Available Online at http://www.recentscientific.com International Journal of CODEN: IJRSFP (USA) Recent Scientific

International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Research Vol. 10, Issue, 11(G), pp. 35678-35683, October, 2019 ISSN: 0976-3031 DOI: 10.24327/IJRSR Research Article

PLANTS RELATED RELIGIOUS VIRTUE STUDIES ON TRIBES OF OF

Abhilasha Bajpai1, Rakesh Mehta2 and Alka Pandey3

1, 3Department of Botany, Govt. J.H. College, Betul (M.P.) 2Head, Department of Botany, M.G.M. Govt. P.G. College, Itarsi (M.P.)

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.2019.1010.4151

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

The present paper deals with ethno-botanical study of some selected 7 Sacred Natural sites of Betul, Article History: a tribal dominated district of M.P and their relationship with people and religious beliefs. These sites th Received 10 July, 2019 are not only rich in flora and bio-cultural diversity but also having significant religious aspect. The nd Received in revised form 2 study of these sites reveals the potential of the area in reference of ethno-botanical documentation of August, 2019 plant wealth for the Biodiversity conservation. Gond and Korku tribes mainly distributed in these th Accepted 26 September, 2019 sites, they believe in Bada deo, Dulha deo, and other deities who resides on trees or deep forests th Published online 28 October, 2019 area. Knowledge of their ancestors should be conserving and protected as soon as possible before it vanished. Key Words:

Ethno-botany, Sacred natural sites, Biodiversity, Gond- Korku, Biocultural diversity.

Copyright © Abhilasha Bajpai, Rakesh Mehta and Alka Pandey, 2019, this is an open-access article distributed under the

terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any

medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

INTRODUCTION worshipped Natural Trees, Grooves, Rivers, Mountains, Rocks, Stones and Animals. They believe in superstitions. The term “Sacred Natural site” (SNS) is a new global term for conservation aspect. It is used to describe a variety of contexts The total study region comprises of 8 Tehsil and their villages including sacred land, forest, rocks, hills, mountains, rivers, having Sacred Natural Sites. Its population is 15, 75,247 as per lake, single tree, groves and marine area of spiritual 2011 census, having total area of 10043 km sq. It stands at a significance to local people and communities. They may also height of 700 mt. above the sea level by a series of large and be the location of famous old temples, shrines, mosques and small plateau and hill intersected with different rivers, basins Churches and they can incorporate pilgrimage trails. Sacred and valleys. It also covered by dense forest vegetation and bordered by famous Satpura ranges. Natural Sites are rich sources of bio-cultural diversity. SNS are the places that human culture and wild nature have critically Tribal folklore of Betul is rich in magico-religious beliefs and intersected over the last 5000 years of human evolution. taboos. They believe that some gods and deities reside on the

Betul is marginally located district of M.P lying on the Satpura trees in the forest. They have blind faith on them. If they do not plateau. It is situated between 21-22̊ and 22-24 º N latitude and show mark respect to them their full clan will be destroyed. So 77-10 and 78-33º E longitude and forms a square in shape with they preserve the plants which they regard sacred for social, slight projection on the East and West direction. Betul is cultural and religious purposes. Their taboos, festivals, rituals surrounded by Hoshangabad district in the North, Amrawati and other cultural aspects are closely associated with the district in South and in the East. Most of surrounding vegetation preserved on religious ground. The fear the district is predominantly populated by Gonds and Korku of getting attacked by the forest spirits or getting cursed by the Tribes. They have high spiritual and cultural values. They deities eventually makes the local communities to resort to mainly believe in Bada Mahadeo (lord Shiva) and their rituals worship the spirits and making sacrifices and offerings to are sacrificial towards nature. Despite education they still pacify them. Although the taboos, self-imposed, restricted and extra care exhibited by the community have significantly contributed in preserving the religious plants intact and in good

