• Dr.D.A.Patil

Every religion, caste and nation has their own set of sacred plants depending upon their faith, beliefs, expectations and wisdom. These vary regionally and religion-wise. Since the times of Harappan and Vedic period, worshipping deities have been reported. Traditionally, Hindus use several plant species in worships of their deities. Durga is one their popular goddess in whose a ten-day celebration in the month of Ashwin is observed in India, particularly in Bengal and its vicinity. The present author examined the earlier studies on worship of goddess Durga in the perspective of appropriations of plants, economy, ecology and bioinvasion hitherto unstudied. A total of 51 alien plants species pertaining to 48 genera and 33 families of angiosperms appeared hailed from continents, countries, islands and specific geographical regions of both Old and New worlds. Their role in native ecology, bioinvasion and economy is discussed in the present state of knowledge. The traditional worships are thus sources of scientific information and hence desired for studies for the welfare of humankind.

Goddess Durga, Worship, alien Plants, Bioinvasion, Economy, Ecology

"Alien Floral Elements Integral To Worship of Goddess Durga: Appropriations, Economy And Bioinvasion", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 5, page no.c714-c726, May-2024, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2405290.pdf

"Alien Floral Elements Integral To Worship of Goddess Durga: Appropriations, Economy And Bioinvasion", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 5, page no. ppc714-c726, May-2024, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2405290.pdf