Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi - CDS

Health practices
Health care of the people underwent similar changes. Modern doctors were virtually
absent in the region even during the turn of the century. Health care was basically the
prerogative of the practitioners of indigenous medicine, who belonged to mannan or
velan and Izhava castes, and MuslimThangals. Majority of the spiritual leaders among the
Muslims earned their popular influence as healers. Several of these families practiced
indigenous medicine or nattuvaidyam as a hereditary profession, and some of them
practiced magic healing also, which included exorcising ‘demons’, and tying ‘protective’
bands after chanting the required hymns. Some of the exorcist families survive even
today. One informant claimed to be practicing this, but he refused to divulge the mode of
his practice. Many Thangals were practicing healing with the help of ayats of khur-an
written on leaf, with the help of a specific powder mixed with oil, which was supposed to
be having extraordinary healing properties. One Musaliar of Kundoor mosque, named
Karuthayin Musaliar, practiced magical healing on a wide scale. He seems to have caused
the delivery of a pregnant woman with the help of a ‘pathiri’ and tea from a long
distance, even without seeing the woman! He is claimed to have healed by giving patients
ayats of Khur-an written on leaves. The mosque now has a jarum in his name. Similarly,
there were extremely popular and influential nattuvaidyan families, which survive to this
day.
The nattuvaidyans were generally trained in a place called vaidyarangadi near Kondotty,
where a number of traditional healer families exist even today. The biodiversity of the
region were particularly useful, as the area contained a large number of herbal plants that
could be used for healing practices. Nattuvaidyans were particularly adept at the herbal
lore, and another advantage they had was they were also social activists and oracles in the
local kavus, so that they were familiar, through their practice, with the social and genetic