2025, Vol. 13, Issue 6, Part A

author(s)
Mamta Verma and Suresh Kumar

abstract
Sacred groves are patches of land that are generally protected with religious faith of people. The present paper describes the Hurang Narayan sacred grove located in Chauhar Valley of district Mandi (H.P). The main deity is named as ‘Hurang Narayan’ and the associated forest is also known as ‘Dev Van’. The dense vegetation of sacred grove is protected by the people through local taboos and sanctions imposing strict penalties for use of resources within the grove or even for visiting the deity’s forest without permission. Thus, the article aims to document traditional knowledge system as well as religious beliefs and practices governed by local communities of Hurang Narayan valley that have an inherent role in biodiversity conservation. Surveys were conducted in the sacred grove to study its impact on biodiversity conservation. Information pertaining to ethnobotanical properties of plants was collected from the knowledgeable people of the region. The data collected includes information about sacred grove, associated deity, unique floral diversity and traditional beliefs or taboos of local communities. The present study reveals the ethnobotanical applications of 55 species of plants from 52 genera and 37 families found in the Hurang Narayan sacred grove. It has been noted that certain plant species conserved in deity’s forest are rarely found in the surrounding regions. The grove is home to several rare, endangered, vulnerable and endemic plant species.