Location: Kokkavil, Mullaitivu
Date: 17.01.2025
Organized by: Department of Gunapadam, Faculty of Siddha Medicine
As part of the curriculum for the subject Mooligaiyeyal – II, a field visit was organized for second-year BSMS students to the Kokkavil area in Mullaitivu on 17th January 2025, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The primary objective of the visit was to offer students practical exposure to the identification and study of medicinal plants in their natural habitat.
The visit was conducted under the expert guidance of Dr. Mrs. V. Sathyaseelan, Dr. Mrs. N. Nithyakumar, and temporary demonstrators from the Department of Gunapadam. During the visit, students actively participated in identifying and documenting a variety of medicinal plants, recording their Siddha names, botanical names, and known medicinal properties.
A key feature of the visit was the exploration of mangrove ecosystems and their ecological importance. Discussions were held on the adaptive features and therapeutic potentials of plants growing in saline and waterlogged environments. A total of 110 medicinal plant species were identified during the field study. Among these were several rare and noteworthy species, including Mothirakkanni, Muthirai, Semmanaththi, Mul Nilavu, Kadal Raanji, Vel Velan, Kalmuresu, Kal Iththi with aerial roots, Vishnu Kiranthi, and a localized population of Sivanaar Vembu.
The field visit greatly enriched the students’ understanding of medicinal botany and emphasized the significance of preserving plant biodiversity. It effectively complemented classroom learning, bridging theoretical concepts with real-world application, and successfully fulfilled the learning outcomes of the subject.
