Cultural heritage and sustainable practices: Indigenous wisdom in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) is a system of understandings and relationships that preserve and contextualize indigenous ties with culture and terrain over time. A study area chosen here is Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu state in India. The farmers of this region possessed a large pool of indigenous technical knowledge with regards to agriculture. A study has been conducted to collect the undocumented indigenous traditional practices of agriculture followed among the farmers and to document these ITK practices for the benefit of future generations and to safeguard the traditional knowledge of farmers in this region. The major ITK practices like Pazhakaadi, Banana stem covering, rearing of stingless bees in walls, Rubber milk extraction in coconut shell are discussed elaborately in this research paper. The knowledge and practices of farmers hold substantial value and merit validation, facilitating their exchange with other regions worldwide, thereby contributing to sustainable agricultural practices. The study found that traditional knowledge of the farmers and their significance in the farming, ecological and economical values. These findings highlight the rich traditional knowledge of the Kanyakumari region. The indigenous technical knowledge practices observed in the area of Kanyakumari region contribute to the socioeconomic advancement of rural farming communities, thereby uplifting them.