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Socio-Cultural and Ethnobotanical Value of a Sacred Forest, Thal Ke Dhar, Central Himalaya

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Socio-Cultural and Ethnobotanical Value of a Sacred Forest, Thal Ke Dhar, Central Himalaya Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 4(2), April 2005, pp. 190-198 Socio-cultural and ethnobotanical value of a sacred forest, Thal Ke Dhar, central Himalaya Chandra Singh Negi Department of Zoology, Government Postgraduate College, Pithoragarh 262502, Uttaranchal, E-mail: [email protected] Received 19 April 2004; revised 26 July 2004 The sacred groves/forests have in the recent years drawn the attention of the environmentalists due to their undisturbed conditions, which enable them to be repository of gene pools. Apart from environmental significance the sacred groves are also indicative of the phenomenon of ethnoenvironmental management. It is a social institution which permits management of biotic resources through people's participation. Unfortunately the social significance of the sacred groves has not been studied in depth and the environmental aspects are inevitably over emphasized. The present study deals with the traditional beliefs and social institutions surrounding the sacred forest- Thai Ke Dhar and makes an attempt to bring out the inherent environmental principles behind the conservation practices. In addition, the forest was assessed for its ethnobotanical value to the local herbalists and traditional folk medicine practitioners. Pragmatic approaches combining conservation and sustainable uses are considered as are traditional values that have preserved the sacred groves in the past. Integration of traditional values and protection mechanisms into the newly emerging cultural and religious contexts has been emphasized. Keywords: Conservation, Ethnobotany, Sacred Forest, Sacred Plants, Taboos, Uttaranchal, Sacred Groves, Ethnomedicine, Thai Ke Dhar IPC Int. ci.'. A61K35178; A61Pl1l2; A61Pl1l6; A61P9/02; A61Pll/10; A61P13/02; A61PI7/02; A6IP21/02; A6IP27/02; A61P291.02; A61P33/10 Sacred forests, sacred groves or traditional forest they also provide practical benefits to local reserves are unique forest patches that have survived populations such as river catchment protection, wind due to strong cultural forces. Rural communities often breaks, shade and useful forest products such as set aside and restrict access to wooded areas firewood, fruits and medicinal plants. Sacred forests representing ecological spaces that are distinctly around the world share the common feature of different from the rest of the surrounding agricultural existing independent of Government laws and or pastoral landscapes (Fig. 1). Some sacred forests regulations. are biologically diverse vestiges of original forests left Sacred forests which have been extensively studied unaltered by human interference. Ranging in size (principally in Asia) are generally clusters of forest from less than one hectare to several thousand vegetation that honour a deity, provide sanctuary for hectares, these traditional forest reserves form a spirits, remind present generations of their ancestors, patchwork of biotic islands with a high potential for protect a sanctified place from exploitation. In Indian the conservation of remnant biological communities. context it is reasonable to assume that traditional The rapidly growing literature on sacred areas in Hindu society recognized individual species as Asia, America, Africa describes the varied cultural objects of worship based on accumulated empirical and ecological functions of sacred forests. Until knowledge and their identified value for specific l 3 recently, these forest patches have been viewed as uses - .Thus, Ficus religiosa Linn. and other species cultural curiosities. However, a closer look at these of the same genus form components of a range of cases shows that sacred forests are distinct common ecosystem types and support a variety of plant and property regimes maintained by strong institutional animal biodiversity. The sacred basil or Tulsi authorities and reinforced by a wide range of (Ocimum sanctum Linn.) is worshipped in all sanctions that limit excessive extraction of forest traditional homes as a goddess and is a multipurpose products and wildlife. While these sacred forests or medicinal plant". In the hills of Uttaranchal, Shiling groves are valuable, indigenous natural reserves (Osmanthus fragrans Lour.) (Fig. 2) rivals the sacred protected by deep cultural and historical traditions, tree Pipal-(Ficus religiosa Linn.) in sacredness and is NEGI : ETHNOBOTANY OF A SACRED FOREST OF UTTARANCHAL 191 Fig. 1- Sacred Forest- ThaI Ke Dhar, Pithoragarh, Uttaranchal I u s Fig. 2- Sacred Tree, Shiling (Osmanthus fragrans Lour.) 192 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE,VOL 4,No.2, APRIL 2005 now restricted to the premises of the temples only. Although