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Culture Documents
AN OVERVIEW
Barunai hill is situated in Khordha District about 4 km. from Khordha town.
There are number of medicinal plants in foot hill of Barunai. The medicinal
plants that have been found during field trip are:
1. Aegle marmelos
2. Aloe vera
3. Azadirachta indica
4. Catharanthus roseus
5. Clitoria ternatea (Blue variety)
6. Datura stramonium
7. Mentha piperita
8. Mimosa pudica
9. Ocimum sanctum
10. Taivetia neerifolia
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Introduction
Out of the total 4, 22, 000 flowering plants reported from the world more
than 50,000 are used for medicinal purposes .In India, more than 43% of the
total flowering plants are reported to be of medicinal importance. Utilization
of plants for medicinal purposes in India has been documented long back in
ancient literature However, organized studies in this direction were initiated
in 1956 and off late such studies are gaining recognition and popularity due
to loss of traditional knowledge and declining plant population.
Keeping this in view, the present study was initiated, with an aim to identify
knowledgeable resource persons and document their knowledge of on the
utilization of medicinal plants in Chhota Bhangal area of western Himalaya.
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NAME : Curcuma longa
FAMILY : Zingiberaceal
PLANT DESCRIPTION
The leaves are long, smooth, uniform, green & tapering at each end.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
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NAME : Aloe vera
BOTANICAL NAME : Aloe vera (Linn.) Burm.
(Aloe barbadensis Mill)
FAMILY : Liliaceae
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS : Kumari, Grithakumari, Grihakanya
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES : Rasa: Tikta, Madhura
Guna: Guru, Snigdha
Virya: Seeta
PLANT DESCRIPTION :
A perennial shrub grows with fleshy leaves and short stem.
Leaves are fleshy, sessile, with prickles on margins.
Flowers are in long spikes, fruits capsules, often sterile.
Reproduction is by budding.
Leave juice dried in air is called elio.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES :
Plant pacifies vitiated vata, pitta, amenorrhoea, wounds, ulcers, burns, colic,
hepatitis, skin diseases, constipation, tumor, malignancy, low back pain, edema,
arthritis and general debility.
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NAME : Azadirachta indica
BOTANICAL NAME : Azadirachta indica A.Juss.
FAMILY : Meliaceae
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS : Nimba, Arista, Hinguniryasa, Manda, Tiktaka
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NAME : Catharanthus roseus
BOTANICAL NAME : Catharanthus roseus (Linn.) G.Don
FAMILY : Apocynaceae
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS : Nityakalyani.
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES : Rasa: Tikta
Guna: Lakhu, Rooksha
Virya: Ushna
PLANT DESCRIPTION :
An erect annual herb grows up to a height of 1 m in height.
Leaves are deep green oblong, flowers in cymose, axillary clusters, deep rose or
white in colour.
Fruits are cylindrical follicle.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES :
Plant pacifies vitiated pitta, kapha, diabetes, hypertension, leukemia and
malignancy.
The root is stomachic and tonic.
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NAME : Clitoria ternatea (Blue variety)
BOTANICAL NAME : Clitoria ternatea Linn (Blue variety)
FAMILY : Fabaceae
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS : Sankapushpam, Aparajita, Girikarnika.
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES : Rasa: Tikta
Guna: Lakhu, Rooksha
Virya: Ushna
Prabhava: Medhya
PLANT DESCRIPTION :
Leaves are compound, imparipinnate, leaflets 5 7, sub coriaceous, elliptic-oblong,
obtuse. Flowers are blue, solitary, axillary or in facicles.
Fruits are nearly straight flattened pods.
Seeds are 6-10 smooth yellowish brown.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES :
Plant pacifies vitiated pitta, migraine, skin diseases, bronchitis, asthma,
tuberculosis, ascites, ulcers and fever, jaundice and skin diseases.
Seeds are used in abdominal cramps and promote intellect.
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NAME : Datura stramonium
BOTANICAL NAME : Datura stramonium Linn.
FAMILY : Solanaceae
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES :
Plant pacifies vitiated vata, kapha, arthritis, cough, asthma, muscle spasm, fever,
ulcer, skin diseases, lumbago, sciatica and dandruff.
