Forests for People

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‘Pleasant be Thy hills, O Earth – Thy snow

clad mountains and Thy woods’:

greening the mountains in the

Indian Himalayan Region

L.M.S. Palni, P.P. Dhyani, B.P. Kothyari, G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development,

Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, Uttarakhand, India and P.K. Samal, North East Unit of Institute,

Vivek Vihar, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India

he title of this article is derived from the ancient ‘Hymn

To Mother Earth’ of the Bhumi Suktam in Atharva Veda.

This poem, which dates back at least four thousand

years, presents holistic environmental values that are very apt

for this International Year of Forests, 2011. Another verse reads

as follows:

‘Whatever I dig from thee, Earth,

May that have quick growth again,

O purifier, may we not injure Thy vitals or Thy heart’

This verse sums up, in a most extraordinary manner, the need for

sustainable development

. Forests represent one of the ‘vitals’ for the

sustenance of life on Earth. The Krishana Yajurveda includes several

references to the natural environment, including: ‘I bow to the Lord

Rudra perceived in the trees with dark green leaves’; ‘I bow to Shiva

the Lord of the forest’; and ‘I bow to the Lord of herbs and plants’.

These excerpts from the Vedas, the first and most important

texts of our cultural heritage, clearly indicate that reverence for

the natural environment is deeply embedded in our

tradition. But in addition to the Vedic injunctions, a

plethora of customs and traditions direct us towards

conservation of natural resources. For example,

there are sacred trees, such as the ‘Peeple’

and the

‘Vatavriksha’

, which are not to be cut down under

any circumstances. Historically, it has been forbidden

to cut down the ‘Kalpavriksha’

tree, the giver of every-

thing. Then there is the tradition of Devavanas (sacred

groves) dedicated to various deities. All the trees of

the grove were dedicated to the Mother goddess or

to local deities so that people would not disturb or

destroy them. This ancient tradition continues today

and there are several sacred groves and forests in the

Indian Himalayan region and elsewhere. There are also

numerous examples of the ceremonial closing of parts

of village forests for a few years to give them suffi-

cient time to regenerate. Protection of the forests has

Revival of Badrivan, the ancient sacred forest at Badrinath

Badrinath, the major Hindu pilgrimage place in the Indian Himalayan

region for thousands of years, lies in a remote valley at an altitude

of 3,133 metres. Approximately 700,000 pilgrims a year flock to the

shrine from all over India. Under the impact of so many visitors, the

extensive forest that filled the valley had gradually disappeared by the

early 1990s. Many attempts to restore it had failed due to inappropriate

selection, preparation and planting of trees, along with a lack of

community consultation. An innovative research and development

programme was initiated in 1993, making use of scientific knowledge

along with the community’s spiritual and cultural values.

At the suggestion of the chief priest, around 20,000 seedlings were

provided for pilgrims and local stakeholders to plant, in keeping with

Hindu beliefs and myths about the physical and spiritual importance

of trees. Harsh winter conditions led to the loss of many of these

seedlings, but a plant nursery was later established nearby to raise

suitably hardy native trees.

Subsequent plantings led to reforestation at Badrinath, resulting

in the survival of approximately 21,670 tree and shrub saplings up

to November 2001, a vast improvement on the fewer than 100 trees

found growing in the entire Badrinath valley before the project.

This programme presents an inspirational example of how myths

and religious beliefs can be used in a practical way to motivate

environmental conservation. The World Conservation Union (IUCN)

has included the Badrivan approach in its guidelines for planning and

managing protected mountain areas. The unique programme has also

been cited internationally as a model for reforestation/afforestation of

locations all over the world.