Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Call to preserve sacred groves

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ‘kavus’ (sacred groves) that led to the emergence of the cult of snake worship in ancient Kerala were designed to play a key role in conserving biodiversity.

Nurtured by tradition and sustained by beliefs, these miniature evergreen forests within human settlements represented a heritage of eco-conservation, according to a paper published in a book titled ‘Ecological traditions of Kerala’ that was released here on Saturday. Citing a survey carried out in the Kannur and Kasaragod districts, the paper authored by E. Unnikrishnan notes that there are 1,000 sacred groves in the two districts.

The survey revealed that the groves were repositories of rare and endangered endemic medicinal plants used by traditional physicians for various diseases.

The paper observes that the trees in many sacred groves are being felled for construction and renovation of temples. The paper goes on to describe groves as centres of excellence in ‘in situ’ conservation.

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