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NAME : Mentha piperita
BOTANICAL NAME : Mentha piperita Linn
FAMILY : Lamiaceae
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS : Pootiha, Pudina, Rochani
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES : Rasa: Katu,
Guna: Lakhu, Rooksha, Teekshna
Virya: Ushna
PLANT DESCRIPTION :
Aromatic annual herb grows up to 60 cm.
Leaves are simple, opposite and ovate or lanceolate.
Flowers are lilac coloured seen in axillary whorls.
Fruits are nutlets.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES :
Plant pacifies vitiated kapha, vata, amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, dental caries,
jaundice and urinary retention.
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NAME : Mimosa pudica
BOTANICAL NAME : Mimosa pudica Linn.
FAMILY : Mimosaceae
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS : Lajjalu, Samanga, Raktapadi, Namaskari,
Kharatvak, Sankochani
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES : Rasa: Kashaya, Tikta
Guna: Lakhu, Rooksha
Virya: Seeta
PLANT DESCRIPTION :
A diffuse under shrub grows up to 60 cm in height.
Leaves are bipinnately compound, pinnate 2-4 digitally arranged with 20-30 pairs
of leaflets and touch sensitive.
Flowers are pink in round heads.
Fruits are bristly pods, flat, consisting 3-5 one seeded segments.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES :
Plant pacifies vitiated pitta, kapha, oedema, allergy, bronchial asthma,
haemorrhoid, ulcer, jaundice, arthritis and fever.
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NAME : Ocimum sanctum
BOTANICAL NAME : Ocimum sanctum Linn (Black variety)
FAMILY : Lamiaceae
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS : Tulasi, Surasa, Svetatulasi.
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES : Rasa : Kashaya, Tikta
Guna : Lakhu, Rooksha
Virya : Ushna
PLANT DESCRIPTION :
An erect much branched under shrub, grows up to 1 m in height.
Leaves are pale dark brown in colour, simple, opposite, elliptic, oblong, obtuse or
acute, serrate, entire, pubescent on both sides.
Petiole is slender and hairy.
Flowers are purplish in elongate recemes.
Fruits are nutlets, smooth, not mucilaginous when wet.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES :
Plant pacifies vitiated tridoshas, cough, asthma, bronchitis, fever, toxins, vomiting,
lumbago, gastric distension, genito-urinary diseases, ringworm and skin diseases.
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NAME : Taivetia neerifolia
BOTANICAL NAME : Taivetia neerifolia Juss
FAMILY : Apocynaceae
SANSKRIT SYNONYMS : Karaveera, Peetakaraveera, Asvaghna,
Asvamaraka, Hayamaraka
AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES : Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Kashaya
Guna : Lakhu, Rooksha, Teekshna
Virya : Ushna
Vipaka: Katu
PLANT DESCRIPTION :
An evergreen shrub grows up to 7-10 m in height.
Leaves are three in a whorl, linear-lanceolate, acute, and yellowish green.
Flowers pale yellow colored and fragrant;
Fruits are globular and 4 chambered.
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES :
Plant pacifies vitiated vata, skin diseases, arthritis, pruritus, and ulcers for external
use. Internal use will cause toxic symptoms.
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Conclusion
It can be concluded from the study that Bhangalis inherit a rich traditional
knowledge and documentation of this knowledge has provided novel information
from the area. They still depend on the plants for medicinal purposes and are very
much concerned about their degradation in wild as they now have to travel even
more far to collect these plants. The incoming of roads and coming up of the area
as an important tourist destination has allured the younger generation towards
market economy, this certainly will have larger implications. Thus, the present
documentation of traditional knowledge from an area where novel information
has been generated will not only provide recognition to this knowledge but will
also help in its conservation vis--vis providing pharmacological leads for the
betterment of human society.
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References:
BOOKS:
Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants
By NISCAIR
Economic Botany
By B. P. Pandey
WEBSITES:
www.google.com
www.medicinalplants.com
www.indianmedicine.com
PLACES:
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