Socio-Religious Abode for the Conservation of Forest Flora: A Study of Some Sacred Groves of Sub-Division Mendhar of Jammu and Kashmir, India

The tradition of worshipping nature is very old. For centuries nature along with plants, animals, rivers and mountains is worshipped and considered as sacred due to various socio-religious and cultural beliefs of indigenous communities and people attached with it. Many communities in the world have conserved patches of forests related to god, goddess, saints, and sufis as sacred groves. Being undisturbed, fragile and virgin, these sacred groves act as an abode for the conservation of various species of plants and animal. The present study is conducted in Sub- division Mendhar of Jammu and Kashmir, India to assess the diversity of forest flora conserved in sacred groves developed around religious places. 14 such Sacred groves were surveyed which contain immense and endangered forest flora.207 plant species of forest flora belonging to 32 families were identified which were conserved in these sacred groves by local people due to their socio- religious sanctity and beliefs.