Abstract

ETHNOMEDICINES USED BY KOCHILA THARU TRIBES LIVING NEAR BARA DISTRICT OF NEPAL

*Shila Singh

Abstract

Ethnobotany is the study of how people of a particular culture and region make use of indigenous plants. Since their earliest origins, humans have depended on plants for their primary needs and existence. Plants provide food, medicine, shelter, dyes, fibers, oils, resins, gums, soaps, waxes, latex, tannins, and even contribute to the air we breathe. Many native peoples also used plants in ceremonial or spiritual rituals. Examining human life on earth requires understanding the role of plants in historical and current day cultures. It is estimated that 80% of the world's population lives in developing countries and over 80% of the world's population rely on plant-derived medicines for their primary health care needs. Based on the personal experience, people knew therapeutic potential of the medicinal plants without rationale of their efficacy. Because of advancement, we have a better understanding of the healing powers of plants due to presence of multifunctional chemical entities for treating complicated health conditions. Ethnobotany is the study of a region's plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people. Bara District lies in Province No. 2. It is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Kalaiya as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,190 km² and has a population of 687,708. Main residents of this district are Tharu, Musalman, Bramhin, Yadav, Kano etc. Thus the present paper describes some important ethno medicinal plants used by Kochila Tharu tribes living near/around Bara district of Nepal. A total of 99medicinal plant species used by Tharus as ethnomedicine for the treatment of various ailments are documented and enumerated in Table 1. The plants in this study represent 50 families with the most prominent family being Asteraceae (12 species), followed by Fabaceae (8 species) and Lamiaceae (8 species). The 49 different ailments reported were grouped into 14 broad categories.

Keywords: Tharu, Bara District, Ethnobotany, Ethnomedicine, diseases etc.