Kavu

Kāvûis the traditional name given forsacred grovesacross theMalabar CoastinKerala,SouthIndia.^[1]Kavus are notable forTheyyam,the centuries-old ritual dance.

Snake Groves

Sarpa Kavu atSakthanthamburan palace,Thrissur

ASarpa Kavu(meaningAbode of Snakes) is a traditional natural sacred space seen near traditional homes inKeralastate ofSouth India.The site is believed to be inhabited by snakes, and the area usually contains a representation of Manasa ('Goddess of the Snakes'),Naga Raja(King of the Snakes) and otherNaga Devatas(snake deities), where offerings and rites are performed during special ceremonies. This is a Hindu ritual performed by certain sects ofNambudiris,and all castes hold the Sarpa Kavu in reverence, with access forbidden to the area unless for due ceremonies.

Mythology says that Kerala was created from the Arabian Sea and given to the Brahmins (Namboothiris) as a "donation" by Parasurama to save himself from the sins of killing numerous kshathriya kings. The land was full of forests and poisonous snakes were found in plenty. So the Brahmins refused to stay there. Parasurama requested Lord Shiva to provide a solution. Shiva told Parasurama to start worshipping Manasa, Anantha and Vasuki the king of snakes. Parasurama did so and they advised him to start snake worship in Kerala and provide some forest especially for snakes in the form of Sarppakkavu (Snake forests). Parasurama later installed the idols of Goddess Manasa, Anantha and Vasuki at Mannarassala (near Harippadu in Alappuzha district) and Vettikkottu (near Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district) and started worshipping them. The Brahmins also worshipped Goddess Manasa, Anantha and Vasuki and the pleased snake deities made Kerala suitable for living.

^[2]

Sarpa Kavus even help in soil and water conservation besides preserving its rich biological wealth. The ponds and streams adjoining the groves are perennial water sources. These are the last resorts to many of the animals and birds for their water requirements, especially during summer. Sacred groves also enrich the soil through its rich litter composition. The nutrients generated thus are not only recycled within the sacred grove ecosystem but also find their way into the adjoining agroeco systems.

Sacred Groves

A Kavu is a South Indian version of an Indian sacred grove.

A sacredHindugrove near Chandod on the banks of theNarmada River,drawn byJames Forbes,1782.

Sacred grovesofIndiaare forest fragments of varying sizes, which are communally protected, and which usually have a significant religious connotation for the protecting community. Hunting and logging are usually strictly prohibited within these patches.^[3]Other forms of forest usage likehoneycollection anddeadwoodcollection are sometimes allowed on a sustainable basis. Sacred groves did not enjoy protection via federal legislation in India. Some NGOs work with local villagers to protect such groves. Traditionally, and in some cases even today, members of the community take turns to protect the grove.^[4]However, the introduction of the protected area categorycommunity reservesunder theWild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002has introduced legislation for providing government protection to community held lands, which could include sacred groves.

Indian sacred groves are sometimes associated with temples / monasteries / shrines or with burial grounds (which is the case inShintoandRyukyuan religion-based sacred groves respectively inJapan). Sacred groves may be loosely used to refer to other natural habitat protected on religious grounds, such asAlpine Meadows.

Historical references to sacred groves can be obtained from ancient classics as far back asKalidasa'sVikramuurvashiiya.There has been a growing interest in creating green patches such asNakshatravana.

Beliefs and practices

Typically, such groves are associated with the concept of a "presiding deity". While most of these sacred deities are associated with localHindugods, sacred groves of Islamic and Buddhist origins, and some based on smaller local religions andfolk religions(like the folk deitiesayyanarandamman) are also known of. There are over 1000 deities associated with sacred groves in the states ofKeralaandKarnatakaalone. InKodagudistrict in Karnataka from time immemorial the martial community ofKodavashad maintained over 1000 Deva kadus dedicated to Aiyappa the forest god.

