Consider the following pairs: S.no Sacred Groves Region 1 Than Assam 2 Kavus Kerala 3 Devara Kadu Andhra Pradesh Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

The correct answer is 1 and 2 only . Key Points Sacred Groves are forest patches traditionally protected by communities in reverence of a deity . Forest-dwelling tribes such as Bodo and Rabha inhabiting the plains and foothills of Western Assam have the tradition of maintaining sacred groves which are locally called “ Than ”. Hence pair 1 is correct. Kerala has about 240 sacred groves, known as kavus , where more than 3000 rare species of plants are found. Hence pair 2 is correct. The largest grove, spread over more than 20 hectares, is in Ernakulam District . Devara kadu is the sacred grove in Karnataka. Hence pair 3 is not correct. The district of Kodagu has approximately 346 ‘devara kadu’s . ​ Additional Information Sacred groves are communally protected forests that usually have a significant religious connotation for the protecting community. In India, there are over a lakh sacred groves across different states called by different names like Kaavu in Malayalam, Koyil kaadu in Tamil, Orans in Rajasthan, Devara kaadu in Karnataka, and Sernas in Madhya Pradesh . Many rare and endemic species and species having medicinal and economic value can be found here, thus making them Biodiversity Hotspots. They house gene pools of some critically endangered plant species. They are often associated with religious beliefs and felling of trees in sacred groves is considered taboo. Sacred groves have been legally protected under ‘community reserves’ in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002. Some common threats to Sacred Groves are: The disappearance of the traditional belief systems, which were fundamental to the concept of sacred groves. The transformation of the primitive forms of nature worship into formal temple worship. Rapid urbanization and developmental interventions such as roads, railways tracks, dams including commercial forestry. Invasion by exotic weeds. Pressures due to increasing livestock and fuelwood collection.