Revered Yet Neglected

Protecting forests and groves for cultural and religious reasons is an ancient practice worldwide.

- P S Ramakrishnan And K G Saxena

Scriptures and historical documents provide accounts of rulers, setting aside forests for sages who provide spiritual guidance and disseminate knowledge. An appreciation of such “non-use” values of forests and indirect benefits of biodiversity is thus grounded in the social and cultural fabric of communities.

Though guided by beliefs, taboos and myths, the motive behind this sense of appreciation and protection vary enormously. Communities in Himachal Pradesh believe that worshipping the forest deity would protect them from catastrophes like droughts, floods and earthquakes. For Rajasthan’s Bishnoi community, it’s a way of following the 29 tenets of the sect that forbid felling of green trees and hunting . The Khasis of Meghalaya need undisturbed forests for performing some rites and rituals, while the Buddhists around Kanchenjunga in Sikkim believe that it is their duty to protect sacred treasures that remain hidden in some forests and will be revealed only to enlightened Lamas (spiritual teachers). In a way, these beliefs reflect the kind and strength of the relation communities share with nature.

Small wonder, sacred groves not only vary in terms of ecological distribution, but also in terms of property regime, management practice and socio-ecological relevance. While most belong to and are revered by individual communities, some like the Hariyali sacred forest of Garhwal and Mawsami sacred forest in the Khasi Hills are valued by a village cluster. Then there are groves with a regional appeal. The list includes Jageshwar Dham in Kumaon, Badri Van in Garhwal, Poongavanam (garden of Sabarimala’s Lord Ayyappan) in the Western Ghats, Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh and Demojong in Sikkim. Some individual trees like banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis), sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) and neem (