The Hindu tradition considers forests (Van/Ban) to be of three types -Tapovan,MahavanandSreevan.Tapovanare forests associated with penance (Tapas), and are inhabited by saints andrishis.Mahavanrefers to the grand natural forests.TapovanandMahavanare considered to be aRaksha( "sanctuary" ) for flora and fauna as ordinary human beings are not allowed to enter these forests.Sreevan,which means, "forests of the goddess of prosperity", consists of dense forests and groves. From the former, people would collect dry wood, leaves, forest produce and a limited amount of timber, though natural ecosystem would not be unnecessarily disturbed. Groves were considered as spaces of forests from where harvesting could be done. Sometimes, specific trees like mango trees could be planted and nurtured here. Groves were associated with religious rites, festivals and recreation. Typical recreational activities associated with these groves includedjhoola/jhoolan.^[5]In the villages,Panchavati,or a cluster of five trees that represented the forests, were maintained. These trees represented the five elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space.^[5]

Planting and nurturing of trees has been a highly evolved practice in ancient India.^[6]Vrukshayurveda,the science of plant life and also a 10th-century treatise of that title on the subject ascribed to Surapala, dealt with various species of trees and their growth. Verses 9-23 from this text indicate how mystical beliefs and conservation of ecology was inter-connected.

A person is honored inVaikunthafor as many thousand years as the days they reside in a house wheretulasiis grown.

And if one properly growsbilva,which pleasesLord Siva,in their family, the goddess of riches resides permanently passes on to the children and grandchildren

One who plants even a single asvattha, wherever it may be, as per the prescribed mode, goes to the abode of Hari.

One who has planted dhatri has performed several sacrifices. They have donated the earth. They would be considered liberated^{[check spelling]}forever.

One who plants a couple ofbanyantrees as per the prescribed mode would go to the abode of Siva.

After plantingneemtrees a person well-versed indharmaattains the abode of Sun. Indeed! They reside there for a long period.

By planting fourplaksatrees a person doubtlessly obtains the fruits ofRajasuyasacrifice.

One who plants five or sixmangotrees attains the abode ofGarudaand lives happily forever like gods.

One should plant seven palasa trees or even one. One attains the abode ofBrahmaand enjoys the company of gods by doing so.

One who personally plants eightudumbaratrees or even prompts someone to plant them, rejoices in the lunar world

One who has planted madhuka has propitiatedParvati,has become free from diseases, and has worshipped all deities.

If one plants ksirini, dadimi, rambha,priyala,and panasa, one experiences no affliction for seven births.

One who has knowingly or unknowingly planted ambu is respected as a recluse even while staying in the house.

By planting all kinds of other trees, useful for fruits and flowers, a person gets a reward of thousand cows adorned with jewels.

By planting one asvattha, one picumanda, onenyagrodha,tentamarindtrees, the group of three, viz., kapittha,bilva,and amalaka, and fivemangotrees, one never visits hell.^[6]

Locations

Sacred groves are scattered all over the country, and are referred to by different names in different parts of India. Sacred groves occur in a variety of places – fromscrub forestsin theThar DesertofRajasthanmaintained by theBishnois,torain forestsin theWestern GhatsofKerala.Himachal Pradeshin the north andKeralain the south are specifically known for their large numbers of sacred groves. The Kodavas of Karnataka alone maintained over 1000 sacred groves in their region.^[7]TheGurjarpeople of Rajasthan have a unique practice of neem (Azadirachta indica) planting and worshipping as abode of GodDevnarayan.Thus, a Gurjjar settlement appears like a human-inhabited sacred grove.^[8]Similarly Mangar Bani, last surviving natural forest of Delhi is protected by Gurjars of nearby area.^[9]14,000 sacred groves have been reported from all over India, which act as reservoirs of rare fauna, and more often rare flora, amid rural and even urban settings. Experts believe that the total number of sacred groves could be as high as 100,000.^[10]^[11]

It is estimated^{[by whom?]}that around 1000 km²of unexploited land is inside sacred groves. Some of the more famous groves are thekavus of Kerala, which are located in the Western Ghats and have enormous biodiversity; and thelaw kyntangs ofMeghalaya– sacred groves associated with every village (two large groves being inMawphlang^[12]andMausmai) to appease the forest spirit.

Among the largest sacred groves of India are the ones inHariyali,near Ganchar inChamoli DistrictofUttarakhand,and theDeodargrove inShipinnearSimlainHimachal Pradesh.Kodagu, a small region of about 4000 km²in Karnataka, had over 1000 sacred groves.

