Vol. 14, No.4, 2008 EASTERN GHATS ISSN : 0974-2336 Orissa a k Andhra Pradesh a t a n r a K ENVIS CENTRE ON ECOLOGY OF EASTERN GHATS Tamil Nadu The ENVIS Centre on Eastern Ghats is a decentralized Environmental Information Centre established by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India on thematic issue Ecology of Eastern Ghats Volume - 14 Issue - 4 October - December, 2008 Sacred Groves of Eastern Ghats -II Editorial Contents Editorial ..................................................... 1 In the previous issue the importance of sacred Sacred groves- their distribution in Eastern groves, need for their conservation in Eastern Ghats Region............................................. 3 Ghats region was presented along with threats to existing sacred groves due to developmental Abstracts on Sacred Groves .................... 6 activities. Bibliography on Sacred Groves ............... 6 State wise distribution of sacred groves in Eastern National / International days..................... 7 Ghats and their conservation measures have been ENVIS Activities........................................ 7 highlighted in this issue. Few more abstracts and Expert Database form.............................. 8 bibliography on the sacred groves have been provided which is a continuation of the earlier issue. Activities on environmental days, ENVIS activities Borra caves are also given. An Expert data form has been provided for the benefit of experts for them to fill up and send to ENVIS Centre. This will help ENVIS Centre to update the expert database in the website and also facilitate to seek the information from them on various themes of Eastern Ghats i.e. on Biological, Physical, Socio-Economic Environments, Programmes & Policies and Information Systems. ENVIS Coordinator Photo: P.K.Swain ENVIS CENTRE ON EASTERN GHATS ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION TRAINING & RESEARCH INSTITUTE 91/4, Gachibowli, Hyderabad - 500 032, A.P., India Ph.:+91-040-23000489, 23001241, 23001242 ; 23001707; Fax No: +40 - 23000361, URL: http://envis-eptri.ap.nic.in; http//www.eptri.com EPTRI - ENVIS Newsletter Vol. 14, No.4, 2008 ISSN No: 0974-2336 Sacred Groves recored from Volume : 14, Issue : 4 Year: 2008 Eastern Ghats Districts of Andhra Pradesh Editorial Team No. of District Name Sacred Dr. Razia Sultana, ENVIS Coordinator Groves Mr. I. Siva Rama Krishna, Sr. Program Officer Chittor 133 Mr. Prabhata Kumar Swain, Program Officer Cuddapah 76 East Godavari 10 Mr. B.L.N. Murty, Program Assistant Guntur 17 Mrs. J.V.S. Prabhavati, Data Entry Operator Khammam 4 Published by Krishna 12 Kurnool 115 EPTRI, Hyderabad. Mahabubnagar 9 Supported by Nalgonda 9 Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) Nellore 87 Government of India, New Delhi Prakasam 59 Srikakulam 30 Vishakhapatnam 30 Instructions to Contributors Vizianagaram 32 West Godavari 17 ENVIS Newsletter on Ecology of Eastern Ghats Ananthapur 73 Total 713 is a quarterly publication, publishes the articles related to the thematic area of the ENVIS Photo: P.K.Swain Centre. Authors are requested to send their articles and write-ups, on the themes pertaining to Biological, Physical, Socio-Economic Environments, Programmes & Policies and Information Systems. Readers are requested to kindly visit the website: http://envis-eptri.ap.nic.in. The subject experts on the themes mentioned above are requested to send their details, by filling“Expert Inside view of Borra Caves database form” available on the last page of this issue. The information seekers on various themes mentioned above are requested to fill Photo: P.K.Swain the “Query - Response form” available on the website. The filled in forms may kindly be sent by e-mail to [email protected] / [email protected] or by fax / post to the ENVIS Centre, EPTRI. (Address given in page 1). The views expressed in the Article/s are of Authors. Areal view of Borra Caves 2 EPTRI - ENVIS Newsletter Vol. 14, No.4, 2008 Sacred Groves- Their Distribution in Eastern Ghats Region P. K. Swain, I. Siva Rama Krishna and B. L. N. Murty Project Faculty, ENVIS, EPTRI, Hyderabad-500 032 [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Sacred groves (SGs) are small patches of forest According to literature, the number of flowering left untouched by the local inhabitants to be plant and endemic taxa occurring in the Eastern protected by the local village folk deities. Ghats is about 3200 and 146 respectively Several such groves are reported in many parts (Reddy et al. 2006). Based on geological and of India. These groves now play a vital role in the tectonic considerations, the Eastern Ghats are conservation and preservation of species formed of four sections (Krishnan, 1960; Meher- diversity. Sacred groves are the last remnants of Homji, 2001; Reddy et al. 2006). Sacred groves the native vegetation of each particular region. are called differently in different states like They indicate the vital effort made by local Kovikaadugal in Tamil Nadu, Pavitraskhetralu in communities to preserve their natural forest Andhra Pradesh and Jahera, Thakuramma