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In the heart of one of India\u2019s ancient and most highly esteemed \u201csacred\u201d forests, individuals from indigenous communities have joined forces with Christians to advocate for the preservation of what they consider to be priceless and holy woodland areas.<\/p>\n
Named after the village where it is located\u2014Mawphlang\u2014the forest lies in the lush Khasi Hills in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya<\/a>, not far from India\u2019s border with China. Known variously as \u201cNature\u2019s Museum<\/a>\u201d and \u201cabode of clouds<\/a>,\u201d Mawphlang means \u201cmoss-covered stone<\/a>\u201d in the local Khasi language and is probably the most famous of the 125 sacred forests<\/a> in the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n Believed to be the abode of a native deity that protects village inhabitants from harm, Mawphlang is a dense, biodiverse 193-acre mecca for medicinal plants, mushrooms, birds and insects. For centuries, individuals have visited sacred groves such as Mawphlang to pray and perform animal sacrifices to the deities they believe inhabit these spaces. Any act of desecration is strictly forbidden; even the simple act of picking a flower or leaf is prohibited in most forests. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHere, communication between man and God takes place,\u201d Tambor Lyngdoh, a member of the ancestral lineage of the local priestly clan that consecrated the Mawphlang forest, told the Associated Press in a January 17 feature story<\/a>. \u201cOur forefathers set aside these groves and forests to signify the harmony between man and nature.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n But lately, climate change, pollution and deforestation have taken their toll on sacred forests such as Mawphlang. The indigenous population\u2019s conversion to Christianity<\/a>, initiated during the 19th century under British colonial rule, has also had an impact on the local eco-culture.<\/p>\n According to H.H. Morhmen<\/a>, an environmentalist and retired Unitarian minister, those who converted to Christianity lost their spiritual ties to the forests and traditional beliefs. \u201cThey viewed their new religion as the light and these rituals as darkness, as pagan or even evil,\u201d the AP article quoted Mohrmen as saying.\u00a0<\/p>\n Over the past few years, environmentalists collaborating with indigenous and Christian communities, along with government agencies, have played a crucial role in disseminating information about the importance of caring for the forests. The ecosystems are deemed invaluable for the region\u2019s ecological balance and biodiversity.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re now finding that even in places where people have converted to Christianity, they are taking care of the forests,\u201d Mohrmen said.<\/p>\n