Sacred tracts which are held in high esteem by local communities are sacred groves. The sacred groves are dedicated to local deities or ancestral spirits. They are protected by local communities through social traditions and taboos that incorporate spiritual as well as ecological values.
A native vegetation in a natural or near natural state is represented by sacred groves and are thus, rich in biodiversity and harbour many rare species of plants and animals.
sacred groves as such are found in Meghalaya (Khasi and Jaintia hills), Aravalli hills of Rajasthan, Western Ghats, regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh (Bastar. Chanda and Sarguia region).