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Village names based on common
herbs : A promising indicator of Bio-diversity and Indigenous Knowledge zone
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Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia
© 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights ReservedChhattisgarh, a newly borne state of India, is rich in biodiversity. Many valuable and rare medicinal flora and fauna have been reported in Chhattisgarh, like Sarphgandha (Rauvolfia serpentina), Safed Musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum), Kali Musli (Curculigo orchoides), Dasmool (Asparagus racemosus), Bach (Acorus calamus), Dhikuar (Aloe vera), Kaukand (Costus speciosus) etc. [1]. The natives and traditional healers have rich traditional medicinal knowledge about common herbs, insects and mites. The natives still have deep faith in traditional practices of healing [2]. Over 3000 species of medicinal herbs have been reported in dense forests of Chhattisgarh and over 5000 traditional healers are engaged in practising the traditional medicinal knowledge [3]. The early studies and ethnobotanical surveys conducted by the author revealed that the natives and traditional healers have rich traditional knowledge about medicinal uses of common soils and disease and insect infested herbs, along with healthy herbs. The "Tree Shade Therapy" is a gift of these healers to the world. The state is also well known for its non-wood forest produces (NWFP) business. Due to increasing demand of these produces in national and international markets, the availability of natural flora and fauna is decreasing and in this unscientific exploitation process, many species are becoming endangered [4]. Also due to increasing spread and infestation of obnoxious weeds like Gajar ghas (Parthenium hysterophorus), Gotiphool (Lantana camara) etc. the natural flora is under great threat. These weeds are becoming a real curse for the unique bio-diversity [5]. Many surveys and studies conducted by the early workers and author suggested that there is a strong need of inventorisation and documentation of existing flora and fauna and also the indigenous knowledge [6]. Very less efforts have been done on both of these aspects. In Chhattisgarh, it is common observation that many villages are named on the basis of specific herbs found in abundance in that particular villages. According to natives, these names were coined many generations back. Many of such villages based on herb names are now devoid of that particular herbs. In order to list out the villages based on herb names, and document the existing traditional medicinal knowledge, a detailed ethnobotanical survey was conducted from 1995-2002 by non-governmental organisation SOPAM (Society for Parthenium Management), Raipur, India.
The survey was focused on three major districts of Chhattisgarh plains i.e. Raipur, Dhamtari and Mahasamund. On the basis of authenticated official record the names of over 3500 villages gathered and with the help of local language experts, the villages having names based on herbs were sorted out. Out of 3776 villages, 293 village names based on herbs were identified. For visits, the five villages representing particular herb were selected randomly for each species. Through intensive visits the status of indigenous knowledge was studied.
The survey revealed that the 293 village names are based on sixty five species of herbs. The village names based on Parsa (Butea monosperma), Khair (Acacia catechu) Koha (Terminalia arjuna), Mauha (Madhuca latifolia), Sarai (Shorea robusta), Aam (Mangifera indica), Piper (Ficus religiosa), Semar (Bombax ceiba ) are most common. The details are given in Table 1 (with land record no). Many villages are named on the basis of heavy infestation of particular weeds like Sarkanda (Saccharum spontaneum), Siliyari (Celosia argentea), Sarphonva (Tephrosia purpurea), Raksi (Abutilon indicum), Belonda (Caesulia axillaris), Gondla (Cyperus rotundus) etc. The intensive visits to these villages revealed that in most of the villages, the availability and natural population of specific herbs are decreasing. It was also noted that the traditional healers as well as the natives are having rich traditional knowledge about almost all parts of specific herb in these villages. For example in villages named on Parsa (Butea monosperma), the traditional healers and natives use this herb as Dataun (herbal tooth brush) in the beginning on the day and as soporific in order to get sound sleep at the end of the day, they use it in the treatment of insomnia In different religious ceremonies, they prefer Parsa herb. Due to modernisation and decreasing natural population, the younger generation is showing less interest in different uses of these specific herbs. For example, now a days the young generation uses plastic tooth brushes in place of Dataun (herbal tooth brush) . The survey suggested that there is a strong need to document the existing traditional medicinal knowledge in these villages before further loss of knowledge. Many of these villages, particularly those situated far from big cities, still have rich population of specific herbs. These villages can play a vital role in under standing the behaviour of specific herb in natural conditions and its interactions with associated herbs. In these villages, the traditional healing practices are still in good progress. There is a need to take strong and immediate step to save the natural population of herbs in these villages. On the basis of these villages, the population and diversity herbs present in past, can be estimated. As mentioned earlier many villages are named on the basis of heavy infestation of particular weeds, survey revealed that these villages can help the weed scientists to study the climatic, edaphic and other related factors responsible for heavy infestation of particular weeds.
