India’s Sacred Groves Are Resurrecting a Vanishing Forest

Auroville, an experimental township in southern India, is home to several initiatives aimed at conserving native forests and educating local communities on their cultural and ecological significance. One such initiative is Nilatangam, a 7.5-hectare afforestation project started by European parents when Auroville was first set up. While Nilatangam has tall trees from different parts of the world, it lacks indigenous varieties. To rectify this, Ancolie Stoll, who tends to Nilatangam, has started planting more native species belonging to the tropical dry evergreen type. Over time, she plans to create a proper tropical dry evergreen forest within several years.

One of the key goals of the botanical gardens is to educate students on the value of the forests and their cultural heritage. Sathyamurthy, who guides visitors through Keezhputhupattu, teaches students about the forests’ importance during field trips to Auroville’s forests and at the sacred groves. Education is essential, as despite the sacred groves’ temples and religious importance, they face threats from urbanization.

For instance, Keezhputhupattu receives hundreds of thousands of devotees every year, making it hard to control outsiders’ interactions with the forest. Tourists and herders often trespass, and some even extract trees from the groves. However, Sathyamurthy believes that educating the next generation on the value of these forests could be the key to their survival. Students are given seeds, saplings, and tips on how to plant native trees on common lands in their villages.

The tropical dry evergreen forests are essential not just culturally but also ecologically. If everything is extracted from the forest, there is no chance for regeneration. Re-creating the natural forest “puts energy back in the bank,” as Blanchflower, who works with Baldwin at the botanical garden, points out. Therefore, seed collection, nurseries, tree-planting drives, and awareness about the tropical dry evergreen forests are essential to their conservation.

In conclusion, Nilatangam and other initiatives in Auroville aim to conserve native forests and educate communities on their cultural and ecological significance. The key is to cultivate a desire to protect the forest among the next generation, who can carry on the legacy of the conservation advocates.



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