Study of ethnobotanical implications of the places of religious activities in Kolkata: 1. Jain temples
Srilata De and Ambarish Mukherjee
Centre for Advanced Study, Department of Botany, University of Burdwan, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal (India) srilata116@yahoo.com & amukherjee.bu@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
In conformity with the cultural heritage of India, religious organizations and institutions have always been concerned with protection of nature and her creations for conveying the benevolence to mankind. Considering revelation of the direct man-plant relationship sustained traditionally by the devotees of different religions as one the important objective of ethnobotany in optimization of environment and invigoration of environmental ethics, the present study was strategically undertaken in Kolkata. In Kolkata, one of the busiest metropolises in India, the motto has not been eroded as is reflected in the green diversity in the premises of Jain temples. The study revealed the concern of five Jain temples in Kolkata in sustaining appreciable plant diversity and conserving useful and rare species which can be used as a model of purity, aesthetic pleasure, sense of peace and tranquility to the perceivable senses, maintaining a harmony with the life style of the people of Kolkata.