Category Archives: Sacred grove

“The practice of religious rituals, ceremonies and sanctions by specific cultural groups allow such sacred landscapes to be maintained, emphasizing that humans are intrinsically part of the ecosystem. Taboos, codes and customs specific to activities and community members restrict access to most sacred groves. […] The inclusion of local people’s needs and interests in conservation planning is increasingly accepted as essential, both to promote the well-being of human populations, and to ensure that biodiversity and conservation needs are met in the long-term.” – Nazir A. Pala, Ajeet K. Neg and N.P. Todaria in “The Religious, Social and Cultural Significance of Forest Landscapes in Uttarakhand Himalaya, India” (International Journal of Conservation Science, Vol. 5, Issue 2, April-June 2014)
https://www.academia.edu/32265911
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=24271

“Sacred groves are patches of forest, water bodies, grasslands considered to be inhabited by gods and hence, strictly prohibited from resource extraction. – “Role of Sacred Groves and their current status in adivasi society” (Adivasi.net Newsletters, No. 31 2011)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=1987

“Sacred natural sites may well be some of the last strongholds for building resilient networks of connected landscapes.” – Manjusha Misra (School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal, International Journal of Environmental Studies), reviewing Sacred Natural Sites: Conserving Nature and Culture (Routledge, 2010)
https://www.routledge.com/Sacred-Natural-Sites-Conserving-Nature-and-Culture/Verschuuren-Wild-Mcneely-Oviedo/p/book/9781849711678
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=37222

“When women from the household would work at the loom, their designs would emerge from their world view, understanding of oral traditions, folktales, the surrounding sacred groves, and more.” – Meeta Deka (Professor and former Head, Dept. of History at Gauhati University), quoted by Avantika Bhuyan (livemint.com, 1 December 2017)
https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/FR23TDZqwz1hDYOlB5mRSN/Folklore-myths-and-handloom.html
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=23691

“Our kaavus (sacred grounds) are central to our culture. But many have been encroached upon and disappeared. AMS has done a survey of all Kaavus and burial grounds and is petitioning the government to officially recognize them.” – Adivasi Munnetra Sangam (photo caption, 2017 calendar)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=21811

“One of the finest examples of traditional practices in India based on religious faith which has made a profound contribution to nature conservation has been the maintenance of certain patches of land or forests as ‘sacred groves’.” – Dr S.M. Nair (former Director of the National Museum of Natural History)
Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel
https://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/archive/01092/wg-23052012_partI_1092699a.pdf
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=20948

“By the impact of globalization, free trade and the communication revolution non-tribesmen are gradually invading the indigenous areas and intrude into their spiritual realms by introduction of their Gods, Goddesses and deities. They systematically and surreptitiously exploit their economy and devalue the indigenous culture. They clandestinely deprive their traditional spiritual culture, spiritual aspects and fervor making them vulnerable to external oppressive, exploitative forces.” – S Davidson Sargunam & S Suja in “Eco-Spirituality and Climate Change with Reference to the Kaani Tribe of Kanyakumari Forests” (Tribal Foundation Nagercoil, 4 July 2015)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=18372

“Many small towns across India also have sacred groves. The kaavus of Kerala are managed by the government, temple trusts, local community, or even privately. […] These kaavus are tiny oases rich in floral and faunal biodiversity, many less than an acre in area. They contain rare trees such as the south Indian kanak champa, which is categorized as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. They also host a number of birds, bats, butterflies and insects. […] To stand amidst the towering trees draped with creepers, allowing little sunlight even at noon, lit by a lone lamp under the snake shrine, can leave anyone with a sense of awe. The character of these kaavus is, however, changing. Some are being used as garbage dumps by city dwellers, while others are converted to modern temple structures with the trees eventually surrounded by concrete or even cut down.” – Harini Nagendra & Seema Mundoli in Cities and Canopies: Trees in Indian Cities (Penguin Random House India 2019), p. 109
https://penguin.co.in/book/uncategorized/cities-and-canopies/
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=31803