š³ The Sacred Groves: Where Faith Meets Forest
In a world racing toward concrete skylines and digital dreams, there exist quiet sanctuaries of lifeāsacred groves. These are not just patches of greenery, but living temples, where nature and faith have coexisted for centuries.
Piplantri Village, Rajasthan ā A Model of Eco-Feminism
Located in the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan, Piplantri was once plagued by deforestation, marble mining, and deep-rooted gender inequality. Today, it is globally recognized for a unique initiative: planting 111 trees for every girl child born.
This transformative movement was initiated by Padma Shri Shyam Sundar Paliwal, who began planting trees in memory of his deceased daughter. Over time, the practice became a community tradition. Along with planting trees, the villagers also contribute ā¹31,000 as a fixed deposit for each girlās future.
Key Impacts:
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Over 3.5 lakh trees planted, restoring the ecosystem.
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Promotion of gender equality and girl child empowerment.
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Generation of additional income through forest produce.
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Climate resilience and biodiversity revival through indigenous tree species.
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Piplantri stands as a symbol of community-driven environmental stewardship and social change, integrating ecological conservation with gender justice.
A Legacy Rooted in Belief
Long before the idea of biodiversity conservation took scientific shape, ancient Indian societies had already found a way to protect nature: by making it sacred.
In every corner of India, these groves go by different namesāKaavu in Kerala, Sarna in Jharkhand, Devrai in Goa, and Pavithravanam in Andhra Pradesh. Though the names vary, the purpose remains the same: protect the forest, and the forest will protect you.
These groves are believed to be the abode of gods, ancestral spirits, or serpents. Cutting a tree or hunting within their boundaries isn’t just frowned uponāitās seen as a sin that could invite disease, misfortune, or divine wrath.
š Case Study 1: Sarpakavu, Kerala ā A Forest for the Serpent Gods
In Kerala, Sarpakavu (sacred serpent groves) are found near traditional Nair homes. These thick patches of forest are untouched, dark, and humidāideal for biodiversity.
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Associated Deity: Naga (serpent deity)
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Ritual: Ayilyam Puja, an annual festival to appease the snakes
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Belief: Removing a tree from the grove invites misfortuneādroughts, infertility, illness.
š„ Impact: These groves act as natural water-harvesting sites, preventing soil erosion and maintaining local hydrology.
š² Case Study 2: Mawphlang Sacred Grove, Meghalaya
Deep in the Khasi Hills lies a 78-hectare forest where no branch can be taken outāeven if itās dead.
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Tribe: Khasi
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Belief: A powerful deity, Labasa, guards the forest.
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Rituals: Animal sacrifices and tribal ceremonies are held for protection and abundance.
š¦ Ecological Value:
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Over 200 species of medicinal plants, lichens, and ferns
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Source of clean air and water for neighboring villages
š£ Ethical Dimension: Embodies deep ecologyāvaluing nature for its own sake, not just for utility.
šæ Case Study 3: Jama Jharana Sacred Grove, Kandhamal, Odisha ā The Forest That Heals
In the heart of Odishaās Kandhamal district, nestled among the Eastern Ghats, lies a grove revered not just as sacredābut as sacrosanct.
Locally called the āJama Jharana Devata Banā, this sacred grove is protected by the Kondh tribal community, one of the oldest Adivasi groups in India.
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Associated Deity: Jama Devata, a local rain and fertility spirit
šŖ“ Ecological Richness:
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Dense canopy with Sal, Bamboo, and medicinal herbs
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Natural spring water source that sustains nearby villages
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Habitat for hill mynas, pangolins, and various endemic reptiles
š« Taboos:
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No one dares to cut a tree, take firewood, or bathe in the spring without ritual permission.
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Locals believe desecrating the grove brings misfortune, crop failure, and illness.
šÆ Significance:
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Serves as a traditional water management system.
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Protects indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants, passed down orally through generations.
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Symbolises tribal cosmologyāwhere land, spirit, and survival are inseparable.
šŗ Natureās Own Temple
These sacred spaces are often small, sometimes just a few trees, but within them lies an incredible wealth of biodiversityāmedicinal herbs, ancient trees, rare reptiles, and endangered species that no other forest might hold. Protected by communitiesānot governmentsāthese groves became Indiaās oldest model of in-situ conservation.
And they worked.
Generation after generation respected the unseen deities, followed the unwritten rules, and kept the groves intact. This intimate relationship with nature gave rise to unique festivals, offerings, and stories, all echoing the same message: reverence for the Earth.
ā ļø A Crisis in the Making
But as India marches toward rapid urbanisation, this tradition is slowly fading. Skyscrapers rise, myths fall. Modernisation has crept in, and the groves are disappearing.
What once was sacred is now being eyed for roads, industries, and real estate. Many young people see these customs as superstition. The grove becomes secondaryāthe temple at the center is preserved, but the forest around it is forgotten.
