Temple forests in India's forest development

Chandrakanth, M.G.; Gilless, J. Keith; Gowramma, V.; Nagaraja, M. G.

doi:10.1007/bf00045899

Cited by 23 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…This finding is consistent with previous reports from the Indian Subcontinent (Table 2) (Chandrakanth et al 1990;Dutta 2006;Gadgil and Guha 1993;Kumar et al 2011;Sitaramam et al 2009). We observed temples or shrines were common features at the base of large ahot gos (F. religiosa) and bor gos (F. benghalensis) trees (Table 1).…”

Section: Religious Status Of Fig In Assamsupporting

confidence: 93%

Felling Ficus: The Cultural Status of Fig Trees in a Rural Assamese Community, India

Cottee-Jones

Whittaker

2015

EBL

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Scattered fig (Ficus spp. Moraceae) trees are critically important for biodiversity conservation in tropical rural landscapes. By providing large fruit crops, they help maintain seed dispersal networks and facilitate forest restoration. The conservation of fig trees scattered across rural landscapes is therefore vital for the preservation of ecosystem services and biodiversity beyond the borders of protected areas. Given the threats to scattered fig trees, it is increasingly important to identify potentially effective local conservation strategies that accommodate existing perceptions of their value. We used ethnographic techniques to assess the attitudes of villagers towards fig trees in the village of Komargoan and its surroundings in Assam, India. As reported for other parts of South Asia, we found fig trees have significant sacred status, which included taboos against cutting them down. However, we discovered mixed and sometimes contradictory understandings of the religious attributes of fig trees, which were sometimes believed to be inhabited by gods or ancestral spirits. The benefits most commonly associated with fig trees by interviewees were their aesthetic beauty, large size, and shade during the daytime heat. When the presence of these trees incurred economic costs, their religious, aesthetic, and practical benefits were not sufficient reasons to prevent people from cutting them down, although often saplings would be planted in another place as compensation. Unexpectedly, figs were only planted by respected members of the community, usually older men, who had sufficient social status. Any conservation strategy aiming to sustain the abundance of figs in rural Assam is more likely to be successful if these cultural views are taken into account.

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Section: Religious Status Of Fig In Assamsupporting

confidence: 93%

Felling Ficus: The Cultural Status of Fig Trees in a Rural Assamese Community, India

Cottee-Jones

Whittaker

2015

EBL

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“…The local people thus, have cultural reasons in addition to economic ones to support the conservation of these temple lands from exploitation. Studies by Chandrakanth et al (1990), Gadgil and Rao (1994), Agarwal (1994) and Kothari et al (1995) in other areas, provide evidence of such nature-society relations. This could be seen from the conservation perspective as an advantage, and also a starting point for the management of STR to involve people in conservation and development.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Local people's attitudes towards conservation and wildlife tourism around Sariska Tiger Reserve, India

Sekhar

2003

Journal of Environmental Management

213

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“…Harming the forest is forbidden by tradition and it is typically believed that any alteration of the forest, such as cutting wood for construction or firewood, hunting animals or other forms of resource extraction, will result in negative consequences to the person taking the resources (Gadgil & Vartak 1976;Chandrakanth et al 1990;Barre et al 2009). According to Chandrakanth et al (2004, p. 105), resource extraction from a sacred forest in India was perceived as a serious offence and 'traditional people believed that the punishment for such crimes would be to be reborn as urchins for thousands of years'.…”

Section: Sacred Groves As Community-conserved Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sacred forests of India: a strong tradition of community-based natural resource management

2010

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SUMMARYSacred forests represent an important long-held tradition of conserving specific land areas that have cultural, and often religious, significance. India, with its diversity of cultures and traditions, has over 100 000 sacred forests. Many of these groves are forest fragments in agricultural landscapes. In most cases, community members are at least aware of these fragments, if not actively involved in their protection and management. This review focuses on the Western Ghats in southern India and Meghalaya state in northeastern India, both international biodiversity hotspots. In addition to the cultural significance of sacred forests, a number of studies have suggested that they are important refuges for conservation of biological diversity, including medicinal plants, within highly anthropogenic landscapes. Whilst sacred groves have been successful conservation areas, current threats to these forests are numerous, ranging from pressures for use of timber and other forest products to clearing for agriculture or general changes in cultural traditions. A variety of arrangements exist for ownership and management of sacred forests, making it necessary to identify solutions on a case-by-case basis. Support for the continued practice of the tradition of sacred forest protection is needed in order to provide a culturally sensitive model for community-based natural resource management.

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Temple forests in India's forest development

Cited by 23 publications

References 1 publication

Felling Ficus: The Cultural Status of Fig Trees in a Rural Assamese Community, India

Felling Ficus: The Cultural Status of Fig Trees in a Rural Assamese Community, India

Local people's attitudes towards conservation and wildlife tourism around Sariska Tiger Reserve, India

Sacred forests of India: a strong tradition of community-based natural resource management

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