International E-publication: Publish Projects, Dissertation, Theses, Books, Souvenir, Conference Proceeding with ISBN.  International E-Bulletin: Information/News regarding: Academics and Research

Traditional worshiping plants from selected sacred groves of Kozhikode District, Kerala, India

Author Affiliations

  • 1Department of Botany, St. Joseph College, Devagiri, Kozhikode - 673008, Kerala, India
  • 2Department of Botany, St. Joseph College, Devagiri, Kozhikode - 673008, Kerala, India

Res. J. Recent Sci., Volume 6, Issue (4), Pages 7-13, April,2 (2017)

Abstract

The present paper highlights the religious importance of sacred plants, which are documented from two different sacred groves such as Kanangad kavu and Kavumkara of Kozhikode district, Kerala. During the study, there are about 20 species of plants belonging to 20 genera and 14 families were documented. The religious potentialities of these plants and their role in worshiping god/goddess were also tabulated. The present study also highlights the importance of conserving such sacred patches is an urgent need, because the changes in social belief, modernization and erosion of cultural practices are some of the major factors contributing towards degradation of the ancient institutional heritage.

References

  1. Ramakrishnan P.S. (1998)., Conserving the sacred for biodiversity: The conceptual framework., Conserving the sacred for biodiversity management, Central University, Pondicherry.
  2. Nayar M.P. (1997)., Biodiversity challenges in Kerala and science of conservation biology., In: P. Pushpangadan and K.S.S. Nair (Eds.), Biodiversity of tropical forests: the Kerala scenario. The State Committee on Science, Technology and Environment (STEC), Govt. of Kerala, 7 – 23.
  3. Induchoodan N.C. (1996)., Ecological studies on the sacred groves of Kerala., Ph.D. thesis, Dept. Ecology, Pondichery University, Pondichery.
  4. Whittaker R.H. (1970)., Communities and Ecosystems., Macmillan Publishing Co., New York.
  5. Mohanan C.N. and Nair N.C. (1981)., Kunstleria prain- an new genus record of India and a new species in the genus., Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 90(3), 207-209.
  6. Unnikrishnan E. (1995)., Sacred Groves of North Kerala-An Ecofolklore Study (in Malayalam)., Jeevarekha, Thrissur, Kerala.
  7. Bhagwat S.A., Kushalappa C.G., Williams P.H. and Brown N.D. (2005)., The role of informal protected areas in maintaining biodiversity in the western Ghats of India., Ecol Soc., 10(1), 1-40.
  8. Pushpangadan P., Rajendraprasad M. and Krishnan R.N. (1998)., Sacred groves of Kerala: a synthesis of art of knowledge., In: Ramakrishnan, P.S., Saxena, K.G., Chandrashekara, U.M. (Eds.) Conserving the sacred for Biodiversity Management. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co., New Delhi. 193 - 210.
  9. Gadgil M. and Vartak V.D. (1975)., Sacred groves of India: a plea for continued conservation., J. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., 72(2), 314-320.
  10. Israel E.I., Viji C. and Narasimhan D. (1997)., Sacred groves: traditional ecological heritage., Int. J. Eco. Env. Sci., 23(4), 463-470.
  11. Tiwari B.K., Barik S.K. and Tripathi R.S. (2011)., Sacred groves of Meghalaya., In: Udayan, P.S., Harinarayanan, M.K., Tushar, K.V. and Indira, B. 2007. Some common plants used by Kurichiar tribes of Tirunelli forest, Wayanad district, Kerala medicine and other traditional users. Ind. J. Trad. Know., 7, 250-255.
  12. Chandrashekara U.M. (2011)., Conservation and management of sacred groves in Kerala., Project funded by the Biodiversity Cell, Department of Forests and Wildlife, Government of Kerala. KFRI, Peechi, Kerala.
  13. Hooker J.D. (2016)., 1872-1897., The Flora of British India, I-VII. Reeve & Co., London.
  14. Gamble J.S. and Fischer C.E.C. (1915)., The Flora of the Presidency of Madras., Adlard & Son Ltd., London.
  15. Sasidharan N. (2004)., Biodiversity documentation for Kerala., Part-6: Flowering Plants. Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Thrissur.
  16. Santapau H. and Henry A.N. (1973)., A Dictionary of the flowering plants in India., Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, New Delhi.
  17. Nair H.R., Thomas B., Anish V.B., Antony V.T. and Varghese M.C. (2014)., Religious important sacred plants from selected sacred groves of Kottayam District, Kerala, India., Bot. Rep., 3, 1-10.
  18. Jayapal J., Tangavelou A.C. and Panneerselvam A. (2014)., Medicinal plants of PeriyakottaiPattaiyar sacred grove in Pattukottai Taluk at Thanjavur District, Tamilnadu, India., Int. J. Pharm. Chem. Sci., 3(2), 399-410.