Outside the limits to others: Veera Kovil, the sacred forest of 4.97 hectares, is more than a kilometer away from Kasampatty in the District of Dindigul. Only men of a certain family can enter the sacred forest and perform rituals. | Photo credit: G. Karthikean
The sun is scorching and the path fresh from the town of Kasampatty to Melur Sizzles. But Manian walks barefoot, grabbing her sneakers widely used in her hand. On the one hand is Veera Kovil, the sacred forest of 4.97 hectares, and on the other there are mango orchards. Until the sacred place crosses, he rushes with his head boed, without daring to look in the middle of the thick vegetation where the deity resides. For villagers who live in this exuberant valley in the foothills of Alagar Kovil, Veeranan is a ‘Kaval Deivam’, a popular teity that has been monitoring the village for more than 800 years. The recent notification of the Tamil Nadu government declared by the Kasampatty (Veera Kovil) Sacred accumulated the second patrimony of the state biodiversity, has catapulted this rural area to the center of attention, and has sent discount waves mainly. “No one from the government came to inform us of such a proposal,” says Rasa, a villager. “Any decision should have one leg only after consulting us,” he says.
‘There is no need for label’
The villagers fear that the biodiversity site label stimulate tourists to visit this place. “We are not at all for this, since it will only desecrate our sacred forest,” says a villager. The deity, they see, is very powerful and to maintain the place where it resides sacred, several rituals and taboos are followed, they say. “We have maintained the safe place for years and we will keep it for future generations; we do not see the need to preserve it by naming it as a biodiversity heritage site,” says one of them.
According to the legend, one of his ancestors, Pattavan, was buried in the place. It became a deity for villagers. Later, one deity, Veeravan, who came, had a sample of force with Pattavan. Pattavan lost a bet and Veeravan became the Guardian deity for the villagers in the final stretch. Only men of a certain family can enter the sacred forest and perform rituals. The temple festival takes place around May once every three years. But women are not allowed. It is a festival only for men, with the rituals that begin in the event and end at midnight. An interesting part of the rituals is that a mete meter has to endure a leg until it ends. After the rituals, a goat is sacrificed and eats within the sacred forest; No part of this are tasks for the people. These social practices, together with the fear of the wrath of Veeranan, have resulted in the formation of taboos. Only one leaf does not start with the forest, nor a dead twig is fuel tasks. It is a virgin territory where human movement is restricted and the forest is regenerated.
HERBS AND RARE TREES
According to P. Vasunathan of the Dhan Foundation, there are 120 sacred forests in the Natham called himself and 1,750 in Tamil Nadu. Why was Kasampatty only selected as a biodiversity heritage site? The answer, according to environmentalist Karthikean Parkavithai, lies in the fact that Sacred Grove has an intense and intimate connection with people. Even after so many ages, it has no change in its practices and has helped preserve the forest, a strange fauna tank. “It was here for the first time that i saw ‘kavalai kodi’, a Creeper mentioned in the sangam literature. It is alAMost extinct in other parts. Similarly there are medical numberus herbs, such as’ aavarai ‘,’ pirandai ‘and and and and’ pirandai ‘Nethram poondu’ Tree Species Such As’ Azhinjil ‘,’ Velliruvai ‘,’ VoPurasu ‘, and’ Nowgu ”, he says.
But even local native healers do not enter this sacred forest to obtain ingredients for their potion. With the mother plants inside the sacred forest, the area that surrounds it is also rich in medicinal plants, thanks to the dispersion of the seeds. It is thesis points that local healers collect their raw materials. “If these native species that are becholets in several other places still thrive in this part of Alagar Kovil, it is by the villagers who have protected this rich biosphere with religious holiness. It is a rich gene bank,” says Karthikey.
Sacred Grove is located more than a kilometer away from the town, but its presence is palpable in the town. Last month, the villagers asked Dndigul’s collector that the government should not declare that Grove is a biodiversity site, fearing that the forest department will impose restrictions at their entrance.
‘Entrance to the restricted forest’
In recent years, villagers have faced problems with the officials of the forest department who, according to them, have restricted their entrance to the reserve forest. The town elsewhere says that it has a leg habit obtaining blessed water from two waterfalls in the reserve forest. To reach these falls, about 10 km inside the ranges, walk barefoot. This water is used in rituals and sprinkles on deities. But the staff of the Forest Department is restricting their entry in recent times, says the people elsewhere. Aldeans fear that in a few years, their entrance to the sacred forest can be restricted.
Forest Department officials respond that the fear of villagers is unfounded. “The sacred forest is in income lands and we have no intention or carrying it under our control,” says an official. “Rumors are being extended and the villagers are being deceived,” he says. “We will soon meet with the villagers and create awareness among them of the notification,” he adds. But the people of Kasampatty are in a good mood. In the Sacred Forest, the ‘Kavalai Kodi’ blooms. In the first days, the tuber of ‘Kavalai Kodi’ was consumed. A coupleted in KurunthokaiPart of Sangam’s literature, describes how the wells formed after the tuber was digging. They were full of the yellow flowers that fell from the golden shower tree (‘Kondrai Poo’). From afar, the ground looked like an open chest of gold jewelry, says the pairing. In the Kovil Veera Veera, there is no golden shower tree, but ‘Kavalai Kodi’ snuggles in a rich treasure of natural resources that local people venerate.
Published – April 10, 2025 10:11 PM IST