Cut off from the din and dust of highway construction in Paravur, the air inside the Sree Vanadurga Temple sacred grove in Ezhikkara panchayat is noticeably cooler and calmer. Thick foliage filters the sunlight, while the sounds of birds and insects feels like soothing symphony.
Though modest in size, the ‘kaavu’ here is among five sacred groves selected recently for a pilot ecological preservation project launched by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB). The other sites are in Pattancherry (Palakkad), Villiappally (Kozhikode), Iritty (Kannur) and Udma (Kasaragod).
Sacred groves, or kaavus, can perhaps be described as Kerala’s oldest forms of community-led conservation. Traditionally believed to be the abode of serpent deities, goddesses or ancestral spirits, these forest patches survived because communities considered them sacred.
Cutting trees, disturbing the soil or harming fauna within them was forbidden. It was, in a way, worship of Mother Nature. Notably, the chief deity at the Ezhikkara temple is ‘Vanadurga’, considered as a nature-guarding manifestation of Adi Parashakti — the supreme primordial energy.
“This temple is over 150 years old,” says Sarath Kumar, president of the temple committee. “It comes under a trust managed by the Kudumbi community here. We are responsible for protecting the grove and the shrine.”
Today, researchers recognise sacred groves as biodiversity hotspots. They support medicinal plants, native trees, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects rarely found in surrounding urban or semi-urban landscapes.
“The world is currently facing unprecedented challenges such as climate change and food and water scarcity,” says V Balakrishnan Pattali, member secretary of the KSBB. “Protecting and restoring ecosystems has become a global priority.”
To reduce biodiversity loss, he stresses, it is essential to conserve ecosystems.
“Sacred groves, thus, are vital,” notes Balakrishnan. Recent rise in snake sightings and snakebite incidents, he adds, reflect a broader ecological imbalance caused by habitat loss.
“Despite their relatively small size, these groves are unique reservoirs of biodiversity. The half-acre ‘kaavu’ in Ezhikkara is an apt example,” Balakrishnan notes. “Moreover, many of them have ponds that act as perennial water sources. They provide refuge for birds and small animals during summer.”
Yet, these micro-ecosystems have been steadily disappearing.
Urbanisation, road expansion and changing social practices have reduced many groves to fragmented patches surrounded by houses and commercial buildings. Some have been transformed into concrete temple complexes, losing much of their original ecological character.
Even in Ezhikkara, the surrounding landscape has changed over the years. “We have tried to maintain the ecological balance here as best as we can,” says Sarath. “Even when a few trees had to be cut to make way for houses, we planted new ones elsewhere in the grove. Such local efforts helped attract the KSSB’s attention.”
Sarojini, who has cared for the temple and grove for decades, remembers a very different landscape from her childhood.
“When I was young, there was only a small prathishta (deity) amidst the trees here,” she says.
“Earlier, the shrine was opened only on the first day of every Malayalam month. Now it opens daily, and we even celebrate an annual festival.”
She recalls researchers and officials visiting the grove to discuss conservation plans. “This area has always been rich in life and diversity.
Official support may help bring back some of its old glory,” she says.
According to Balakrishnan, the restoration project includes biodiversity assessments, removal of invasive species, bio-fencing using native plants, establishment of ‘Kaavu Nurseries’ to propagate sacred grove flora, and pond rejuvenation.
“As part of the restoration process, more than 100 species of native and threatened plant species suitable for sacred grove ecosystems have been identified,” he says. “Over 3,000 saplings will be planted under the initiative.”
The selected species include ecologically significant and medicinal trees traditionally associated with sacred groves, such as Saraca asoca, Mesua ferrea, Vateria indica and Mimusops elengi.
For conservationists, the project is about preserving both ecology and tradition. “The conservation and restoration of sacred groves not only safeguard biodiversity but also reinforce the traditional ecological knowledge and cultural heritage associated with them,” says Balakrishnan.