The sacred grove and sacred forest: Adivasi indigenous knowledge and rituals as sustainable development in India

Abstract (English)

This paper discusses the indigenous concept of "sacred groves" as an umbrella term for floral, fluvial, arboreal natural sanctuaries of indigenous and Adivasi India. The socio-ritual institution of sacred groves dates to pre-historical and pre-agrarian societies and is thriving in most parts of rural and tribal Adivasi India. Sacred groves depict thus a continuous ancient and contemporary tradition of a patch of forest or water body which is either dedicated to local deities or itself represent other than human sacred entities. Sacred groves are covered by taboos. Nor they can be allowed to be destroyed, nor it is morally allowed to cut plants or to kill animals or any form of life in these sacred abodes.
In Odisha the indigenous Rona consider divine and semi-divine spirits like Mauli, Peten, Mahulgachhien, Amgachhien to be residing patches of indigenous forests. In Madhya Pradesh the indigenous Baiga consider every big tree encorporating a potentially malevolent non-human entity, called pret, or bhut if cut. The physical disrespect of sacred forest always results in ontological explanations for disaster, disease or epidemics.
The presentation discusses the central role of sacred groves in bio-diversity conservation and indigenous sustainability as well the role of gender in knowledge transmission.

The sacred grove concept will be further envisaged as model for a sustainable development and as an environmental discourse to be implemented in urban environmentally depleted contexts.