Withering drops of forest

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Sacred groves are patches of land that are protected by beliefs based on religion or local folklore. They are remnants of local forest types that previously covered an entire region. Gulikan Theyyam at a sacred grove in Kasargod.

 

 

 

Increasing pressure on land, Sanskritisation of deities have led to destruction of Keralas’ sacred groves. During the 1950s, there were around 10,000 sacred groves in Kerala while at present the State has just around 1,200. Under the enormous pressure for land, the groves have been converted into commercial spaces.


Source: The Hindu Cochin, 05/05/2023, pg.4.

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