Sacred Groves in Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, every village has a sacred grove.  These groves range in size from one to 500 acres.   The sacred groves in Tamil Nadu are known as Koil Kaadu, Swami Thopu, Swami Sholai or Ayyappan Kaavu (in Kanyakumari).

The deities associated with the groves are Aiyanar, Sastha, Muniswaran Karuppuswami, Vedappar, Andavar and Amman. 1275 groves have been documented in the state.   The groves are the repositories of medicinal plants.

Crab’s eye, White babool, Siris, White cutch tree, Indian Persimmon and Ebony are among the most commonly found plant species in the sacred groves of the plains.

Wild lime, Iron wood tree, Alangium, Capper bush and Indigo wodier are among the most commonly found plant species in the coastal sacred groves.

Indian mesquite, East Indian walnut, Poison nut, Tamarind, Ebony and Persimmon are among the most commonly found plant species in the sacred groves of the Eastern Ghats.

Kurinji, White marudah, Cycas, Rudraksha, Indian black plum, Champak and Rosewood are among the most commonly found plant species in the sacred groves of the Western Ghats.

Once a year, a festival is held in the grove.  Pongal is prepared for which dry twigs from the grove are used.  Apart from this, twigs and branches of the groves cannot be plucked or used.  It is mandatory that the grove is always kept clean: one is not allowed to urinate or defecate within the grove.

The characteristic feature of sacred groves in Tamil Nadu is the offering of terracotta horses to Aiyanar, the village kaaval kaaran (watchman) at the shrine of the mother Goddess. The horses are offered to him to go around the village in order to guard it.

C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre took up a survey of Sacred Groves in Tamilnadu in April 1997. The study was conducted to:

Precisely locate and map the groves and to prepare an inventory

Demarcate the sacred groves based on the availability of endemic and threatened plants

Suggest measures for the preservation and effective management of the threatened groves

Study the socio-economic and cultural importance of the groves

448 groves were documented throughout Tamilnadu, out of which 6 groves (Benagudi Shola, Sittannavasal, Puthupet,  Udaiyankudikadu, Tirukurungudi and Devadanam) were taken up for detailed floristic and faunistic studies.

District-wise distribution of Sacred Grove in Tamil Nadu

List of Sacred Groves in Tamil Nadu