Indian Knowledge Systems and Indigenous Knowledge Folk Traditions: Orality, Material Culture, And Ecological Wisdom

Abstract

IKS) encompass a vast, heterogeneous continuum of intellectual, spiritual, and empirical traditions developed over millennia across the Indian subcontinent. While formal text-based traditions-such as the Vedic, Buddhist, Jain, and classical scientific treatises (Sastras)-have historically received significant scholarly focus, the foundational bedrock of IKS lies within indigenous folk traditions (Loka Parampara). This paper explores the multidimensional architecture of Indian indigenous knowledge, specifically focusing on folk traditions as dynamic, decentralized repositories of living knowledge. Through an interdisciplinary analysis combining ethnography, oral history, and ecological humanities, this study examines how oral narratives, performative arts, visual material culture, and localized resource management strategies function as sophisticated cognitive systems. It addresses the mechanisms of knowledge transmission, the integration of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) within community rituals, and the socio-cultural strategies that sustain these practices. Finally, the paper discusses contemporary challenges-including globalization, linguistic erosion, and intellectual property expropriation-advocating for a decolonial framework that validates folk epistemologies alongside formal scientific paradigms.