GENERAL PAPER Role of Totem Trees in the Conservation Of

NeBIO An international journal of environment and biodiversity Vol. 8, No. 3, September 2017, 182-186 ISSN 2278-2281(Online Version) ☼ www.nebio.in GENERAL PAPER Role of totem trees in the conservation of biodiversity in sacred groves of Manipur: North East India Chongtham Sanjita, Th. Binoy Singh & Th. Rojen Singh Ecology Section, Center of Advanced Study in Life Sciences, Manipur University, Imphal West - 795003, Manipur ABSTRACT Sacred groves are small patches of land area which cover a certain area of forest or woodland preserving unique flora and fauna and having a very rich biodiversity. They are generally associated with strict socio-cultural and religious practices and social taboos. These inherited social taboos help in the conservation of biodiversity in the sacred grove of Manipur. In each and every sacred groves there must be some plants which are strictly associated with the natural beliefs of the deities resided and protected the grove. Each species has its own uniqueness including the resting place of the deity resided, an indicator of disaster, saviour of the place etc. These plants are strictly restricted from being cutting any branches and even felling. Besides these, the other tree species growing in the sacred groves are also strictly prohibited from felling down. Therefore the totem trees of the sacred groves play a significant role in the conservation of plant species and maintenance of the biodiversity in the region. KEYWORDS: Biodiversity, taboo, totem, woodland, socio-cultural religious practices Received 11 August 2017, Accepted 30 August 2017 I *Corresponding Author: me. [email protected] Introduction The sacred site has been regarded as a unique place embodying was reported by Ramakrishnan, 1998: Ramakrishnan, 2002. Some the varying degree of nature associated with socio-cultural aspect of the common sacred species are Ficus of fig family (Moraceae), and play a vital role in the conservation of biodiversity (Salick et which is culturally valued across Asia region and amongst many al., 2007). The sacred sites are culturally recognised natural sites tribes of Africa (Khaneghah 1998, Michaloud and Durry 1998, having been dedicated to deities and spirits (Devereux, 2000: Ramakrishman, 1998) and Oak in central Himalaya Martin, 2000). It is a place where a number of rare flora and fauna (Ramakrishman, 1998, Sinha and Maikhuri, 1998). However, the have been preserved since generation back (Nair, 1981: Baker, value of sacred species was deteriorating due to change in land 2004).It is also a place where the traditional cultural ethics of the use activity accompanied with the loss of biodiversity. Concerning people built up a mutual relationship between nature and human the global loss of biodiversity in the tropical and sub-tropical civilisation (Pei, 1996: Rao, 1996). Several studies have also forest, the human beings must focus on the study of the role of documented the interrelationship between local ethnic people and each species and the diverse gene pool in the ecosystem. Thus local animal, plants, forest (Chen et al., 2008: He and He, 2000: Xu the present investigation explores the totem tree in the sacred and Liu, 1995). It is also reported that the developmental groves of Manipur and the role of associated belief system in the approaches focus on the traditional beliefs play an important role community that helps in the conservation of species and in protecting the villages and conserving the wealth of subsequently in biodiversity. This study will encourage further biodiversity (Rao, 1996: Liu, 2006: Yaofeng et al., 2009). study on the ecological aspect of totem tree in the biodiversity conservation in sacred groves of the region. Sacred groves are one of the sacred sites endowed with socio- cultural aspects of human civilisation that existed till date.The Materials and methods concept of sacred groves is very old and has existed since the Manipur is a land of culture, traditional customs belief and time of Rig-Veda when tree worship was quite popular and knowledge system that is existed since time immemorial. The universal. Sacred groves are the physically diverse patch of small sacred grove of Manipur is a part of the traditional culture of the conserved forest area through community participation involving Meitei, the major community of the Manipuri society. Manipur is socio – religious beliefs and taboos under the jurisdiction of the a land of the different ethnic community. Each and every local or community deity. The deity resides is associated with a community has its own traditional culture, customary laws and certain specific plant species such as a holy tree, blessed or traditional deities. However these small ethnic community has sacred depending upon the religious attitude of the people that changed its culture due to the impact of globalisation, still, they are growing inside the Grove (Khumbongmayum et al., 2004: Khan have maintained a sense of self-identity. The sacred grove of et al., 2008) was regarded as totem tree. The totem tree may be Manipur has been conserved till date by the social taboo inherited keystone species, indicator species other ecologically important since generation. There is a believed that the deities resided in species. The concept of sacred species through social evolution the sacred grove have been associated with the totem trees as © 2017. NECEER, Imphal. All rights reserved RESEARCH PAPER Sanjita et al » Role of totem trees in the conservation of biodiversity in sacred groves of Manipur: North East India » NeBIO 8(3): 182-186 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- they are regarded as the abode of the deity itself or the abode of tree, the species was different for the different sacred grove. This another spirit which is associated with the deity. The present preserve species ranging from not evaluated species to investigation focused on the sacred grove of Manipur situated in threatened and endangered species with some supernatural belief the extreme north eastern corner of the mainland India. system associated with the deities. In other sacred groves of The present investigation was done on periodical field visit and Manipur Syzygium jambos Linn(Alston) in the konthoujam methodical interview base questionnaire method during 2013- lairembi sacred grove and Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) weight and 2014. Local people including the management committee Arn in the Mayokpha sacred grove are the sacred trees and is members, village priest and priestess were interviewed to obtain believed to the incarnation of the deities resided. Ficus religiosa, maximum information regarding the socio-cultural aspect of the Ficus glomerata, Flacourtia jangomas are thetrees which protect holy trees and its role in the conservation of biodiversity of the the sacred grove of the Naothingkhong pakhangba sacred grove. sacred grove. The plant specimen collected for which no scientific Every year before the plantation of the paddy a ritual function is name is recorded under local flora is collected with the consent of performed in the month of May, known as Lamtaibung (in the management committee and are identified at BSI Shillong. Manipuri language). Here the head of the Sacred Grove gives a prayer to a tree (Quercus serrata) to protect the paddy field from Origin of sacred grove drought, pest and other natural calamities. Sacred groves have been reported from many parts of the world like Mexico, Ghana, Nigeria, China, Syria and Turkey, where the Belief system tribal lived and practice shifting cultivation. It was a mythological There is a belief that the known deities reside for the protection landscape, cult, paganism and Druidic practice of Old Europe, and safeguard of the community from unfaithful incidences and German, Greek, Roman, Asian, African, Indian etc. In India, many natural calamities to be happening in the area. The story of sacred communities practice different forms of worship of nature. One groves and some trees growing inside is generally associated such significant tradition of nature worship was that of providing with some mythological story generated over a generation. The protection to forests patches dedicated to deities or ancestral deity resides is associated with a certain specific plant species spirits (Khumbongmayum et al, 2004 ). They play an important role such as a holy tree, blessed or sacred depending upon the in maintaining the ecological balance, fulfilling the needs of religious attitude of the people that are growing inside the grove. people and protecting and conserving their primitive cultures Cordia grandis Roxb were considered as sacred in the lainingthou along with wild flora and fauna. In Manipur symbiotic relationship koubru sacred grove, Imphal West and Terminalia arjuna in the exists between the community and sacred groves. Sacred groves mayokpha sacred grove, Imphal West. These are protected by the of the region dispersed in unclassed, protected and reserve forest people with strict observation. If a twig was fell it was considered occupying a small to large patches of land area. It was reported as a taboo that something unwanted will happen. People offer that sacred groves of the region have existed since time some kind of pooja or religious offering to avoid unwanted immemorial (Gadgil and Vartak, 1976) and our ancestors circumstances in the locality.

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