Country's Highest Medicinal Garden

• 23 Aug 2021

Why in News

• On August 21, 2021, India's highest medicinal garden was inaugurated at an altitude of 11,000 feet at Mana village, located near the Indo-China border in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

Key Points

• The research wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department has developed the park on more than three acres of land given by Mana Van Panchayat. About 40 species of medicinal value of the high altitude alpine region of Himalayas have been preserved in this medicinal garden.
• According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), many of these species are endangered. Some are also included in the list of endangered species of the State Biodiversity Board.
• This park is divided into four sections. In this, the first category includes species associated with Badrinath (Lord Vishnu) - Badri Tulsi, Badri Ber, Badri Vriksha and the sacred tree Bhojpatra.
• The second class belongs to the Ashtavarga species, a group of eight herbs found in the Himalayan region. These include Riddhi, Vriddhi, Jivaka, Rishabhaka, Kakoli, Kshir Kakoli, Maida and Maha Maida, which are important ingredients of Chyawanprash. Four of these herbs belong to the lily family and four to the orchid family.
• In the third category are the species of snow lotus. These include the Brahma Kamal, which is the state flower of Uttarakhand. Other species of snow lotus in the park include the Fem Kamal, Neel Kamal and Koot.
• The fourth group consists of alpine species including Atisha, Meethavish, Vanakkadi and Choru, all of which are important medicinal herbs and are in high demand.
• It is worth mentioning that Mana is the last Indian village in Chamoli district bordering China and it is close to the famous temple 'Badrinath' situated in the Himalayas.