Keonjhar: Chorus for revival of a medicinal plant garden on the premises of ancient religious shrine Siddhamatha in this town has gained momentum as several rare and precious medicinal plants are slowly becoming extinct due to lack of proper upkeep, said sources. The shrine on the foothills of Chulia hill is situated in natural surroundings with various medicinal plants and trees dotting the landscape.
However, due to lack of proper upkeep, the shrine and the adjoining medicinal plant garden are slowly on the wane. Legend has it that the place was once abound with dense forests as saints and monks used to meditate inside it. The shrine has several temples on its premises including that of Lord Jagannath, Siddha Kali, Siddha Hanuman, Siddha Shiva, Shani and of Sai Baba of Shirdi. The temples are managed by the Endowment department while the Forest department looks after the garden. However, due to lack of proper coordination between the two departments the shrine and the medicinal plant garden are on the verge of extinction.
Moreover, the walls and houses inside the shrine and garden have started crumbling. Sanjay Tripathy, a priest of Siddhamatha temple, said that the place was once full of precious medicinal plants but they are becoming extinct fast due to theft. The garden is spread over two acre of area and houses several precious medicinal plants like red sandalwood, white sandalwood, Indian rose chestnut (Nageshwar), Champak, Karnikar (muchukunda), Myrobalan (Haridra), Bastard Myrobalan (Bahada), Indian Gooseberry (Amla), Arjun, Neem, Pongame Oiltree (Karanja), Odasmari, Asana and Bhalia.
However, due to lack of proper upkeep and safeguard, many of plants and trees including many sandalwood trees are slowly getting extinct due to theft by timber mafia.
Residents alleged that the Forest department is spending crores of rupees in planting trees and medicinal plants for the protection of environment, but it has overlooked the protection of a large and ancient garden which is full of rare and precious medicinal plants. The garden has become a safe haven for criminals and timber smugglers. The plants and trees are slowly vanishing from the garden and the day is not far off when there will be no trace of the garden. The department instead of renovating this garden seems to be keen on constructing a new medicinal garden which is only wastage of public funds.
The tranquil beauty of the place makes it a much soughtafter retreat for nature lovers, physicians and botanists away from the din and bustle of urban life. When contacted, Keonjhar DFO Dhanraj HD said, “Steps will be taken soon for the revival of medicinal plant garden.” An Ayurvedic physician Kabiraj Harekrushna Mohanta said medicinal plants and herbs are getting extinct now due to loss of forest cover. It is high time that steps were taken for revival of the garden which would go a long way in conservation of the precious herbs and plants. This will also help in protecting the environment, he added.