the literature is replete with general Other species may not be worshipped in a religious references to ethnobotany for the country as a whole, sense but are part of socio cultural traditions. The efforts to document specific details of this knowledge socially valued multipurpose Quercus species of the have been limited. The present paper contributes to the Garhwal and Kumaon Himalayas are vital fodder and growing literature on sacred forests and concludes with fuel wood species and serve several important roles in an assessment for the policy makers to consider while the functioning of the mountain forest ecosystems. attempting to protect these biologically diverse areas. The concept of the sacred grove in India has it's roots in antiquity, even before the era of the Vedas Study area which presents the only recorded remains of the The present study site (Fig. 3,4), the Thai Ke Dhar thoughts of the ancient Aryans who migrated into the (Dhar in local term means the ridge) forest is located sub-continent. In their migration from the steppes of at a distance of about 8 km from Pithoragarh in the central Asia through Balkh in Khorassan to the Indian Kumaon region of the western Himalayas. District sub-continent; the ancient Vedic people assimilated Pithoragarh lies between North latitude 29°21/1 and new environmental values and the concept of the 30°, 48/1, 30' and East longitude 79°, 48/1, 10' and sacred grove forms the value system of the original 81°,5/1,55'. The area falls in an altitudinal range of inhabitants. Though many traditional societies value a 250-8000 m. Having varied topography and striking large number of plant species from the wild for a climate, this region harbours a variety of sub-tropical, variety of reasons such as food, medicines, sacredness temperate and alpine vegetation. It is estimated that attached to floral species in India is perhaps a more no less than 200 species are of medicinal value recent aspect of post-Vedic Hindu rituals. Thus the whereas more than 663 species of plants have direct existing concept of sacred groves at the landscapes or or indirect food-value. Of the total forest area of ecosystem level of the original pre-Vedic inhabitants Pithoragarh district, which is about 86, 710.3 ha, the of India was interpreted by the migrants of the Vedic Thai Ke Dhar forest located in the North-West to the age down to the level of particular species. East and South direction, covers l315.60 ha. The Traditional cultures are disappearing at an forest extends from the base of the Deodar village increasing rate. Although considerable research work (1700-m altitude) to the top of the hill (2489-m is being done, a lot of important information and altitude). The hill is easily divisible into North and indigenous knowledge base have already been lost as South aspects. The north aspect is having gentle knowledge held with older generation could not be slopes while steep slopes characterize the southern transmitted to younger generations and remains portion. unrecorded.'.With the disappearance of many traditional customs and the death of those who Methodology enforced them, a lot of extremely valuable Information as to the socio-religious role of the information have been/will be lost forever. sacred forest were gathered through a preliminary Religious beliefs and rituals are very much intimately survey which were mostly conducted among the elderly related to the management of the ecosystems"!'. In folks of the village between the age groups of 45-75. Himalayan context, the very existence of human being Care was taken to involve each and every family greatly relies upon his harmonious relationship with natural forms. The association of religion with belonging to all the castes. The villagers were ecosystem management is interwoven in the symbolic interviewed about the use of the plants (gathered from network of the Himalayan communities. To a large the forest) for different purposes (viz. medicinal, fodder, extent the indigenous ideology of the people is rooted in food and so forth). When recording the names of plants, religion. Sanctioning mechanisms are also religious in forest visits were made with the informant for tradition bound societies. Deviation from established identification of the specific plants. The 'inventory' practices might be locally interpreted as the arousal of involved collection of plant specimens and then supernatural anger. Therefore, attempts to disregard interviewing the informants for names and uses. religious factors in programs of change may be Traditional healers (Vaids) were consulted to thwarted by the people because religion gives meaning substantiate the information gathered from the villagers. to various actions they carry out. For these reasons However, women formed the larger portion of those alone the subject of "Culture and Conservation" has interviewed (above 76%), men were either
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