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The Medico Religious Plants Of Assam, India

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The Medico-Religious Plants of Assam, India The following is a study into the various plants for both medical and religious use in the area of Assam, India. The following peoples will be compared in this study: the Hajong, the Mishing, and the Tiwas; just three of a vast array of tribes located on the state of Assam in India. Assam has been found to be a wealth of information on Ethnobotanicals: starting with plants used in socio-religious practices; restrictions and taboos on certain sacred plants; plant associations with deities; sacred plants that are repellents for gods and evil spirits that cause diseases; and plants used in divination for the recovery of lost items. These plants are regarded as sacred for social, cultural and religious purposes; to the Assamians all surrounding vegetation is considered religious ground. The research for this study will include discovering the types of 'holy ' plants used, what parts of the plants are used and what is the purpose of the plant within the performance of a ritual or other ceremony? Also with the three peoples being studied, what are the differences in use of plants for each group? What are the similarities? Are there any variations on the type of plant species used, or variation on the performance of ritual or ceremony, with similar plant usage? By the conclusion of this paper it is believed all these questions will be

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