The relationship between people and the environment in ancient India was one of harmony, coexistence, mutual care, and concern.

In ancient India, village committees managed the upkeep of panchavatis, which consisted of five types of trees.

Pic source: The Hans India

It was believed, through studying the Vedas (religious texts), that every village needed to safeguard mahavan (natural forest), shrivan (prosperity forest), and tapovan (austerity forest) to be whole.

Pic source: The Sadhana Forest

The most prominent ruler in ancient India who focused on a clean environment and wildlife conservation was Emperor Ashoka.

Under his administration, the Mauryan state maintained the empire’s forests, along with fruit groves, botanical pharmacies, and herbal gardens.

Pic source: Aastha Bairollia

Hunting certain species of wild animals was banned, forest and wildlife reserves were established, and cruelty to domestic and wild animals was prohibited.

One of the finest examples of tree conservation practices was classifying certain sections as “sacred groves” that were dedicated to a village deity and thus protected. These sacred groves are still found all over India.

In Kerala, there are small jungles called sarpakavus dedicated to snakes, and in Karnataka’s Kodagu district, there are devakadu groves dedicated to Aiyappa, the forest god.

Along river Tamraparani in Tamil Nadu, there are sacred groves called nandavanam that provide a window into an ecosystem’s past.

Devrais in Maharashtra, kovilkadus in Tamil Nadu, and pavitraskhetralu in Andhra Pradesh are other examples of sacred groves in South India.

Northeast India too has a well-documented culture of sacred groves. The most famous of these are the law kyntangs of Meghalaya.

However, nowhere is this deep ecological consciousness better exemplified than in the supreme sacrifice of the Bishnois in Khejarli, a village in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district.

The name of the town is derived from khejri (Prosopis cineraria) trees, which were in abundance in the village. In 1730 AD, the then-ruler of Jodhpur, Maharaja Abhay Singh, had ordered the felling of the village’s khejri trees to bake lime for the construction of his new fort.

A local woman called Amrita Devi was the first one to refuse to accede to this demand. She famously said, “Sar sāntey rūkh rahe to bhī sasto jān (If a tree is saved even at the cost of one’s head, it is worth it).”

A local woman called Amrita Devi was the first one to refuse to accede to this demand. She famously said, “Sar sāntey rūkh rahe to bhī sasto jān (If a tree is saved even at the cost of one’s head, it is worth it).”

The news spread like wildfire, sparking off a strong collective protest from the local Bishnoi community. Hundreds of Bishnoi men and women, young and old, placed their heads against the trees to prevent them from being cut and were axed along with the trees.

When the Maharaja heard about their sacrifice, he was so moved that he immediately apologised for the mistake committed by his officials, and issued a royal decree that prohibited the cutting of green trees and hunting of animals in and around Bishnoi villages.

In the 1970s, this sacrifice became the inspiration behind the famous Chipko Movement where villagers led by Sunder Lal Bahuguna hugged trees to prevent them from being cut down.

Other major milestones in the history of tree conservation movements in India were the Save Silent Valley protest (1973) and the Jungle Bachao Andolan (1980), among others.

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