Status of Sacred Groves in Mahe (U.T. of Puducherry) and Strategies for their Conservation

Abstract

Sacred groves are the remnants of natural forest patches and are considered as repositories of diversity of flora and fauna that are conserved by by local communities in a sustainable manner. They are potential sites of insitu conservation of genetic diversity. Sacred groves are conserved since time immemorial. Mahe, coming under Puducherry administration, occupies a unique geographical location near to the Arabian Sea. It also forms a part of the Western Ghats, which in turn is one among the hottest of the hotspots of the world. The sacred groves of Mahe, popularly known as ‘Kavu’, harbor various life forms. There are 19 groves in Mahe and their size ranges between 0.36 to 1.21 ha. A preliminary floristic survey of the groves yielded 325 species belonging to 95 families. The major groves possess thick vegetation with a high concentration of evergreen species whereas the smaller ones show less dense or degraded patches. Many of the groves face anthropogenic pressures of various sorts. The groves are conserved due to religious faiths, taboos and folklores associated with grove. With the advent of modernization, urbanization and changing socio-economic scenario, the cultural norms and taboos are no longer much important. As a result many of the groves are degrading at a greater speed. The present paper embodies the documentation of the phytodiversity of the sacred groves of Mahe, their present status and strategies for conservation.