Conservation of plant biodiversity through temples and associated sacred groves in Jammu district

Abstract

This paper surveys the sacred plants nurtured in temples, presenting information on the number of plants grown and their socio-cultural significance.  It aims to highlight the environmental principles underlying traditional conservation practices. A field survey of twenty  nine temples in Jammu city, including  renowned temples such as Bahu Fort, Raghunath Temple, Peer Kho, Panchbakhtar (Rupai Wala Mandir) and Ranbireshwar, was conducted to enumerate traditional plants and study their cultural  and ethnobotanical uses. The survey revealed a rich biodiversity of ancient sacred trees, including species like Acacia modesta, Aegle marmelos, Butea monosperma, Cupressus, Emblica officinalis, Ficus benghalensis, Ficus religiosa, Milletia pinnata, Musa paradisiaca, Ocimum sanctum, Putranjeeva roxburghii, Syzygium cumini, Terminalia arjuna etc. A total  of 83 plants were identified, spanning 44 families and 70 genera. Out of these 35 plants were used for religious purposes, 13 for ornamental purposes, 24 for edible purposes, 13 were sacred plants, 46 had miscellaneous uses and majority (66 plants) had medicinal importance. The majority of the plants belonged to the Fabaceae family followed  by Moraceae family. The findings of this study provide a framework for the conservation of ethnobotanical plants found in temples and sacred groves.