Mahua Tree (Madhuca longifolia) and Gond Tribe

News: Mahua plays a pivotal role in the life of tribal communities from birth to death.

About Mahua Tree (Madhuca longifolia)

• It is a multipurpose tropical tree mainly cultivated or harvested in the wild for its edible flowers and oil seeds.
• It is commonly known as mahuwa or madhuka, Butter Tree, Mahua and Mahwa.
• Family: It belongs to the Sapotaceae family. 
• Scientific name: Its scientific name is Madhuca longifolia.
• Distribution: 
  • It is indigenous to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Myanmar.
  • The two major species of the genus Mahua found in India are Madhuca latifolia and Madhuca longifolia. 
  • It is widely distributed across India, including West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
• Climatic Requirements:
  • It is a frost-resistant species that can grow in marginal areas of dry tropical and subtropical forests up to an altitude of 1200-1800 m. 
  • Growth Height: It grows to approximately 20 meters in height.
  • Rainfall: It requires annual rainfall between 500 mm to 1500 mm.
  • Temperature: For its proper growth, the temperatures should be in the range of 2-46 °C. 
  • Soil: It grows well on deep loamy or sandy-loam soils with good drainage.
  • Flowering period: It grows slowly, begins to flower after 10 to 15 years, but lasts for decades.  The average flowering period of the tree is about five weeks.
• Production in India:  It is a non-edible oil with an annual production of 60 million tonnes in India.
  • Mahua flowers are one of the top 5 minor forest products (MFP) in terms of volume produced in the nation each year.
  • Mahua nutra beverage is a value-added product made out of Mahua flowers.
• Uses: Mahua flowers are mainly used to prepare liquor, as well as cakes, vinegar, jam, syrup, and honey.
  • Seeds are processed to extract oil, which is used for ghee, soap, grease, and cosmetics.
• Medicinal use: Its bark, flowers, seeds, and leaves are used medicinally for respiratory problems, cold and cough, pain relief, lactation, and conditions like diabetes, bronchitis, rheumatism, headache, and haemorrhoids.
• Ecological significance:
  • Its strong-smelling flowers bloom at night and hang openly, which attracts bats that help in pollination and seed dispersal. 
  • Animals such as sloth bears also depend on these flowers and often compete with humans in collecting them.

About Gond Tribe

• The Gondi (Gōndi) or Gond or Koitur are a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group of India. 
• Distribution: They are spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha.
  • They are mainly divided into four tribes, namely Raj Gonds, Madia Gonds, Dhurve Gonds, and Khatulwar Gonds.
  • They are one of the largest groups in India and are currently listed as a Scheduled Tribe of India.
  • Population: According to the 2001 census, their population was nearly 11 million.
• Origin: They are believed to belong to the Dravidian stock. 
• Historical Background: Scholars believe Gonds settled in Gondwana between the ninth and thirteenth centuries AD.
  • Gond dynasties ruled in four kingdoms –Garha-Mandla, Deogarh, Chanda, and Kherla in central India between the sixteenth and mid-eighteenth century.
  • Maratha power swept into the Gond land in the 1740s. They overthrew the Gond rajas (princes) and seized most of their territory. Some Gond zamindaris (estates) survived until recently.
  • During the British rule in India, the Gonds actively resisted the British and fought several battles against them.
• Languages: Most Gonds speak different dialects of Gondi, an unwritten language belonging to the Dravidian family, and many of these dialects are not intelligible.
  • Some Gonds have lost their native language and instead speak regional languages such as Hindi, Marathi, or Telugu, depending on the dominant language of their area.
• Society: The Gond society is divided into several exogamous patrilineal units known as sagas. The saga is divided into several clans (pari).
• Religion: The religion of the Gonds is mainly based on the worship of clan and village deities, along with reverence for their ancestors.
• Festivals: Pola, a cattle festival, Jathra, Nagapachami, and Dasahara are some of their major festivals.