Sacred groves are the secret wizards of conservation. Cultural values are fundamental to their conservation. In India, these areas hold deep meaning to indigenous communities
Sacred groves are tracts of verdant land rich in biodiversity that have been protected by local communities on account of their cultural and religious beliefs. Every sacred grove carries its own folklore and myths. The tribal nomenclatures for these copses vary: they are known as sarna in Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, devrai in Maharashtra, orans in Rajasthan, devarakadu in Karnataka, sarpakavu in Kerala, law lyngdoh in Meghalaya, lai umang in Manipur and so on.
In a judgment last December, the Supreme Court called for the protection and preservation of these sacred groves underlining their ecological and cultural significance. A national survey of these clusters, mapping their boundaries to ensure strict protection against agricultural activity, human habitation or deforestation, has been ordered. The highest court specifically referred to the vanishing orans in Rajasthan that cover about six lakh hectares and serve as a grazing reserve, water filtration reservoir and herb storehouse. The court granting protection under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, which allows for the declaration of ‘community reserves’, is an apt rejoinder to the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Environmentalists opine that these groves are crucial for thwarting desertification of the state’s arid and semi-arid regions.
Sacred groves are the secret wizards of conservation. Cultural and spiritual values are fundamental to their conservation. In India, these wilderness areas hold deep religious and spiritual meaning to indigenous communities. In Uttarakhand, for instance, with its rivers, lakes, caves, and forests, communities honour local deities like Haat Kaali, Kotgyari Devi, Mahakaali and more. Sacred groves in Uttarakhand are unique because they are not woodlands but alpine meadows. The facets of the divine grove might be diverse but its purpose remains the same: local dwellers consider it as part of their ethnic identity. That is the reason these woods endure and community belief systems, transmitted orally across generations, play a critical role in this. Even though there are no written records or stipulations, the belief systems ensure that sacred groves are not harmed. It is thus forbidden to pluck flowers, uproot plants or harm animals in these groves.
But these forest blotches are no longer free from anthropogenic pressure. This calls for administrative interventions that can take local people into confidence. If sacred groves can be brought under the protected area network as suggested by the Supreme Court, their conservation can be ensured. A major challenge that hinders the conservation of sacred groves is that villagers in their precincts are often impoverished. Since they depend on the natural resources of these groves to meet their daily needs, any step to conserve these patches must take into account the economic sustenance of locals. Worryingly, religious beliefs and taboos vital for the protection of sacred groves are also being eroded. Experiences in some sacred groves in the Himalayan region indicate that economic forces are influencing the traditional communities to abandon the community-oriented protection of these groves, leading to their commercial exploitation. Developmental activities, urbanisation, exploitation of resources and an increase in human population are the other additional threats to India's sacred groves.
Chiranjib Haldar
Source: Telegraph India, 28/03/25
