1 Eco News, Vol. 16, No. 3 October - December 2010cpreec.org/eco_news_oct_dec10.pdfEco News, Vol. 16, No. 3 October - December 2010 6 the villagers to stop animals from entering the

1Eco News, Vol. 16, No. 3 October - December 2010

Eco News, Vol. 16, No. 3 October - December 20102

Nanditha KrishnaEditor

Contents

Restoration of Sacred Groves by C.P.R. Environmental Education centre...............................................3

Changing Attitude towards Sacred Groves of Tamilnadu ......................................................................8

Conservation of Animal Diversity in the Sacred Groves.......................................................................12

Delineating Sacred Groves of India - Need for Nationwide Resurvey and Digital Documentation.......16

Threatened Medicinal plants from Sacred Groves and their Conservation.............................................19

Hero Stone in Sacred Groves of the Nilgiris........................................................................................21

Sacred Groves: Value based education for effective conservation .......................................................24

Major threats to the Sacred Groves of India ..............................................................................................27

Often people ask the staff of C. P. R.Environmental Education Centre (CPREEC)

why we take up field activities such as restoringsacred groves, conserving water tanks,installing smokeless chulhas, etc. etc., whenwe are an institution committed to educationand awareness-raising.

Many years ago, at one of our periodicalconclaves, we all felt that it was not enough totalk about the environment, to train teachersto teach children, to teach eco-friendly activitiesand so on without showing that low-costreplicable and micro level environmentalimprovements were possible. We also searchedfor micro level examples of a perfect environmentwhich reflected the heritage and ethos of India.The obvious choice was the sacred grove, amini biosphere reserve attached to a smallvillage which local people preserve, a perfectexample of biodiversity with endemic plantsand animals that are protected by locallydesigned taboos.

So, we decided to restore sacred groves, startingat about 10 groves a year. Till now, we haverestored 44 sacred groves; we are currentlyrestoring another 8; seeing our efforts, another25 villages have come forward to get ourideas and technical help to restore theirsacred groves. This is a drop in the ocean, butgoes a long way towards the greening ofIndia.

Simultaneously, we have documented 702sacred groves in Tamilnadu alone and 13700 inIndia, apart from other ecological traditionswhich have protected the natural environment.Dr. M. S. Swaminathan once threw us thechallenge of “creating” a sacred grove as ourcontribution to future generations, apart fromour restoration work. It was then that we took upNenmeli village, a barren wasteland adjoiningthe temple which, today, is a miniature Edenwith happy plants, birds, insects and smallmammals who have occupied the grove.

The following articles talk of the importance ofsacred groves and the problems that they arefacing. Over the years, they have been treatedas useless jungles and cleared for roads,constructions and all kinds of developmentalactivities, which do not help the environment orpreserve biodiversity. We, at CPREEC, can restwith the satisfaction that, apart from talkingabout the need to protect the environment, wehave actually done something practical andcreative.

This issue is dedicated to the sacred groves ofIndia that have protected our environmentover several millennia. We hope that thegovernment will come forward and prevent theconversion of these forests in the name ofdevelopment, which will merely destroy thesemini biosphere reserves.


Restoration of Sacred Groves byC.P.R. Environmental Education centreP. Sudhakar & R. Selvapandian

Introduction

Sacred groves represent an ancientIndian conservation tradition, protectedby local people out of reverence andrespect, fear and sentiment. They arethe home of the local flora and fauna, averitable gene pool and a mini-biospherereserve. Within these groves are lockedancient secrets of herbs and traditionalmedicine, primitive practices of sorceryand magic.

Rules and Taboos

The sacred groves are revered,protected and zealously guarded dueto the presence of the guardian deityresiding within. It is noteworthy that insome groves, even dry twigs and branchesare not to be collected for fuel wood andare left to decay naturally. These driedtwigs and broken branches are used onlyfor temple rituals and during festivals.

People consider the groves as sacred.Some rules and taboos are still followedby the villagers in many villagers. Treefelling and poaching of animals isstrictly prohibited Leaves, fruits orroots may be removed only in thecases of sickness and ill-health(Medicinal purposes). People mustremove their footwear before enteringthe groves. Transgression of any taboo is

believed to cause crop failure, sicknessin the family or diseases to the livestock..

Methodology

In order to restore and conserve thesacred groves in Tamilnadu, whichare endangered or on the verge ofextinction, CPREEC commencedits conservation and restorationprogramme in 1993-1994. CPREEC hasachieved remarkable progress byadopting the given methodology forrestoration programme.

The restoration programme beganwith a survey and identification ofdifferent degraded groves inTamilnadu. Name of the village, name ofthe deity, conditions of the grove(intact/ endangered/ extinct),management authority, area, speciesof flora and fauna, history of the place,information on sacrifice of animals/votive offerings, taboos and rulesfollowed by the local villagers,medicinal plants and practices,existing protection measures, watersource and villagers’ perspectives arecollected by the staff of CPREEC eitherdirectly or through a questionnaire.

Soon after the village meeting,members of the Trust, the staff ofthe Hindu Religious & Charitable


Endowments (H.R. & C.E) Department,Government of Tamilnadu, andvillagers are invited to discuss waterfacilities, fencing, manure, soil andwater conservation measures, paymentfor watch and ward, participatoryactivity for planting work andbio-fence, formatting agreement formutual understanding and plan ofaction for the programme. The site isselected only after ensuring the people’scontribution and participation duringthe restoration.

Under the restoration, two types ofactivities such as in-situ and ex-situactivities are implemented.

❖ In-situ activities include formationof bio-fence over contour bunds,arrangement of water facilities,soil and water conservationmeasures such as formation ofontour trenches, contour bunds,gully plugging, vegetative bunds,percolation ponds etc., selectionof plant species based on flower,leaf, fruit and medicinalvalue, excavation of pits, basalapplication of manure, planting,watering, formation of basins-round shaped if plains andcrescent shaped if sloppy land,mulching, erection of perchingstands for birds, broadcastingof leguminous seeds, casualtyreplacement of saplings,measurement of height andgirth of trees, survival of naturalregeneration and othermaintenance works.

❖ Ex-situ activities includegeneration of resource materials

for awareness such as pamphlets,posters, stickers, slides, booksand audio and video CD’s,awareness programmes such asseminars, workshops, field visits,slide shows, film shows andrallies, folk programme such asvillupaattu, kattaikoothu, andbommalattam and saplingsdistribution to school studentsand villagers. Target groupsinclude school students, schoolteachers, non-governmentalorganizations, women groups,farmers, villagers, Joint / Deputy/ Assistant Commissioners,Executive Officers of HinduReligious and CharitableEndowments, Government ofTamilnadu and temple priests.

CPREEC has successfully restored 52Sacred groves in the States of Tamil Nadu,AndhraPradesh and Karnataka.

After successfully carrying out therestoration programme through aparticipatory approach, the handingover ceremony is conducted at the site.The participants and villagers areinvited for a village meeting beforerestoration by the staff of CPREEC.After restoration, the participants andthe staff of CPREEC are invited by thevillagers to celebrate the success andhanding over ceremony of the restoredsacred grove. For the follow-up, thevillagers and trustees of the templeannounce the caretaker of the site(watch man/women- self help groups/volunteers, etc.) during the handingover ceremony.

