Influence of Custom and Cultural Practices on Religio-Symboilc Treatment (RST) among Muria Tribal Peoples of Bastar

The health care culture of the Muria tribe is developed totally from their animistic religious world view. Sickness for them is an essential threat and it is not under their control. So it is considered as device instituted by God to call man back to his abode. Therefore, to know the will of God, as per the custom and belief, Muria take their patients first to the pujari/ religio-symbolic health care practitioner for treatment. Useful information has been generated on various aspects of primitive health care devices among tribes. On the contrary, very limited work has been done to develop professional health culture among tribes inculcating the Religio-Symbolic Treatment (RST). In view of the above mentioned facts the present investigation entitled “Influence of custom and cultural practices on Religio-Symbolic Treatment (RST) among Muria tribal peoples of Bastar” was conducted to see the influence of custom and cultural practices in their preference of treatment measures and to check the role of personality on the same. The study was under taken during the months of October to November at Geedam Development Block of Bastar. By making use of purposive sampling method, 40 tribal patients, one each from both sexes from 20 villages, those who were above 20 years were selected as respondents. The interview schedule has been the main instrument used for study. The type and design of the study was descriptive type, which is combined with the explorative type based on triangulation approach, a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods. For 50% of the respondents, hospital is available only beyond 5 kms where as RST are available in their own vicinity (100%). For 72.5% of the respondents’ first preference of the treatment is RST. They find relaxation and cure from RST (65%). 70% of the respondents have strong belief in supernatural power. A majority of ‘reserved’ type respondents prefer RST whereas ‘active’ type respondents prefer modern scientific treatment (20%). Among the reserve type of respondents (79%) of them get relaxation and cure from RST.