NISCAIR Online Periodicals Repository Collection: IJTK Vol.11(2) [April 2012]

Some belief, practices and prospects of folk healers of Sikkim

Title: Some belief, practices and prospects of folk healers of Sikkim

Authors: Kumar, Panda Ashok; Sangram, Mishra

Abstract: Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepalis, three ethnic groups of Sikkim practicing traditional medicines have a strong belief of different supernatural forces and deities. The study is an attempt to focus on the beliefs, practices and prospects of folk healers of Sikkim. The study was conducted in whole Sikkim and the data were collected by the field survey and personal interviews of 102 identified folk healers. In the study the age, sex, educational qualification, source of knowledge, experience, generation of practice and collection of herbs in different days of 102 folk healers are presented. The treatment principles, beliefs and medical ailment are more or less similar in three different ethnic groups. The study shows a declined trend of new generation to adopt this practice as profession. There is a greatest challenge to revitalize the traditional health and to promote the folk medicine in rural poor people of Sikkim for their primary healthcare.

Page(s): 369-373

REG investigation of the consciousness field: Effects of an Apthoryama yajña

Title: REG investigation of the consciousness field: Effects of an Apthoryama yajña

Authors: Thakur, Ghanshyam Singh; Nagendra, H R; Nagarathna, R

Abstract: Vedic knowledge states that yajñas have effects on the environment and people. Yajñas of various kinds are elaborated in the Vedic literature. Among Soma yajñas, the Apthoryama Yajña is the chief and the largest. From 17 - 26 April 2007, an Apthoryama yajña was organized in Bangalore and evaluation of its effects on the environment, society and human beings was encouraged. Our study used a Random Event Generator (REG) placed 12 m from the site of the yajña to evaluate its effects on the consciousness-field. Significant increases in REG values were found on several occasions on all days, compared to control days with no yajña. Particularly significant changes occurred on the following days: the second day during Vedic chanting (p<0.001); the third day on four occasions, Agni Prasthapana (p<0.05), Soma Kriya (p<0.05), Shainchitti (p<0.001) and Pravargya (p<0.01); the fifth day during Pravargya (p<0.05); the sixth day during Subramanyam Ahwan (p<0.001) and Garun Chayana (p<0.05); the eighth day during Garun Cayana (p<0.05), Agni udbhava (p<0.05) and Subramanyam Ahwan (p<0.05); and the ninth day during Soma yajña (p<0.05) and the final Puja (p<0.05).

Page(s): 362-368

A study on the impact on ESR level through Yogic Relaxation Technique Yoga nidra

Title: A study on the impact on ESR level through Yogic Relaxation Technique Yoga nidra

Authors: Kumar, Kamakhya; Pandya, Pranav

Abstract: Contemporary studies show that researchers are keen to know the effect of Yoga nidra in various directions; thus it is the right time to go deep into the search of the impact of Yoga nidra. The present study aims at finding out the effect of Yoga nidra especially on ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) on healthy subjects. The study conducted at the Yoga Arogya Polyclinic of Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya in collaboration of Brahmavarchas Research Institute, Haridwar. Practice time of Yoga nidra was 30 minutes and the duration was 6 months. Eighty students were taken from PG Yoga classes for observing the effect as well as 30 was in control group. The present study shows a significant change on the ESR level of the normal persons as the result of Yoga nidra practice. The results are significant at 0.01 level of confidence. At the end it can be concluded that Yoga nidra positively decreases the level of ESR in the male and female subjects both.

Page(s): 358-361

Weed management through salt application: An indigenous method from shifting cultivation areas, Eastern Himalaya, India

Title: Weed management through salt application: An indigenous method from shifting cultivation areas, Eastern Himalaya, India

Authors: Rathore, SS; Krose, N; Naro, Moa; Shekhawat, Kapila; Bhatt, BP

Abstract: An experiment has been undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of traditional practices to use common salt for weed management in jhum paddy in mid hills conditions in Eastern Himalayas with the objective to study the effect of salt application on morphological characters, yield attributes, yield and economics of paddy under shifting cultivation areas. Salt @ 120 kg ha^-1with two spay resulted significantly (P<0.05) higher grain yield over control, and also higher weed control efficiency than three hand weeding. The salt and hand weeding have resulted same effect by reducing the chaffy grain. Salt application is found to be the best weed management strategy with Benefit: Cost ratio of 1.79.

Page(s): 354-357