It is interesting to observe that thisrestoration activity has encouraged


Sl.N0. State & District Place Name of the deity

TAMILNADU

1. Thiruvallur Velliyur Vinayagar

2. Veeranathur Veeranatheswarar

3. Iyaneri Ponniyamman

4. Kanchipuram Damal Draupadhiamman

5. Nenmeli Rathina Muthumariamman

6. Thaiyur Parasathamman

7. Kunnam Poovathamman

8. Tiruvannamalai Pavithram Ayyanar

9. Pavupattu Kannamadai Ayyanar

10. Hasanamapettai Ponniamman

11. Maynallur Ellaiamman

12. Pudukkottai Perambur Kottaimettan

13. Sithannavasal Vettikarrupar

14. Annavasal Ooralikaruppar

15. Vadavalam Punugukaruppar

Porpanaimuneeswarar

16. Ilayavayal Ayyanar

17. Karambakkudi Muthukarupaiya

18. Madurai Pappapatti Ochandamman

19. Thimmanatham Karuppasamy

20. Koodal Senkulam Meenakshi Sundareswarar

21. Sivagangai Kollangudi Vettudaya kalliamman

22. Thirunelveli Perunkottur Thirukotti Ayyanar

23. Vellore Sirunamalli Alavattamman

24. Pudheri Perumal

25. Nambirajapuram Subramanyar

26. Arunkundram Singaravelar

27. Trichy Poigaipatti Nayanmar and Kannimar

28. Kannudayanpatti Nallandavar

29. Nagapattinam Thiruppugalur Agneeswarar

30. Thanjavur Punnainallur Mariamman

31. Vennantrangarai Thanjaipureeswar

32. Papanasam Srinivasa Perumal

33. Thiruvarur Mannargudi Meenakshi Chokkanathar

34. Erode Bannari Mariamman

35. The Nilgiris Masinagudi Masiniamman

36. Villupuram Thiruvamathur Abhirameswarar


the villagers to stop animals fromentering the groves and they have alsovolunteered to penalize those whoviolate the norms. It also invitespunishment by the local Panchayat,with fines ranging from money forthe village to feasts for the villagers.The importance given to sacred grovescan be well understood from suchpractices. The important aspect ofthis programme is its ripple effect.As the local people realize the impact ofsuch a conservation effort, othervillages have come forward, requestingthe Centre to restore the sacred grovesadjacent to or near their village. After

seeing this site, many non-governmentalorganizations from Tamilnadu, AndhraPradesh and Karnataka havesubsequently approached the Centre toguide them in the restoration of groves on common land. This project has thuscreated tremendous awareness of therestoration of sacred groves as a minibiosphere reserve in rural areas.

CPREEC organized several trainingprogrammes for teachers and studentson Conservation and Restoration ofSacred Groves. Cultural programmes!s reduced to a great extent by adoptingsuitable soil and water conservation

Sl.No. State & District Place Name of the deity

37. Virudhunagar Inam Meenakshipuram Sri Valinji Ayyanar

38. Villuppuram Siruvangur Karia Varadaraja Perumal

39. Thiruvallur Poondi Sri Oondreeswarar

40. Vellore Nelvai Sri Draupathi Amman

ANDHRA PRADESH

41. Nellore Prabugiripattinam Anjaneyar

42. Mallam Subramanyeswarar

43. Chittoor Yerpedu Uthalakeswarar

44. Ramagiri Valeeswarar

45. Gurramkonda Sidheswarar

46. Eguapalyam Amirthakandeswarar

47. Cuddappah Odhiveedu Sri Anjaneyar

KARNATAKA

48. Mandya Chikkada Deveeramma

49. Haravu Sri Rama

50. Mysore Doddahejjur Hanumantharayar

51. Tumkur Karahalli Sri Ranganathaswamy

52. Kallukote Guddada Lakshmi

Ranganatha Swamy


measures and tree planting activities.Soil erosion is prevented because ofwater retention capacity and the soilbinding nature of trees. Indigenousflora and fauna are conserved. Sacredgroves function as a windbreak andshelterbelt. Aquifers are recharged,thereby increasing ground water table.Trees also control air pollution byabsorbing dust particles.

The flora and fauna found in the sacredgroves is unique to the habitat andclimatic condition of the region, whereeach grove is located. Several rare herbsof medicinal value are found in thesacred groves. The groves serve as bothfeeding and nesting grounds forinnumerable bird species, which inturn help in dispersion of seeds andfertilization of soil through theirdroppings. The natural compost formedby the rotting of the dried leaves, thewater retention by the soil and rootsystems of the trees, the cool breezeand silence make the sacred grovesideal breeding areas for birds andanimals whose pleasant soundstransform the groves into idyllicsurroundings.

Conclusion

Our ancient temples and their age-oldtraditions have won internationalpraise and acclaim. Conserving andrestoring sacred groves and ourtraditions would not only preserve ourculture and heritage, but would also leadto creating a sylvan environment as leftby our ancestors.

References

1. Amirthalingam, M. 1998. SacredGroves of Tamilnadu - A Survey.C.P.R. Environmental EducationCentre, Chennai. pp.5-10.

2. Amirthalingam, M. 1998. SacredTrees of Tamilnadu. C.P.R.Environmental Education Centre,Chennai. pp.55.

3. Arulananthan, B. 2003. Plant,Constellations, Zodiac and thePlanets. Eco News 9 (1). C.P.R.Environmental Education Centre,Chennai. pp.27-28.

4. Krishna, N. and Javanthi, P. (eds.).1997. The Ecological Traditionsof Tamilnadu. C.P.R. EnvironmentalEducation Centre, Chennai. pp.65-69.

Nenmeli – Before restoration Nenmeli – Present situation


Changing Attitude towards Sacred Groves ofTamilnaduM. Amirthalingam

Natural sacred sites, groves and trees,cliffs and caves, rivers and waterfallsand different animal species were verymuch at the centre of traditional folkworship in the Indian sub-continent. Thegreat Indian tradition based on Vedictexts and other scriptures refinednature worship to elemental levelsand strengthened the cosmocentricworldview of the general populaceof the sub-continent through philosophyand practice. In Tamil Nadu, during theearly Sangam Period, there wastremendous diversity in forms of natureworship by numerous endogamouscultures, basically subsistence societies,whose code of living was harmonisedwith the natural settings by the prevalentreligious practices. This paper examinesthe changing attitude towards sacredgroves of Tamil Nadu.

These groves are storehouses ofremarkable biodiversity and home tomyriad birds, reptiles and other animalspecies and it represents the single mostimportant ecological tradition of ancientTamil culture (Amirthalingam, 2005).Originally, the conservation practice ofsacred groves goes back to Sangamperiod (300 BC – 300 AD) and the practicestill exists in Tamil Nadu. Almost all thevillages used to have at least one grove,which was dedicated to the local deitiesand spirits (vanadevathai), with folklore

associated with either the deity or thegrove. In Tamil Nadu, these grovesare called Kovil Kaadugal and SwamiSolaigal. The taboos and belief systemsprevailing in the local area havecontributed a lot to the preservation ofsacred groves, which must be integratedwith modern conservation practices.

Increasing prosperity achieved throughspread of agriculture, irrigation technologyand strengthening of trans-oceanictrade ties from the early Christian period,saw the rise of powerful kingdoms onthe Tamil Nadu plains. As elsewhere inancient cultures, expansion of kingdomswas correlated to the rise of man-madestructures as centres of worship. Nature-centered worship was more ritualised,with temples gaining greater popularityamong the masses. Nevertheless, relicgroves persisted and sthalavrikshas -sacred trees in temple premises - oftencompensated for the loss of groves. Thesituation was much different in themountainous terrain of the Western andEastern Ghats, where, by and large, sacredgroves still formed the cynosure ofreligious life.

This situation prevailed until theBritish domination of the State and thelaunch of timber-centered commercialforestry. It was a cultural watershed


as well. The British supersededtraditional rights and privileges ofthe rural populace associated withforests and groves, and set in tone anew mode of development based onthe growth of cities, transport andcommunications and the large-scalemanufacture of trade goods. Plantationsof tea and coffee, rubber and cinchonaprovided employment opportunities in a bigway, changing lifestyles and causingerosion of the large sacred groves even inthe Tamil Nadu highlands. No provisionwhatsoever was made in the Britishforest working plans for the recognitionor conservation of natural sacred sites,including the groves.

A parallel growth was taking placeside by side through the century’s culturalchanges, leading to the construction oftemples and providing new identities forthe deities of the groves, thus linkingthem with the deities of the Hindu textualtradition.

