Quest-The Journal of UGC-HRDC Nainital

The present paper emphasizes the role of important plant ingredients applied in sacred thread ceremony. Information related to important ingredients used in sacred thread ceremony was gathered during Navratra season in the year 2013 and 2014 from different places of Kumaun. A list of 36 important ingredients was prepared describing about their method of worship. These ingredients are used to perform this ceremony in the Kumaun region. Out of these maximum 15 were plant ingredients followed by 14 plant products and only seven were other ingredients namely, red soil, cow urine, cow dung, holy water, clay lamp, Panchmethai and cooked food. Some famous sacred places related to this ceremony are also described here. The historical information regarding socio-cultural, environmental and economic significance of listed plants and their ingredients was also gathered from sacred literature.