Recreating sacred groves in Tamil Nadu’s northern region

Subject :Environment

Context-

In Tamil Nadu’s arid northern Villupuram region, the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Department, which administers 1,500 temples in the Villupuram and Kallakurichi districts, has embarked on a project to protect these forest patches by recreating sacred groves.

What are sacred groves-

Sacred groves are a tract of virgin forest that is protected traditionally by the local communities as a whole and a harbour rich in biodiversity.
The area of sacred groves ranges from a few square meters to several hectares.
Sacred Groves are dedicated to local deities or tree spirits.
People believe that any kind of disturbance will offend the local deity, causing diseases, natural calamities, or failure of crops.
The degree of sanctity accorded to the sacred groves varies from one area to another. In some forests, even the dry foliage and fallen fruits are not touched.
Sacred groves have been legally protected under ‘community reserves’ in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002.
Hunting and logging are usually strictly prohibited within these patches.

Sacred groves in North Tamilnadu-

A lot of these forest patches are found in Villupuram, Cuddalore, Puducherry, and the Coromandel Coast.
Ayyanar temples are very important vestiges and relics of Jainism.
Ayyanar, Karuppusamy, and Muniandi were part of the Jain pattern of gods.
Ayyanar was very important in the pantheon of Jains.
A mapping exercise identified 115 plant species including medicinal plants in the sacred groves in Kilputhupattu.
The temple has around 110 acres of land in which 35 acres are sacred groves, and the idea was to phase out invasive species like eucalyptus and replace them with native species found on the Coromandel coast.
According to the Environmental Information System (ENVIS), Puducherry, there are 163 sacred groves on the Marakkanam-Puducherry-Cuddalore stretch.

Rich biodiversity of sacred groves–

A study on 15 sample groves reported 252 plant species belonging to 176 genera, 62 families, 136 taxa and six lianas.
Apart from the rich species diversity, the groves also host species of some of the last remaining repositories of critically endangered Tropical Dry Evergreen Forests (TDEFs).
IBF has identified 88 rare, endemic and near-threatened plant species found in TDEFs for conservation.
Some of the native species of trees found in the sacred grove in Kilputhupattu include Kaatu Pinnai ( Garceniaspicata), Karungali ( Diospyros ebenum), Sokkalai ( Aglaia elaeagnoidea), Vaalsura ( Walsura trifoliolata), Veera Maram ( Drypetes sepiaria), Kaatu Naarthai ( Pamburus missionis), Kaatu Elumichai ( Atalantia monophylla), Netti ( Polyalthia suberosa) and Kanu Pala ( Manilkara hexandra).

Threats-

The disappearance of the traditional belief systems (as are now considered mere superstition) that were fundamental to the concept of sacred forests.
Rapid urbanization and developmental activities such as roads, railways tracks, dams including commercial forestry have been destroying various sacred forests.
Encroachment has led to the shrinkage of some of the large forests
The transformation of the primitive forms of nature worship into formal temple worship
Invasion by exotic weeds is a serious threat to some groves.
Pressures due to increasing livestock and fuelwood collection.

Significance-

Conservation of local forests.
Help in the protection of a number of rare, endangered, and endemic species.
Important repositories of flora and fauna diversity that have been conserved by local communities in a sustainable manner.
The vegetation cover of the sacred groves improves the soil stability of the area and also prevents soil erosion.
The sacred groves are often associated with ponds, streams or springs, which support the water requirements of the local people. Thus, the vegetative cover of sacred groves helps in recharging the aquifers.
Among the largest sacred groves of India are the ones in Hariyali, near Gauchar in Chamoli District of Uttarakhand, and the Deodar grove in Shipin near Shimla in Himachal Pradesh.