New Delhi: The Supreme Court has recommended the Central Government to devise a comprehensive policy for the governance and management of sacred groves, community-protected forests with deep cultural and spiritual significance.

A Bench, comprising Justices B.R. Gavai, S.V.N. Bhatti and Sandeep Mehta, emphasised India’s rich heritage of sacred groves, which are clusters of trees or forest patches preserved by local communities.

“The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is recommended to develop a nationwide policy for managing sacred groves,” the Bench stated.

The judgment also referenced a verse from the Bhagavad Gita, highlighting the interconnectedness of nature and consciousness: “Nature is the source of all material things: the maker, the means of making and the things made. Spirit is the source of all consciousness which feels pleasure and feels pain.”

Kodagu district is renowned for its Devara Kadu — sacred groves — and temples nestled within dense, untamed forests. These ecological havens, found in every village across the district, serve as a unifying force for families and diverse communities. Kodagu is home to nearly 1,214 Devara Kadus, spanning 4,614 hectares, where native communities worship folk deities. Activities such as tree felling, lopping, clearing fallen branches, plucking weeds, pruning or burning trees are strictly prohibited within Devara Kadus. It is widely believed that any violation of these sacred rules invites divine retribution, with offenders punished by death at the hands of the presiding folk deity.

Recognising the ecological and cultural importance of sacred groves, the Supreme Court  recommended their inclusion under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, particularly through  Section 36-C, which provides for the declaration of “community reserves.”

To ensure sustainable conservation, the Court proposed empowering local communities that have historically protected these groves.

“The Court deems it necessary to propose certain suggestions to promote the sustainable conservation of sacred groves and empower the communities associated with their protection,” the Bench said. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 recognises and respects the diverse legal and cultural practices of tribal communities across India.