State	No of groves	Local name	References
Andhra Pradesh	691	Pavitraskhetralu	Kailash C. Malhotra et al.^[13]
Arunachal Pradesh	65	Gumpa forests (since attached to monasteries)	Dudley et al.^[14]
Assam	40	Than,Madaico
Chhattisgarh	600*	Sarna,Devlas, Mandar,Budhadev
Goa	NA*		SERBC document^[15]
Gujarat	29*
Haryana	248	BeedorBid(बीड़), Bani (बणी), Bann (बण), Janglat (जंगलात), Shamlat (शामलात)
Himachal Pradesh	5000	Deo bhumi
Jharkhand	21*	Sarna more than 500 "Jaherthan" in Godda of Jharkhand	Marine Carrin^[16]
Karnataka	1424	Devarakadu, Devkad	Gadgil et al.^[17]
Kerala	2000	Kavu,Sarpa Kavu	M. Jayarajan^[18]
Maharashtra	1600	Deorai/Devrai (Pune,Ratnagiri, Raigad,Kolhapur districts)	Waghchaure et al.^[19]
Manipur	365	Gamkhap,Mauhak (sacredbamboo reserves)	Khumbongyam et al.^[20]
Meghalaya	79	Law kyntang, Law Lyngdoh	Upadhyay et al.^[21]
Orissa	322*	Jahera,Thakuramma
Puducherry	108	Kovil Kadu	Ramanujam et al.^[22]
Rajasthan	9*	Oran(Jaiselmer, Jodhpur,Bikaner), Kenkri(Ajmer), Vani(Mewar), Shamlat deh,Devbani (Alwar),Jogmaya
Sikkim	56	Gumpa forests (since attached to monasteries)	S. S. Dash^[23] Dudley et al.^[14]
Tamil Nadu	503	Kovil Kadu	M. Amrithalingam^[24]
Telangana	65		Kailash C. Malhotra et al.^[13]
Uttarakhand	18*	Devbhumi,Bugyal (sacred alpine meadows)	Anthwal et al.^[25]
West Bengal	670*	Garamthan,Harithan, Jahera,Sabitrithan, Santalburithan	R. K. Bhakat^[26]

All numbers are quoted from the records of theC.P.R. Environmental Education Centreof the Government of India. Starred numbers are likely to increase. The centre also maintains a complete list of identified sacred groves in India, most of which is online.^[27]

Uses

Traditional uses:One of the most important traditional uses of sacred groves was that it acted as a repository for variousAyurvedicmedicines. Other uses involved a source of replenishable resources like fruits and honey. However, in most sacred groves it was taboo to hunt or chop wood. The vegetation cover helps reduce soil erosion and preventsdesertification,as inRajasthan.The groves are often associated with ponds and streams, and meet water requirements of local communities. They sometimes help in rechargingaquifersas well.

Modern uses:In modern times, sacred groves have becomebiodiversity hotspots,as various species seek refuge in the areas due to progressivehabitat destruction,and hunting. Sacred groves often contain plant and animal species that have become extinct in neighboring areas. They therefore harbor great genetic diversity. Besides this, sacred groves in urban landscapes act as "lungs" to the city as well, providing much needed vegetation cover.

Threats

Threats to the grove includeurbanization,over-exploitationof resources (likeovergrazingand excessive firewood collection), and environmental destruction due to religious practices. While many of the groves are looked upon as abodes of Hindu gods, in the recent past a number of them have been partially cleared for construction of shrines and temples.^[10]Other threats to the sacred groves include invasion byinvasive species,like theinvasive weedsChromolaena odorata,Lantana camaraandProsopis juliflora.

Traditions

A large number of distinct local art forms and folk traditions are associated with the deities of sacred groves, and are an important cultural aspect closely associated with sacred traditions. Ritualistic dances and dramatizations based on the local deities that protect the groves are calledTheyyamin Kerala andNagmandalam,among other names, inKarnataka.Often, elaborate rituals and traditions are associated with sacred groves,^[28]as are associatedfolk talesand folk mythology.

