Botany dept at BHU launches glasshouse, garden for learning; digitisation to aid global scholars
VARANASI: In alignment with a vision to promote sustainability, experiential learning, and community engagement, a newly developed Backyard Garden and Glass House Facility was inaugurated recently at the department of Botany by Prof.
S. K. Upadhyay, Dean of the Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University.
According to the
BHU
spokesperson, this dynamic space serves both as a research hub and a living classroom, enriching botanical education and conservation efforts.
A dedicated Cryptogamic Gallery is also being developed within the glasshouse to showcase and facilitate the study of non-flowering plant groups such as algae, fungi, bryophytes, and pteridophytes.
These initiatives underscore the department's ongoing commitment to advancing plant science, preserving botanical heritage, and fostering academic excellence for generations to come.
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Among the department's most valued assets is the Herbarium of National Importance (Index Herbariorum Code: BAN), which was recently renovated. It houses thousands of preserved plant specimens, including rare and historical collections accumulated over more than a century.
The herbarium is frequently visited and appreciated by school groups, researchers, and national and international scholars, serving as a vital resource for interdisciplinary research. Currently, it is undergoing digitisation to establish a globally accessible digital infrastructure—further enhancing India's role in international botanical research and conservation.
The department of Botany of BHU stands as a beacon of academic excellence and scientific innovation, with a legacy spanning over a century.
Postgraduate teaching in Botany began in 1919 under the visionary leadership of Prof. Birbal Sahni, FRS, laying the foundation for one of India's most distinguished centres of botanical education and research.
Over the decades, the department was led by eminent scholars such as Prof. Y. Bharadwaj, Prof. R. Misra, and Prof. R. N. Singh, who were instrumental in establishing internationally renowned schools of Algology and Ecology. A notable milestone in the department's early history was the conferral of a DSc degree in Botany to Dr. B. N. Singh in 1927—highlighting its longstanding commitment to research excellence.
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