Kullu: In the lush green interiors of the hill state of Himachal Pradesh, it is the diktat of the local deities that reigns supreme. The people believe that it is because of these deities that the local environment and culture remain conserved and safe.
The locals believe that it is the deities that have been protecting Himachal’s forests for centuries and even today the permission from a local deity is sought before the execution of any ‘developmental’ project that calls for changing the landscape or chopping the trees. The common belief is that it is the deities that have kept the people safe from various mafias.
In the Sainj Valley of the Banjar subdivision of Kullu district, it is the law of the deity Ringu Nag that prevails and even the Forest Department has to follow his diktats. The locals say that even the Forest Department personnel are barred from entering the patch known as Ringu Forest that spans over 100 acres. This might remind of the plot of the film Kantara, set in Karnataka.
Manoj Sharma, a local, said, “The deity Ringu Nag has given clear instructions that no harm should be caused to the plants, vegetation, herbs and animals in his forest. Because of this order, many rare species can still be seen in this forest. Furthermore, if an animal wanders into the forest while grazing, no villager enters the forest to get it back. It has often been seen that such an animal returns on its own within two or three days. But there have also been occasions when the animals have never returned. The locals believe that such animals have refuge in the deity that will protect it. Lighting any kind of fire in the forest is also prohibited.”
Locals say that there has been no attempt to denude the forest in any way for hundreds of years. People do not even bring dry wood from the forest. The common belief is that anyone attempting to violate the norm faces the deity’s wrath. Observers find this as a unique example of environmental and plant conservation. Many tree species, including cedar, rai, tosh, and rakhal still flourish in this forest. Even those trees that have disappeared throughout the Sainj Valley can also be found here.
The Ringu Forest falls under the Raila Panchayat and covers more than 100 acres of land. The deity’s chariot stands in Upper Raila village, while the deity is stationed on the hills adjacent to Raila village.
Ramesh Chand, the priest of another deity, Lakshmi Narayan, explained, “The deity Ringu Nag resides in this forest in three forms — snake, lion and ram. According to the deity’s instructions, using iron tools, lighting fires or entering the forest without permission is strictly prohibited. Breaking these rules can result in serious disaster. People can enter the forest only on the occasions of Saja Baisakh and Nag Panchami with the deity’s special permission. Even this requires following strict rules such as fasting, bathing and covering the head.”
The forest mafia has axed many trees and forest fires have played havoc on the hills adjacent to Ringu Forest that retains its greenery. The villagers have even erected a warning sign outside the forest stating that entry into the forest is prohibited.
Former Block Development Committee (BDC) member Jhabe Ram disclosed, “In 2012, when a UNESCO team visited the Sainj Valley to designate the Great Himalayan National Park as a World Heritage Site, they toured the entire area. They noticed that only the Ringu Forest was green while the surrounding hills were barren. The team was delighted to know the reason and advised the Forest Department that if they wanted to improve on environmental protection, the forests should be handed over to the deity so that they could remain green forever. This would maintain the balance between the environment and wildlife.”
Environmentalist Ajit Singh Rathore of Banjar said that the local deities have played a major part in keeping the culture of the mountains intact. “People are not allowed to make noise here, nor are they allowed to harm nature in any way. They fear that harming nature will incur the wrath of the deities. The Forest Department should raise awareness among tourists about the forests being under the protection of the deities.”
Apart from Ringu Nag, there have been other deities as well that have protected the environment often forcing the government to backtrack on many projects. This includes the shelving of the project to build a ski village in Manali when a Parliament of deities called Jagati was convened and it declared the project inauspicious in 2006. The deities warned of natural calamities if the project was executed. Another attempt had seen the people protesting vehemently. The project was eventually shelved in 2018.
General Secretary of Kullu’s Devi Devta Kardar Sangh, T C Mahant disclosed, “Apart from Ringu Nag, there are nearly 200 other places in Kullu where the deities have issued environmental protection directives. There are many forests where no one can cut trees or start construction without the local deity’s permission. Governments and people have only started talking about environmental protection a few years ago but the deities’ orders have been protecting the forests and animals of Kullu for centuries.”
In recent times, there have been public protests over the proposed Bijli Mahadev ropeway project. The central government approved a 3.2 km ropeway under the Bharatmala Project and permission for the first phase of construction was granted under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA). But the locals say that their deity is against the project and through a Guru has warned that it will harm the environment and forests. The increased tourist numbers will increase filth and contaminate drinking water sources.
A retired Forest Department officer, Bhupendra Sharma said, “I’ve seen many cases during my government service. Sometimes, even cutting down a tree required permission from deity. People couldn’t take home even a fallen branch without the deity’s permission as they believed the forest belonged to the deity. They considered it the deity’s property and his or her primary right over the forest.”
