CONTENTS
DEDICATED i" PREFACE v-x
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT xi-xii
CONTENT IN DETAIL
CHAPTER 1: RELIGION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION 1-22 Introduction 1 Religion defined 3 Religion: What it stands for 4 Ways of relating to the Supernatural, the intermediaries 5 The function of religion 6 Religion is synonymous with conservation 8 Religion and conservation-how? 9 Islam 10 Hinduism 14 Buddhism 15 Jainism 17 Religion: The basis of traditional ecological knowledge 19
CHAPTER 2: THE INSTITUTION OF SACRED 23-74 Introduction: The concept of sacred species 25 Why the reverence for trees 29 The concept of sacredness associated with flora 30 Why sacredness? 32 Conservation versus preservation 35 Yak: A sacred species 43 Sacred Groves 53 Sacred forests as Se-Rong in Darma valley, Pithoragarh 54 Sacred water bodies 65 The sacred mountains 65 Salient features of sacred natural sites 66 Perception 66 Features common to the sacred forests of Uttarakhand 72 Conclusion 74
CHAPTER 3: THE PANTHEON OF GODS AND GODDESSES AND THE ASSOCIATED MYTH/S 75-128 Introduction 77 Genesis of dual cultic institution 81 Polytheism- The realm of the local deities 82 The genesis of the 'sacredness' 83 The deities and the associated myth/s 86
CHAPTER 4: FEAR WOVEN AROUND MYTHS AND THUS CONSERVATION! 129-144 Introduction 131 The Locative strand of sacredness: the associated myths and the inherent message of conservation 132 Example 1: The sacred forest of Maanthaat 132 Example 2: The sacred forest of Sem Mukhim Nag 134 The myth of how the seven Sems came into being 135 Sidwa-Bidwa 135 The resident deity: Kaliya Naag 135 Example 3: Sacred forest of Thai Ke Dhar 137 Example 4: Sacred forest of Hariyali Devi 137 Example 5: The sacred forest ofTarkeshwar 138 Example 6: The sacred forest of Madhkeshwar 138 Example 7: The sacred forest of Thatyur and the myth of Kuneshwar Mahadev 139 Cult of Naga Devata 139 The genesis of cult ofNaga Devata- A Hypothesis 139 The concept of fertility and the serpent 140 The sacred-Kaak Puran and the inherent message of conservation. 142 CHAPTER 5: THE PRINCIPAL RITUALS CONDUCTED WITHINTHE SACRED COMPLEX 145-170 Introduction 147 Why conduct rituals? 147 Sacredness, ritualisation and the inherent flexibility of the 'sacred'..15$ The concept of sacred complex 150 Sacred geography 5 Sacred Performances The wrath of the deity (syn. Dev prakop) and the means of getting rid of the same 153 Animal Sacrifice 156 The ritual of animal Sacrifice 156 Why male studs of buffaloes are the preferred animal being sacrificed?...158 The reason offered for the Ritual 160 Jaagar 162 Jagariya and Ghadiyaala .... 163 The Procedure 164 Bahari Jaagar 166 The fear of the defilement of food 168
CHAPTER 6: TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION VIS-A-VIS THE INSTITUTION OF SACRED 171-190 Introduction 173 Precepts of conservation inherent in cultural landscape 175 Harvesting Restraint 176 Protection or Propagation of Resource Species 176 Kathburiya Devi 176 Nabu samo 177 Regulating Onset or Duration of Harvests 177 NandaAstami 177 Chiplajaat 179 Avoidance of Harmful Habitat Modification 181 The institution ofKhark 182 Patch-Switching to Maximize Overall Return Rates 183 Dedication of forests to a deity 184 Characteristic features of the dedicated forests 186 Conclusion 187 CHAPTER 7: THE INSTITUTION OF TABOO AND THE LOCAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 191-209 Introduction 193 Taboo system as practiced in the cultural landscape 199 Segment taboos 201 Temporal taboos 202 Method taboos 203 Life history taboos 206 Specific-species taboos 206 Habitat taboos 207 Conclusion : 208
CHAPTER 8: THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF MENSES..211-228 Introduction 213 The religious adherence to maintaining purity (and thus the fear of impurity) 217 Menstruation- as a taboo for oppression of women 218 Menstruation and pollution 219 Menses and the wrath of the deity in Kwiri-Jimia, Munsiari 220 The Flash-flood in Kwiri-Jimia, August 2010 221 The myth that surrounds the Roopkund tragedy 221 Tragedy at Sarp Kund (erstwhile Nandi kund) 223 The death ofNanda Devi Unsoeld 223 Defilement and the birth of Buddha 224 Some interesting facts related to menses in the Central Himalaya..224 Menotoxins: the cause of the bane? 226 Menstrual odour 227 Menstruation- symbolic of fertility 227 Conclusion 228
CHAPTER 9: DEVELOPING SACRED GROVES INTO BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE SITES- EXPERIENCES FROM THE STATE OFUTTARAKHAND 229-257 Introduction 231 Methodology 232 Criteria for selection of the sacred groves for BHS 232 Biodiversity assessment, existent taboo, the ethnobotanical knowledge base 233 Results : 241 Biodiversity assessment 241 Ecosystem services provided by the sacred groves 251 Priorities of the local populace as relates to the utilization of the financial support 251 Difficulties faced, lessons learnt and the viability of the envisioned BHS 253 Conclusion 254
CHAPTER 10: THE VIABILITY OF THE VERY INSTITUTION OF SACRED 259-270 Introduction 261 Important findings 261 So what's the way out 265 Conclusion 269
GLOSSARY 272-282
REFERENCES 283-298
ANNEXURES 299-468
INDEX 469-472