India's 25,000 Sacred Groves Protect Wildlife With Faith

In the dry grasslands of Rajasthan, India, tiny forests thrive as islands of biodiversity where spiritual beliefs do the work of forest rangers.

These sacred groves, called devbanis or orans, have existed for centuries as common lands where villages graze animals, collect medicinal herbs, and draw water from natural springs. Deep spiritual traditions keep the trees and wildlife safe: locals believe that harming these forests brings misfortune.

Rajasthan alone has an estimated 25,000 of these sacred groves scattered across its desert landscape. Each one serves as a refuge for indigenous plants and animals that have disappeared elsewhere.

Bhawani Shankar tends one such grove in Alwar, where peacocks feed near an ancient ficus tree and a stream flows from its roots. "Nothing good has come to anyone who dares to cut wood from this forest," he says, sharing local stories that reinforce protection of the land.

But these pockets of wilderness face growing threats. During British colonial rule, officials labeled many groves as "uncultivable land," making them vulnerable to encroachment and mining. Since India's independence in 1947, pressure from farming, construction and development has only intensified.

That's where Aman Singh comes in. The Rajasthan native founded KRAPAVIS in 1992, an organization dedicated to protecting these ecological treasures. Growing up in a region plagued by water scarcity, Singh understood that sacred groves provide essential resources: shade, groundwater recharge, and grazing land for livestock.

His team works with local communities to document and legally protect the groves. They're racing against time as developers eye these green spaces in India's rapidly expanding economy.

The Ripple Effect

The sacred groves do more than preserve rare species. They recharge groundwater aquifers in one of India's driest states, providing drinking water for surrounding villages during harsh summers.

The cooler microclimates inside these forests offer relief to both people and animals. Buffalo wallow in shallow pools while goats rest under dense canopies, escaping temperatures that regularly exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit outside the groves.

By preserving traditional knowledge about medicinal plants and sustainable harvesting, the groves also keep ancient ecological wisdom alive for future generations.

Singh's organization has shown that faith and science can work together. When communities see their sacred spaces mapped and legally recognized, they double down on protection efforts, knowing their spiritual traditions now have government backing.

Across India and the world, these community-protected forests prove that conservation doesn't always need enforcement officers when it has something more powerful: deeply held beliefs passed down through generations.