Dhanesh Kumar

In the last 4 months, I have seen many more Kaavus (sacred groves). The Kaavus I have seen are all very different from each other. There are new Kaavus and old Kaavus. Some Kaavus have only one tree with a stone, which is the god. Then there are also some with many trees and many stones. Some Kaavus are in tea estates or arecanut plantations, and some are in vayal (wetland/swamp) or grassland. When I go to a Kaavu, I meet the Karnavar (traditional elder) and ask him some questions. I ask how...

I have been visiting Kaavus (sacred groves) in the Gudalur valley to understand their status and biodiversity in them. Most of the Kaavus that I have seen so far are very small—sometimes just a single large tree. I had heard that a typical Kaavu consists of a water source and small and big trees but I hadn’t seen any such Kaavu. I know that my experience is too little, and therefore, I have taken keen interest in seeing more Kaavus. Every time I go to visit some Kaavus, I wish to see some big...