Puducherry, formerly known as Pondicherry is a Union Territory of India and is located on the
Coromandel Coast in South India. It is a
plain land with almost no mountain and forest. The area is covered with dry and
evergreen species of vegetation typical in tropical regions.
In this region there are no
longer any representatives of undisturbed climax forest. Nonetheless a few
relic patches of the old vegetation at different levels of degradation still
remain. Some interesting examples: Marakkanam (Forest Department), temple
groves (Puthupet, Pillaichavadi, Mudaliarchavadi, Kottakarai), and temple land
(Bommapalayam). Some individual trees can also be found around village ponds or
in the hedges surrounding agricultural fields
Sacred Groves locally known as ‘Kovil Kadugal’,
‘Ayyappan Kavu’ represent small patches of forest left untouched by the local
communities because of their faith and tradition that the area is sacred and
the vegetation and animals inhabiting the same should not be destroyed.
They are repositories of medicinal plants and local
flora and often they harbor local fauna as well. These sacred groves are often
dedicated to local spirits or deities and as such the people attach some
sanctity to them. Religious practices and cultural traditions have been spun
around them to deter people from exploiting the biodiversity contained within
them. This ancient Indian conservation tradition has played a vital role in
conserving small pieces of forest cover, which often consists of endangered
flora.
These groves are often found in forestlands,
Community lands, and temple lands and sometimes in private lands.
However due to scarcity of land, change in outlook
etc. these areas are under pressure of extinction.
Around 123
patches of sacred groves varying in size from 0.2 to 5.0 ha in around the
temples have been identified in the U.T. of Pondicherry.
Some of the
important sacred groves are at Mangalam, Poornankuppam, Thirukkanur,
Madagadipet, Lawspet, Mettupalayam, Abhisekapakkam, Keezhur, Karasur (all in
Pondicherry Region) Chembara and Pandakkal (in Mahe Region).
http://www.cpreecenvis.nic.in/Database/Puducherry_903.aspx
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