Author – Kavita Bhardwaj

Across India’s diverse landscapes, sacred groves — locally known as orans, devban, kaadu, sarna, and by many other names — have stood as silent sentinels of biodiversity and cultural heritage. For generations, these community-protected forest patches have been guarded not by laws, but by belief systems and the spiritual reverence of local people.

Estimated to number between 1 to 10 million plots, these groves are more than just ecological treasures — they are sacred spaces where culture, tradition, and biodiversity intertwine. However, recent developments such as the Supreme Court’s directive to classify Rajasthan’s sacred groves as ‘community reserves’ under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, threaten to shift control from communities to forest departments. This raises serious concerns over the clash with the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which was meant to return forest stewardship to gram sabhas. At the heart of this debate lies the urgent question: Who truly protects the forest — law or legacy?

What Are Sacred Groves?

Sacred groves of India are small forest patches protected by local communities due to religious or cultural beliefs. They are often associated with local deities, ancestral spirits, or nature worship, where cutting trees, hunting animals, or even speaking loudly is taboo. They may contain a small shrine, a stone, a water body, or nothing at all—just the invisible boundary of belief. According to the Indian State of Forest Report 2021, there are an estimated 13,720 sacred groves in India, though many more remain undocumented— hidden in remote hills, remembered only in stories.

Western Ghats: The Oldest Protectors

The Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are one of the world’s top eight hotspots of biodiversity. Here, sacred groves are known as “Devrai” in Maharashtra, “Kavu” in Kerala, and “Devarakadu” in Karnataka.

• Karnataka: The Devara Kadu of Kodagu – God’s Own Forests — Nestled in the Malnad region of Karnataka, the Devarakadu—literally “God’s forest”—are sacred groves in the Kodagu district that have bound communities together for centuries. These tropical evergreen patches are dedicated to deities like Kadu Aiyappa and Bhadrakali, and rituals like Devarakadu Habba reflect the deep cultural ties. Over 1,214 Devarakadus covering 4,614 hectares, are protected by 18 native communities. But these spiritual zones are now endangered due to encroachment and land conversion. In Thaaka village’s Eeroli Bana, local faith still defends 800 acres of forest.
• Around 2,820 sacred groves are preserved as ‘Devrai’ across Ratnagiri, Raigarh, Kolhapur, and Sindhudurg, districts in Maharashtra. Particularly, the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is surrounded by numerous devrais, where the tribal Mahadev Koli people believe deities reside in certain groves. No one dares to cut even a branch without ritual.
• Kerala’s Kavu system is deeply intertwined with serpent worship (Sarpakavu). These groves maintain micro-climates even during dry months and house species like the Malabar Grey Hornbill and rare orchids.According to a 2006 study by the French Institute of Pondicherry, these groves often show higher species diversity than even protected government forests. Devrais serve as seed banks, pollinator hotspots, and sources of traditional medicine.

Eastern Ghats: Living Forests on Fragile Slopes

The scattered Eastern Ghats — spanning Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu — cradle numerous sacred groves, often undocumented and fragile. These hills are home to tribes like the Koya, Kondh, and Irula, who guard their forest patches for rain rituals and ancestral ceremonies. Groves here are often dedicated to Gramadevata (village gods) or Nagadevata (serpent deity), and are the first place villagers turn to in times of drought or illness.

A 2020 paper in the Journal of Ethnobiology & Traditional Medicine recorded over 250 plant species in Eastern Ghat sacred groves—44 species with known medicinal value, and other unclassified in modern pharmacology. Sacred groves here not only offer spiritual refuge, but serve as ecological corridors connecting fragmented forest lands. In many cases, these are the only untouched forest remains in otherwise deforested districts.

Central India: Sacred Landscapes of the Gond and Baiga

The heart of India, including parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand, is home to ancient Adivasi tribes like the Gond, Baiga, and Oraon. For them, nature is not just worshipped; it is lived every day. Sacred groves here are often linked to spirits of ancestors (bhooth, dev, devi) and specific trees like Sal, Mahua, or Peepal. In Pachmarhi, for instance, sacred groves help preserve forest gene pools. The Baiga community refrains from tilling sacred land, calling it ‘Devbhumi’. Studies by the Indian Institute of Forest Management show that villages with sacred groves had better soil health, groundwater retention, and even better resilience to crop failures.

North-East India: Forests of the Spirits

In the Northeast—Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram—the forest is both church and god. The Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo tribes maintain hundreds of sacred groves called “Law Kyntang”, “Law Lyngdoh”, or simply “forest of the gods.”

• The Mawphlang Sacred Grove in Meghalaya is one of the best-known and biologically rich groves in the country. Spanning around 78 hectares, it has remained untouched for centuries. These sacred groves play host to Meghalaya’s most beautiful living root bridges that are made from tree roots. Locals believe that taking even a leaf from this grove invites misfortune. This taboo has kept the biodiversity intact, including rare species like the Himalayan Vulture, Carnivorous Pitcher Plants, and tree fungi still being discovered. In many cases, these groves are the only remaining forests in otherwise degraded landscapes. A UNESCO study (2010) acknowledged Meghalaya’s sacred groves as vital climate resilience buffers for rural and tribal communities.

Himalayas: Shrines in the Mist

The high-altitude regions of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and parts of Ladakh also host sacred groves, though fewer in number due to terrain. Here, forests are dedicated to deities like Mahasu Devta or Nag Devta, and often align with water sources—springs, rivers, or glacial lakes. Cutting trees near such sacred areas is considered an offense against both god and the community.

In Himachal Pradesh, certain cedar forests (Deodar) are preserved as part of temple ecosystems. In Uttarakhand, village elders recall how during droughts, rituals were performed in sacred groves to “awaken” the mountain spirits. These groves act as watershed regulators, preventing landslides and preserving snowmelt channels crucial for Himalayan agriculture and downstream water supply.

Thar and Arid Zones: Devotion in the Desert

In the barren lands of Rajasthan and Gujarat, sacred groves known as ‘Orans’ and ‘Samraans’ that dot the desert. Tribal communities such as the Bishnois and Rabaris protect sacred groves associated with deities like Khetarpal Ji and Hinglaj Mata. The Bishnoi, known for their intense ecological ethics, famously protect blackbucks, peacocks, and trees—even at the cost of their lives, as seen in the Khejarli massacre of 1730AD, where 363 villagers died defending trees. These groves reduce wind erosion, preserve native flora like Prosopis cineraria (Khejri tree), and serve as refuges for desert fauna like the Indian Gazelle and Desert Fox.

Conclusion: We Are the Last Link

Sacred groves are more than clusters of trees—they are living memories. In their shade lie stories of prayers and shared belonging. These green sanctuaries have long offered quiet answers to modern crises: coolness in heat, water in drought, air for breath, and roots for the soul. Protecting them isn’t just about conserving biodiversity—it’s about protecting memory, meaning, and home.