Sacred Groves of India

Nature/ancestral worship

Ajodhya Hill Sacred Groves (Santal, regional)

Ajodhya Hill region, Purulia district, West Bengal

Natural worship; oral-tradition protection; sustainability

Open listing → Hindu (Kaavu)

Amaran Kavu Sacred Grove

Highland central Kerala (Ernakulam region)

Ethnomedicine; healthcare (neonatal care, earache, migraine)

Open listing → Local deity (Shorea robusta tree + stone idol)

Amritdhara Sacred Grove

Koriya district, Chhattisgarh; 21 km from Manendragarh

Sacred tree & waterfall worship; in-situ conservation; medicinal plants

Open listing → Diverse deities

Aravalli Sacred Sites, Udaipur (regional)

Aravalli mountain range, Udaipur district, Rajasthan

Deity worship; most sites near water, surrounded by native forest

Open listing → Local deity

Banju Nami Tok Sacred Grove

Chachganda village, Tehri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand

Deity conservation; water/soil conservation; village beautification

Open listing → Maa Chandi, Shiva, Jaher/Gram deities

Bankura District Sacred Groves (8 groves)

Bankura district, West Bengal (blocks: Bankura-I/II, Onda, Simlapal, Indpur, Sarenga, Khatra, Ranibandh)

Weekly & festival worship (Maghi Purnima, Makar/Joistha Sankranti, Akhan Jatra)

Open listing → Bhadariya Mata (mother goddess)

Bhadariya Oran (Bhadariya Mata)

Bhadariya, Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan

Goddess worship; desert grazing commons; water conservation

Open listing → Bherunath (Bhairava)

Bherunath Ji Bani Sacred Grove

Alwar district, Rajasthan

Deity worship; ethnomedicine for many ailments

Open listing → Local tribal deities

Borra Sacred Groves (Anathagiri)

Borra, Anathagiri hills, Visakhapatnam district, Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh

Religious protection; in-situ conservation

Open listing → Folk deities (terracotta figurines)

Buimpal Sacred Grove

Buimpal village, Sattari taluka, Goa

Terracotta figurine worship (human, composite, animal figures); ritual

Open listing → Grove deity

Chama Kavu Sacred Grove

Kannur district, North Kerala

Theyyam ritual gatherings; Ayurvedic medicine repository; perennial water source

Open listing → Lord Vishnu & Devi Laxmi (Laxmi Narayan)

Chanour (Laxmi Narayan Temple) Sacred Grove

Chanour village, Tehsil Dehra, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh

Temple worship; hunting prohibited; protects sole water stream

Open listing → Kedarnath Mahadev (Shiva), Sankatmochan Hanuman

Dahod District Sacred Groves (regional)

Dahod district (incl. Jhalod taluka), Gujarat

Community forest management; medicinal & cultural plants

Open listing → Local deity (Dhwaj/Shiva)

Dhwaj Sacred Grove

Central Himalaya, Uttarakhand

Cultural/spiritual protection; 40 ethnomedicinal species

Open listing → Khasi tutelary deities

Eastern West Khasi Hills Clan Sacred Groves (regional)

Eastern West Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya

Clan-governed sacred & protected forests; environmental governance

Open listing → Gadi Matha & Shiva

Gadi Central Pandam Sacred Grove

Sumin Reserve Forest, Rangpo block, East Sikkim district, Sikkim

Pujas Tue/Fri; Durga Puja (Oct), Sri Ramnavami (Apr); protection from evil spirits

Open listing → Persa Pen (clan-god) & nature spirits

Gond Sacred Groves (Devrai / Persa Pen, regional)

Central India (Gondwana) & Telangana

Clan-god groves; Koya Sammakka–Saralamma Jatara pilgrimage

Open listing → Mahakali (shaktipith)

Haat Kali Sacred Grove

Gangolihat tehsil, Pithoragarh district, Central Himalaya, Uttarakhand

Shaktipith worship; folk culture, music; medicinal plants

Open listing → Iringole Bhagavathy (Durga/Parvati)