The post-independence period witnessedan intensification of these trends,causing a rapid decline of the sacredgroves. The demands of a largereconomy depending on trade beyondlocal ecosystems have been deleteriousto the preservation of the groves.Appropriation of all possible resourcesby the colonial exploiters, and by theproponents of economic growth sinceindependence, has damaged or destroyedmany of the groves in India, and TamilNadu is not an exception. Businessmenand bureaucracy have usually viewedthe groves not as sacred reserves but assources of materials such as timber,fuel, leaf manure, bamboo, etc. When

India achieved independence in 1947,the Forest Department continued themethod of professional forestry that ithad inherited, with centrally directedstate management. It was a disastrousmodel. The government launched amajor drive for industrialisation thatincluded leasing reserve forests forextraction of timber to companiesproducing plywood, matches andpacking cases. Other forests weresubmerged in hydro-electric reservoirs(Gadgil and Chandran, 1988; Chandranand Hughes, 1997). Yet there arenumerous relics of ancient forestspreserved as groves, waiting for a newawakening among the masses on theirbiodiversity and watershed values.They form a live museum of Indiancultural and biological heritage.

The sacred groves of the Tamil Naduplains today vary in size from merefractions of a hectare to not exceeding20 hectares. In the Western Ghats chain,however, there are groves still spreadover hundreds of hectares. Particularlynotable for their large size are thegroves in the districts of Dharmapuri,Dindigul, Erode, Nilgiri, Teni, Tirunelveli,Vellore and Virudhunagar. Thesedistricts form an anthropological museumof indigenous small-sized societies,including forest dwelling tribes such asTodas, Kotas, Paniyas, Sholagas, MulluKurumbas, Muduvas, Kattunaickas,Irulas, Kanis, Malayalis, etc. Through thecenturies, history has remained dormantin the sacred groves, more so in themountain groves, where the deities ofworship are still of the folk tradition(Ayyanar, Kali, Pidari, Kanniyamman, etc)and the practices of offering terra cotta


figures, fire walking, enactment offolk tales and epics, etc. continue. Thesacred groves of plains (including theeast coast) are much smaller.

In the post-independence period,the ever-increasing transportationand communication networks andintensification of forestry operations,which even covered large sacredgroves of highlands, posed majorthreats to their very existence. Thevotaries of the groves themselves weregetting educated and economicallyprogressed and were trying to keeppace culturally with the upper castes,oblivious of the virtues of theirpriceless groves. The major culturalchanges sweeping through thecountryside of Tamil Nadu withimplications for the future of thegroves are the identification of thelocal deities with the great gods of theHindu pantheon, due to the influence ofa literary tradition dominated by greatepics, priestly rituals, and the desire ofthe local community to assert itsimportance by impressive construction(Manjaneeswarar temple forest atPuthupet village in Thindivnam taluk ofVillupuram district). The deities of thegroves have become associated withelements of modern Hinduism. Suchtrends have been sweeping throughTamil Nadu more so in the post-independence period in general, andafter the year 2000 in particular.

Many groves are eroded because ofhuman stupidity. The Sadakatti grovesituated on the road betweenTiruvannamalai and Tirukkovilur gotaffected during the widening of the

road (EA Report for Tamil Nadu, 2009).The presiding deity of Puthupet sacredgroves is Aiyanar in the centre, flankedby his consorts on a stone slab. Giganticterracotta images of horses and smallelephants are also seen, which aregenerally offered by the people whoconduct festivals annually. In thebeginning, the deity was housed on a stoneslab in an open air shrine. Later, the villagepeople built a big temple after clearing thevegetation, which is nowadays seeneverywhere. However, the grove lost itsthick vegetation, people collected fuel woodand many devotees started coming toworship the deity. They polluted thegrove by littering degradable and non-degradable wastes inside the grove. Anexample is the Kilbhuvanagiri sacredgrove situated on the Cuddalore -Chidambaram highway. The grovecovers an area of 1.1 hectares dedicatedto the deity Udaiyarappan. Due to sandquarrying and construction of temporaryhuts, the vegetation cover was reducedto 0.12 hectares. Another example is agrove dedicated to Ayyanar occupyingan area of 1.6 hectares situated in theTirumanikuzhi village of Cuddaloretaluk and district. The grove is surroundedby agricultural fields and roads. Thegrove edges are encroached byadvancing agricultural lands(Amirthalingam, 1998).

Yet another important threat isurbanization. An intact sacred grove isprotected in the Sethur village with anarea of 14.6 hectares in Natham talukof Dindigul district. The Government ofTamilnadu has taken over about 10hectares for the “Equality village”(Samathuvapuram) housing scheme. Also,


an exotic weed, Lantana camera (wildsage), Prosopis juliflora (Kabul acacia) hascovered these places (Arulananthan, 2008).

The Tiruvothamman sacred grove atAlaganandhal in Tiruvannamalai districtwas reduced in size because the TamilNadu Forest Department constructed acheck dam to control the soil erosion andto recharge the ground water, therebyshrinking the grove area.

Due to cultural diffusion by rapidurbanisation, sacred groves graduallyreduce, fade away and disappear.A number of groves existed in thefoothills of the Western and EasternGhats. These groves come under thecontrol of the Government, who exploitedthem for timber, construction ofwatershed, management, establishmentof roads, expansion of agriculture forcommercial agriculture. Some of thegrove become converted as communityhousing and thus the sanctity waslost. The causes of the various changesmay be due to the requirement oftimber and land. The socio-economicfactors have caused the gradualdisappearance of groves. In some placesthe people construct temples andestablish mantapas for the shrines of thegrove. There is an urgent need to revivethe time-honoured traditions to protectthe local ecology and environment. Theage-old traditional practices have to bestrengthened with appropriate scientificinputs for conservation.

There is also a rising awareness about theimportance of sacred groves, primarily theresult of several national and internationalconferences on them, the work of NGOs

and a flurry of literature in the field.C.P.R. Environmental Education Centrehas taken the message of protectionand conservation of biodiversity byemphasizing the conservation traditions ofIndia through folk media and moderncommunication methods, apart fromactual restoration endeavours. TheCentre’s restoration of forty sacredgroves in Tamil Nadu, seven in AndhraPradesh and five in Karnataka can beconsidered a milestone in the post-independent effort towards awarenesscreation towards restoration of sacredgroves. Whenever a grove has been takenup for restoration, the residents ofadjoining villages have come forwardwith requests to restore their villagegroves, often involving the plantingof saplings and technical advice.

References

1. Gadgil, M. and Chandran, M.D.S.1988. On the History of UttaraKannada Forests. pp. 47-58 In:Dargavel, J., Dixon, K. and Semple,N. (eds) Changing Tropical forests:Historical Perspectives in Today’sChallenges in Asia, Australasia, andOceania, Canberra: CRES,Australian National University,Canberra.

2. Chandran, M.D.S. and Hughes, J.D.1997, The Sacred Groves of SouthIndia: Ecology, TraditionalCommunities and ReligiousChange, Social Compass 44 (3),pp.413-427.

3. Thapar, R. 1979. Ancient IndianSocial History, Oriental Longman,New Delhi.


Conservation of Animal Diversity in theSacred GrovesDr. T. Sundaramoorthy

Conservation of a biodiversity is practicedby various methods all over the world bydifferent communities. In India, sacredgroves play an important role in theconservation of biodiversity. In WestAfrica, the sacred groves play a veryimportant role in the conservation ofsmall mammals (Jon Decher,1997).

Sacred groves are the remnants of forestpatches protected based on the religiousbeliefs. In India, so far about 13,720sacred groves are reported from variousstates. Sacred groves have existed inIndia from time immemorial as patchesof densely wooded areas and it preservemany rare and endemic wild plant andanimal species, many of which holdpotential benefit to man in medicine, foodand in agriculture. Reverence for allforms of life human, animal or plant,characterizes our ancient thoughtand continues to this day as a legacylaced with spirituality and humility.

