Tribals of Gurgunta

 

Our People

Gurgunta is a village in the northern state of Karnataka, India. It is famous for the ancient Amareshwara temple. It is located in the Lingasugur taluk of Raichur district in Karnataka. This village is just 10 km away from Hutti Gold Mines. The total population is 12898 and number of houses are 2168. 

Paddy is the major crop grown here. Remaining Non irrigated lands are grown by sun flower, cotton, toor, jawar etc. Major occupation is agriculture and small business.

Our language is Kannada. Major festivals rituals and activities.

Our Trees

Also known as ‘Neemba’ in Sanskrit, the neem tree is a really good example of how nature holds both the problem and the cure.

It’s home to more than 130 different biologically active compounds! No wonder it’s such an effective anti-viral and anti-bacterial, along with being a powerful immuno-stimulant. Then come the other benefits: purify the blood, prevent damage caused by free radicals in the body, remove toxins, treat insect bites and ulcers. Neem leaves have anti-bacterial properties which is why it works wonders on infections, burns and any kind of skin problems. It destroys the bacteria that causes infections, stimulates the immune system and encourages rapid healing.

Everything from the neem tree is medicinal: bark, cake, extract, flowers, fruit, gum, honey, leaves (also used as tea and powder), oil (from kernels of the seeds), roots, twigs, sap, timber. Used also as organic non-toxic herbicide, pesticide and fertilisers and in cosmetics, personal care products and cattle feed.

Our Tradition

Honey hunting from wild bee colonies and is one of the most ancient of our customs passed down from one generation to another. The process of the honey collection begins  with the gathering  of in-formation  followed  by  time  fixation  for extraction,  making  arrangements  for  the required tools and utensils and finally cut-ting the bee hive and filtration. 

Due to their remote location, each wild beehive contains the purest honey that is pesticide- and pollutant-free. The free-range bees in these hives constantly contribute to the environment, pollinating plants to foster biodiversity.

During the six-month harvesting season, honey collectors use our sustainable techniques to stimulate the growth of wild beehives throughout the forests of India. Moreover, the practice of not destroying the hive completely and leaving some portion of it after honey collection to help the bees rebuild the hives once more also signifies the sustainable approach followed the communities.

Our Offering

Neem Honey comes from the nectar of the neem flower and hence the name. We can assume that all properties of the flowers are found in honey. 

Most parts of the neem tree are awfully bitter, with the exception of its flowers. White and delicate, neem flowers with their off-white buds are almost too pretty to be eaten and unbelievably therapeutic. The flowers have a sweet, almost mystical jasmine like scent at night and blossom once in the afternoon and then again in the evening. During the monsoon, you’ll see a bunch of them scattered right under the tree. Neem flowers can be used to treat anorexia, nausea, belching and intestinal worms. 

Neem honey being wild also helps in curing cough and acts as a soothing agent for sore throats. It is scientifically proven that honey helps those suffering from an upper respiratory infection. Wild honey has antibacterial properties, and hence is acts as a good healing agent. 

We source our wild honey from the natural bee hives in the forests where there is zero human intervention this ensures that our honey cannot be adulterated. We pack our honey jars in the best possible with a lot of packaging material way to avoid any damage to the jars while shipping. The taste and composition are said to change with the seasons. What doesn’t change is the endless list of the benefits of honey.