Iringole Kavu

Perumbavoor, Ernakulam district, Kerala

Goddess temple grove; major pilgrimage; strict protection

Open listing → Deities & ancestral spirits

Jhabua Sacred Groves (Bhil, regional)

Jhabua district, Madhya Pradesh

Clan worship of specific 'ecological keystone' species; rituals

Open listing → Local/tribal deities

Jhargram District Sacred Groves (regional)

Jhargram district, South West Bengal

Community-preserved biodiversity; ferns of ecological value

Open listing → Sarna/Mandar/Gamhel groves

Jharkhand Sarna Sacred Groves (regional)

Jharkhand (Chotanagpur plateau)

Grove temples; tree/stone/megalith worship; non-Sanskritic rituals

Open listing → Kalbhairavanatha (Bhairava/Shiva)

Kalbhairavanatha Sacred Grove (Kalbhairavanathachi rai)

Terungan village, Ambegaon taluka, Pune district, Maharashtra

Religious protection; medicinal plant resource

Open listing → Sitabala/Sitala (folk goddess, aniconic vermillion termite mound)

Kankabati Sitabala Than Sacred Grove

Kankabati/Lodhasai villages, West Midnapore district, West Bengal

Daily worship; Makar Sankranti fair (mid-Jan); clay horse/elephant votives

Open listing → Karbi traditional religion (nature/ancestral)

Karbi Sacred Groves (regional)

Karbi Anglong & Assam (Karbi homeland)

Bio-resource conservation via taboos & livelihood practices; oral transmission

Open listing → Local forest deity

Kathalekan Sacred Grove (Myristica swamp)

Kathalekan hamlet, Siddapur taluk, Uttara Kannada district (Sharavati valley), Karnataka

Sacred freshwater-swamp worship; in-situ conservation

Open listing → Kedarnath (Shiva)

Kedarnath / Kedarguda Sacred Grove

Hadgaon taluka, Nanded district, Marathwada, Maharashtra

Temple worship; conservation of herbs/shrubs/trees/parasites

Open listing → Village deities (Devarakadu = 'God's forest')

Kodagu Sacred Groves (Devarakadu, regional)

Kodagu (Coorg) district, Western Ghats, Karnataka

Deity forest; key bee-forage & pollinator habitat near coffee estates

Open listing → Malleshwara (Shiva, kona/spring)

Kona Malleshwarakona Sacred Grove

Veligonda Hills, Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh

Deity worship; tribal medicinal use

Open listing → Tribal deities

Koraput Sacred Groves (Bonda Hills/Semiliguda, regional)

Koraput region (Bonda Hills, Semiliguda, Noongarh), southern Odisha

Deity-revered taboo-shielded patches; watershed/spring protection; medicinal & fruit trees

Open listing → Community/sacred conservation (Hindu village)

Kunkuli Village Banj Oak Sacred Grove

Kunkuli village, Chamoli district, Western Himalaya, Uttarakhand

Protected oak forest; fodder/fuel/wild edibles; conflict-to-conservation model

Open listing → Lachundi/Lalchandi Devi (goddess)

Lachundi / Lalchandi Devi Sacred Grove

Pagewadi village, Purandar tehsil, Pune district, Maharashtra

Goddess worship; rivulet (seasonal water)

Open listing → Deity 'Malay Nath'

Malay Nath Sacred Grove

Kumaon Himalaya, Uttarakhand

Rituals; 35 ethnomedicinal species used by elders

Open listing → Sri Laxminarasimha Swamy & Hanuman

Mallur Gutta Sacred Grove

Mallur Hill, Warangal district, Telangana

Temple pilgrimage; mahua worship; 470 spp used medicinally

Open listing → Labasa / Khasi tutelary deity

Mawphlang Sacred Grove (Law Kyntang)

Mawphlang, Khasi Hills, Meghalaya

Deity worship; megalithic monuments; nothing may be removed from grove

Open listing → Tribal sacral deities

Mayurbhanj Sacred Groves (regional)

Mayurbhanj district, north Odisha

Ritual & ethnomedicinal use of 83 sacred plant species

Open listing → Golu Devta (Kumaoni folk deity)

Minar Village Sacred Grove (Golu Devta)

