Himalaya's Magical Grove

Apart from being a religious place, Hariyali Devi’s forests harbour several herbs.

- Ishan Kukreti

As I climb Hari mountain in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, the Hariyali Devi temple atop the peak some 2,850 metres above the sea level comes into view. Those willing to pay obeisance to the goddess, Hariyali Devi can be reached via National Highway-58 from Rudraprayag. The view that greets me is breathtakingly beautiful. Lush forests cover the mountain in stark contrast to the other peaks devoid of vegetation. Though classified as a reserved forest, local people consider it a sacred grove, an enchanted place, ruled by divinity. In fact, stretching over 5.5 sq km, the green expanse is regarded as one of the largest sacred groves in India. A wide variety of forests, including oak mixed pine forests and broad-leaved forests of Lyonia and Rhododendron, are seen. The herbaceous layer underneath mainly comprises herbs like Thalictrum foliolosum (leafy meadow-rue), Hedychium spicatum (kapur kachri), Geranium walichianum (lal jari), Reinwardtia indica (pyoli) and Swertia chiraita (chiraita), says a study published in the book, Conserving the sacred: for biodiversity management.