*Corresponding author: Abhilasha Bajpai Department of Botany, Govt. J.H. College, Betul (M.P.) International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Vol. 10, Issue, 11(G), pp. 35678-35683, October, 2019 shape thereby conserving a whole range of biodiversity that is Description: A climbing slender plant with curved spines; housed in it; the use of plants in different religious practices is leaves reduced to scales, leaf like cladodes succulent and green, possibly the earliest and most prevalent form of religion. Many flowers white in simple recemes; fruits three lobed, mature religious plants where the culture and belief of the communities fruits are red in colour. imbibed are seriously under threat and an urgent attention is Floewr/Fruits: July-December. therefore needed to preserve these plants. Parts used: Tuberous roots, whole plant MATERIALS AND METHODS Religious Virtue: Gond people generally used it in Deepavali The entire area of the sacred natural sites mainly Barahling, celebration. They believe that this plant will guard the people Bhopali, Chhawal Renuka Devi, Mathar deo, Mad deo, from the bad spirits. They keep spiny leaves at the entry of Malazpur and Salbardi of Betul district is thoroughly studied their house. by repeated visits in different seasons of the year 2016-2018 covering pre-monsoon, monsoon and post monsoon seasons. Medicinal use: Root decoction is used as health tonic; it is The plant species are given in alphabetical sequence with other diuretic, ophthalmic, galactagogue, aphrodisiac and details such as botanical name, vernacular name, Plant carminative. description, Part used, religious and medicinal significance. Azadirachta indica A. Juss (Meliaceae) Ethno-botanical data were collected by semi structured questioner and personal interview from Gond and Korku tribes Vernacular names: Eng: Indian lilac Hin: Neem; Sanskrit- of that area. Nimb.

Plant Description Description: Large evergreen tree with straight stout trunk 50- 65 feet tall and branches glaucous. Leaves pinnate, leaflets Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa. (Rutaceae) subopposite, 9-17 and bright green shining both sides. Flowers

Vernacular names: Eng- Stone apple Hin- Bel, Sanskrit- white fragrant, fruit Drupe ovoid oblong, smooth, 1 celled 1 Bilva seeded, yellowish green when ripe.

Description: Small and medium sized deciduous tree, bark Floewr/Fruits: April-August. grey with longitudinal wrinkles. Ascending branches with Parts use: Whole plants axillary spine, Reddish brown, leaves alternate 3 leaflets, flower greenish white scented in Axillary penicle. Fruit globose Religious Virtue: Neem tree is considered as abode of Sheetla grey, Stony, yellow when ripe sweet yellowish pulp with sticky devi. At the time of worshipping people offer fresh leaves to mucilage around seeds goddesses Shetla Devi. After that offerd leaves put back home to keep hang on door to avoi infection of Badi mata (Small Floewr/Fruits: Feb-July pox, Cheken pox disease)

Parts used: Leaves, fruit. Medicinal use: leaves have anti bacterial property therefore it

Religious Virtue: It is considered as abode of lord Shiva. is used for skin diseases. Smoke of dried leaves are used to Leaves and fruit offers to Lord Shiva. repel insects. Neem oil used as anti fertility. Twigs of neem is used as brushing teeth. Medicinal use: Leaves are used in Jaundice, Diabetes, Diarrhoea. Leaves having anti fertility effect. Fruit pulp having Centella asiatica (L.) Urban (Apiaceae) (Syn. Hydrocotyle cooling effect. asiatica L.)

Artocarpus heterophyllus Lamk. (Moraceae) Vernacular names: Eng- Indian Pennywort; Hin.- Brahmi, Mandukaparni, Sanskrit- Brahamamanduki; Vernacular names: Eng- Jack fruit; Hin- Kathal; Sanscrit:

Panasah Description: A creeping herb with rooting nodes and long

Description: An evergreen tree, 18-25 m in height; leaves internodes; leaves reniform, toothed, flowers in clusters, pink. simple, alternate, coriaceous entire, shiny; male flowers Floewr/Fruits: Nov.-July. crowded on cylindrical receptacles; female flowers crowded on globose receptacles; fruits fleshy, many, oblong or round, Parts use: Whole plant. covered with tubercles. Religious Virtue: The plant is used as offering to lord Shiva

Floewr/Fruits: Jan-July (Accoding to Priest, Maddeo). Gond people believe that if they consume the plant in the day as vegetable or as raw they cannot Parts used: Roots, seeds. be disturbed by any kind of spirits.

