Sacred groves of India
India has a long tradition of
prudent use and wise conservation of all resources that are useful to people. Forests have
been the lifelines for forest-dwelling communities since ancient times. One method for
conservation of this green resource was the creation of sacred groves, usually dedicated
to a local deity. A traditional means of biodiversity conservation, these groves can be
considered the ancient equivalent of natural sanctuaries where all forms of living
creatures are given protection by a deity. No one is permitted to cut any tree or plant,
kill animals and birds, or harm any form of life in this area. Ancient Indian texts have
many references to sacred groves, for example, Kalidaasas Vikramorvawsiyam.
Today, there are only about 1000 square
kilometres of undisturbed sacred groves, scattered in patches all over the country. Only
the groves in the remote and inaccessible areas remain untouched. While religious taboo
protected the groves near towns earlier, today they are protected with the means of barbed
wire fencing or hedges.
The decline of sacred groves can be
attributed to the change in social values and religious beliefs as a result of
modernization and urbanization. The expansion of the market economy, which places heavy
demand on resources such as timber, is another major cause. For most villagers, economics
is easier to understand than ecology.
Sacred groves vary in size from a few trees
to dense forests covering vast tracts of land. These groves are important today as they
are banks of genetic and plant diversity that have to be preserved and sustained. These
areas often contain species that have disappeared from the regions outside the grove. The
extant groves are proof that the forests exist not only because there are regulations but
also because there are traditions.
- Shipin, about 12 km from Shimla, is believed
to be the biggest deodar grove in this district and is home to trees that are hundreds of
years old. Villagers who pass through the grove dust their clothes to make sure they do
not carry anything belonging to the grove. Trees in the area cannot be cut or felled, and
all deadwood found in the forest is used in the temple located in the grove. There are
hundreds of such groves in Himachal Pradesh.
- Sacred groves in the hills of Garhwal and
Kumaon are mentioned in old Hindu scriptures like the Puranas. The largest known
sacred grove is in Hariyali, near Ganchar in Chamoli District. Others include Askot,
Binsar, and Gananath. In all these areas, fairs are held regularly and rituals performed.
But the trees seem to have lost their religious importance in the minds of the people.
- Some of the richest groves in the country
are found in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, where almost every village is said to have had
a grove, known locally as the law kyntangs. The largest of them are in
Mawphlang and Mausmai. These groves are a storehouse of a large number of rare plant
species. The local people believe that the forest spirit will kill anyone who damages the
plants and other life forms in the groves. This has contributed greatly to the
preservation of these forests.
- In Bihar sacred groves, known as sarnas,
are found mainly in the Chotanagpur region. These areas are not very large and consist of
2 to 20 trees. They are usually full of creepers, shrubs, and grasses.
- The sacred groves of Rajasthan are the oraans
of Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Bikaner, the kenkris of Ajmer, the vanis of
Mewar, and the shamlat dehs of Alwar. The oraans cover the largest
area, though their species diversity differs from area to area.
- Maharashtra has about 250 sacred groves,
known as deorais or devrais, in the districts of Pune, Ratnagiri, Raigad,
and Kolhapur. These areas are full of a large variety of rare species with great
- Kerala has about 240 sacred groves, known as
kavus, where more than 3000 rare species of plants are found. The largest grove,
spread over more than 20 hectares, is in Ernakulam District.
Sacred groves exist in other parts of the
world too. In The Golden Bough, author James F