Question

Sacred groves are found in Khasi and Jaintia hills of (i), Aravalli hills of (ii), Western Ghat religions of (iii).

• A. (i) - Meghalaya; (ii) - Rajasthan; (iii) - Karanataka and Maharashtra
• B. (i) - Meghalaya and Maharashtra; (ii) - Rajasthan; (iii) - Madhya Pradesh
• C. (i) - Madhya Pradesh; (ii) - Rajasthan; (iii) - Meghalaya
• D. (i) - Rajasthan; (ii) - Meghalaya; (iii) - Karanataka and Maharashtra

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

(i) - Meghalaya; (ii) - Rajasthan; (iii) - Karanataka and Maharashtra

(i) In Meghalaya sacred groves represent a long tradition of environmental conservation based on indigenous knowledge by the tribal communities. They are among the few least disturbed forest patches which are serving as the natural treasure house of biodiversity and a refuge for a large number of endemic, endangered and rare taxa. The general term for sacred groves in the Khasi Hills is 'Khlaw Kyntang' or 'Law Kyntang' or 'Law Lyngdoh' while in the Jaintia Hills it is called 'Khloo Blai'. The sacred groves in the Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills District are fundamentally based on the traditional religious belief of the tribals i.e., Khasis and Pnars, which is called Seng Khasi and Niam Tre respectively.

(ii) Sacred Groves are found from the western part of Rajasthan to the east of the Aravalli range. These groves are known under various names in Rajasthan as sacred groves (deora, malvan, deorai, rakhat bani, oran, etc.), sacred corridors (deo ghats), temple forests (mandir van) and sacred gardens (baugh). Brandis, as early as 1887, gave initial information on sacred groves of Aravallis. He wrote, 'though very few papers have been published on sacred groves, this does not mean that such areas do not abound in India'.

(iii) Western Ghats also known as Sahyadri (Benevolent Mountains) is a mountain range that runs parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula. Forest clearance was inevitable for farming and yet, there was an overwhelming belief in the sacredness of the woods. They were important tracts of pre-colonial forest conservation in the Western Ghats. Myriad relics of such groves, exist even today all over the Western Ghats. They may be called Devrai in Maharashtra, Devarkadu in Kodagu and Kavu in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, these forests in pre-colonial landscape, served many functions like the conservation of biodiversity and watershed, moderation of climate and promoted varied wildlife.

So the correct option is ' (i) Meghalaya, (ii) Rajasthan (iii) Karnataka and Maharashtra'.