Religious Virtue: Fruit is used for “Bli” system in place of Medicinal use: The leaves are used in amoebic dysentery or Alive Goat or other animal in Gond’s customs. Leaves are also any kind of liver problem, and as brain tonic. used as dish in religious festivals. Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck (Rutaceae) Medicinal use: Roots are used for diarrhea Vernacular names: Eng.- Lemon; Hin.- Neebu, Sanskrit- Asparagus racemosus Willd (Liliaceae) Nimbu Vernacular names: Eng- Wild Asparagus; Hin- Narbodh; Sanscrit :Satawari, 35679 | P a g e Abhilasha Bajpai, Rakesh Mehta and Alka Pandey., Plants Related Religious Virtue Studies on Tribes of Betul District of Madhya Pradesh

Description: Small thorny tree. Young foliage and buds Parts used: Whole plant creamy white. Petals tinged with red. Fruit ovoid, yellow, Religious Virtue: Bunch of (Trident leaves) used for sprinkling pulping abundant Acidic. water during every worshipping. It is mainly offers to lord Floewer/Fruits: April-Nov. Ganesha. Some time wearing a ring made up of leaves considered as sacredness of worshipping. Part used: Fruit Medicinal Use: Juice of green leaves is used for diabetes. It Religious Virtue: It is used in worshipping of goddess Durga also enhance immune power of body. Fresh juice of plant is devi and lord Shiva (Bhopali), During Navratra, Mahashivratri. used as eye drop to reduce redness of eye. Decoction of plant is Medicinal use: Fruit is rich in vitamin C therefore it is used for used in bleeding piles. respiratory disorder. Fresh juice is also used in common cold, Datura metal L. (Solanaceae) flu and kidney stone. Vernacular names: Eng.- Thorn apple; Hin.- kala Dhatura ; Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae) Sanscrit: Dhatur, Kanak Vernacular names: Eng. - Turmeric; Hin. – Haldi; Sanscrit: Description: Erect annual perennial, branched under shrub, Haridra. stem flexuous glabrous. Leaves ovate triangular, Flowers Description: Perennial herbaceous plant up to 1mt tall, purple or white, capsule pendulous or nodding, Poisonous branched, Cylindrical, aromatic rhizome. stem bracts are plant. present leaves alternate in two rows inflorescence in top white Floewr/Fruits: September-March. to green reddish purple, flower Zygomorphic. Parts used: Leaves, Flower, fruit Floewr/Fruits: September-December. Religious Virtue: Flower and fruits are used to worship Lord Part used: root tuber powder, leaves Mahadeo. Religious Virtue: Root powder is used as offering in all Medicinal Use: Dried leaves and flowering tops are the source worshipping. Marriage rituals. Part of “Apon” (Paste of Oriza of the drug. It is used in asthma. Fruit juice is applied to the sativa, Curcuma longa and water). scalp for curing dandruff and hair falling. Medicinal use: It is used in internal disorder like indigestion Ficus benghalensis L. (Moraceae) cough and cold, Throat infection, liver ailments. As antiseptic for wounds and skin diseases Vernacular Names: Eng. - Banyan; Hin. – Bargad; Sanscrit : Vat. Cocus nucifera L. (Arecaceae) Description: Evergreen very large tree with many aerial roots Vernacular names: Eng. - Coconut; Hin. – Nariyal; sanscrit: from the branches with white latex. Leaves alternate, elliptic Narikelam ovate. Receptacles in axillary pairs, sessile globose, red when Description: Large unarmed tree up to 100 ft tall. Stems often ripe subtended by 3 broad coriaceous bracts. Male flowers near thickened at the base with a mass of rootlets. Leaves yellow the mouth of the receptacle. Female flowers with perianth. and green pinnate 10-15 ft long, fruit drupe, flower Floewr/Fruits: March-July. monoecious; both flower present on same inflorescence. Fruit is drupe.Mostly grow on sandy saline soil. Parts used: Leaves, Bark, latex, fruit.

