Sacred Groves of India: An Ancient form of Environmental Conservation

During the conquest of Alexander the Great in the fourth century BCE, India is described as being a land of impenetrable forest (Evans 1992: 13). For individuals imagining India today, dense forests are unlikely a prominent image of association. Only 11 percent of the country remains covered by woodland (Evans 1992:13) and with rapid modernisation this number is likely to continue to drop. The problem of deforestation in India has not gained as much attention as the parallel problem in the South American Amazon. In both cases the push for modernisation has led to major ecological destruction and the loss of indigenous practices connecting the people to the earth.

In India, the two regions of the Himalayan mountains range and the Western Ghats have been included in the list of the thirty-four biodiversity ‘hotspots’ around the world. These designated areas are described as “the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life on Earth” (www.biodiversityhotspots.org). Biodiversity is valuable for many reasons, from preserving the ecological dynamics of the world to the supplying genetic resources for pharmaceutical research(Jayarajan 2004: 10). Intact forests also act against climate change as they are natural and effective carbon sequestering sinks. Specifically, the deforestation of India greatly affects the annual monsoon. The trees increase the levels of water vapour in the air through transpiration, the evaporation of water through leaves, drawing the clouds across the Arabian Sea and encouraging the rains to fall. The monsoon brings life as well as death to India, yet much of the deaths caused by flooding would not occur if there was an effective amount of tree cover. Forests hold groundwater, act as a natural reservoir, and prevent flooding (Jayarajan 2004: 34-35).

I intend to explore the importance the environment and conservation held in the past throughout the history of Indian belief and apply this knowledge to how the past importance can be emphasised for the future. In particular I am interested in examining the importance the practice of maintaining sacred groves has had throughout history and how a stronger link between religion and environmental awareness can be created.

The people of India have had a pronounced affinity with nature since ancient times. Trees were possibly the first objects worshipped, dating back to the early days of civilisation in the Indus Valley (Gupta 1971: 14). In India, almost every village traditionally has had their own sacred grove, a locally protected forested area. As a result, the original biodiversity of these lands has been preserved representing the “relic climax vegetation of the region” (Tiwali et al. 2001: 20). In this way, the practice of maintaining sacred groves constitutes a method of conservation. This traditional conservational technique has been highly efficient, as these forests have survived in pristine condition since prehistoric times. (Waghchaure et al. 2006: 55)

Ironically, the origins of sacred groves are likely secular and practical, as the local inhabitants realized the value of protecting the natural resources which they relied so heavily on. Sacred groves commonly house important water resevoirs, and ponds and wells are often associated with them, providing a perennial source of water for the local village (Chandran and Hughes 1997: 419). Yet religion has played an important role in their conservation to this day as taboos have been created which restrict the destruction and exploitation of these areas deemed sacred.

These beliefs and traditions are eroding and increasingly forgotten with the advancement of modernity which labels such thinking as “backwards” superstitions (Jayarajan 2004: 20), or “low” forms of religion (Tiwali et al. 2001: 30). Religious taboo alone cannot reasonably be considered the front line defence in protecting the forests of India. Instead, increasing the awareness of their ecological importance and heightening the value placed on tradition needs to be combined in order for the existence of the sacred groves to be protected. I intend to investigate how these current tensions between modernity and tradition impact both the cultural identity of a suppressed people as well as the loss of valuable biodiversity. In doing so, I will seek to explore how these two factors integrate on these sites of cultural and environmental intersection.

With the popular imagination focused on issues such as climate change and environmental sustainability in the media, politics, and academia, I believe the ecological ramifications of my proposed research will be relevant and beneficial in dealing with such issues. The effects of climate change are felt throughout the Indian subcontinent, especially in the valuable and delicate ecosystems of the Himalayas and Western Ghats. Conservational efforts across the world will not be successful unless the local populations are included in any proposed solution. Therefore it is absolutely critical to collaborate with local communities and increase their awareness of the environmental impact of their practices.

Religion continues to be the medium through which many people in India understand and interact with their surroundings. I believe greater incentive to mobilise and participate in modern conservational projects will manifest if encouragement to become actively involved can be found within their own traditions and the Indian people understand and interact with the issues of deforestation and climate change in the context of their own worldview.
I believe my background prepares me to undertake my unique perspective which combines the disciplines of Religious Studies and Environmental Science. Focusing on the traditional interactions of Hinduism and folk beliefs with the environment would be beneficial in collaboration with environmental projects. It is important for modern conservational programs to acknowledge these traditional systems of conservation as viable strategies, and incorporate them into modern methods.

My research will explore ancient Indian literature to uncover the importance the sacred grove held in the Indian imagination throughout history. I also wish to study the traditions and rituals associated with the sacred groves. A greater awareness of the value and respect the ancient practices received has the potential to revive a new found pride in such traditional conservational and can create an environmentally positive mentality. This can be worked into new environmental programs. My future studies will culminate in a collaboration with conservational projects and working with local communities raising awareness of the importance of the environment and the values their ancestors placed on conservation.

I am currently enrolled in my first year of the Master’s program at the Centre for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto. Students are required to complete four full-year graduate courses, a major research paper, and show evidence of reading knowledge of one language of modern scholarship or a necessary source language. I am currently focusing on improving my reading Sanskrit in preparation of fulfilling this requirement. This is a vital language to posses in my field of research as the majority of primary sources are written in this ancient language.

I feel that an interdisciplinary approach is important when studying and understanding cultures different from one’s own. Along with my home department in Religious Studies, I am also working in collaboration with two other centres: The Centre for South Asian Studies and the Centre for Environmental Studies. In the Centre for South Asian Studies there is a half-year interdisciplinary taught course, and attendance at visiting lectures relating to South Asia is mandatory. The requirements for Environmental Studies are another interdisciplinary taught course, along with an elective course chosen from a list. As I am collaborating with two centres my major research paper must include both a South Asian and environmental component.



Sacred Grove I found in Kerala, India!!!