Sacred groves have been preserved assustainable resources, ensuring thebasic capital of livelihood intact. Thesesacred groves are therefore valuablegene pools and must be conserved forposterity.

The animals found in the sacred grovesare of two types: those which inhabit thegroves like snakes, frogs, lizards andother lower group of organisms; ahigher group of fauna who nest and denthere; and those who visit the grovetemporarily for food, shelter, etc. Sacredgroves act as an abode for manyrare, endemic, endangered plant andanimal species. Apart from conservingbiological diversity, sacred groves thatare situated in the middle of thehuman habitations are responsible forconserving water and soil. This is evidentfrom the perennial nature of ponds,wells and tanks that are situated nearthe sacred groves.

4. Amirthalingam, M. 2005.Conservation Strategy for SacredGroves of Tamilnadu. pp.189 – 200.In: Kunhi Kannan C. and GurudevSingh B. (eds.). Strategy forConservation of Sacred Groves,Institute of Forests Genetics andTree Breeding, Coimbatore.

5. Re-Disclosure of EA Report forTamil Nadu Road Sector Project –Additional Finance, November 2009

6. Amirthalingam, M. 2008, Role ofSacred Natural Sites in theConservation of Tropical DryEvergreen Forests of the TamilNadu Coast, Indian Journal ofEnvironmental Education Vol.8,pp.22-25.

7. Arulananthan, B. 2008, SethurMuthukaruppaiah Swamy SacredGrove, Dindigul, Eco News 14(1), pp.10 -11.


In humid and hilly Uttara Kannada,most non-Brahmins depend on huntingand fishing for their food needs. From theaccounts of early European travellers,the Gazetteer of Kanara and folkhistory, one learns that Uttara Kannadawas a haven for wildlife, whichmainly consisted of spotted deer,barking deer, mouse deer, sambar, hog,gaur, blacknaped hare, porcupine, etc.,and a variety of birds like jungle fowl,peafowl, partridge, quail, plover, snipe,coot, rail and several water birds. Themaintenance of such animal diversitywas crucial for the survival of thepopulation. The lofty evergreen forestsnatural to the region alone would nothave supported most of these animals.Their population was promoted by amosaic landscape consisting ofelements like species-rich sacredgroves, ordinary supply forests,pastures, fields and fallows in differentstages of vegetational succession withseveral natural interlinking corridorslike rivers, gorges and ridges (SubashChandran and Gadgil, 1993).

Landscape ecology often highlightsthe positive correlation betweenlandscape heterogeneity andbiodiversity. Such a complex landscape,species-rich sacred groves of climaxforests, supply forests, pastures, fieldsand fallows in different stages ofsuccession, with corridors of rivers,streams, gorges and ridges, would havebeen responsible for the rich wildlife thatexisted in Uttara Kannada. Themaintenance of these landscapeelements was crucial for the population,which depended greatly on hunting andgathering (Subash Chandran andGadgil, 1993).

Taboos on hunting and consumptionof animals by Meeteis from North-eastIndia

The Northeastern region of India is hometo myriad tribal and other ethnic groups.Large sections of these communitiesare still said to attain their livelihood byexploiting their biomass resources as‘ecosystem people’ (Dasmann, 1988;Gadgil, 1995). Such communitiescharacteristically meet a substantialproportion of their resource requirementsfrom a relatively small catchment areain which they have been living for a longtime. Their cultures are still a perfectharmony with and spiritually tuned tonature. The Meeteis of Manipur State,have been living in the valley areassince long. Worship of nature and itsvarious components form an importantpart of the Meetei religious practices.However, the original animistic religion ofthe Meeteis was largely replacedby Hindu Vaishnavism in the 18th century.The Meetei culture, including its ethicalpositions vis-à-vis nature and biodiversity,was also greatly influenced by theintroduction of this religious doctrine.

Fish, waterfowl and other aquaticanimals like snails, insects andcrustaceans are very common items inthe diet of the Meetei. However, manyof these animals are not eaten duringcertain periods, perhaps with the pureanthropocentric motive of sustainableharvesting and conservation (Table).However, some of these are total taboofor certain clans, while certain othersare taboo for all clans during specificseasons or occasions or even throughoutthe year. The Meeteis also observeprudent harvesting practices for someaquatic animals. For instance, the snail,Brotia costula, is collected before thunderand lightning, and the collection alwaysproceeds from downstream towardsupstream, as such practices are believedto prevent collection of gravid females.


Table: Fish and other animals taboo during specific periods, occasions, or in differentMeetei clans.

(Source: Environmental Ethics in the Culture of Meeteis from North East India, Eubios Ethics Institute.)

Animal(s) Nature of taboo

Mystus cavasius (fish) Not consumed during April-MayClarias batrachus (fish) Not consumed during May-June andDecember-JanuaryOsteobrama cotio (fish) Not consumed during June-JulyBagarius yerrelli (fish) Not consumed during July-AugustBotia spp. (fish), crabs Not consumed during August-SeptemberMacronacthus aral (fish), ducks Not consumed during September-OctoberEsomus donricus (fish) Not consumed during January-FebruaryPuntius spp. (fish), turtles and tortoises Not consumed during February-MarchLepidocephalus berdmorei, Not consumed during March-AprilLabeo rohita (fish)Turtles and tortoises, Brotia costula (snail), Not consumed by the Ningthouja clanMacrognathus spp., Bagarius spp. (fish)Brotia costula (snail), Macrognathus spp., Not consumed by the Khuman clanBagarius spp., Channa morulius,Mastacembalus spp., (fish), egg and meat ofmany animalsField rats Not consumed by the Khabanganba clanPasser domesticus (Sparrow) Not consumed by the Moirang clanWallago attu (fish) Not consumed during October-NovemberMonoptera spp. (fish) Not consumed during November-DecemberFrogs Not consumed by Meeteis, as it prevents

entry to heavenAll animals Not consumed during their mating season(s)All animals Not consumed by pregnant womenAll animals including fish Not consumed for 12 days after the death of

a family memberAll animals including fish Not consumed on the day of the death every

month for one yearAll animals including fish Not consumed on the death anniversaryAll animals including fish Not consumed on the Meetei New Year Day

by some clans


In India, sacred groves are reported inall the states except Punjab and the UnionTerritories of Andaman & Nicobar Islandsand Lakshadweep. A lot of information isavailable on the area and plant diversityof the sacred groves. Unfortunately, theanimal diversity is not documentedconsiderably.

CPREEC has documented about 29bird species, butterflies, few speciesof snakes, jackals and porcupine inthe Nenmeli sacred grove site inTamilnadu. The congregation of Peafowlis reported from the Sithannavasalsacred grove site in Pudukkottai Districtand Koodal Chengulam site in Madurai,Tamilnadu. In Kerala, many sacred grovescalled sarpa kaavu are reported. It islikely that they were once the territoriesof snakes (apart from the snakestoneembedded there). However, only themedicinal value of plants is highlightedin these groves.

It is essential to take up a detailedstudy of the microbial and faunalbiodiversity of sacred groves andtheir inter-relation with the localcommunity. The Government shouldinitiate a study similar to All IndiaCoordinated Project on EconomicOrnithology and Insect Taxonomy insacred groves.

References

1. Jeetendro Singh, L., Singh N.B. andGupta, A. 1998. EnvironmentalEthics in the Culture of Meeteisfrom North East India. In: SongSang-yong et.al. (eds.). Bioethics in

Asia in the 21st Century, Ebios EthicsInstitute.

2. Malhotra, K.C. et.al. 2001. Culturaland Ecological Dimensions ofSacred Groves in India. IndiraGandhi Rashtriya ManavaSanghrahalaya, Bhopal andINTACH, New Delhi.

3. Swamy, P.S. et.al. Spirituality andEcology of Sacred Groves in TamilNadu, India.

4. Gadgil, M. and Vartak V.D. 1981.Sacred Groves in Maharashtra – AnInventory.pp. 279 – 294. In: Jain,S.K. (ed.). Glimpses of IndianEthnobotany . Oxford & IBHPublishers, New Delhi.

