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Sacred Groves and Sacred Trees of Uttara Kannada

Authors:
M D SUBASH Chandran at Indian Institute of Science
M D SUBASH Chandran
Madhav Gadgil
Madhav Gadgil
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... The one hectare sacred grove of Mattigar in Siddapur, protected by Karivokkaligas is the only place in the district having Vateria indica, yet another Western Ghat endemic tree. The northernmost distribution of the endangered, endemic primate Lion-tailed Macaque is mainly in the kans of Siddapur (Chandran and Gadgil, 1998). Recently, to our great surprise, we also discovered Madhuca bourdillonii, and Syzygium travancoricum, two critically endangered trees of Travancore Western Ghats, in these relic kan forests of Uttara Kannada (Chandran et al, 2008). ...
... : Kind of sacred groves from India and their deities The names of the deities of the groves collected from Siddapur in Uttara Kannada district are: Bhutappa, Choudamma, Gamadevaru, Beerappa, Masti, Mariamma, Jatakadevaru, Kattedevaru, Brahma, Bommadevaru, Hulidevaru (tiger/panther), Nagara (serpent) etc.Chandran and Gadgil 1998) ...
Social and Ethical Dimensions of Environmental Conservation
Article
  • Apr 2010
Despite the traditional distance between the practitioners of science and the people with spiritual beliefs, there has now been a convergence of religion and environmental activism. The global environmental crisis, which is demanding our attention with ever- increasing urgency, reaches into every area of our existence: physical, social, economic, political, cultural, psychological and spiritual. Consequently, people who attempt to deal with this crisis tend to approach it through a variety of channels, including the natural and the social sciences, ethics and religion. Those for whom the search for a meaningful existence involves the integration of nature and spirit tend to seek solutions in which these different approaches are in harmony rather than in conflict (Vaillancourt and Cousineau, 1997). Environment is visualized as all of the conditions, circumstances etc. that surround and influence life on earth, including atmospheric conditions, food chains and water cycle. It is a harmonious blend of life in its infinite diversity with the non- living factors viz. climatic, edaphic and topographic. All the living beings, are in tune with the environment; their origin and evolution, and even extinctions are in perfect blend with time and dynamism of nature. The humans however are not only coming out of this primal harmony, but also destroying it in many ways. Science or technology alone or in combination cannot redeem the deteriorating situation and set aright once again a healthy atmosphere for natural continuity of life and evolution. Humans, forming a major and decisive sector of the biosphere, have a conscious role to play in this regard. The impending global crisis, both economic and ecologic, having tumultuous effect on the entire biosphere, has prompted scientists and thinkers to probe into the social and ethical dimensions of environmental conservation as well. The worldview of the modern society is that all benefits are man-made. Products of scientific, technological and industrial progress are accessible through the market system. Health is seen as something that comes through hospitals or through the medical profession, with the help of latest technological devices and pharmaceutical products. Education is seen as a commodity that can only be acquired via schools and universities. Law and order are dispensed with by the police, courts and the prison system. Even government is seen as man made. A country's wealth is measured by its per capita Gross National Product (GNP), which provides a rough measure of its ability to provide its citizens with all such man-made commodities. For economists trained in these ideas the benefits obtained from the natural processes of the biosphere, those that stabilize the climate, provide fertility to our soil, replenish our water supplies are not regarded as benefits at all (Goldsmith, 1992).
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... Though these forests are devoted to gods with many taboos associated with tree felling in such areas, the intimate association of such sacred forests or sacred groves with water bodies, in the form of streams, rivers, ponds and lakes, swamps or springs, is a well acknowledged fact. Hydrological services to village communities from well preserved sacred groves are highlighted in several studies (Chandran & Gadgil 1998; Gokhale & Pala 2011; Malhotra et al. 2001). Based on studies in the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, Khiewtam & Ramakrishnan (1993) and Singh et al. (1998) reported the role of groves in reducing run-off and soil erosion, preventing landslides and in conferring ecosystem stability. ...
... se me period (Chandran & Gadgil 1998). Both sacred and non-sacred hill slopes of the current study sites, separated from each other by a single hill, are part of the central Western Ghats. ...
Hydrological importance of sacred forest fragments in Central Western Ghats of India
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2015
Sacred groves are patches of forests of special spiritual significance to humans, offering also a diverse range of ecological and environmental services. We have attempted here to understand the local hydrological dynamics of a sacred forest, in terms of the benefits the village community derive, in central Western Ghats region of India. A comparative assessment has been made between two small watersheds interms of their landscape structure (woody species composition) with soil water propertiesand availability of water in the respective downstream villages. The result shows that, sacred site with more primeval vegetation has close association with soil moisture in comparison to non-sacred site during dry spell of the year. The higher soil moisture ensures year long availability of water in the downstream village of the sacred site which facilitates farming of commercial crops with higher economic returns to the farmers, unlike the farmers in the other village where they face water crisis during the lean season. The study emphasizes the need for conservation endeavour on sacred groves highlighting its potential for water conservation at local and regional levels.
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... These are the small forest patches protected by the tribal communities due to some religious belief. There is no protection of sacred groves through Table 8. [90] Telangana 65 Pavitraskhetralu [90] Arunachal Pradesh 65 Gumpa Forest [91] Jharkhand 21 Sarna [92] Karnataka 1424 Devarakadu or Devkad [93] Kerala 2000 Kavu, Sarpakkavu [94] Maharashtra 1600 Deorai/Devrai [95] Manipur 365 Gamkhap, Mauhak [96] Meghalaya 79 ...
