Kerala Vacations All Inclusive

Nov. 4, 2010 - PRLog -- Repositories of rich bio-diversity, these are great examples of how traditional conservation practices successfully mixed rituals, spirituality and environment to protect delicate flora and fauna.

Hundreds of kavus, large and small, dot the Kerala landscape and they have become, somewhat belatedly, the focus of an ambitious bio-diversity management plan.

"The first authentic report on sacred groves appeared in the census report of Travancore (then a princely state) published in 1891. In this Lt Ward and Lt Corner reported the presence of 15, 000 kavus in Travancore alone, " says Sainudeen Pattazhi, environment scientist and president of the Kerala Environment Researchers Association.

Sadly, there are only 2000 kavus in all of Kerala today. "The alarming depletion of sacred groves is posing a serious threat to the state's bio-diversity because the groves harbour a large number of plant varieties, " says Pattazhi.

Researchers Hughes and Subhash Chandran define kavus as "segments of landscape containing trees and other forms of life and geographical features, that are delimited and protected by human societies believing that preserving such a patch of vegetation in a relatively undisturbed state is necessary for expressing one's relation to the divine or to nature". http://www.indiatripsonline.com/packages/enchanting_keral...


There are mainly two kinds of sacred groves in Kerala - those attached to temples and those on private lands attached to households. What adds to their ecological significance is that they are self-sustaining ecosystems that play all the roles of a natural forest.

While it is not possible to give an exact date of their origin, experts believe that these groves have been around for thousands of years. They were made sacred by the presence of deities such as the mother goddess, the nagam/sarpam (serpent gods) or Shasta (Ayyappa). Later, it became a tradition in Hindu families to assign a part of their land to a grove. Pattazhi adds another interesting dimension to the practice: while the deities were mostly Dravidian, the concept that was followed was Aryan - the worship of nature.

As time passed, various rituals came to be associated with the groves. Theyyam, a unique dance ritual associated with the kavus of north Kerala, is vibrant and colourful. For students of anthropology, the antiquity of Theyyam makes it a fascinating topic for research. Theyyam artistes, drawn mostly from the indigenous tribal communities, are considered representatives of god. According to believers, they dance and pray on behalf of the mortals.

Theyyam offers some wonderful insights into the old social order of Kerala. Even upper caste believers bowed their heads before the human "deities", who belonged to lower castes. Also, in the Ali Chamundi temple in Arikkady village in Kasargod, the Theyyam deity is Ali, a Muslim who was granted salvation by the local goddess. http://www.indiatripsonline.com/packages/exclusive_kerala...


"The biggest sacred grove in the state is the Kammadam kavu in Kasargod district and is spread in over 24 hectares. It is a typical evergreen forest and its deity is Bhagavathy (mother goddess), " says U M Chandrasekhara of the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi. The 16-hectare Iringole Kavu in Eranakulam district takes the second place.

E Unnikrishnan, a teacher in Kannur who carried out detailed research on sacred groves says they provided refuge to plant communities that have disappeared from forest tracts. "Chammakavu of Vellur has typical vegetation dominated by Sysygium Zeylanicum and Memycylon Umbellatum. Rare medicinal plants such as eezhal (Embelia Tjeramcottam ), kutaluchurukki (Morinda Umbellataum), ilippa (Madhuka Longifolia) and vellappain (Vateria Indica) are present in this unique ecosystem. The rare orchid valiya orilathamara (Nervelia Araguana) is found only in Poomala kavu at Kanayi. Hypselobagrus Brachysoma, a fish locally called manjaletta is threatened with extinction in Kerala, but it has been so carefully protected in the Muthukattu kavu by traditional beliefs, " says Unnikrishnan.

Realising the importance of these ecological marvels, the Kerala Biodiversity Board has hit upon an idea to designate three kavus as heritage sites. These are the Kolassamala kavu in Thrissur district, the Iringole kavu and the Paliyeri Mookambika kavu at Karivalloor. http://www.indiatripsonline.com/packages/kerala_backwater...



Board chairman R V Varma explains the significance of the move: "Iringole kavu is unique and has some rare evergreen trees and is a bio-diversity rich area. According to IUCN data, there are only 500 trees of the species Syzygium Travancuricum. We recently discovered that the kavu in Kolassamala has 200 of them. We found 25 more in the Paleri Mookambika kavu where we also found the rare and endangered Myristica, a swamp species. "

The State Forest Department too has embarked on an ambitious plan to protect the groves. Under the Centrally-sponsored scheme being implemented by the Bio-Diversity Cell of the Forest Department, 28 groves have been selected from across the state. Their flora and fauna will be documented and a detailed plan prepared for their management and conservation. The report would then be submitted to the Centre for release of funds. If all goes well, each grove will be granted Rs 20, 000 for upkeep. There are also plans to create an inventory of all sacred groves in the state. Sensitising local communities to the need to protect the groves is also a part of the scheme.

# # #

Multiple News brings you latest and breaking news around the globe. You may come daily for the happenings here.