Deforestation, land encroachments, and commercial exploitation have shrunk or erased thousands of groves across India. Of the estimated 1,00,000ā1,50,000 sacred groves, many are now just a memory.
āļø Legal and Constitutional Framework
Ownership: Varies ā individuals, families, temple trusts, panchayats, NGOs.
Forest Departments maintain grove databases and monitor biodiversity status.
Constitutional Provisions:
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Article 48A: Duty of the State to protect forests and wildlife.
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Article 51A(g): Duty of citizens to protect the environment.
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Article 21: Implied right to a healthy environment.
Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2002:
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Added Sections 18A & 18B to bring sacred groves under the ambit of protected areas.
š The Path Ahead
To protect these living legacies, India needs:
- A dedicated national law for sacred groves
- Community participation in management and monitoring
- Public awareness campaigns to revive respect for traditional eco-wisdom
- Recognition that these are not just cultural relics, but ecological powerhouses
Because these groves are more than patches of land. They are green time machines, reminding us of a world where humans didnāt dominate natureābut lived with it, in harmony.
š§ Final Thought
In an age of climate change and collapsing ecosystems, the answer may not lie in always looking aheadābut in looking back. To our roots. To the groves.
Letās not just remember the sacred groves. Letās protect them. Before they become legends told by our grandparents, instead of forests seen by our grandchildren.
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In a diverse country like India, where each State is socially, culturally, economically, and politically distinct, measuring Governance becomes increasingly tricky. The Public Affairs Index (PAI 2021) is a scientifically rigorous, data-based framework that measures the quality of governance at the Sub-national level and ranks the States and Union Territories (UTs) of India on a Composite Index (CI).
States are classified into two categories ā Large and Small ā using population as the criteria.
In PAI 2021, PAC defined three significant pillars that embody Governance ā Growth, Equity, and Sustainability. Each of the three Pillars is circumscribed by five governance praxis Themes.
The themes include – Voice and Accountability, Government Effectiveness, Rule of Law, Regulatory Quality and Control of Corruption.
At the bottom of the pyramid, 43 component indicators are mapped to 14 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are relevant to the States and UTs.
This forms the foundation of the conceptual framework of PAI 2021. The choice of the 43 indicators that go into the calculation of the CI were dictated by the objective of uncovering the complexity and multidimensional character of development governance
The Equity Principle
The Equity Pillar of the PAI 2021 Index analyses the inclusiveness impact at the Sub-national level in the country; inclusiveness in terms of the welfare of a society that depends primarily on establishing that all people feel that they have a say in the governance and are not excluded from the mainstream policy framework.
This requires all individuals and communities, but particularly the most vulnerable, to have an opportunity to improve or maintain their wellbeing. This chapter of PAI 2021 reflects the performance of States and UTs during the pandemic and questions the governance infrastructure in the country, analysing the effectiveness of schemes and the general livelihood of the people in terms of Equity.
Growth and its Discontents
Growth in its multidimensional form encompasses the essence of access to and the availability and optimal utilisation of resources. By resources, PAI 2021 refer to human resources, infrastructure and the budgetary allocations. Capacity building of an economy cannot take place if all the key players of growth do not drive development. The multiplier effects of better health care, improved educational outcomes, increased capital accumulation and lower unemployment levels contribute magnificently in the growth and development of the States.
The Pursuit Of Sustainability
The Sustainability Pillar analyses the access to and usage of resources that has an impact on environment, economy and humankind. The Pillar subsumes two themes and uses seven indicators to measure the effectiveness of government efforts with regards to Sustainability.
The Curious Case Of The Delta
The Delta Analysis presents the results on the State performance on year-on-year improvement. The rankings are measured as the Delta value over the last five to 10 years of data available for 12 Key Development Indicators (KDI). In PAI 2021, 12 indicators across the three Pillars of Equity (five indicators), Growth (five indicators) and Sustainability (two indicators). These KDIs are the outcome indicators crucial to assess Human Development. The Performance in the Delta Analysis is then compared to the Overall PAI 2021 Index.
Key Findings:-
In the Scheme of Things
The Scheme Analysis adds an additional dimension to ranking of the States on their governance. It attempts to complement the Governance Model by trying to understand the developmental activities undertaken by State Governments in the form of schemes. It also tries to understand whether better performance of States in schemes reflect in better governance.
The Centrally Sponsored schemes that were analysed are National Health Mission (NHM), Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services scheme (ICDS), Mahatma Gandh National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SmSA) and MidDay Meal Scheme (MDMS).
National Health Mission (NHM)
INTEGRATED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (ICDS)
MID- DAY MEAL SCHEME (MDMS)
SAMAGRA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN (SMSA)
MAHATMA GANDHI NATIONAL RURAL EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEME (MGNREGS)