Biodiversity-Threats and Conservation
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Mar 2017
The biodiversity, diversity in life forms, suffers greater threat from degradation, habitat fragmentation; spreading of invasive species; indiscriminate use of natural resources; climate change; pollution within aquatic environment and water flows. Biological resources serve about 40 per cent of the world's economy and nearly, 80 per cent of the needs of the people. It provides greater opportunity in the field of medical, research, education, and economic development. Declining biodiversity is, therefore, a concern for countless reasons. Preserving species in their habitats is the in-situ conservation and includes identification of biological hot spots to protect them as Natural Park/sanctuary/biosphere reserve etc. The ex-situ conservation includes developing gene banks, zoos and botanical garden, cryopreservation, artificial propagation of plants, biotechnological approach etc. Genetic manipulation of the endangered and threatened species can be the effective tool for maintaining biodiversity.
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... Matter is arranged in precise order in every organism, but in death this order is followed by disorder. Materials stream into order in the process of passing through organisms (Chandran, 1998). From the Epics of India, Ramayana and Mahabharata to Jataka tales of Buddhism to Pancha-Tantras and Hitopadesha to Katha Saritsagarain to mystic songs of Bauls of Bengal to numerous works in almost all the main languages of India, the scholars, saints and writers have kept the oral traditions and folklores alive by writing down many a tale (Ministry of Culture, GOI, 2015). ...
GLIMPSES INTO THE SUBALTERN SYSTEM OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN ANCIENT INDIA
Conference Paper
Full-text available
  • Mar 2015
Literary sources on natural resource management in India are plenty and always available for retrospection. It is the rich folk tradition of the subordinate masses of ancient India, the subaltern, related to conservation and uses of biodiversity, that is getting lost rapidly. The contributions of the subaltern, in the fields of biodiversity, agricultural systems, wildlife, medical knowledge, conservation etc. would find different degrees of integration into the ancient Indian literary tradition, the sources from the nameless masses often unacknowledged. This article is an effort at picking up shreds of such folk knowledge, based on allusions in ancient literature as well as from continuity of some of the age old practices related to natural resources, conservation of sacred groves, reverence for water sources, traditional agricultural practices, medical knowledge etc. What remains of such folk knowledge today are getting subjected to an organized form of treasure hunt. Instances are legion of the intellectual property rights being granted to inventions in the fields of medicine, agriculture, biopesticides, biotechnology etc. which sprang up into multi-billion dollar business today with hardly any benefit sharing hitherto with the original knowledge holders. The Biodiversity Act- 2002 of the Government of India came to the rescue of folk knowledge from getting pirated by business houses. The Act stipulates among other things formation of local level Biodiversity Management Committees, recording of local knowledge into People's Biodiversity registers as well as equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources.
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... Table 1 Examples of terminology for sacred forests in different regions of India Location Name for Sacred Groves Reference Bihar Sarnas Chandrashekara and Sankar (1998) Himachal Pradesh Dev van Khumbongmayum et al. (2004) Karnataka Devarakadu Kalam (1996); Chandran and Hughes (1997); Chandrashekara and Sankar (1998); Chandrakanth et al. (2004) Kerala Kavu Chandran and Gadgil (1998); Chandran and Hughes (1997) ...
The Impacts of Global and National Policy on the Management and Conservation of Sacred Groves of India
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2011
India is home to thousands of community-protected forests, called sacred groves. Sacred forests or groves are sites that have cultural or spiritual significance to the people who live around them. These areas may also be key reservoirs of biodiversity. In India, most sacred groves are managed by a community group, not by a government agency. They are often private or community land, not formal protected areas or parks. This poses an interesting challenge in terms of future management and possible policy relating to the sacred groves. On the international level, organizations such as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and UNESCO have created guidelines for management of sacred sites. On the national level, India’s past Forest Acts and recent Forest Rights Act have relevance to the sacred groves. Local differences in land tenure also affect the groves. Ethnographic research conducted in 2009 and 2010 in the states of Meghalaya and Karnataka, India, evaluated the historic and current management and beliefs associated with sacred forests. Cultural change and pressure to use natural resources within the groves is leading to reduction of these forest areas. In the future, a creative combination of policy approaches to conserve groves that respects their spiritual values is recommended.
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Sacred Groves and Conservation: The Comparative History of Traditional Reserves in the Mediterranean Area and in South India
Article
Full-text available
  • May 2000
Sacred groves in the ancient Mediterranean are compared with surviving groves of South India, particularly Uttara Kannada, to evaluate the roles of these refugia in maintaining balance between human groups and the ecosystems of which they are part. In the Mediterranean written records survive, and archaeological investigation provides some information. In South India, the authors observed a living if declining tradition which has persisted for millennia among village people. There data come from field surveys, folk traditions, historical documents and literature.
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Socio-economic Changes and Sacred Groves in South India: Protecting a Community-based Resource Management Institution
Article
  • May 2004
  • NAT RESOUR FORUM
The sacred groves along the forest belts of south India, which were traditionally managed by village communities, are gradually disappearing. This study conducts an analysis of how this community-based resource management institution has evolved over time and what socio-economic factors have caused its gradual disintegration. Commercial agriculture, changing demographics and weak property-rights systems are found to be some of the enabling factors. While the grass-roots enthusiasm to save the sacred groves is still alive, government action is needed to strengthen the traditional village organizations, which are still perhaps in the best position to manage local resources. Several economic and financial incentive mechanisms at the local level that might lead to more efficient and equitable resource use outcomes are suggested.
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