Authors : Sanjay S. Sathe, Rajendra A. Lavate and Shekhar A. Mohite
Page Nos : 65-69
Description :
Sacred groves were a feature of the mythological landscape and the cultural practice of mankind. Sacred groves also feature prominently in many Asian and African mythologies and cultures, most notably in India, Japan, West Africa and Anatolia. In India, sacred groves are scattered all over the country and do not have any federal legislation. Each sacred grove is associated with presiding deity and the groves are referred to by different names in different parts of India. They were maintained by local communities with hunting and logging strictly prohibited within these patches.
Sacred groves are protected areas of forest because of religious beliefs and constitute an important aspect of the cultural life of various communities throughout the world. The biodiversity keeps the ecological processes in balanced state, which is necessary for human survival. Therefore, the biodiversity rich sacred groves are of immense ecological significance. They also play an important role in the conservation of flora and fauna.
During the present investigation, three different sacred groves namely Arewadi, Banali and Raywadi from arid region of Sangli District were visited regularly to record ecological features. It includes, floristic composition, dominance associations amongst the plant species. The vegetation mentioned in above groves is very typical in nature. These groves conserve plants in situ forms. The detailed notes are discussed in text.
Key Words:- Sacred groves, Vegetation, Ecology.
