Sacred groves: Sacred groves are an integral part of tribal society. Sacred Groves are tracts of forest land dedicated to local deities who are manifestations of the energy of the universe.
Since hunter-gatherer times, the tribal and rural people of India have been revering the ‘Earth-Energy’ and the ‘Cosmic-Forces’ manifested in the forests and the groves.
These deities are believed by the tribal people to be fiercely protective about the grove and the village. Sacred Groves are like a separate institution through which a myriad of relationships spread, giving rise to a cultural pattern. This pattern connects the local people with their fields, forests, and with one another.
Worship in the sacred groves is related to fields, forests, and to the survival of the tribal and rural which in turn have helped to conserve biodiversity.
Examples: “Shedoba Cha Van” (Forest of Shedoba) Sacred Grove in Murbad Taluka, Dist. Thane.
The common examples of sacred groves are
Ficus Religiosa (Peepal tree), Ficus benghalensis (Banyan tree).
Other examples of sacred groves in India include:
Pavithravana in Andhra Pradesh, Gumpa Forests attached to Buddhist monasteries in Arunachal Pradesh, Sarana in Jharkhand, Kavu, and Sara Kavu in Kerala and Devrai, Devrahati, and Devgudi groves in Maharashtra.
