'Dashapushpam'- through the looking glasses of Science and Religion

The theme discussed in the work is an extended version of an undergraduate project which was supervised by the author 10 years back when she was associated with the Dept. of BotanyCarmel College Goa(India). Her childhood experiences as a member of an orthodox joint Brahmin family back in a remote village in Kerala (India) had great influences in writing this work. Author's paternal Grandmother unknowingly sow the seeds of 'Green interest' in her tender age of 2 or 3 and further on. Grandmother tended a garden of indigenous local flowering plants especially for religious purposes. While wandering with her in the compound the author learned her first lessons in Botany! As a family which observed all the traditional rituals and customs of the community the author had many rich experiences of being one with the diverse cultural scenario of those times. Later when the author opted for Botany as her specialisation Plant Taxonomy and Plant diversity combined with Biodiversity studies became her passion. Traditions of a land remains connected with indigenous biodiversity-she opines. So for a green future there is only one 'manthra' - 'Think Globally - Act Locally'