Sacred Groves stand ignored

Traditional conservation and the need for greater Govt attention !

Bhushan Parimoo

Learning brings joy, wisdom and a sense of discovery. One of the greatest lessons humanity has learned is that a single lifetime is far too short to uncover all the secrets of nature. Science has revealed only a fraction of them. Every plant, animal and life form has a unique story to tell, and nature reveals many of its mysteries to those who observe it closely.

Human civilization is also the product of centuries of accumulated knowledge passed from one generation to another. Ecological wisdom forms an important part of this knowledge system. Communities that value and preserve traditional ecological practices are better equipped to live in harmony with nature.

Biodiversity conservation became a major international priority with the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992. Rapid urbanization, deforestation, habitat fragmentation, climate change and overexploitation of natural resources have since placed ecosystems under increasing pressure.

Governments have created national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and conservation reserves, but local communities have also played an important role through traditional conservation practices. Among the oldest examples are sacred groves—patches of natural vegetation protected because of religious, cultural and spiritual beliefs.

In Jammu and Kashmir, where ecosystems range from subtropical forests to alpine meadows, such traditional conservation practices have considerable ecological and cultural significance.

A Sacred Grove in Saharan

The author came across this issue during a visit to a sacred grove in village Saharan in the Gajansoo area of Jammu. The grove has been protected and preserved largely through community efforts.

The area is bisected by a small drainage channel and has a thick canopy comprising different tree species. It also possesses good ground flora. The author observed a plant belonging to the Piper genus, besides several medicinal and rare herbs and shrubs.

Unfortunately, this ecologically valuable area appears to have received little attention from the concerned government authorities. There is a need to recognize it as an area of ecological and cultural importance and explore its development as a biodiversity and environmental education site.

The matter was taken up with the Department of Social Forestry with a request for intervention. However, instead of undertaking concrete conservation measures at the site, a booklet documenting sacred groves of J&K was published. While such documentation is useful, it covers only some groves, particularly those that are accessible and located near urban areas.

Numerous lesser-known sacred groves remain scattered across remote parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The Saharan grove deserves attention as a potential biodiversity park and ecological heritage site.

Sacred Groves: Traditional Conservation

Sacred groves are patches of natural forest or vegetation protected by communities because of their religious, cultural or spiritual beliefs. In the lower Shiwalik belts of J&K, they are known by terms such as Bani or Hasab areas. Similar sacred landscapes in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are known by names such as Upvan, Nandan Van, Vatika, Phulwari, Kunj, Vriksha Vatika and Udyan.

These forests are often associated with local deities, saints or ancestral spirits. Cutting trees, hunting animals and extracting forest produce may be prohibited or restricted by customary practices.

Traditional beliefs also associate different aspects of nature with different deities. Bhoo Devi represents Mother Earth, while Van Devta is associated with forests. Naag is linked with springs, ponds and lakes, while Shakambari is associated with vegetation and Annapurna with food and nourishment.

Such traditions effectively created community-based systems of conservation long before modern environmental laws came into existence.

Ecological Wealth

India has thousands of sacred groves distributed across different states. These groves can preserve remnants of natural vegetation that have disappeared from surrounding landscapes because of agriculture, urbanization and other land-use changes.

They serve as living repositories of biodiversity, providing refuge to medicinal plants, insects, birds, reptiles and mammals. They also provide important ecosystem services such as groundwater recharge, soil conservation, carbon storage, climate regulation and pollination.

Equally important is their role in preserving indigenous knowledge, traditional ecological practices and cultural identity.

Sacred Groves in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir possesses numerous sacred forest patches associated with temples, shrines, holy lakes and local religious traditions.

According to a publication of the Department of Social Forestry, a compilation of 75 sacred groves of Jammu and Kashmir has been prepared. However, this does not represent all such sites. Many sacred groves remain undocumented in isolated villages and remote areas, often with unique folklore and traditional practices associated with them.

The Mansar-Surinsar region contains sacred forest patches associated with ancient temples and holy lakes. These forests support species such as Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii), Banj Oak (Quercus leucotrichophora), Khair (Acacia catechu) and several medicinal plants.

The Sudh Mahadev area in Udhampur district is another example where forests surrounding the temple have traditionally received protection because of religious beliefs.

Similarly, forest patches around Mata Vaishno Devi, Baba Dhansar, Purmandal and Shiv Khori, among other religious sites, have traditionally benefited from community reverence. Increasing pilgrimage and tourism, however, are creating ecological pressures in some of these areas.

In Kashmir Valley, forests surrounding shrines associated with revered saints and Sufi traditions also function as sacred landscapes where traditional customs have historically restricted the extraction of forest resources.

Ecological Importance

Sacred groves in Jammu and Kashmir can perform several important ecological functions:

Conserve native, medicinal and locally rare plant species.

Provide habitat for birds, butterflies, reptiles, mammals and beneficial insects.

Act as genetic reservoirs of plant diversity.

Protect springs, streams and watersheds and support groundwater recharge.

Reduce soil erosion, particularly on mountain slopes.

Store carbon and contribute to climate-change mitigation.

Preserve mature and old trees that may be uncommon in commercially managed forests.

Their small size should not be mistaken for ecological insignificance. Even small forest patches can provide refuge for species and help maintain ecological connectivity across fragmented landscapes.

Challenges

Despite their value, sacred groves face increasing threats. These include:

Expansion of roads, tourism and settlements.

Encroachment and land-use change.

Unregulated pilgrimage, waste generation and habitat degradation.

Invasive alien species.

Climate change and its effects on mountain ecosystems.

Declining traditional knowledge among younger generations.

Lack of scientific documentation and formal recognition.

If these threats continue unchecked, many small sacred forests could gradually lose both their ecological integrity and cultural significance.

Conservation: A Pass-the-Buck Approach?

The long-term conservation of sacred groves requires coordinated efforts by government agencies, researchers and local communities. Unfortunately, there appears to be a pass-the-buck approach, with limited concrete action visible on the ground.

The first step should be to identify, document and map sacred groves across Jammu and Kashmir. Scientific assessments can establish their biodiversity and ecological value, while local communities can provide valuable information about their history, traditional rules and cultural significance.

Selected sites of high ecological and cultural importance could be given appropriate recognition and incorporated into conservation planning. Biodiversity parks and environmental education centres could also be developed at suitable locations, without disturbing their traditional character.

Most importantly, conservation efforts should involve the communities that have protected these places for generations. Their traditional ecological knowledge should complement modern scientific management rather than being overlooked.

Sacred groves are remarkable examples of how faith, culture and ecology can work together to conserve nature. They demonstrate that biodiversity conservation is not solely dependent on legislation; it can also emerge from community values, customary practices and traditional knowledge.

In Jammu and Kashmir, sacred forests surrounding temples, shrines and other revered sites complement formal conservation areas by protecting habitats, native biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Recognition of appropriate sacred landscapes as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) could provide an additional framework for strengthening their protection while respecting local traditions.

The sacred groves of Jammu and Kashmir are more than remnants of an old cultural tradition. They are living ecological assets and repositories of biodiversity and traditional knowledge. They deserve proper documentation, recognition and meaningful protection before neglect, development pressures and changing social practices make their loss irreversible.

(The writer is a Jammu-based environmentalist.)