Minar village, Kumaun region, Uttarakhand

Deity worship; tree-cutting/climbing taboo; community restoration

Open listing → Local deities

Mundra Taluka Sacred Groves (regional)

Mundra taluka (18 villages), Kachchh district, Gujarat

Sacred-tree protection; carbon sequestration

Open listing → Kiriteswari (Sati Shakti Peeth), Pataleswar (Shiva), Residency cemetery

Murshidabad Sacred Groves (Kiriteswari, Babulbona, Pataleswar)

Murshidabad district (Bhagirathi River), West Bengal

Temple/shrine worship; herb supply; insect/biodiversity refuge

Open listing → Hindu (Kaavu)

Nagampoozhimana Kavu Sacred Grove

Lowland/coastal central Kerala (Ernakulam region)

Ethnomedicine; healthcare

Open listing → Barapir (Muslim saint shrine/Astana)

Narampur Barapir Astana (NBA) Sacred Grove

West Midnapore district, West Bengal

Shrine worship; germplasm conservation

Open listing → Local deities/ancestral spirits

North 24 Parganas Sacred Groves (regional)

North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal

Medicinal-plant conservation; social ceremonies on commons

Open listing → Paramananda Devara (local deity)

Paramananda Devara Gudda Sacred Grove

Lingadahalli village, Devadurga taluk, Raichur district, Karnataka

Deity dwelling; ethnomedicinal & multipurpose plants

Open listing → Patal Bhuvneshwar (Shiva, cave shrine)

Patal Bhuvneshwar Sacred Grove

Gangolihat, Pithoragarh district, Kumaon Himalaya, Uttarakhand

Cave-temple pilgrimage; 43 ethnobotanical species

Open listing → Pirbaba (Muslim saint/Pir)

Pirbaba's Taroda Islamic Sacred Grove

Pohra-Malkhed Reserve Forest, near Taroda village, Chandur-Railway tehsil, Amravati district, Maharashtra

Shrine worship; tree-cutting strictly prohibited; sacred spring/rivulet

Open listing → Muslim Pir (Asthana)

Pirer Asthana Sacred Grove

West Midnapore district, West Bengal

Shrine worship; conservation of useful plants

Open listing → Local deity

Polathala Sacred Grove

Palakonda hill ranges, Kadapa district, Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh

Tribal ethnomedicine; even dry foliage/fallen fruit untouched

Open listing → Sri Umakotilingeswara Swami (Shiva)

Punyagiri Hill Sacred Grove

Punyagiri Hills, Srungavarapu Kota, Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh

Temple pilgrimage; medicinal plants

Open listing → Local deities/spirits

Rajbandh Sacred Grove

Rajbandh village, near Guptamani, West Midnapore district, West Bengal

Totemic plant/forest worship; community management

Open listing → 55 ancestor/clan-gods (Sibarai=Shiva chief)

Riao Daikho (Damadi/Abongbra Daikho)

Between Samparidisa & Gaijon villages, Dima Hasao district, Assam (confluence of Abong & Diyung rivers)

Animal sacrifice (buffalo, goats, pigeons), communal feast; women barred from grove interior

Open listing → Dharani, Thakurani, Maili (deities/spirits)

Sargiguda Sacred Grove (Debta Gudi)

Sargiguda village, Kalahandi district, Odisha

Deity worship; source of traditional medicines, fuel, fodder

Open listing → Serpent (Naga) deities — 'Sarppakkavu'

Sarppakkavu Serpent Groves (Alappuzha district)

Alappuzha (non-forested) district, Kerala

Serpent worship; entry/cutting taboos; in-situ conservation

Open listing → Local Hindu/folk deities

Semi-arid Southern India Sacred Grove Stands (regional)

Semi-arid plains, southern India (Tamil Nadu)

Sacred protection; carbon stock & biodiversity vs invasive Prosopis

Open listing → Grove deity (Senaankoil temple)

Senaankoil Sacred Grove

Pudukkottai district, Tamil Nadu

Religious protection; medicinal use

Open listing → Muniyanar, Muthalraathan, Ponniamman, Iyanar (folk deities)