5. Ramakrishnan, P.S., Saxena, K.G.and Chandrashekara, U.M. (eds.).1998. Conserving the Sacred forBiodiversity Management. Oxfordand IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi.

6. Syngai, D. 1999. Sacred Groves inMeghalaya. pp. 70 – 76. In:Kharbuli, B. et.al. (eds.). Biodiversity– North East India Perspectives.North Eastern BiodiversityResearch Cell, North –Eastern Hill University, Meghalaya,India.

7. Subash Chandran, M.D. and Gadgil,M. 1998. Sacred Groves and SacredTrees of Uttara Kannada. pp.85-138. In: Saraswati, B. (ed.). Lifestyleand Ecology. Indira Gandhi NationalCentre for Arts.


Delineating Sacred Groves of India - Need forNationwide Resurvey and Digital DocumentationR. Sabesh

Introduction

In India, several communities practicedifferent forms of nature worship. Onesuch significant tradition is providingprotection to patches of forests andgreeneries of varying sizes dedicatedto deities. These patches of forestsare known as sacred groves. Sacredgroves are our rich heritage and play animportant role in the religious andsocio cultural life of the local people.Hunting and logging are usuallyprohibited with in these patches.Other forms of forest utilization likecollection of firewood and minorforest produce are sometimes allowedon a sustainable basis. Sacred groves areecosystems by themselves and performall basic ecological functions. Manyendangered and rare species of plantsand animals are protected in the sacredgroves and hence sacred groves serveas the repositories of the biologicalwealth of the nation. Indian sacredgroves are sometimes associated withtemples, shrines or with burial grounds.Typically such groves are associatedwith the concept of a presiding deity.While most of the sacred deities areassociated with local Hindu godsalso based on local religions and folkregions (like the folk deities ayyanarand amman), there are over 1000deities associated with sacred groves

in the states of Kerala and Karnatakaalone. Sacred groves are scattered allover the country and are referred to bydifferent names in different parts ofIndia. Historical references to sacredgroves can be obtained from ancientclassics as far back as Kalidasa’sVikramurvashiya.

Delineating Sacred Groves

Sacred groves are one of the mostimportant ecosystems, which play a vitalrole in the conservation and protection ofendangered flora and fauna of theregion. Today, sacred groves have becomebiodiversity hotspots as various speciesseek refuge only in groves due toprogressive habitat destruction andother developmental activities. Sacredgroves often contain plant and animalspecies that have become extinct inneighboring areas, and thereforeharbor great genetic diversity. Besidesthis, sacred groves in urban landscapesact as “lungs” for the city as well, providingmuch needed vegetation cover.

The major threats to the sacred grovesinclude urbanization and over-exploitationof resources due to activities such asovergrazing by livestock, excessivecollection of firewood, ecologicaldestruction due to religious practices


and so on. While many of the groves arelooked upon as the abode of Hindu gods,in the recent past a number of them havebeen partially cleared for construction ofshrines and temples. Other threats to thesacred groves include invasive alien plantspecies such as Parthenium, Lantana,Prosopis juliflora, etc.

This ancient and widespread institution,as revealed by several studies, showssigns of weakening in terms of bothcultural and biological integrity in manyparts of the country. The nature andmagnitude of these threats varies fromregion to region as well as from one typeof grove to another. Some of the sacredgroves that fell under government landswere destroyed when townships grew.Railroads and highways have alsotaken their toll of many sacred groves.Others were flooded by big damprojects. Many instances are reportedwhere the groves have been encroachedby local communities and by variousgovernment departments as well as bypeople migrating from outside. Themost recent threat to sacred grovescomes from the process of modernization.Local traditions are being challenged byWesternized urban cultures. The lure ofshort-term commercial gains hasprompted destruction of the traditionalresource base, including the sacredgroves. Many sacred grooves arefragmented and perforated by roadways,extension of power lines, or reclaimedland for agriculture. Such fragmentationleads to loss of species, and disruption ofecological functions.

Need for Nationwide Resurvey andDigital Documentation

In spite of various threats, sacredgroves are still alive in many parts ofthe country. At present about 13,720

sacred groves have been documentedin India, which is an indication of thepresence of several sacred groves. Butthe current status, extent and magnitudeof the sacred groves have not beencompletely studied. Sacred groves aredistributed in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,Orissa, Uttaranchal, Madhya Pradesh andWest Bengal, for which detailed andauthenticated inventories are notavailable. The number of sacred grovesin India is likely to be between 1,00,000and 150,000 (K.C. Malhotra, 2004). Thisfact indicates that there are wideopportunities for strengthening thisinstitution. During the recent past ina few states, especially in Manipur,sacred groves have been revived.Elsewhere, especially in Rajasthan,West Bengal, Chhattisgarh andJharkhand, new groves have beenestablished. In Kerala, new partnershipshave been developed among the grovetrustees, NGOs and local people toprotect the forest. An increasingnumber of scientists from differentdisciplines are studying various aspectsof the groves. A lot of opportunitiesmust be created to organize workshops,conferences, publications for exchangeof views among a wide range of peoplefor a better understanding of sacredgroves. Apart from biodiversityconservation, sacred groves play animportant role in maintaining themicroclimate, recharging of aquifersand enhancing nutrient cycles. Manysacred groves are the primary source ofperennial streams and are the last resortof many animals as a source of water inthe dry season.

A variety of information about theIndian sacred groves are available in


various forms and formats amongresearchers, academicians, templeauthorities, Forest Department, nature-lovers, gram panchyats, villagers andsettlers in the vicinity of these grovesand so on. However, the majority ofthis information is not available either inelectronic form or in the internet / publicdomain. On the contrary, most of theinformation is in folklore and passedfrom generation to generation, henceissue of its authentication and validityarises. This clearly indicates that data /information are not properly maintained.Hence it is the right time to call for anintegrated application of GIS-basedinformation technology to resurvey collect,analyze, model and disseminate theavailable data/ information on all scaredgroves of India. Further, not the sameamount and nature of data is available onall scared groves; some of them havebeen studied in great detail; many ofthem are not even surveyed yet; and afew were surveyed some decades ago.There is a great heterogeneity in thenature and quantum of informationavailable on various sacred groves. Hence,the scientific community - mainlysubject specialists as well as Informationtechnology professionals, academicians,Government Department officials,villagers and all other stake holders -should join together and resurvey thegroves in an uniform format and convertit to web-based information system whichallows easy retrieval of data anddissemination of knowledge aboutsacred groves.

Conclusion

Sacred groves are present in manystates of India, with the highestnumber in Himachal Pradesh withmore than 5000 sacred groves. However,

we do not have well-documented detailsregarding the number of sacred grovesand their current status, area, biodiversitywealth and other relevant details. Asper the available data, the number ofsacred groves in India is 13,720 which isonly an indication of the mere number.However, experts believe that the totalnumber of sacred groves could be between1,00,000 and 1,50,000 (K.C. Malhotra etal, 2004). It is the need of the hour to doan extensive survey and document thestatus of the sacred groves all overIndia and made the information availablein the public domain. Hence, for theupdated information of sacred groves,we need to resurvey all the sacred grovesacross India which will pave the way toevolving better strategies for conservationand restoration of the sacred groveswith community participation.

References

1. Amrithalingam, M. 1998. SthalaVrikshas of Tamil Nadu. In: Krishna,N. and Prabhakaran, J. (eds.). TheEcological Traditions of Tamil Nadu.C.P.R. Environment EducationCentre, Chennai.

2. Brandis, D. 1897. Indigenous IndianForestry: Sacred Groves. IndianF o r e s t r y - W o r k i n g . O r i e n t a lUniversity Institute.

3. Ramakrishna, P.S., Saxena, K.G.and Chandrashekara U.M. (eds.)1998. Conserving the Sacred forBiodiversity Management. Oxfordand IBH. Publishing Co., New Delhi.

