some of the rare plants and fish found in kerala's sacred groves[kaavu]

Sacred Groves of Kerala:-Sacred groves are patches of wilderness

conserved owing to their perceived importance attached to a village deity. It is a miniature evergreen forest within areas of human settlements nurtured by tradition and sustained by beliefs. These groves are inseparably linked with rituals and festivals that safeguard the cultural moorings of ethnic community. A survey of the kavus that are found in the Kannur Kasaragod districts of North Kerala will serves as an eye-opener to the value of kavus as a green heritage; a legacy that have been neglected. Conservation of biodiversity is the idea conveyed by kavu

sarpa kaavu
The kavus reminds of the importance of preserving forest even as human activities make their clearance inevitable that is why they can be considered, in spite of being close to human habitation

, as centers of excellence in in situ conservation. It is very likely that the life forms hitherto unknown to modern science can be discovered in such kavus.

THEYYAM - associated with kaavu

[1]

EMBELIA TSJERIAM-COTTAM[SYNONYM OF EMBELIA BASAAL]भ्याभिद犺 -VAYUVIDANGA

AYURVEDIC MEDICINAL PLANTS

Vernacular names-[eezal]

Hindi - Babrang, Bhingi

Kannada - Vaivaling

Malayalam - Vila I-eezal

Marathi - Ambati, Kokla

[2] Sanskrit - Bidanga, Vidanga

Tamil - Vaivilangam, Kakkandankai

EMBELIA RIBES BURN-Common Name : [VIDANGA]

plant Parts Used : Berries (fruit) leaves, Root-bark

[3]

Ecbolium viride
( Acanthaceae ) Common Name : Green Shrimp Plant

[4]

sysygium zeylanicum-Common name: [Candolle]

[5]memycylon umbellatum -Indian Medicinal Plant "[Anjani"]

[6]morinda umbellatum-[kuttaluchurruki]

[7]madhuka longifolia-[ilipa]-[mahua]

[8]vatera indica[vellappain]

[9]Nervilia aragoana[valiya orilathamara]is small terrestrial orchid

[10]Horabagrus brachysoma[is known as "Günther's catfish" or "yellow catfish".^[2] It is also known as manjakoori in its native range;H. brachysoma is known only from the Kerala Backwaters, Vembanad Lake and the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka]

[11]Scarlet ixora[known as the Jungle Geranium, Flame of the Woods, and Jungle Flame, is a common flowering shrub native to Asia. Its name derives from an Indian deity]

[12]Myristica[nut meg]It is known to have been a prized and costly spice in European medieval cuisine as a flavouring, medicinal, and preservative agent. Saint Theodore the Studite ( ca. 758 – ca. 826) was famous for allowing his monks to sprinkle nutmeg on their pease pudding when required to eat it. In Elizabethan times it was believed that nutmeg could ward off the plague, so nutmeg was very popular.