Exploring the Cultural Legacy of Religious Flora in the Himalaya

The Central Himalaya (Uttarakhand) is not only rich in its natural resources but also in its unique traditions and customs. There are many traditions which give the message of culture and nature conservation. It is the specialty of not only of the region but also of our Indian culture that there is a cultural and metaphysical objective behind every cultural activity. This region is one of the richest sources in terms of the occurrence of religious plants since ancient time. These plants contribute to religious ceremonies and are also important as food, fodder, medicine and environmental purification. The area is popularly known as ¿Land of god¿ or Devbhumi are keeping the high religious reverence on plants from Vedic age to modern age. Although, biological diversity of Himalaya is very rich, however, very little is known about the history of cultural and environmental significance of religious plants of this region. The information mentioned in book was gathered through different sources: review of sacred literature, study of sixteen ceremonies, interviews conducted during the season of particular ceremonies and questionnaire-based survey to verify these important religious plants.