Orans' are centuries-old traditional grazing lands of Rajasthan, India, that are preserved and conserved because of spiritual beliefs and cultural values of the local communities. Due to religious sanctity, the villagers do not cut trees or poach animals in the Orans. However, they use them to graze their animals for which there are strict guidelines regarding the period of grazing and the type of animals that are allowed to graze. In the arid state of Rajasthan, Orans play a vital role in supporting the livelihoods of the local livestock-based communities. They provide not only grazing grounds but are also a source of water, fodder, firewood, wild fruits, medicinal herbs and other utilities. The management and conservation of Orans heavily depend on the active participation of local communities. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the local socio-cultural practices that these communities have been practising from generations to conserve Orans. While formal institutional mechanisms deployed by the government and forest departments are important, understanding the informal dynamics of local actors are equally vital. Hence, this paper finds that the effectiveness of institutions depends not only on their formal design but also on their alignment with existing local practices. This process is called Institutional Bricolage that involves creative recombination and adaption of institutional elements to fit local contexts. The paper analyses the concept of Institutional Bricolage in the context of Oran conservation and management practices that will seek to understand the interplay between informal and formal institutions in natural resource management, highlighting the need to blend formal institutional frameworks with informal local practices for effective conservation outcomes. This paper emphasizes the importance of recognizing local agency and indigenous knowledge systems in conservation practices of rangelands, advocating for context-sensitive approaches to conservation policy in India and beyond.
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