Myristica magnifica Sacred Grove

Reference

Recently, a few kilometres from the Goa-Maharashtra border, researchers discovered a sacred grove called ‘Myristica Swamp Forest’ at Kumbral which is preserved by the local community.

About Myristica Magnifica Swamp Forest

• Introduction: It is a type of freshwater swamp forest composed mainly of species of Myristica.
  • Myristica is a plant species found in Karnataka and Kerala, which is classified in the endangered (EN) category in the Red List of IUCN.
  • This plant grows in swampy habitats along the rivers in evergreen forests.
• Earlier this type of forest was found in Bambarde village of Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. In this way, Kumbral has become the second village in Maharashtra where such a forest has been found.
• Details: This sacred grove is spread over 8,200 square meters, in which 39 species of plants have been documented. The dominant presence of 70 species in the swamp forest is of Myristica Magnifica.
• Religious significance: It has been preserved by villagers for centuries in the name of Lord Shiva, locally known as Bhalandeshwar.
• Environmental significance: It provides habitat for various species like hornbill, endangered Asian small clawed otter, etc.
  • This patch of Myristica swamp forest provides several ecosystem services like groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, natural barrier against floods, habitat and food for various aquatic faunal species.

Sacred Grove

• Sacred groves are forest areas protected by local communities, which usually have special religious significance for the protecting community. This is a belief based on the principle of nature worship.
  • Such beliefs have preserved many perennial forests in their pristine form. These sacred groves are also called groves of gods and goddesses.
• Sacred groves are land areas with natural vegetation, which have been protected since ancient times on religious and cultural grounds. These areas are found in the north-eastern Himalayas, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, coastal areas, central plateau and western parts of India.
• Any kind of interference in these patches of forest is prohibited. However, other forms of forest use such as honey collection and dry wood collection are sometimes permitted on a permanent basis.
• In India, sacred groves are legally protected as ‘community reserves’ under the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002.
• Historically, sacred groves are mentioned in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist scriptures. They are known by different names in different states: