Abstract

TRADITIONAL AND INDIGENOUS USES OF MEDICINAL PLANTS BY LOCAL TRIBES IN SURGUJA CHHATTISGARH WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO UDAIPUR AND LAKHANPUR BLOCK

Shobha Soni*

Abstract

Surguja has a great wealth of medicinal plants and traditional medicinal knowledge. Medicinal plants have played an important role in primary health care system among the local people of Surguja region. The present research is a study of the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and its use by local people of not only Surguja but whole Chhattisgarh Region. Due to its single geographical location and different climatic condition, it has rich biodiversity and variety of plant species. Medicinal plants are the principal health care resources among the most of community in India. Local people of this region basically depend upon medicinal plants for their foremost health care system. Their primary cure of diseases is based upon deep observation of scenery and their understanding of traditional knowledge of medical practices. Local people in this region, especially tribal people and women heavily use these traditionally available medicinal plants for health and consider that these are easily available, less expensive and have no side effects as compare to modern medicine. The present research focuses on the indigenous knowledge of different medicinal plants used in the Chhattisgarh Surguja region. Ethnomedicinal uses of various medicinal plant species along with botanical name, part used and mode of treatment are given in this study.

Keywords: Medicinal Plants, Traditional Knowledge, Deforestation, Ethnomedicinal.