Sacred Groves | 06 Feb 2026

Source: IE  

Why in News?  

Communal tension between tribal communities and Christians in Kapena village, Odisha, has spoilt the practice and sanctity of the tribal sacred groves. 

What are Sacred Groves? 

• About: Sacred groves are patches of virgin or near-natural forests protected by local communities due to their religious, cultural, and spiritual significance.  
  • They are often associated with deities, ancestral spirits, burial grounds, or water sources. Community-based protection has ensured minimal human interference, resulting in the conservation of rich biodiversity without formal legal safeguards. 
• Extent and Distribution: India is home to over 1 million sacred forests and approximately 100,000 to 150,000 sacred groves. 
  • Sacred groves are found across India especially in the Western Ghats, Himalayas, Northeast, and Central India with high concentrations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. 
  • They are locally known as Sarna (Bihar), Dev Van (Himachal Pradesh), Devarakadu (Karnataka), Kavu (Kerala), Devrai (Maharashtra), Law Kyntang (Meghalaya), and Oran (Rajasthan). 
  • Unlike the forest-based groves elsewhere, sacred groves often take the form of alpine meadows at the Himalayan foothills. 
• Cultural and Religious Foundation: Rooted in Hinduism and intertwined with tribal and indigenous belief systems such as animism, ancestor worship and reverence for nature spirits, these groves are conserved not by law but by a powerful moral duty to worship and protect nature. 
  • Communities believe in the coexistence of all creatures, a concept mirroring the scientific mechanism of a healthy ecosystem. 
• Ecological Significance:  
  • Biodiversity Refuge: Known as the "secret wizards of conservation," these groves serve as refuges for various plant and animal species, resembling small natural forests. 
  • Water Conservation: These groves maintain high water quality (meeting WHO potable standards) and provide undisturbed habitats for diverse flora and fauna. 
  • Soil conservation: Dense vegetation and minimal disturbance prevent soil erosion, enhance soil fertility, and support long-term ecosystem stability. 
• Strict Prohibitions: To preserve sanctity, activities like logging and hunting are strictly prohibited. These areas are typically managed by local religious communities, joint families, or temple trusts. 
• Modern Challenges: There is a declining interest among younger generations, alongside threats from deforestation, urbanisation, and industrial development. 
• Protection:  The management of wildlife and its habitat is primarily the responsibility of the concerned State Government.  
  • Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 enables states to notify private or community lands as Community Reserves to conserve biodiversity and traditional cultural practices.  
  • Sacred groves, though small and community-protected, play an important role in local conservation, and under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Development of Wildlife Habitat, Kerala received funding for the Kadalundi–Vallikkunnu Community Reserve between 2020–23. 
  • Under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, sacred groves fall under 'Community Forest Resources' (customary common forest land within traditional boundaries). 
    • The FRA empowers the Gram Sabha as the statutory authority to protect, manage, and conserve these resources through its own Community Forest Resource Management Committees, independent of the Forest Department. 
    • However, the WLPA allows states to declare sacred groves as Community Reserves, bringing them under Forest Department control. 
      • This creates a legal conflict, as WLPA-led community reserves dilute and undermine the Gram Sabha’s autonomy guaranteed under the FRA,2006. 
• Global Recognition: The preservation of these groves aligns with the IUCN Green List Standard, which mandates the preservation of cultural values.  
  • These areas potentially qualify as Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs).