HONEY COLLECTION OF JENUKURUBAR

Prepared by Rayson K. Alex

02 August 2009

Jenukurubar are basically honey

collectors and have indigenous

ways of collecting honey.

Jayappa from Kolaviye Hamlet holding honey comb.

Photographed by Shailendra.

Jenukurubar go deep into the forests for collecting honey and stay in caves made by bears.

Photographed by Shailendra.

“Jenu” means honey. The tribe

is named after honey.

Photographed by Shailendra.

“Kenchayya lit a beedi. Smoked a puff into the hive.

Bees smaller than house-flies began flying all around the

place. They did not sting him. He put his hand into the

bamboo-cluster. Dragged-out a comb of bee-hive. Jayappa

was already ready with a teak leaf to hold the beehive, oozing with pure honey. Kenchayya taking honey

from a bee-hive. Photographed by

Shailendra.

“Honey-bees are migratory in nature.

They go as a flock from one place to

another in search of honey. The queen (raani) leads the

team.”

Kenchayya taking honey from a bee-hive. Photographed by

Shailendra.

“Honey-bees stay in the places where they get food for 2-3 days and return to their original hives. They do not make hives in the places where they stay.”

Kenchayya taking honey from a bee-hive. Photographed by

Shailendra.

A huge tree in the forest

might have 100 to 200

hives.

Many hives on a tree. Photographed by Rayson

K. Alex.

A hive may have 20-25 liters of honey.

Many hives on a tree. Photographed by Rayson K. Alex.

Honey-knowledge of Jenukurubar is to be

studied in detail.