Plants used by the Meitei community in religious purposes

PLANTS USED BY THE MEITEI COMMUNITY IN RELIGIOUS PRACTICES

Humans have been dependent on plants since time immemorial for various purposes. Be it foods, carbon sequestration, oxygen, and many plant-based products. The use and cultivation of various plants have been passed down from generation to generation. Ethnobotany is the study of how people of a particular culture and region make use of indigenous (native) plants.

The Meitei people are an ethnic group native to the state of Manipur in North-Eastern India. The Meitei primarily settled in the Imphal valley region in modern-day Manipur although a sizable population have settled, in Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, with a notable presence in the neighboring countries of Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Meitei ethnic group represents around 53% of the population of Manipur state, followed by various Naga tribes at 24% and various Kuki-Zo tribes at 16%. The Meitei community practices mainly two religions Hinduism and Sanamahism (some practices Christianity).

 An ethnobotanical field survey was carried out among the Meitei communities residing at Imphal West district, Manipur. Initially, a formal request were made to the respective individuals introducing ourselves and explaining the purpose of our visit to them. Thereafter, interviews was conducted individually .They  were elders and senior citizens who are knowledgeable in ethnobotany.  We were able to collect information on about 20 plants species that are used in the rituals of the Meitei community that practices Sanamahism.

 Most of the plants that are used in the rituals are found to possess medicinal properties. The community developed a different  procedures to protect the knowledge of important indigenous plants which are interlinked directly with their life activities. They develop different cultural activities such as religion, ceremony, ritual, and festivals to mark the importance of the plants. Some of the remarkable festivals are Lai-Haraoba, Sajibu chei-raoba, etc. Through the festivals and rituals, the importance of the plants is enhanced and familiarize to the coming generation. The traditional beliefs and the taboos help sin conserving the sacred plants up to some extent from the increasing urbanization.

 In order to protect and preserve our traditional knowledge, documentation in various forms have become a critical need of the hour. May it be informal writing like blogging, utilizing social media platforms to connect with the present generation and passing on authentic traditional knowledge is key to bringing awareness about the need to conserve our indigenous knowledge.

(Contributor: Leenthoi Laishram is presently pursuing MSc. Forestry at North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), Arunachal Pradesh; she is currently under Midas Touch Pro Bono Mentorship Program; she can be reached at leenthoilaishram@gmail.com)