Click for details - Deccan Development Society

Recommendations

Info

AGROBIODIVERSITY HERITAGE SITE OF ZAHEERABAD, Medak District, Andhra Pradesh Parameters Crop 3. Useful as fuel, fiber, fencing and thatching materials and use of crop residue 4. Importance in local rituals and festivals “Avi thineti dinusulu, thakkuva ammutham andhuke koddiga thakkuva” (regarding Yellow Jowar which is most widely consumed in the region, women said,” we prefer to keep and not sell this, because it is very much a part our daily diet. So, it scores more than other gram. Green gram, yellow jowar, black pigeon pea, barnyard millet and niger. The purpose of this exercise was try to find out which crops are used for other household uses such as thatching, fencing, fuel, fibre and for making ropes. Of all the crops for fibre, Hibiscus was the only crop that was given a score. Hibiscus: “yavasaya panulaku pundi main” (for agricultural works, the crop of hibiscus is very important), as it gives fibre which is essential for stitching and for tying agricultural implements; As for the crops used in thatching, the highest scores were given to yellow jowar, red jowar, pigeon pea and black hibiscus. Crops like white sesame, white jowar, red Jowar, black hibiscus and bishop’s weed were also scored for their use as fuel wood. It was noted that pigeon pea sticks are used as fuel wood, for fencing as well as for thatching more widely than any other crop: “Desam desam aa kattene pedutharu” (people of all regions use pigeon pea sticks as fuel wood). This parameter was examined to understand which crops have cultural significance and in which festivals they are used. The crops which have high significance are given maximum score and vice versa. Fox tail millet, little millet and barnyard millet were given the highest score, for the following reasons: Foxtail millet: · “nagula Chavithiki, Kottha bandlaku kumbham poyenike” (This is used on the festival of snakes as well as an offering to goddesses while inaugurating a newly made bullock cart - It is also used for the festivals of local deities like Ooradamma Jatara and Peddaramasa);· Korra (foxtail millet) was given the highest score as it is exclusively required to prepare an offering called “ KHUBUM” (an offering of various foods to the god while inaugurating the new bullock carts etc); “Nagula Panchimiki vadutharu” (the korra crop is used exclusively on the Festival of Snakes); “Dasarku pedda poojanadu palakalu ninputharu” (On the day of Dassera, it is used in worshipping the deities); “Kothha bandlu chesthe khumbam postharu” (for the newly made bullock carts, food made out of korra is offered in worship);”Yellamaku adhe yekkuthadi” (For the goddess Yellama, a local deity this is exclusively offered);”Ganehuniki yennulekkistharu” (the lord Vigneshwara) Little millet: · “Annintlanu yelagottedade, kumbhum pedutharu” (the food made out of this crop drives away all kinds of evil forces, it is offered to God while inaugurating new things);”Ooradammaku chesthe khumbham postharu” (it is offered to the local diety ooradamma). 37
AGROBIODIVERSITY HERITAGE SITE OF ZAHEERABAD, Medak District, Andhra Pradesh Parameters Crop 5. Resistance to pest and diseases Yellow Sorghum;”Dassera pooja gattiki, pundi koora pajjona rotte pedutharu” (for a ritual called gatti performed during the time of Dassera, yellow jowar roti in combination with hibiscus curry is offered to God); While Sesame: “Dasara nadu shillongu kada panikosthai” (On the day of Dassera the crop of Yellow Jowar is used for the worship near the Jambi tree);· “Divile pandugalakaithe naduvadhi, nuvvu katte kavale, bellam thogari katte vesthe laxmi pothadhi” (the sesame stalks are a must on Diwali, the festival of lights, if we use jaggery and redgram stalks, the goddess Laxmi will go out the house);· “Nuvvula kattela manta meedhikelli godhalanu dhatisthe manchidi” (it is auspicious to make the cattle walk over the fire lit by burning the sesame stick; even if we don’t have one, we will borrow it from neighbours in the village, said the women);· “Nuvvu manta meeda dhatesthe gomar pothadhi” (the insects present on the body of the cattle go away if they are exposed to the fire lighted by burning sesame sticks);· “Noone Deeparadhanaku vasthadhi” (the oil will be used for lighting the lamp)”· “Nuvvula laddu” (The sweet dish laddu is made; especially for the occasion of Nagula Panchami (The festival of snake god);”Deepavali nadu, nuvvulu danchi yedlaku pedutham” (On the Diwali day, the sesame is made into paste and applied to the forehead of the cattle which are treated as the form of lord “Basweshwara). Hibiscus:Regarding the hibiscus crop one of the women said “Dasara Panduga roju pooja kosthadhi, pundi koora beriki rotte chesi naivedyam pedutharu” (it is used during worship on the festival of Dasera. It is offered to God along with a roti locally called as Beriki rotte). In a similar manner, the community described the significance of crops such as black sesame, niger, field-beans and Dryland paddy. The crops such as Foxtail millet, Little millet, barnyard millet, kodo millet, niger, black sesame and bishop’s weed were the crops which emerged as the crops which offered maximum resistance to pests and diseases: The following are some of the observations: Foxtail millet:· “korra padendlu ayina untadhi” (foxtail millet will be good without any pest attack even for a period of 10 years easily), however, it is vulnerable at the earhead formation stage alone - 2. “Yennu meedha unnapudu bacchi okati vasthadi, paluthagetappudu” (during the earhead formation stage, a pest called bacchi attacks during the milky grain stage). 38
Page 2 and 3: AGROBIODIVERSITY HERITAGE SITE OF Z

Click for details - Deccan Development Society

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?