Volume : VII, Issue : II, February - 2018

Sacred groves: tradition of biodiversity conservation in northern chhattisgarh

Reshma Ekka

Abstract :

 

India is a country of ecological and cultural diversity. With its diversity of ecosystems and species the community efforts of conservation are extremely varied. Protection of natural habitats (forests, stretches of river, ponds and lakes) in indigenous cultures is typically achieved by demarcating them as sacred, by the association of ancestral spirits or a local deity. This is amply illustrated in the case of the tribal population, which harbours beliefs like ancestor worship, worship of tree spirits, wildlife, and the sacred landscape. Many such sacred groves are found in Chhattisgarh and are locally known as Sarna, Matagudi, Devgudi and Gaondevi. Of these the groves of northern Chhattisgarh were studied by surveying the tribal areas and interviewing the locals.  Sarana sacred groves are predominantly found in this Chhotanagpur region of the State. Some of the deities to whom these groves are dedicated are Andhari Pat, Chala Pachao, Sarna Burhia, Sarna Mata, Mahadania and Budhadev. Sal, Indian gooseberry, Indian laurel, Black myrobalan, Indian butter tree are among the most commonly found plant species in the sacred groves. Because of their ‘divine’ protection, a number of tree species that have otherwise been heavily extracted from the forests continue to exist in these groves. This is a tradition way to conserve these species in their natural habitat. Therefore we need to identify the existing sacred grove and species prevalent in those groves and encourage the related tribes for the conservation of these sacred groves.

 

Article: Download PDF    DOI : https://www.doi.org/10.36106/paripex  

Cite This Article:

Reshma Ekka, Sacred groves: tradition of biodiversity conservation in northern chhattisgarh, PARIPEX‾INDIAN JOURNAL OF RESEARCH : Volume-7 | Issue-2 | February-2018

Number of Downloads : 639

References :