Role of a Sacred Grove in Conservation of Medicinal Plants

Sacred groves are tracts of near-virgin forests , the vestiges of an ancient practice in which people protected forest patches. A repository of medicinal plants , these are a unique example of the all-embracing concept and practice of the Indian way of in-situ conservation of biodiversity. This paper deals with an account of the role of Chilkigarh sacred grove in the conservation of regional medicinal plants. It records for the first time 105 species of useful medicinal species of which 12 are threatened elsewhere in the Midnapore District. The paper also calls for the continued protection of the grove.