THE TRIBAL WAY OF BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION THROUGH THE OBSERVANCE OF RELIGIOUS RITUALS - A CASE STUDY IN SELECTED SANTAL VILLAGES OF MANBAZAR – 1 BLOCK, PURULIA DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL

Conservation of biodiversity has become essential in the present-day with concerning to sustainable development. The role of indigenous tribes in traditionally conserving the biosphere is undeniable. The religious beliefs, taboos, traits, rituals and customs of the Santal community are directly related to the preservation of various plants and animals because they worship various plants, animals and nature as gods and goddesses. Religiously, one of the holy places of this tribe is Jaherthans (sacred groves); all kinds of their religious ceremonies, festivals, rituals etc. are started by performing worship at Jaherthans. These are the reason they protect these holy places as possible as they can do. Another most important side of these sacred grooves is that these are the habitats of a wide variety of plant and animal species, meaning that they act as local biodiversity hotspots, which play a vital role in conserving local biodiversity