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VOL. 10, ISSUE 4 (2025)
Plants used in ganesh festival in Nashik District (M.S.): An ethnobotanical perspective
Authors
PS Patil
Abstract
Ganesh Chaturthi is
among Maharashtra’s most vibrant community festivals, and Nashik district hosts
thousands of household and public installations (sarvajanik mandals) each year.
Plant parts—leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, stems, roots, grasses—are
indispensable to ritual observances and festive aesthetics, yet their cultural
logic and conservation implications remain under‑documented for Nashik. This
study synthesizes ethnobotanical literature, market observations, and
practitioner narratives to document plants associated with Ganesh worship in
Nashik district, map their cultural functions, and discuss sustainability concerns.
We catalogue 30 plant taxa (27 genera, 20 families) used as patrī (ritual
leaves), pushpa (flowers), naivedya (edible offerings), décor, and ancillary
materials. We highlight culturally salient species (e.g., Cynodon dactylon,
Hibiscus rosa‑sinensis, Calotropis gigantea, Prosopis
cineraria, Aegle marmelos, Ficus spp.), outline emic
categories and symbolic rationales, and propose an eco‑cultural protocol for
ethical sourcing. The paper argues that safeguarding ritual plant diversity via
community nurseries, seasonal harvest guidelines, and local supply chains can
reinforce both cultural continuity and urban biodiversity in Nashik.
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Pages:70-72
How to cite this article:
PS Patil "Plants used in ganesh festival in Nashik District (M.S.): An ethnobotanical perspective". International Journal of Academic Research and Development, Vol 10, Issue 4, 2025, Pages 70-72
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