Floewr/Fruits: Throughout the year. Religious Virtue: People worship this plant because it is abode of deity Bada deo. It is also believed that departed soul lives in Part used: Fruit, fruit water, Flower, oil nearest tree. Not even any other people harm to this plant. They Religious Virtue: Fruit is used in offering in all worshipping. think the offending people facing some bad effect. Women’s tie Marriage ceremony, birth ceremony it is also used. a white thread around tree at the time of vat-puja. Medicinal Use: fresh latex of stem is directly taken along with Medicinal use: It is used as anti fungal and antimicrobial agent sweet called “Batasha” in irregular menses. Leaf bark, used in for body and oil is used for skin, scalp and hair nourishment. diarrhea and diabetes. Bark also used in cholesterol controlling. Coconut water is good for treatment of stone problem and urine infection. It is also energy boosting liquid. Oil is best for Ficus religiosa L. (Moraceae) immune system. Vernacular Names: Eng. - Sacred Fig, Hin. - Pipal Bodhi Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. (Poaceae) vriksha; Sanscrit Ashvattha,Pippala.

Vernacular names: Eng. - Burmuda Grass; Hin. - Dub Ghas; Description: Large tree with grey bark. Leaves alternate Sanscrit: Durva broadly ovate coriaceous, undulated margin. Receptacles axillary, paired, sessile, globose, dark pink or purple when ripe Description: Perennials with an underground rhizome. Culms thick wall. Basal bract persistent. decumbent ascending, Leaves linear-subulate. scabrid on the upper surface and margin. Spike 2-6 linear digitate or Floewr/Fruits: March-July. umbellate. Parts used: Leaves, latex. Floewr/Fruits: Throughout the year.

35680 | P a g e International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Vol. 10, Issue, 11(G), pp. 35678-35683, October, 2019

Religious Virtue: this sacred tree is worshipped by Gond tribes Medicinal Use: Leaves are used in diarrhoea, Buds used as in all ceremonies. They believed that their god or deity resides treating vaginal disorder. Flower used as fertility treatment. in it. They called them as kuldeo or bada deo. They offer “bali” Phyllanthus emblica Gaertn. (Phyllanthaceae) of goat or sheep, or cock (rooster) under the tree after worshipping in all rituals. Vernacular Names: Eng. - Indian goose berry; Hin. - Anola, Amla; Sanscrit: Amlaki.

Medicinal Use: Bark and leaves are used in Asthama, gastric Description: Small medium tree, Leaves simple sub sessile and problems and sexual dis orders. closely set along branchlets; light green pinnate leaves; Yellow Ficus racemosa L. (Moraceae) greenish flower; Fruit is nearly Spherical light greenish or yellow berry, quite smooth and hard on appearance with 6 Vernacular names: Eng. - Cluster fig; Hin, - Gular, Sanscrit: vertical strips. Sour bitter in taste. Udumbarah. Floewr/Fruits: Nov.-Feb. Description: A middle sized deciduous tree, fruits are in large Part used: Bark, leaves, flower, fruit seeds, root cluster on short leafless branches, leaves elliptic, ovate or ovate lanceolate. Religious Virtue: Tree is worshipped on “Amlaki Ekadashi” and “Amla Navmi”. Tree is considered sacred as a deity Floewr/Fruits: Mostly all the year Vishnu is believed to dwell in it. Tribal women tie thread Parts used: Leaves, latex around the tree and provide significant aspect of conservation for next generation. Religious Virtue: The tender leaves are used in offering to Devi mai (Renuka devi, Chawal). In all religious festivals of Medicinal Use: It is used to control fundamental body Korku people the leaves are used as the primary Worshipping elements (Pitta, Vata, and kapha, enhance digestion, stimulate item. hair growth, in constipation, main constituents of “Chyawanprash” and Trifla powder.

Medicinal Use: The latex is used for piles and diarrhoea; Musa paradisiaca L. (Musaceae) powdered dry leaves are mixed with honey and given in bilious affections. Vernacular Names. Eng.: Banana; Hin.: Kela; Sanscrit: Kadlifal. Gossypium herbaceum L. (Malvaceae) Description: Stoloniferous herbaceous plant; leaves with Vernacular names: Eng. Cotton; Hin: Kapas, Binola, Rui; sheathed petiole up to 9 meter long, flowers in a terminal spike.

Sanscrit Karpasika, Chitradandakah, Tundkeshi. Floewr/Fruits: Throughout the year.

Description: A perennial subshrub upto 5 feet tall. Leaves heart Parts Used: Leaves, fruits, Stem shaped. Flower White and yellow, Fruits are 3to 5 celled Religious Virtue: Leaves and leaf sheaths are used as plates or capsule producing copius lint and fiber. dishes in the ritual. During All Festivals Stems are used as Floewr/Fruits: January -april entry gate and Mandap. Fruits are used as offering to deities.

