care and as supplementary treatment alongside modern medical science. It is estimated that 70% of rural Indians use traditional plant based remedies for primary healthcare needs. This reliance of plants for medicine is consistent with trends widely observed in the developing world, where between 65% and 80% of people use medicinal plant remedies.
2. Acharya, Deepak and Shrivastava Anshu (2008): Indigenous Herbal Medicines: Tribal Formulations and Traditional Herbal Practices, Aavishkar Publishers Distributor, Jaipur- India. ISBN 978-81-7910-252-7. pp 440.