The Blessing of the Monkeys, the Whisper of Enchanted Stones: A Case Study of Indigenous Ecology in the Sacred Groves of Kerala (India) and Nagarkot (Nepal)
Maciej Karasinski, Prasad Erancheri
Religions February 12, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/rel17020224 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnographic study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Vallikāṭṭu sacred grove (Kerala, India) and shamanic forests of Nagarkot (Nepal) |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Keywords | Indigenous Blessing Ethnography Agency philosophy Ethnobiology Traditional knowledge Natural archaeology Anthropology Environmental ethics Ethnology Ecology Consciousness Magic telescope Divinity Ceremony Animism |
| Key findings | Non-human animals, trees, and stones in South Asian sacred groves are perceived as active agents in spiritual and ecological processes, preserving ecosystems and transmitting indigenous ecological knowledge through ritual practices. |
Abstract
This comparative study sheds light on the agency of nature and provides a lens through which to examine the intersection of ritual, ecology, and indigenous environmental consciousness in South Asia. The paper argues that the sacred groves are not just passive backdrops for human rituals, but dynamic spaces in which fauna, flora, rocks and other natural entities are actively involved in spiritual practices and ecological processes. We compare two case studies: one from South India (Kerala), the Vallikāṭṭu sacred grove (kāvu), and one from Nepal, the shamanic forests of Nagarkot. While the beliefs and rituals connect people with the environment and impose certain restrictions as to the mode of conduct in the groves, we point to the agency of non-human animals In the case of Vallikāṭṭu we show that while the worshippers and priests of the groves may be inclined to restructure the groves or ritual patterns, the groves’ monkeys are perceived as emissaries of the spiritual-natural forces who preserve the ecosystem of the grove. Similarly, the trees and stones at the sacred sites of Nepal are seen as spiritual guides of the shamans or physical manifestations of the spirit of nature. This ethnographic study, combined with botanical research on plant animal interactions in the groves and philological study of sacred texts of the priests and shamans, highlights the existing indigenous ecological knowledge systems that are inextricably linked to and transmitted through ritual practices, spirit possession, trance and visionary journeys.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Plantas con madre": plants that teach and guide in the shamanic initiation process in the East-Central Peruvian Amazon. Curanderos, apprentices, and herbalists in East-Central Peru, including Mestizo,... | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 36 |
| Purging and the body in the therapeutic use of ayahuasca Healers and participants in shamanic tourism contexts of the Peruvian Amazon and... | 2019 | Ethnography with literature review | n = 227 |
| The Globalization of Ayahuasca Shamanism and the Erasure of Indigenous Shamanism Western tourists and indigenous peoples in Iquitos, Peru | 2016 | Ethnography | |
| Shamanism and Rock Art in Far Western North America Historic hunter-gatherer cultures of California and the Great Basin | 1992 | Ethnographic review and analysis | |
| Working with “La Medicina”: Elements of Healing in Contemporary Ayahuasca Rituals Ayahuasqueros and Western participants in shamanic tourism in Iquitos, Peru | 2012 | Ethnography |