Sacred Groves in India

Sacred groves are forests conserved in the name of God and are considered to be sacred. In fact, these are preserved by society and not by the government. Sacred groves have a special kind of shielding; that is, in these forests or groves, hunting animals and cutting down trees is not allowed. These groves are spread throughout the country . According to a government report, India has more than 14000 sacred groves. Sacred groves are considered the most remarkable worship of nature. Generally, they are the areas in forests, grasslands and water bodies that are preserved by society as they believe that these are the places of Gods and Goddesses. 

Sacred Groves in India

We now know that sacred groves are the marks of forests that are preserved by locals for worship. There are many sacred groves found in India; some of them are in Western Ghats (Karnataka), Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and Madhya Pradesh. Many indigenous species of plants and animals are present, which the sacred groves help preserve. A significant number of sacred groves come under tribal land, so the government cannot touch them. Deforestation is also banned in these sacred groves. Some of the examples of sacred groves in India are as follows: 

• Khasi and Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya)
• Aravali Hills (Rajasthan) 
• Western Ghats (Karnataka)
• Western Ghats (Maharashtra)
• Chanda and Bastar ( Madhya Pradesh)
• Khecheopalri Lake (Sikkim) 

Tribals have extensive areas of sacred groves under them, whose scales range from square metres to hectares. As people believe that sacred groves are the place of God or Goddess, they cannot tolerate any disturbance in the area because, according to them, any type of interaction can make their God angry, leading to natural calamities or damage of crops. Hunting animals and cutting down trees are also not allowed in these groves; in some areas, people are even banned from touching fallen fruits. Governments are not allowed to interfere in these groves, but they provide a legal act – Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2002 – which also helps preserve these sacred groves.

History of Sacred Groves

It is believed that the presence of sacred groves dates to the early 1800s. People believed that trees were the place of God or that they had spirits, so they protected them. Gradually, it became a ritual among the tribals that if they hunt or cut trees in these areas, God will become angry  and it will lead to disaster or cause diseases or damage crops. 

Today, sacred groves are important for biodiversity, which is why the government helps tribals protect them instead of destroying them. Native plants which have great medicinal value are also present in sacred groves. In some sacred groves, water bodies are preserved, which is helpful for the nearby areas or villages, as they provide water for drinking or irrigation purposes. 

The sacred groves of India are connected to almost 40,000 groups of Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims. Many annual programs are performed by villagers for the welfare of their sacred groves. By performing these annual ceremonies, they pray for good crops, good health or the birth of a child. 

In Karnataka, sacred groves are called devarakadus or devarkans; in Kerala, they are called kavusand, and the bishnoi tribes have their sacred groves, which are called orans. Today, India has almost 14,000 sacred groves. Himachal Pradesh has the largest number of sacred groves, that is 5000, Kerala has 2000, Maharashtra has 1600, Karnataka has 1424, Andhra Pradesh has 750 and West Bengal has 670.

Hazards to Sacred Groves

As time passed, many changes or evolution occurred, and for human comfort, many dams and roads were built, which destroyed multiple sacred groves. Due to this evolution, some of the areas of sacred groves were reduced. 

In some sacred groves, non-native weeds began growing, which are harmful to people. Some tribes converted their natural form of worship into small temples.

Significance of Sacred Groves

Because of these sacred groves, many indigenous or endangered species of plants and animals have been preserved.

These groves help villagers get water for drinking and irrigation purposes. Many plants which have medicinal value are present in these areas, and natural medicine is provided by groves. Areas of sacred groves have excellent soil fertility.

Conclusion

Uninterrupted marks of the forest, grassland, and water bodies protected by locals who believe that these are places of God are called sacred groves. The size of the groves vary between 5 hectares and 500 hectares, and they are the perfect example of in-situ conservation. The existence of sacred groves depends on the tribals – how they preserve or how long they preserve the groves. 

Earlier, sacred groves were protected by locals as their land of worship, but nowadays, the government helps preserve them because these groves help in biodiversity. People who live near the sacred groves are completely dependent on these groves for water, food, shelter, and medicine.