4. Chandran, M.D.S. and Gadgil, M.1993. Sacred Groves and SacredTrees of Uttara Kannada - A Pilot


Study. Centre for EcologicalSciences, Indian Institute ofScience, Bangalore.

5. Gadgil, M. and Vartak V.D. 1976.Sacred Groves in Western Ghats inIndia, Economic Botany.

6. Malhotra, K.C. 1998. AnthropologicalDimensions of Sacred Groves inIndia: An Overview.

7. Malhotra, K.C. and Das, K. 1997.Interface between Faunal Biodiversityand Cultural Heritage in South-westBengal.

8. Pushpangadan, P., Rajendraprasad,M. and Krishnan, R.N. 1998. SacredGroves of Kerala: A Synthesis onthe State of Art of Knowledge. pp.193-209. In: Ramakrishnan, P.S., et.al.

(eds.). Conserving the Sacred forBio-diversity Management. Oxfordand IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi.

9. Ramakrishnan, P.S., Saxena, K.G.and Chandrashekara, U.M. (eds.).1998. Conserving the Sacred forBiodiversity Management. Oxfordand IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi.

10. Ramakrishnan, P.S. 1998. Conservingthe Sacred for Biodiversity: TheConceptual Framework. pp.3-15 In:Ramakrishnan, P.S., et.al. (eds.)Conserving the Sacred for Bio-diversity Management. Oxford andIBH Publishing Co., New Delhi.

11. Sinha, A.P. 1989. Religious Life ofTribal India. Classical Publishers,New Delhi.

Threatened Medicinal plants from SacredGroves and their conservationR. Sridevi

Sacred groves are important reservoirsof biodiversity, preserving the uniquespecies of plants, insects and animalsgenerally conserved by rural folkwhich is associated with some localdeity. They act as a natural sanctuaryfor the local flora of a particular area,conserving many plant species,including endemic and threatenedspecies that treasures medicinal andaromatic plants. Trees in groves providehabitat and food for many faunal

species. They play a dynamic role inbalancing the agro ecosystemof the region. Joshi and Gadgil (1991)reported that sacred groves mightserve as an important refuge for threatenedand rare species.

Several plants in the sacred grovesare utilized by local communities formedicinal purposes which have beenthreatened due to over exploitation fortheir ethno-medicinal value. Some ofthem are listed below:


Botanical Name English Name Parts Used Medicinal uses IUCNcategory

Embelia ribes Embelia Roots,leaves,fruits Used to treat Datanervous debility, Deficientringworminfestation.

Gloriosa superba Malabar Rhizomes Cures ulcers VulnerableGlory lily and inflammations.

Helps to promotelabour pain.

Gymnema Periploca of the Whole plant It serves as a good Nearsylvestris woods liver tonic. Cures Threatened

Jaundice

Rubia cordifolia Indian madder Roots Used to treat Vulnerablediscolourationof skin. A goodgalacto-purifier.

Tinospora Tinospora Stems Good cardiotonic, Nearlycordifolia treats skin diseases threatened

and asthma.

Threats to Sacred Groves

The sacred groves which act as a treasure

house of medicinal plants face a great

threat which includes:

• Loss of habitat

• Over-exploitation

• Illicit harvesting

• Lack of cultivation practices

Conservation Measures

Conservation of sacred groves is an

important necessity in the era of

dwindling forest cover. The following

are some of the conservative measures

that could help the elite genetic

resources to sustain in its habitat.

• Proper documentation is requiredto preserve the medicinal plants

• Proper study of lifecycle studyand habitat management isrequired at the scientific level

• Awareness must be created amongthe public on the significance ofsacred grove

• Rare species of the sacredgroves must be preserved in seedbanks or by developing tissueculture techniques

• The Government shouldencourage communities toconserve their sacred groves bygiving them incentives.


Conclusion

Sacred groves which are relics oforiginal natural vegetation are theabode of medicinal plants. Local healersuse them to treat many ailments. But,due to over exploitation, the elitevaluable medicinal resources arebecoming threatened. To avoid furtherdestruction, scientific documentationand conservation of sacred groves canbe done by in situ conservationmechanisms and by creating a sacredgrove at the family level.

References

1. Ghate, V. 2004. Focus on SacredGroves and Ethno Botany. PrismPublications. p.150.

2. Kunnikannan, C. and GurudevSingh, B. 2005. Strategy forConservation of Sacred Groves.IFGTB, Coimbatore. p.226.

3. Varier, P.S., Indian Medicinal Plants,Vol.2, p. 368: Vol.5. p.17, p.283.,Orient Longman.

Hero Stones in the Sacred Groves of the NilgirisM. Kumaravelu

In the Nilgiris, worshiping MotherNature in her several forms isprevalent among all the indigenouscommunities. - Among the Nilgiri tribes,the Todas worship the mountains,forests and many plants. The Mukkurthipeak (Mukkurthi National Park) isworshiped by the Todas as the dwellingplace of their ancestral spirits.

The Irulas and Kurumbas also havetemples inside forests in places likeBokkapuram, Anaikatti, Siriyur andChokkanalli. Among the Badagas, thelargest indigenous community of theNilgiris, one can witness the worshipof natural forms. For example, nearThambatty of Coonoor Block a placecalled ‘Banahada’ (meaning a lowerswamp area) provides water for domesticusage, which is considered to be sacred. Itis called ‘Hethai Keir’ after a woman who

sacrificed herself for the welfare ofvillage near Nunthala village close toThambatty. ‘Banagudi’ or the “ForestTemple” is found in many Badagahamlets.

Hero Stone Worship in the Nilgiris

The Hero Stones are found in severalplaces across the Nilgiris, amidstprotected and reserve forest zones.They are plenty along the Eastern andWestern slopes of the Nilgiris. A feware found on the Upper Plateau.Interestingly, some Hero Stones arestill worshipped as Kokallu (Cowstone), Panchpandavar Kallu andSilai Kallu (Sculptured Stone). A majorityof them are multi-tiered ‘bas reliefs’; afew are three-dimensional depictions.

In the Nilgiris, some sacred grovesare associated with Hero Stones that


were erected as early as the 13th and14th century. The Hero Stones arelocated within the Sholas and smallpatches of semi Evergreen forests andworshiped along with forest patches asSacred Groves. The Hero Stones in thewooded areas of Banagudi, Avoor,Betlada, Anaikatti, Vazathottam,Theppakadu and Melur are some of theimportant ones that are beingworshiped.

BANAGUDI: Banagudi shola islocated near the Banagudi village inKotagiri Taluk on the Eastern slopesof the Nilgiris. Banagudi shola is aunique shola forest and swamp. TheHero Stone is depicted on the orthostaticdolmen slabs. There are seven dolmensof which two dolmen stones slabswere utilized for erecting Hero Stones.The Kurumba tribals living at BanagudiShola worship these hero-stones asPandava Kudi (Pandavar temple) and Maalinga along with the surrounding grove.Besides, the Kurumba tribes believethat ‘Thoddadeva’ (Head deity) lives inthe Shola. The collection of firewoodand deadwood is banned from thisshola and women are not permitted toenter here. Every April, the indigenousBadaga community performs rituals inwhich the Kurumbas also join.

AVOOR / HAVOOR: Avoor villagelocated in Kotagiri Taluk of theEastern slopes is the location of nineHero Stones in the degraded forest.These Hero Stones and the nearbytrees are worshiped by the villagers.This particular site is located at thefringes of the forests. However, theforests which surround these Hero

Stones have been destroyed and veryfew trees are left.

BETLADA: Betlada is situated on theEastern slopes within Kotagiri taluk.The Hero Stone found in this area areworshiped by the villagers along withother deities (Amman and Muniswarar).This particular site is located inside thevillage; only a few trees are there, whichare worshiped by the villagers as sacredtrees.

