Sacred Groves

News: Sacred groves can preserve biodiversity and function as carbon sink, enabling India to achieve her carbon goals. Unfortunately, most of them are under threat today.

About Sacred Groves

• Sacred groves are areas of forest or woodland that are considered sacred by local communities, often due to their spiritual, cultural, or religious significance.
• They are usually preserved from human exploitation, such as logging, hunting, or farming based on traditional beliefs and rituals.
• They serve as an important site for worship, community rituals and conservation of biodiversity, often supporting rare or endangered species of plants and animals.
• They help to maintain the ecological balance by acting as vital airshed areas, protecting against soil erosion and helping to regulate local microclimate.
• India has well over 13,000 documented sacred groves, with Maharashtra, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Rajasthan having rich abundance of groves.