in tracts against the offense of the clearing of Orissa. In many parts of India the Scared groves forests for cultivation and settlement. Sacred represents the only surviving examples of climax groves represent an ancient Indian vegetation. Unfortunately many of these groves conservation tradition, protected by local people are disappearing under the influence of out of reverence and respect, fear and modernization. Often the destruction is caused sentiments. They are home to local flora and not only due to commercial interest but also fauna, a veritable gene pool and mini biosphere because of subtle cultural change. A.P Forest reserve. Within these groves are locked ancient Department has initiated certain specific secrets of sorcery and magic. conservation measures to protect all of its Biodiversity at large landscape level within the Around 14,000 sacred groves have been forested tracts and most of the very ancient reported from all over India, which act as temples along with the sacred groves. reservoirs of rare fauna, and more often rare flora, amid rural and even urban settings. The sacred groves of the state of Andhra Experts believe that the total number of sacred Pradesh can be classified as 1. Well preserved groves could be as high as 100,000. India is groves, 2. Less disturbed groves 3. Disturbed believed to have nearly 14,000 sacred groves groves. The category one has rich flora and spread among different states. Most of the fauna and is preserved to a great extent. This is groves are located in Himachal Pradesh, seen in large landscape areas like hill ranges. Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Less disturbed groves of the places where the Maharashtra, West Bengal and Chhatisgarh. flora and fauna is still retained though these are There are still many undiscovered sacred subjected for anthropogenic pressures. The groves existing in the Eastern Ghats region. disturbed groves which were once believed to be Indian sacred groves are sometimes associated rich in biodiversity, now in a highly degraded with temples / monasteries / shrines or with state, mostly due to the urbanization and burial grounds. extension of agricultural land. At present such groves are seen in the middle of the villages or by The Eastern Ghats along the Peninsular India the side of the roads. For example such groves extending over 1750 km with average width of are seen Arasavelli, Srimukhalingam in about 100 km and extends from 11°03’ to Srikakulam dist., Borra caves, Modakondamma 22°03’N Lat. and 77°02’ to 87°02’E Long. in Visakhapatnam district, Sarangadarametta, However all the four States namely Orissa, Sarpavaram in East Godavari district. Though Andhra Pradesh, parts of Tamil Nadu and part of the A.P. Forest Department committed for the Karnataka have been taken up for the study to protection of Biodiversity in its territorial maintain continuity in the spatial database. jurisdiction but also calls for people participation 3 EPTRI - ENVIS Newsletter Vol. 14, No.4, 2008 in protecting various Sacred Groves listed are: below. Following is the list of Sacred Groves in 1) Talakona 2) Kapilatheertham 3) Jeevakona 4) 23 districts of the state. Sanakasananandana Theertham 5) Kumaradhara Theertham 6) Chakra Theertham Sacred Groves in Tamil Nadu 7) Japali Theertham 8) Tumbura Theertham 9) Kaigal Waterfalls 10) Sadasiva Kona etc. There are about 235 Sacred Groves recorded from Eastern Ghats districts of Tamil Nadu. They 3. Cuddapah: The Lankamalais, Palakondas are distributed in 10 districts: The district wise and Veligonda hill ranges of Cuddapah district number of sacred groves are given below. harbour a good number of sacred groves. There are about 76 sacred groves of which 25 are No. of considered as major groves including 8 hotspots. District Name Sacred About 300 plant species are recorded from these Groves sacred groves. Dharmapure 32 Dindigul 6 4. East Godavari: There are 10 well preserved Erode 21 groves, 3 less disturbed groves and 2 disturbed. Namakkal 20 Following is the list of well preserved and less Pudukottai 28 disturbed groves are 1) Talupulamma Lova 2) Salem 24 Annavaram 3) Korukonda 4) Bhairvapalem 5) Tiruchirappalli 34 Pandavulamitta 6) Thantikonda 7) Gummalla Tiruvanamalai 47 Doodi 8) Rampa Hill area 9) Pedda Konda area Vellore 16 10) Dummu Konda. Villupuram 7 Total 235 5. Guntur: There are 17 sacred groves, of which 14 groves are disturbed and only 3 are less Sacred Groves in Andhra Pradesh: disturbed. There are 14 big trees with girths varying from four meters to six meters and age The state of Andhra Pradesh shared the varying from 100 years to 300 years. These traditions of Sacred Groves with other parts of include Ficus benghalensis, Ficus amplissima, the country. There are about 713 sacred groves Ficus religiosa and Azadirachta indica. Three identified in Eastern Ghats districts of Andhra better preserved groves are 1) Kotappa Konda 2) Pradesh. Some of the very important groves are Kondaveedu 3) Nagarjuna Konda. existing in 26 Protected Areas. However large number of groves are seen outside, mostly 6.