Sacred groves, ദശപുഷ്പങ്ങൾ
A sacred grove or sacred woods are any grove of trees that are of special religious importance to a particular culture. Sacred groves feature in various cultures throughout the world. They were important features of the mythological landscape and cult practice of Celtic, Estonian, Baltic, Germanic, ancient Greek, Near Eastern, Roman, and Slavic polytheism, and continue to occur in locations such as India, Japan, and West Africa. Examples of sacred groves include the Greco-Roman temenos, various Germanic words for sacred groves, and the Celtic nemeton, which was largely but not exclusively associated with Druidic practice. During the Northern Crusades, there was a common practice of building churches on the sites of sacred groves. The Lakota and various other North American tribes consider particular forests or other natural landmarks to be sacred. Singular trees which a community deems to hold religious significance are known as sacred trees.
- വിഷ്ണുക്രാന്തി (കൃഷ്ണക്രാന്തി),
- കറുക,
- മുയൽ ചെവിയൻ, (ഒരിചെവിയൻ),
- തിരുതാളി,
- ചെറുള,
- നിലപ്പന(നെൽപാത),
- കയ്യോന്നി(കൈതോന്നി, കയ്യുണ്ണി ),
- പൂവാംകുറുന്തൽ (പൂവാംകുറുന്നില),
- മുക്കുറ്റി,
True..sacred grooves are very common in traditional Asian, Greek and African culture 1000s of years ago.
ReplyDeleteAre they preserve them now?!
Experts believe that in india the total number of sacred groves could be as high as 100,000. Threats to the groves include urbanization, and over-exploitation of resources. While many of the groves are looked upon as abode of Hindu deities, in the recent past a number of them have been partially cleared for construction of shrines and temples.
ReplyDeleteSacred groves are places of yatra (pilgrimage) in Indian-origin religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.
While the state boasted of more than 10,000 groves at the time of its formation in 1956, in Kerala, only around 1,200 exist now, and among these many are under threat.
ReplyDeleteStill families protect such " kavu" near their ancestral houses in Kerala.