The present survey was focused on Chhattisgarh plains where less dense forest exist. The surveys in southern plateau and Northern hills (over 10,000 villages) are in progress and these survey would provide more information of villages name on the basis of common herbs.
Table 1 Village names based on common herbs : A promising indicator of Bio-diversity and Indigenous Knowledge zone S.No. Scientific Name of Herbs Local name Name of Villages ( with land record Number) Family 1 Acacia catechu Khair Khairkhut (2), Khairvas (9/69), Khairpardih (14/78) Khaida (Khaira ; 52/108) Khaira (51/106, 109, 139,128,145,19/37,33 142), Khairi (107, 21/39, 10/42), Khairjhinti (4,73,8), Khair Khunta (31), Khairghitki (47), Khairghut (12), Khairvari (28), Leguminoaseae Khairjhudi (36), Khairmal (42), Khairbheri (FV), Khairkabheri (FV) 2 Curcuma longa Hardi Hardi (52/102, 17,27, FV, 19,77,20,5), Hardi bhatha 33, Hardidih 50 Zingiberaceae 3 Dendrocalamus strictus Bans Banskata (24,101), Bansbinari (108), Bansurkuli (8), Banskuda (5) Gramineae 4 Bauhinia sp. Mahul Mahuldih (372) Mahulkot (6) Leguminaseae 5 Feronia limonia Kaitha Kaitha (4) Rutaceae 6 Emblica officinalis Aonla Aonlapani (50) Euphorbiaceae 7 Abutilon indicum Raksi Raksi (14) Raksa (49) Malvaceae 8 Tephrosia purpurea Sarphonka Sarphonva (18) Leuminoseae 9 Ficus benghalensis Bur Burdih (25), Burbahara (20) Moraceae 10 Diospyros melanoxylon tendu Tendukona (121,54), Tendu Bhatha (23,81), Tendubaya (17), Tendulodha (118), Tenduwahi (4,10), Tendudarha (25), Tendumudi(5) 11 Cassia sophera Kasaundi Kasaundi (12) Leguminoaseae 12 Saccharum spontaneum Kans or sarkanda Sarkanda (9,16,21) Gramineae 13 Curcurbita pepo Kumhda Kumhda (3), Kumhdakoh (6) Cucurbitaceae 14 Ficus religiosa Pipal or Pipar Piprahi (15.67,4), Piperduha (22), Piperdih(27), Piperchedi (129, 41,2,43), Pipal Khunta (11,36), Piperchedi Khurd (17), Piper Khedi (11), Piper Kanhar(17), Piperdhivna (16), Piperbhovan (25), Piproud (82), Piperhatta (3,66), 15 Terminalia bellirica Bahera Baherabhatha (112), Baherabua (21), Baheradih (32) Combreteaceae 16 Bombax ceiba Semra or Semar Semra (153, 154,31,26,10,14,16) , Semaria (67/99, 122,16,31,2/27, 9/45, 80, 52), Semharadih (15/67, 59, 13/30), Semaradih (59/89, 6,11), Semalia (33), Semhra (29), Semhardhap (28) Bombaceae 17 Semecarpus anacardium Bhelwa Bhelwadih (139) Anacardiaceae 18 Asteracantha longifolia Mokhla Mokhla (145) Acanthaceae 19 Santalum indicum Chandan Chandan bahara (Fv) Santalaceae 20 Cyperus rotundus Gondla Gondlabahara (2) Mothadih (35) Cyperaceae 21 Tectona grandis Sagon Sagonbhadi(11) Verbinaceae 22 Psidium guajava Jam Jamgaon (156,9,109), Jamgaon (4) Jampali (13,45) Myrtaceae 23 Diospyros exsculpta Kendu Kenduban (12), Kendumudi(28), Kendupathi(41) Ebenaceae 24 Bauhinia purpurea Koliar Koliyari (155,51,58,9,FV) Leguminoseae 25 Hymenodictyon excelsum Bohar Bohardih (55,124,125) 26 Lepidium sativum Chandrashoor Chandrasoor (75) Cruciferae 27 Zingiber officinalis (dried) Sonth Sonth 9(160) Zingiberaceae 28 Caesulia axillaris Belonda Belondi (77) Compositeae 29 Physalis minima Kapalphodia Kapalphodi (80) Solonaceae 30 Madhuca latifolia Mauha Mahuagaon (85), Mahuabhata (17), Hat Mahua (17), Mauhadih (2) Sapotaceae 31 Jasminum sambac Mongra Mongra (132, 33), Mongrapali(100,121), Mongri (62) Oleaceae 32 Psoralea corylifolia Bemchi Bemcha (141) Leguminoaseae. 