References

Notes

^M. Jayarajan,Sacred Groves of North Malabar Archived2009-03-26 at theWayback Machine,Kerala Research Programme on Local Level Development, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram (ISBN 81-87621-95-8)
^"Nagaraja Temples in Kerala".Vaikhari.org.Retrieved4 October2013.
^Gadgil, M. and Vartak, V.D.; Sacred groves of India: A plea for continued conservation Journal ofBombay Natural History Society,72: 314-320, 1975
^Sudha, P., Rekha, P. V., Gunaga, V. S., Patagar, S., Naik, M. B., Indu, K. M., and N. H Ravindranath,Community Forest Management and Joint Forest Management: An Ecological, Economic and Institutional Assessment in Western Ghats, India Archived2007-06-10 at theWayback Machine,Presented at "Crossing Boundaries", the seventh annual conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 10–14 June 1998
^^a ^bRanchor Prime, Vedic Ecology: Practical Wisdom for Surviving the 21st Century, Mandala Publishing, Novato, CA, 2002
^^a ^bVrukshayurveda, authored by Surapala, translated by Nalini Sadhale, Agri-History Bulletin No.1, Asian Agri-History Foundation, Secunderabad
^Aseries Archived3 February 2007 at theWayback Machineof articles in the journalDown to Earthon sacred groves
^"Sacred Forestry".
^http://www.ngtba.org/index.php/news?start=190 Archived4 March 2016 at theWayback Machine
^^a ^bMalhotra, K. C., Ghokhale, Y., Chatterjee, S. and Srivastava, S., Cultural and Ecological Dimensions of Sacred Groves in India, INSA, New Delhi, 2001
^Ramachandra Guha, The Unquiet Woods, University of California Press, 2000 (ISBN 978-0520222359)
^"Eco Destination. Mawphlang Sacred Forest".Archived fromthe originalon 9 December 2011.Retrieved31 March2017.
^^a ^bKailash C. Malhotra, Yogesh Gokhale, Sudipto Chatterjee, and Sanjeev Srivastava (2001).Cultural and Ecological Dimensions of Sacred Groves in India.Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, and Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal.[1]Archived8 August 2014 at theWayback Machine
^^a ^b Ed. N. Dudley, L. Higgins-Zogib, and S. Mansourian; The Arguments for Protection Series - Beyond Belief: Linking faiths and protected areas to support biodiversity conservation,pp. 91-95; World Wide Fund for Nature, 2005 (ISBN 2-88085-270-6)
^Website Archived30 May 2004 at theWayback Machineof the Sacred Grove Restoration Project, Society for Ecological Restoration
^Marine Carrin,Santal autonomy as a social ecology^{[permanent dead link]}, 16th European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies, Edinburgh, 2000
^Gadgil, M., D. Subash Chandran,Sacred Groves and Sacred Trees of Uttara Kannada Archived31 March 2017 at theWayback Machine,Lifestyle and Ecology, edited by Baidyanath Saraswati. New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts 1998
^M. Jayarajan,Sacred Groves of North Malabar Archived2009-03-26 at theWayback Machine,Kerala Research Programme on Local Level Development, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram (ISBN 81-87621-95-8)
^Waghchaure, Chandrakant K.; Tetali, Pundarikakshudu; Gunale, Venkat R.; Antia, Noshir H.; Birdi, Tannaz J., Sacred Groves of Parinche Valley of Pune District of Maharashtra, India and their Importance, Anthropology & Medicine, Volume 13, Number 1, April 2006, pp. 55-76(22)
^Khumbongmayum, M.D., Khan, M.L., and Tripath, R.S, Sacred groves of Manipur – ideal centres for biodiversity conservation, Current Science, Vol 87, No 4, 25 Aug 2004
^Upadhaya, K.; Pandey, H.N. 2; Law, P.S.; Tripathi, R.S; Tree diversity in sacred groves of the Jaintia hills in Meghalaya, northeast India,Biodiversity and Conservation, Volume 12, Number 3, March 2003, pp. 583-597(15)
^ M.P. Ramanujam and K. Praveen Kumar Cyril, Woody species diversity of four sacred groves in the Pondicherry region of South India, Biomedical and Life Sciences and Earth and Environmental Science, Volume 12, Number 2 / February, 2003, Springer Netherlands
^ S. S. Dash, Kabi sacred grove of North Sikkim Current Science, Vol 89, No 3, 10 Aug 2005
^ M. Amirthalingam, Sacred Groves of Tamil Nadu – A Survey, CPR Environmental Education Centre, Chennai, India, p. 191, 1998
^Ashish Anthwal, Ramesh C. Sharma, and Archana Sharma, Sacred Groves: Traditional Way of Conserving Plant Diversity in Garhwal Himalaya, Uttaranchal Archived6 July 2007 at theWayback Machine, The Journal of American Science, 2(2), 2006, Anthwal et al., Sacred Groves: Conserving Plant Diversity
^ Ram Kumar Bhakat, Socio-religious and ecological perspective of a sacred grove from Midnapore district, West Bengal, Science and Culture (Sci. Cult.), 2003, vol. 69, no 11-12, pp. 371-374
^Databaseat the CPR Environmental Education Centre
^Chris A. Gregory,The Oral Epics of the Women of the Dandakaranya Plateau: A Preliminary Mapping,J. Soc. Sci., 8(2): 93-104 (2004)