Living repository
The ethno-botanical garden continues to serve as a permanent conservation resource for the region.
Conservation of medicinal plants
A Coodu Trust initiative that established a 3-acre ethno-botanical garden at the Mayilampatty field office in Karur district, Tamil Nadu — preserving traditional medicinal plant knowledge and biodiversity.
3 Acres
Ethno-botanical garden size
2,500+
Plant species used by traditional healers across India
1,200+
Plant species used by Ayurveda
3 Major
Traditional systems: Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani
The project
A living garden to protect traditional healing knowledge
Project mission
Preserving traditional medicinal plant knowledge and biodiversity through the establishment of an ethno-botanical garden, providing education and training to farming communities, students, folk healers, and women's Self-Help Groups on the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plant species.
Implemented by Coodu Trust at the Mayilampatty field office in Karur district, the initiative created a dedicated 3-acre living repository to conserve medicinal plant species known to the region's ethnic communities. It sits within the Trust's broader biodiversity conservation work under the Environment & Resilience sector.
The garden documented and preserved knowledge drawn from India's great traditions of plant-based healing — Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. Nationally these systems draw on roughly 2,500 plant species used by traditional healers, with over 100 serving as regular sources of medicine and Ayurveda alone using more than 1,200 species for holistic healing.
- Ethno-botanical garden
- Knowledge documentation
- Education & training
- Conservation through use
Why this work matters
The challenge on the ground — and our answer
The challenge
Healing knowledge at risk of being lost
Traditional medicinal knowledge held by the region's ethnic communities and folk healers was passing away undocumented, with no living record of the species behind it.
Our response
A living repository and written record
A 3-acre ethno-botanical garden documented, catalogued and cultivated species used in Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha — preserving both the plants and the knowledge behind them.
The challenge
Wild populations under pressure
Without conservation and training, medicinal species face overexploitation as they are harvested from the wild for medicine and livelihoods.
Our response
Conservation through use, taught to many
In-situ living collections, seed preservation and sustainable harvesting training reached farmers, students, folk healers and women's SHG groups to prevent overexploitation.
At a glance
The essentials
- Initiative
- Trust initiativeImplemented by Coodu Trust with no external funder or scheme named
- Period
- 2002–2003Garden continues as an ongoing community resource
- Location
- Mayilampatty, KarurMayilampatty field office, Karur district, Tamil Nadu
- Beneficiaries
- Four target groupsFarmers & rural communities, folk healers, schools & colleges, women's SHG groups
- Systems covered
- Ayurveda, Unani, SiddhaPlus ethnic community healing practices of the region
- Part of
- Biodiversity conservationUnder the Environment & Resilience sector; sources: WordPress site, annual reports
Outcomes
What the project changed
Educational hub
Ongoing training platform for multiple stakeholder groups including farmers, students, and traditional healers.
Knowledge preservation
Documented and preserved traditional medicinal knowledge that was at risk of being lost.
Get involved
Help protect medicinal plant heritage
Support conservation work that keeps traditional healing knowledge and native biodiversity alive for the communities of Tamil Nadu.