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India’s Sacred Groves Preserve Nature Through Ancient Community Rules
Some Indian communities protect special forests because they believe the forests belong to deities or are spiritually important.
These places are called sacred groves, and they have different names in different regions.
People may be forbidden from cutting trees, hunting animals or taking away wood.
In some groves, communities can collect useful items under traditional rules.
The forests give plants and animals safe places to live.
They also help provide water, grass, food and medicine.
Many sacred groves are now threatened by construction, farming, migration and energy projects.
In December 2024, India’s Supreme Court told Rajasthan to map and protect its sacred landscapes.
The story shows how old community traditions can help protect nature today.
Sacred groves across India are protected by religious, cultural and customary rules that restrict activities such as tree cutting and hunting.
The groves support biodiversity, store carbon, reduce erosion, retain moisture and provide communities with grazing land, fodder, water and forest products.
The Centre for People’s and Environment Education has documented 13,270 sacred groves, while acknowledging that the total number may be higher.
Several groves face shrinking areas or development pressure, including Karnataka’s Devarakadu, Manipur’s Umang Lai and Rajasthan’s Orans.
A 18 December 2024 Supreme Court judgment directed Rajasthan to map and notify sacred groves and consider classifying them as forests and community reserves.
- Who
- Indigenous, tribal and other local communities across India, along with conservationists, scientists and the Supreme Court of India.
- What
- Community-protected sacred groves are being recognised for their cultural and ecological importance and face pressure from development.
- Where
- Across India, including Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Manipur, Jharkhand and Rajasthan’s Thar region.
- When
- The traditions have continued for centuries; a significant Supreme Court judgment was issued on 18 December 2024, while a Kerala restoration programme was reported on 30 April 2026.
- Why
- The groves protect biodiversity and natural resources while supporting spiritual practices, livelihoods, water systems and community identity.
Community Conservation
Development Priorities
Land use in Rajasthan
Community Conservation
Conservationists and pastoral communities argue that Orans protect grasslands, water systems, native grasses and livelihoods, and that their ecological and community value must be recognised.
Development Priorities
Solar and wind projects are presented as part of India’s clean-energy transition, creating a need to determine how development can coexist with community-protected ecosystems.
Formal recognition
Community Conservation
The Supreme Court directed Rajasthan to map and notify sacred groves regardless of size and consider forest and community-reserve protections.
Development Priorities
Many groves are governed by customary knowledge rather than clearly marked government boundaries, making formal mapping and classification more complex.
Rules on resource use
Community Conservation
Strict customary rules in some groves prohibit cutting trees, hunting and removing even fallen wood, helping preserve native ecosystems.
Development Priorities
Other communities permit limited collection of honey, medicinal plants or deadwood, showing that conservation rules differ by location rather than following one uniform model.
Key facts
- Documented groves
- The Centre for People’s and Environment Education has recorded 13,270 sacred groves, while stating that this is not necessarily a final count.
- Karnataka decline
- Devarakadu area reportedly fell from about 15,000 acres to less than 9,000 acres by 2018.
- Kerala restoration
- A pilot programme covers five Kavus and plans to plant nearly 3,000 saplings representing more than 100 native and threatened plant species.
- Meghalaya carbon storage
- The Law Kyntang Ryngkew Swer Sacred Grove stores more than 100 megagrams of carbon per hectare, with densest patches reaching up to 200 megagrams per hectare.
- Manipur groves
- Around 365 Umang Lai groves have been reported across Manipur, with research indicating pressure from urban expansion.
- Rajasthan Orans
- Rajasthan has around 25,000 Orans covering approximately six lakh hectares, including about 5.37 lakh hectares in the western Thar.
- Court directions
- The Supreme Court directed Rajasthan to conduct ground and satellite mapping and survey and notify sacred groves across districts.
Sources
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