ANAIKATTI: The Hero Stone atAnaikkatti village on the Westernslope of the Nilgiris is unique. Thereare seven tier depictions on eitherside of this Hero Stone. The villagersperform rituals to this Hero Stoneonly every January and February.This particular Hero Stone lieswithin the reserve forest of SigurRange and is protected by the forestdepartment.

VAZHATHOTTAM: The Hero Stone atVazhathottam lies on the WesternSlope of the Nilgiris. Two structureslike a table have been used forerecting the Hero Stone. This site islocated within the Reserve Forestand is protected by the ForestDepartment. The villagers worshipthese Hero Stones as ‘Magaalingaswami’ (Sivalingam). Villagers avoidcollecting firewood and do not fell thetrees surrounded by these stones.

THEPPAKAADU: Theppakaadu islocated within the tourism zone ofthe Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, wherea partially damaged Hero Stone canbe found near the elephant camp.


The Irula and Kattunaika tribe of

Theppakadu worship this Hero Stone

along with the surrounding forest as

‘Dodda devar’. (Big deity)

MELUR: The Hero Stones found at

Melur on the way to Manjur from

Ooty are mainly ‘Pulikuthi Kallu’

(depictions of a Hero who kills a tiger with

his spear). These Hero Stones

are worshiped along with ‘Hethai’, the

Goddess of the Badaga community.

Very few trees are left which the

people worship as sacred.

Apart from the groves associated

with Hero Stones, a few groves are

protected as sacred along with tribal

deities. The Kurumba tribes of eastern

slopes of the Nilgiris regard the

sholas at Kavalcombai, Baviur and

Kengarai as sacred to their deity

‘Kumbadeva’. A small patch of Shola

forest with no specific structure or

sculpture is their sacred grove.

Threats to the Sacred Groves

Sacred Groves associated with Hero

Stones on the eastern slopes are

mainly patches. These groves are

worshiped by the tribals and Badagas.

Except the Banagudi site, all the other

sites including the western slopes are

highly degraded. Firewood collection,

felling of trees and encroachments are

very common in all of them. With most of

the trees having disappeared, only a

few trees and scrub species are left.

Invasion of alien species and disappearing

of faith in the groves as a part of their

religious values tradition is making

the groves more vulnerable.

Conclusion

The sacred groves of the NIlgiris have

socio-cultural and religious value.

This helps in conserving the biodiversity

of the region. Sacred groves serve as a

gene-pool of medicinal herbs and water

tank for the nearby villagers. The

Nilgiri forests are a vital part of the

Western Ghats. Worshiping natural

forests as sacred is a remarkable

tradition of the indigenous communities

of the Nilgiris. Only such a in-situ

concept for protecting nature and

natural resources could lead to habitat

conservation.

References

1. Francis,W. 1908. Madras District

Gazatteers, The Nilgiris, Govern-

ment Press.

2. Breeks, J.W. 1873. An Account

of the Primitive Tribes and

Monuments of the Nilgiris. London.

3. Hockins, P. (ed.). 1989. Blue

Mountains, The Ethnography and

Biogeography of South Indian

Region. Oxford University Press.

4. Open Interview with Kurumba

Tribal youth Kitna and Murugan

of Vellericombai Village of

Kotagiri Taluk


Sacred Groves: Value based education foreffective conservationU. Thiurunavukkarasu

Sacred Groves: storehouse ofbiodiversity

Sacred groves are patches ofvegetation or a group of trees protectedout of religious sentiments or beliefs andfunction as a local repository ofbiodiversity. They are usually believedto imbue supernatural powers andcommonly associated with places ofworship, ritual and other ceremoniesof local communities.

Sacred groves comprise of patches offorests or natural vegetation – from a fewtrees to forests of several acres – that areusually dedicated to local folk deities ortree spirits. These spaces are protectedby local communities because of theirreligious beliefs and traditional ritualsthat run through several generations”.

Source: www.cpreecenvis.nic.in

Tradition and Belief system insacred groves

Available literature reveals that thephenomenon of sacred groves is veryold and global in occurrence. TheInfluence of alien cultures, scienceand technology is found to be the primereason for the erosion of valuesassociated with sacred groves. On anethical perspective, sacred grovesembody a range of value systems.

Rational thinking associated withscientific reasoning and the advent ofmodern life patterns imposed byinvaders and rulers alienated therich tradition of protecting biodiversity.This has spiraled into the degradation ofsacred groves in the later stages. India,with three millennia - old rich culturaltraditions had sacred groves spread allover the country, especially in the hilltracts and in the coastal regions.Sacred groves were known in India inmany names and with a variety ofbeliefs and taboos associated with them.

In South and North Eastern India, wearingfootwear inside a sacred grove andremoving twigs or dead wood are taboo.Sacred groves possess many varietiesplants and animals - especially the endemicones. They are a repository or ofbiodiversity of local flora and fauna overa period of time protected by localcommunities.

Sacred groves come handy in restoringlife support systems during adverseconditions to the ecosystem people. Theyhelp in tiding over calamities and climaticextremes. Sacred groves of India withstood the test of time, invasions, colonialrule and adverse societal movements inthe form of religion, alien culture, scienceand technology because of thier resilientcultural ethos and traditional beliefs.


Threat to ancient wisdom

This rich ecological tradition of Indiais facing severe threats and deteriorationdue to pressure from many dimensions,ranging from habitat destruction due todevelopmental activities to burgeoningpopulation. The number of sacred grovesin India is going down in an alarmingrate. The feeling of scientific superioritypurported by the colonial regime, andcontinued by the legal and socialframework of free India furtherdeteriorated the status of sacredgroves in India. The propaganda byscientific literature supported by themedia-especially by the electronicmedia are instrumental in attachinghigh priority to material affluence asultimate goal of individual life. Thevalue system has corroded to the hilt. Asa result the young learners of todayare deprived of the traditional wisdomaccumulated over several centuries inmany forms and shapes. Sacred grovesare one such wisdom which need revivalor re-education.

Erosion of values

In the spectrum of values fromanthropocentrism to eco-centrism, thecommunities and societies adoptedvarious ethical positions in cohabitingwith other organisms in the biosphere.In the context of global climatic crisisand environmental havocs, communitiesworld over will definitely understandthe anthropocentric interest in adoptinga bio-centric approach. Attributingintrinsic values to non-human organism/objects would also gain centre stageonce the value system is strengthened.

Environmental value education

Traditionally, value education in India isvery rich. The Vedic and Puranic literatureand folk tales passed on many values toyoung ones in the past. In the presenteducational setting, there are + strategiesby which the young learners can beoriented about values. The strategies likevalues clarification, action learning,confluent education and behaviormodification may be effectively used inenvironmental value education.

Action Learning

Among the strategies of environmentalvalue education, service learning or actionlearning is highly adoptable. Actionlearning strategy emphasizes socio-psychological theories of action overthinking and feeling in internalizing thevalue system.

The strategy promotes real life situations-mostly out-door education as a substratumto promote value formation. The learnerexperiences the value by interacting withthe community, visiting the location or bycross cultural exchanges.

Value Inculcation

The learners in a specific learningprogramme can be instilled withcertain desired values. Inculcation ofvalues may also direct the learnertowards the desired value. Valueinculcation is effectively used inreligious instruction. Value inculcationstrategies use methodologies likemodeling, positive/ negative reinforcementand role-playing. Moralizing the learnerneed to be clear in laying down the


behavior codes. Modeling needs arespected moral authority for thelearners to follow. In a heterogeneouslearner group moral modelingsupports the learner in understandingthe value system. The tradition ofsacred groves, indirectly use bothmodeling and moralizing.Revivingthe traditional conservation systemsalso restores the value educationstrategies.

Value analysis

Value analysis is more practical andappreciated in environmental valueeducation. Value analysis appliesdeductive reasoning and primarilyquestions the value at various stages.This method is more objective andscientific in logical appreciation ofvalues and integration in to the existingpersonal value system of individuals.The facilitator in this method maycreate a moral dilemma-evoking valuequestions or role-play for value analysis.It is more rational, objective with a widescope for cognitive grounding of values.

