TMK-ACTIVITIES

Pooneeru  collection:

               As we had said in the Editor’s Desk of the previous issue about the Pooneeru, the day ‘Pournami of Chitirai Maatham’ this year falls on 17th April 2011. During that day TMK organized a one day tour to a village called SITTHAMALLI near Uthirmeerur of Kancheepuram District under the guidance of Dr. Chozhan B.S.M.S., a leading Siddha Practitioner at Uthiramerur. 18 members of the Siddha community participated in the tour and got benefited by collecting the Pooneeru.

            Dr. Chozhan explained the nature, medicinal importance and availability of Pooneeru, He also explained the mode of collection and method of purifying  before administering it as a medicine. He gave a brief explanation about his treatment and success in treating Infertility(with the help of Pooneeru). Later we visited the Uthiramerur Stone Inscription of the Chozha period.

Organic Agricultural Research Farm:

            On the same day a visit to the Organic Agricultural Research Farm, at Sukkankollai near Vedanthangal was made, where we were able to see more then 80 varieties of Paddy of our traditional tamilians with names and seed samples- Mapillai samba, Kalian samba, Kaadai kazhuthan, Kaatu kuthalam, Kappa kaar, Seeraga samba, Sembili panni, Vajram undaan, Kichili samba, Vaal arrakkan, Soolai kuruvai, Karung kuruvai, pattu araikaar, Varappu kudainjan, Kuzhi adichan, Navarai arisi, Kallundai, Veethi vadangan, Perungum vaazhai, Kundhali, Seengini, Suuran kuruvai  are some of the  varieties available there.

            Vegetables namely Methipaagal, Kuli thakkali, Nurai peerkan, Nettai peerkan,  Kuttai peerkan, Vaithiya kumbalam, Kozhi avarai, Thambattai avarai, Kumbam surai, Voosi melagai, Naatu vendai are some of the traditional varieties available there.

Irular Tibal Farm:

            Then the students had training on herbal identification along with their therapeutical values at Irular’s Tribal farm located at Thandarai Village near Chengalpattu and gained practical experience in their way of treatment to snake bites and other toxic ailments. There we found to know about the cultivation of herbs, maintaining of nursery, manufacturing and marketing of herbs.