Medicinal Use: Fruits are used for chronic dysentery. Parts used: Flower, Leaves, fibers and seed oil. Nerium oleander L. (Apocynaceae) Religious Virtue : Yellow flower is used to offer Dashradeo at the time of Dashara, White fibre used to make wick for lighting Vernacular Names: Eng. - Oleander Hin.- Kaner ;Sanscrit: the lamp (Earthen lamp or Flour made lamp) with the help of Karnikar oil or clarified butter in every worshipping mainly “Diwali” , Description: Erect woody branched Shrub. Stem surface grey, “badi” ekadshi festival. Arajot (made by cotton, curcuma longa White milky juice present. Leaves dark green lanceolate in and Kumkum) during Duj Worshipping offer to Govardhan. whorls. Pink, or White fragrant flowers in terminal cymes. It is Cotton fiber also used to make alpana on courtyard. During poisonous plant. festivals. Floewr/Fruits: year round

Medicinal use: seed use as male contraceptive. After birth to Religious Virtue: Flowers used as offering to lord Shiva. expel the placenta and increase lactation in women. Root bark Medicinal Use: Used in Dirrohoea, Dysentry increases lactation in in nursing mother. Leaves used to treat sores. Ocimum sanctum L. (Lamiaceae)

Hibiscus rosa sinensis L. (Malvaceae) Vernacular names: Eng. - Basil; Hin. – Tulsi; Sanscrit: Vrinda, Nandini

Vernacular Names: Eng. - China shoe flower; Hin: Gudhal, Description: Erect profusely branched, annual herb, Jaswan; Sanscrit: Japakusum. aerometric; inflorescence verticillaster flowers pale violet or Description: Ever green shrub, Leaves ovate, serrate glabrous. purplish white in whorls.

Flower showy, Red, Pink or Scarlet. Floewr/Fruits: throughout the year.

Floewr/Fruits: mostly year-round. Parts used: Leaves, stem, flower

Parts Used: Leaves, Flower, buds Religious Virtue: This sacred plant is used in all worshipping.

Religious Virtue: Red flower is generally used to offer goddess Dried stems are used to make beads of Rosary. Plant also has Durga and other female deities as garland and single flower. religious myths. Main deiety is “lord Vishnu”. Commonly 35681 | P a g e Abhilasha Bajpai, Rakesh Mehta and Alka Pandey., Plants Related Religious Virtue Studies on Tribes of Betul District of Madhya Pradesh found in courtyard of all houses. It is believed that It absorbs negative energy and guard people.

Medicinal use: The leaves are used in seasonal fevers, cough and cold, and skin allergy. The seeds are soaked in water overnight and drunk in the morning in diarrhea and dysentery.

Oryza sativa L. (Poaceae)

Vernacular names: Eng. - Rice, Hin. - Dhan, Sanscrit: Tandulh. Dhanyam

Description: Annual cereal, Stem erect, cylindrical, hollow except in nodes, leaf blade long, lanceolate, acuminate, inflorescence is partly covered by leaf sheath, Spikelets are borne either singly or in cluster, flowers bracteates.

Floewr/Fruits: March -April

Parts Used: Seed, Straw

Religious Virtue: Rice is used in all ceremony and festivals as offering to all deiety except Lord Vishnu. Seeds are soked in water and ground with small quantity of Curcuma (Haldi) and water. It is called as “Apon” used in making alpna or desines on floor or wall during ceremonies. The colour of Apon is yellowish white. It is prepared fresh only in the special occasion or any religious festivals.

35682 | P a g e International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Vol. 10, Issue, 11(G), pp. 35678-35683, October, 2019

Medicinal Use: Rice-wash water (water used to wash rice Acknowledgement before cooking) is used in diarrhea and dysentery. Cooked rice The Authors is thankful to all Gond and Korku community of along with curd is taken during constipation and Diarrhea. particular area (SNS) Betul district for their co-operation and sharing their knowledge during research period.

