Linguistic Research Unit

Ethno-Medicine Documentation of Juray Community: A Field Study in South Odisha

As part of an ongoing research project, the Linguistic Research Unit, ISI team conducted a three-day field visit to Ramagiri, Odisha (located away from Berhampur) in February 2025 to document the ethno-medicinal practices of the Juray community. Under the supervision of Prof. Niladri Sekhar Das, the research team engaged with two community doctors, Syam Sundar Bhya and his assistant Deena Bandsu Gomango to record their traditional medical knowledge. Additionally, Syam Sundar Bhya, a principal community doctor and key informant, granted permission to translate his book which contains over 100 pages of valuable ethnomedicinal information. The team explored the Ramagiri forest area and Jurya hamlets in Modal Sahi and Jolasahi, South Odisha collecting data on various ethno-medicinal plants used by the community.

Field Study: Ethno-Medicine Documentation Among the Juray Community
Month and Year: February 2025
Study Locations: Ramagiri, Jolasahi, Mondalsahi, Odisha

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Field Study: Data Collection for Dictionary for the Kheria Sabar Speech Community: an endangered tribal community living in the district of West Bengal, India
Month and Year: August 15-18, 2024
Study Locations: Purulia District, West Bengal

Fieldworkers : Srija Deb, Shrotriya Dash, Amrita Bhattacharyya, Puja Gorai, Nabanita Das, Debjani RoyChowdhury, Anansa Roy, Sreejoni Kundu, Asha Khatun.

Field Investigators: Prof. Niladri Sekhar Dash, Dr. Mendem Bapuji

Field Study: Documentation and digitization of Free Discourse Texts and Folk Texts of this endangered tribal community.
Month and Year: December 26–29, 2023
Study Locations: Rajnoagarh, Kuda, Bengthupi, Mendli villages of Purulia, West Bengal.

Team Members: Prof. Niladri Sekhar Dash, Meghna Majumder, Nirnoy Dutta, Subham Chakraborty, Puja Gorai, Shrestha Gudaba, Pallab Sur and Jayanta Das.

Field Study: Documentation and digitization of Free Discourse Texts and Folk Texts of this endangered tribal community.
Month and Year: February 15-18, 2023
Study Locations: Purulia District, West Bengal

Team Members: Prof. Niladri Sekhar Dash, Shri Prasanta Rakshit, Meghna Majumder, Srija Deb, Nirnoy Dutta, Agnisha Majumder, Rakiba Sulatana, Shrestha Gudaba, Suvam Sen, Shubham Chakraborty, Abhishikta Sadhu, Jayanta Das, Sukhen Das, and Fatik Murmu.