Sendirakillai Sacred Grove (SSG)

Coromandel Coast, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu

Folk deity worship; in-situ biodiversity conservation

Open listing → Sharngakkavu Devi (goddess)

Sharngakkavu Devi Temple Sacred Grove

Venmoney, Alappuzha district, Kerala

Temple worship; medicinal/ethnobotanical use

Open listing → Shiva (Shivbari)

Shivbari Sacred Grove

Himachal Pradesh

Temple worship; 23 market-demand plants; microclimate cooling; pilgrim-driven planting

Open listing → Shravan Kavadia (Hindu pilgrimage site)

Shravan Kavadia Inland Mangrove Sacred Grove

Eastern Banni grassland, Kachchh district, Gujarat

Pilgrimage; fire/logging/fuelwood collection religiously prohibited

Open listing → Local deity

Siddhwari Sacred Grove

Bank of the Ganga, near Narora, Bulandshahr district, Upper Ganga Ramsar site, Uttar Pradesh

Riverbank grove worship; three-tiered vegetation

Open listing → Village god/goddess

Sonazar–Rupazar Sacred Grove

Dharampur taluka, Valsad district, Gujarat

Daily needs, worship; tourism/business pressures noted

Open listing → Gods/spirits/nature

South Gujarat Sacred Groves (regional)

South Gujarat (Dangs, Valsad, Vyara, Tapi areas)

Village/temple/ceremony groves; taboos vs hunting/grazing/felling

Open listing → Bhagavathi (goddess)

Sree Puthiya Bhagavathi Temple Sacred Grove (Kalloori)

Pappinisseri Panchayat, Kalloori, Kannur district, Kerala; ~10 km from Kannur

Temple worship; 60 medicinal plants (fever, cold, skin, jaundice, piles)

Open listing → Local deities

Telangana Sacred Groves (regional)

Telangana state

Religious veneration; refuge for rare/endangered species; corridors

Open listing → Teyyam 'living gods'

Teyyam Kaavus of North Kerala (regional)

North Kerala (Kannur, Kasaragod region)

Teyyam ritual performance; deity worship

Open listing → Grove deity

Thevarmala Sacred Grove

Western Ghats, Kottayam district, Kerala

Religious protection; 76 medicinal spp, food, timber, fodder, fibre/resin

Open listing → Hindu temple/family deities

Thiruvananthapuram District Sacred Groves (Kerala, regional)

Thiruvananthapuram district, southern Kerala

Family/temple worship; refugium for rare flora

Open listing → Tumburu Theertham (sacred spring/tirtha)

Tumburu Theertham Sacred Grove

Tirumala–Seshachalam hill range, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh

Ethnomedicine — 35 plant species for 31 ailments; sacred spring

Open listing → Udaiyarappan (folk hero) + Aiyanar, Pavadairayan, Veeran, Petchi, Moochi, Saptha Kanniga

Udaiyarappan Sacred Grove

Kilbhuvanagiri (Keezh Bhuvanagiri) village, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu

Friday offerings (coconut, banana; goat/fowl sacrifice); Thai festival (Jan15–Feb15); weavers offer yarn

Open listing → Meitei 'Umang Lai' forest deities (Sanamahi tradition)

Umang Lai Sacred Groves (Meitei), Manipur

Imphal valley (Imphal East/West, Thoubal, Kakching, Bishnupur), Manipur, India

Annual Lai Haraoba festival; pilgrimage; ethnomedicine; ritual

Open listing → Vana Durga Bhagavathi (goddess)

Vallikkaattu Kaavu Sacred Grove

Sree Vana Durga Bhagavathi Temple, Edakkara, Thalakkalathur Panchayat, Kozhikode district, Kerala

Temple worship; 236 medicinal spp (96% of flora)

Open listing → Hindu (Kaavu)

Vandanam Sacred Groves

Vandanam, Alappuzha (Alleppey) district, Kerala

Sacred grove; soil microbiome of biotech interest (Streptomyces)

Open listing → Local deities

Virudhunagar District Sacred Groves (Kovilkadu, regional)

Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu

Religious protection; medicinal plants, water/soil protection

Open listing →