FAMILY WISE OBSERVED PLANTS SPECIESES References

4 Gadgil, M and Vartak V.D.1975“Sacredgroves of : A 2 2 2 plea for continued conservation. J.Bombay Nat.Hist.Soci., 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 72:313-320 Gadgil, M. &V.D. Vartak 1976b “The sacred groves of western Ghat in India” Econ.Bot.30:152-160. Ghalme, R.L., Mokat, D. and Deokule, S.S. 2010. Un-noticed sacred groves of Dapoli Tahsil of Ratnagiri District (M.S.) Ethnobotany, 22 (1&2):67-72. Harshburger, J.W. 1896, “The purpose of ethnobotany, Bot. Gaz., 21:146-154

Jain, A.K. 1992. Ethno-botanical studies on tribes of Diagramme 1 Family wise observed plants specie Madhya Pradesh with special reference to medicinal plants.

J. Eco. Tax. Bot.Addi.Ser.10:227-232. Jain, S.K. 1963 “Magico-religious belifs about plants among the adivasis of Bastar. J.Myth, Soc., 54(3): 73-94. Jain, S.K., 1963a. Studies in Indian ethnobotany-less known uses of fifty common plants from the tribal areas of Herb, 6 Madhya Pradesh, Bull. Bot. Survey India 5(3/4):223-226. Tree, 9 Jain, S.K., 1963b “Studies in Indian Ethnobotany II, Plants used in Medicine by the Tribal of Madhya Pradesh, Bull, Of Regional Research Lab., Jammu. Vol 1(2):126-128. Jain, S.K., 1963c. Observation on the Ethnobotany of the tribals Shrub, 4 of Madhya Pradesh. Vanyajati 11:177-183. Jain, S.K., 1975 Ethno-botany of central Indian Tribals. J. Indian Bot.Soc.Abstr., 7:63. Climber , 1 Janaki Ammal, E.K. 1974, “Plants and Man. Second Silver Jubilee Lecture, Birbal Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow. Lee, C., Schaaf, T. (Eds.), 2003. The Importance of Sacred Diagram 2 Habit Wise Observerd 20 Plants Species Natural Sites for Biodiversity Conservation. UNESCO, RESULT AND DISCUSSION Paris. Loh, J., Harmon, D., 2005. A global index of biocultural In the present study 20 plants belonging to 14 families have diversity. Ecological Indicators 5:231-241. been identified as sacred as well as medicinal, used by Gond Malhotra, K.C, Gokhale and Chatterjjee, S. 2001 Cultural and and Korku communities of Betul District in their rituals and Ecological Dimensions of Sacred Groves in India, India festivals. (Dig-1). Moraceae family has maximum 4 plants, National Science Academy and New Delhi and Indira Malvaceae, Poaceae and Rutaceae has 2 plants each. Gandhi rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, New Delhi and Remaining families have single plant in each. (Diagramme -2) Bhopal showing habit of plant studied in the area. Trees are maximum Martin G.J. 1995 “Ethnobotany: A methods manual.”Chapman in number 8 plants, herb 6, shrub 5 and climber has single and Hall, London; species. Gond people believe that all old and big trees are Mitra, S.C. 1916, “A note on the worship of the Pipal tree in abode of gods and deities. Even their ancestors or departed soul Benghal. J. Anthrop. Soc. Bombay, 10:302-306. might be residing in those old trees; therefore they treated them Mundiye, U.S. 2002. Indigenous knowledge based conservation as sacred tree. They protect them by all means of conservation and development of sacred groves in /, Ph.D. Thesis submitted to university of Mumbai. like they fenced the tree; they built markeable platform by Myers, N., Mittermeier, N.A., Mittermeier, C.G., Da Fonseca, stones and bricks. They tagged the tree by flag or painted with G.A.B., Kent, J., (2000). “Biodiversity hotspots for vermilion. They put threads around trunk of some specific tree. conservation priorities. Nature 403:853-858. They perform religious activities and social events regularly in Negi C.S. 2010 “Traditional Knowledge and biodiversity a year. They keep idols of their gods made up of stones and conservation: A preliminary study of the sacred natural metals under the tree. This perception of nature plays a positive sites in Uttarakhand, Central Himalya” J. Biodiversity, role on conservation of plants. We suggest that the traditional 1(1):43-62 knowledge of any community could provide useful information in finding new era of research that contribute to human well beings. So that it’s urgent need to collect their traditional knowledge of plants and data should be digitized before it vanished

******* 35683 | P a g e