Abstract:

The research work is an effort to document and explore the indigenous knowledge of Himachali rural women used to cure various pregnancy discomforts. Although great strides have been made in bringing modern medicines to clinics in rural areas, indigenous /traditional medication continues to flourish in this region. It is, therefore, necessary for the scientific community to adequately document and validate this knowledge, so that it merges with the scientific stream of knowledge. The paper attempts to document and scientifically validate the indigenous practices followed by rural women to cure various pregnancy discomforts. The information regarding type of food preparation, method of preparation and consumption, etc. was gathered using questionnaire based survey along with informal discussions. It was observed that for curing different pregnancy discomforts, various locally available plant parts are utilized. These plants possess certain medicinal properties, which provide the basis for further use. The data accrued is expected to serve as a tool for the development of herbal drug industries.