WHAT IS MEAN SACRED GROVES

INTRODUCTION
A sacred grove or sacred woods are any grove of trees of special

religious importance to a particular culture. Sacred groves were most prominent in the Ancient Near East and prehistoric Europe, but feature in various cultures throughout the world.

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Sacred groves of India are forest fragments of varying sizes,

which are communally protected, and which usually have a significant religious connotation for the protecting community. Hunting and logging are usually strictly prohibited within these patches. Other forms of forest usage like honey collection and deadwood collection are sometimes allowed on a sustainable basis. Sacred groves did not enjoy protection via federal legislation in India.

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Some NGOs work with local villagers to protect such

groves. Traditionally, and in some cases even today, members of the community take turns to protect the grove. However, the introduction of the protected area category community reserves under the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002 has introduced legislation for providing government protection to community held lands, which could include sacred groves.

SACRED GROVES OF INDIA

The decline of sacred groves can be attributed to the change in

social values and religious beliefs as a result of modernization and urbanization. The expansion of the market economy, which places heavy demand on resources such as timber, is another major cause. For most villagers, economics is easier to understand than ecology. Sacred groves vary in size from a few trees to dense forests covering vast tracts of land. These groves are important today as they are banks of genetic and plant diversity that have to be preserved and sustained. These areas often contain species that have disappeared from the regions outside the grove. The extant groves are proof that the forests exist not only because there are regulations but also because there are traditions.

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