Abstract

Tribal culture in India is extremely rich and varied componentially. The anthropologists have worked hard to bring it to the notice of the lay people and the State. This was also taken up as a measure to oppose the cultural homogenization policy of the State. In the process quite often in tune with the foreign western scholars Indian anthropologists have projected the tribal cultures romantically as exotic elements of the primitive people which need to be preserved. In the process the question of human rights associated with tribal existence gained upper hand over the issue of ensuring their political rights. Political rights are essentially embedded within the womb of cultures and therein cultural rights. Sacred grove is one such cultural trait of the tribals which has been unfortunately projected as an instrument of ethno-environment management. This paper makes a modest attempt to deconstruct the popular myths surrounding sacred groves which have been created by and large by the western scholars and their counterparts in India.

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