Ethnobotany of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)

This paper deals with the ethnobotany of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) - an ancient crop having its origin and early domestication in South Asia and ethnobotanically very important. Due to its manifold uses in cultural and social life of ethnic people of Asia with special reference to South and South East Asia, has very early domestication and evolutionary history. In India, its history begins from time immemorial, probably much prior to the great Indus valley civilization. It is grown from time immemorial in Orissa. It has been mainly used as a colouring agent, a magic substance and a substance of religious importance and medicine from ancient times. Also, several other species of the genus Curcuma are economically useful. An attempt has been made in the paper to assemble information and elucidate the historical, legendary, religious, literary and mythological aspects substantiating logically the probable origin of the crop in India. Its ethnic connections in relation to its common usage in the sustenance of the primitive people from the pre-historical times are documented. The information given in the paper is mainly based on available literature and the passport information on the indigenous knowledge collected by the authors during survey and collection trips conducted and the PGR work carried out by the senior author on the genus Curcuma during the past 25 years.