Sacred Groves in Chhattisgarh

Purana Shiv Temple (Vangram Benda, RF 144), Kabirdham district

In Chhattisgarh sacred groves are locally known as Matagudi, Devgudi and Gaondevi. 6 sacred groves have been documented in the state.

Different tribes have their own Mata or Gaondevi or goddess in the Devgudi.  Some of the deities to whom these groves are dedicated are Andhari Pat, Chala Pachao, Sarna Burhia, Sarna Mata, Mahadania and Budhadev.

Sarana or jahera sacred groves are predominantly found in the Chhotanagpur region of the State.

Sal, Indian gooseberry, Bedda nut, Indian laurel, Indian frankincense tree, Black myrobalan, Cuddapah almond, Indian butter tree and Axile wood are among the most commonly found plant species in the sacred groves.

Most of the groves are managed by the local community (ies) and owned by a group of families, or a clan. The community rituals are often synchronized with the blossoming of the flowers of the trees in the groves, and other agricultural operations.  These rituals reveal the close sense of harmony that exists between nature and tribal communities.

Van Devi (Kharoda Khurd, Comp. No. PF 374), Kabirdham district

List of Sacred Groves in Jashpur and Sarguja District of Chhattisgarh

Source:  Suprava Patnaik & Amitabh Pandey, 2014,” Eco- cultural Sevices from Community Commons: Sacred Groves of Chhattisgarh, Ecological Traditions of India,  Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Volume-IX, Pg:97-111.

1. P. Rahangdale, R. K. Patley, K. C. Yadav, 2014 “Phytodiversity of Ethnomedicinal Plants in Sacred Groves and its Traditional Uses in Kabirdham District of Chhattisgarh”, The Indian Forester, Volume 140, Issue 1.

https://sacredearthtrust.in/sacred-grove-forest-directory/