33 Aegle marmelos Belonda Belbhatha (130), Belmudi(5), Beltekri(12), Beladula (25), Beltukri (137, 38), Beltikri(52,18) Rutaceae 34 Boswellia serrata Saliha Saliha (9), Salihabhatha (10,142), Salihaghat (13) Burseraceae 35 Terminalia arjuna Arjuna or Kauha Arjuni (9/89, 8, 46,6), Kovadih (120,81), Kauha junwani (146), Kohabahara (FV), Kohapani (FV), Kohakuda (142, 23), Koha buda (120), Kovajhar(5) Combretaceae 36 Woodfordia fruticosa Dhawai Dhawai (1/73) Lythraceae 37 Sida acuta Bariyara Baliyara (44) Malvaceae 38 Azardirachta indica Neem or Nimora (Neem Seeds) Nimora (100, 136) Meliaceae 39 Glycrrhiza glabra Murethi Murethi (90) Leguminoaseae 40 Allium sativum Lasun Lasunvahi (FV) Liliaceae 41 Paspalum scrobiculatum Kodo Kodwa (30,22,14/31), Kodopali (25, 4,14,17), Kodoguda (47), Kodobeda (13), Kodobhatha (13,33,35), Kodobattar(21), Kodohardi(27), Kodomali(32) Gramineae 42 Ocimum sanctum Tulsi Tulsi (111, 1,35,52), Tulsimakhpur (18), Tulsidevra (7) Labiateae 43 Coccinia grandis Kundru Kundru (11) Cucurbitaceae 44 Celosia argentea Siliyari Siliyari(85) Amarantaceae 45 Colocasia esculenta Kochai Kochaimuda (17) Araceae 46 Calotropis gigantea Fudhar Fudhar (117), Fudhardih (33), Labiateae 47 Ocimum canum Memri Memra (31) Labiateae 48 Phoenix dactylifera Khajura Khajuri (2/74), Khajurpadar (44) Palmae 49 Mangifera indica Aam Amakachhar (100 , Aamajhola (fV), Aamipali (38), Amapali (50, Ama Chani (80), Aamjhar (20), Aamda (32), Amokhoha (141), Aamgaon (FV), Aamabhauna (3), Aamaroda (28) 50 Phoenix sp. (wild) Chind Chindpali (41) Palmae 51 Ficus benjamina Kamraj Kamraj(12) 52 Moringa oliefera Munga Mungasher(14), Mungaser(102), Mungadih(18), Mungapadar (39) 53 Shorea robusta Sarai or Sal Saldih(43), Saraipali (FV,24,121,111,1), Saldabri (102), Saraibhadar (83), Saraitola (fV), Sarai Patera (1), Sarai rukh(FV), Pholsarai(34), Saraipani (41) 54 Bridelia squamosa Kashi or Kassi Kashi (31), Kashibahara (5) Euphorbiaceae 55 Albizia species Siris or Sirsa Sirsahi (92) Leguminoaseae 56 Ricinus communis Arand Arand (23,128) Euphorbiaceae 57 Mallotus philippensis Rohini Rohina (16) 58 Butea monosperma Parsa Parastarai (90), Parsadih(64/97, 65,4,23/44,4), Paraspati (52/102), Paraspali(9,22), Parsapali (22), Parsabuda (81), Parsapani(8,14), Parsabhader (10/70), Parsapali (8) Leguminoaseae 59 Ziziphus jujuba Boir Boirjhinti (17), Boirdih(2/74,15/87,58,110,25, 39), Boirlami (28), Boirgaon (117,111,FV, 7, 32,FV) Rhamnaceae 60 Leucas aspera Guma Guma (54, 64) Trapaceae 61 Trapa natans Singhara Singhora (52) Trapaceae 62 Buchanania lanzan Char Charbhatha (19,50,100,26,81,32,79), Charpali (10), Chargaon (FV) Anacardiaceae 63 Terminalia chebula Harra Harrratar (35) Combretaceae 64 Sphaeranthus indicus Gudru or Guduria Gudrudih (4) Compositeae 65 Desmostachya bipinnata Kunsh Kushkona (8) Kushpali (104) Gramineae Note : FV = Forest Village References
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