Value clarification

Value clarification is widely used andappreciated strategy. It emphasizeson the process of valuing more thevalues themselves. The process hasthree steps, viz choosing, prizingand acting. Further it has sevenconsequent subdivided steps.

Value clarification allows the learner toevaluate their own possessed valuesin the light of expected value behavior.The learner can also communicatetheir own value system and understandothers perspective on values. It is morerational in setting value behavior patternin an individual.

In the case of sacred groves, the learnerscan be taken to the intact sites or sitesof deterioration to understand thecomplexity of issues involved. Discussionon the concept of sacred groves in theclassrooms by the facilitator or fieldvisit to the sacred grove sites may useabove mentioned strategies incombination for effective value education.

The C.P.R.Environmental EducationCentre, Chennai, in addition to restoringsacred groves in South India, also valueeducates the students and communitymembers of surrounding areas near therestored sites. The students and membersof the teaching fraternity are taken tothe nearby sacred grove and orientedabout the values associated with it.The belief system, traditions andtaboos are discussed by them andthrough community interactions.These initiatives are supported byfolk art programmes in the villages aboutthe importance of sacred grooves. In somevillages, the student community has comeforward to nurture the restored groves,while others have started using restorationsites as centers to learn about medicinalplants, folk art forms and conservationtraditions.

References:

1. Abhik Gupta and Kamalesh Guha,Tradition and Conservation inNortheastern India: An EthicalAnalysis Dept. of Ecology, AssamUniversity, Silchar - 788011, India

2. http://www.cpreecenvis.nic.in

3. Madhav Gadgil and SubashChandran M.D. (1992), SacredGroves, India Internationa CentreQuarterly 19 (1-2), 183-187. 1992


Sacred groves are the forest fragments

of various sizes which are protected

due to some religious beliefs by the

local communities. These groves are

generally associated with the local

folk deities or spirits, temples,

monasteries or burial grounds. Due to

strong beliefs and taboos associated

with these groves, hunting, gathering

of wood and cutting of trees is not

permitted. In some groves, fruit and

honey collection and removal of dead

leaves and dead wood is permitted. The

groves act as a gene pool by storing rare

and endangered species of flora and

fauna. They are the finest examples of

natural resource management through

traditional conservation practices.

India has a rich cultural heritage

which is even followed by the present

generation. Sacred groves are one such

example of India’s ancient cultural

tradition. Sadly, these groves are not

protected under legislative laws and

are poorly documented. Only around

14,000 sacred groves are so far reported

in India (www.cpreecenvis.nic.in). The

sacred groves have numerous uses and

benefits to mankind and also to the

environment.

The major uses of sacred groves are –

• They are the storehouse of

endangered medicinal plants

for Ayurvedic, tribal and folk

medicines. They also preserve

plant genotype which can be

used for plant breeding

programmes.

• Sacred groves help in preventing

desertification of land and

keeping the soil fertile.

• These groves check soil erosion

during rain and help in reducing

silt deposition in adjoining

water bodies.

• They absorb flowing water, thus

help in recharge of aquifers

and maintaining the water table.

• Sacred groves are the mini

biosphere reserves, where rare

and threatened fauna and flora

are found.

• The local people harvest

economic benefit (minor forest

produce collection) from these

groves through extraction of

biomass.

Shashikala Iyer

Major threats to the Sacred Groves of India


Sacred groves, which are very important

to maintain the equilibrium of the earth

and its bio-diversity, are slowly and

steadily in decline. There are many

reasons which are making these

sacred groves a relic for our future

generations. Some of the major

threats are as follows:

1. Urbanization

India is marching into a new era with

developmental activities such as the

establishment of railways, roads,

highway projects, etc. which hamper the

calm and serene environment of these

groves, making them vulnerable to

destruction.

2. Over-exploitation of natural

resources

With urbanization, people have started

using new techniques at home and on

farms, consuming more natural

resources than ever. This has put

pressure on the existing natural

resources as well as on the sacred

groves.

3. Population explosion

India is one of the most populous

countries of the world. With the

continuous increase in population, need

for more land for housing, food and other

resources have directly affected these

groves.

4. Fragmentation

Due to the developmental activities,

sacred groves are fragmented and

proliferated for highways, laying of

electricity cables, etc., which lead to loss

of species and disruption of ecological

functions

5. Sanskritization

With economic and social development,

religious beliefs and practices have

also changed substantially. Hinduism,

as it is being practiced today, is seeing

with local folk deities replaced with

popular deities of the Hindu pantheon;

and the worship place changing from

the shade of trees to temples built of

marble and granite; and the professional

priesthood coming in the way of the

communion of the people with nature.

6. Religious conversions

Religious conversions has become

rampant in the tribal areas because of

poverty and illiteracy. Due to the rise of

dogmatic religions like Christianity and

Islam, the tradition of maintaining

sacred groves vanished from many parts

of India.

7. Expansion for agriculture

Due to modernization and market

pressure, many sacred groves have been

cleared for agricultural and various

other purposes. The lure of short term

gains has prompted the destruction of

a traditional base.


8. Invasion by invasive species

The indigenous species found in the

sacred groves are threatened by the

introduction of exotic weeds such

as Common Floss flower (Eupatorium

odoratum), Shrub verbenas, Lantanas

(Lantana camara), etc.

9. Ownership dispute of groves

In many parts of the country, the locals

have lost their customary right of

maintaining the grove to the

government, which in turn has

destroyed these groves for commercial

forestry. The remaining groves are

suffering due lack of proper ownership

by either the government or the local

communities.

10. Absence of conservation

documentation

There is no proper documentation of the

sacred groves in India because of which

it becomes difficult to conserve and

maintain them.

11. No legislative protection

There are no stringent laws and

punishments for destroying the sacred

groves. So, the destruction activities go

un-noticed and the person behind the

destruction un-punished.

12. Tourism

Sacred groves are always treated as very

holy. But due to the connectivity to

cities, they are of late becoming tourist

spots. Excessive human intrusion

results in pollution and imbalance in the

environment inside the grove.

13. Lack of awareness

Lack of awareness has resulted in the

destruction of sacred groves. People are

misusing them because they

are unaware of their long term benefits

to the ecosystem.

Despite all these threats, sacred groves

are still alive in many parts of the country

due to the strong traditions, ethos and

values ingrained in our culture. But, we

need immediate measures to stop their

destruction and to conserve them.

Awareness building regarding the

importance of sacred groves is first and

foremost. The traditional values, practices

and beliefs should be revitalized among

the youth and incentives should be given

to the local community for conserving

and maintaining the groves. There

should be an immediate effort from the

Government of India to document all the

sacred groves and their status so that

conservation programs for the threatened

groves can be initiated. Stringent laws


and punishment are needed to keep the

sacred groves undisturbed.

Realizing the ecological, cultural and

biological importance of sacred groves,

we need to strengthen this traditional

practice because they serve as a living

nursery of ancestral and community

identity, faith, longevity and purity. It

becomes our sacred duty to conserve and

preserve this mega-diversity so

that future generations may benefit.

References

1. www.ces.iisc.ernet.in

2. www.cpreecenvis.nic.in

3. Bhagwat, S.A. and Claudia, R. 2006.

Sacred Groves: Potential for

Biodiversity Management. Frontiers

in Ecology and the Environment 4

(10). pp.519-524.

4. Malhotra, K.C., Gokhale, Y.,

Chatterjee, S., and Srivastava, S.

2001. Cultural & Ecological dimensions

of Sacred Groves in India. Indian

National Science Academy, New

Delhi and Indira Gandhi Manav

Sangrahalaya, Bhopal.

5. Times of India, June 2010

6. The Tribune, September 2009

7. Gadgil, M. and Vartak, V.D. 1975.

Sacred Groves of India - a Plea for

Continued Conservation. Journal

of Bombay Natural History Society.

pp.314-320.

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