Indigenous Knowledge System and sustainable development with particular reference to folklores of Kumaon Himalaya, Uttarakhan

Abstract

Agriculture and allied activities are the prime source of subsistence in Kumaon Himalaya, Uttarakhand. Indigenous knowledge accumulated by the farmers by observation, experimentation, trial and error method is the basic input in addition to seeds and farm yard manure. Farming communities of the region have gained the knowledge from their ancestors. The knowledge accumulated by them has been coined in the form of idioms and phrases in the region are known as folklores. The folklores, which have been vouging in the region, impart the knowledge for subsistence. In the paper, attempt has been made to elaborate the indigenous knowledge pertaining to agricultural operations, environment, conservation and sustainable development and discussed them in the light of western science.