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How the Land Becomes Sacred Class 7 Social Science Notes

How the Land Becomes Sacred

The world around us – the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we live on, and all living things – is interconnected. Ancient texts like the Bhāgavata Purāṇa suggest that these are all parts of something greater. This chapter explores how certain places and natural features become viewed as sacred, and the impact this has on culture and life.

The chapter will answer the following questions:

What is sacredness?
How does land become sacred?
How do sacred sites and pilgrimage networks connect with life and culture?
What role did sacred geography play in the cultural integration of the Indian Subcontinent?

What is 'Sacredness'?

Sacredness is finding something of deep religious or spiritual meaning, worthy of respect, reverence, and considered holy or divine. This "something" can be:

A special location, like a shrine, that inspires deep feelings and thoughts.
A pilgrimage, which is a special journey.
The route a pilgrimage takes.
Even the land itself.

Sacredness is connected to religion, spirituality, geography, and traditions.

Sacred Places

Almost every religion in India has its own sacred places. Some religions, like Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, originated outside India, but their followers in India also have places of worship and reverence. For example, the Dargah Sharif of Ajmer in Rajasthan and the Velankanni Church in Tamil Nadu are visited by people of many faiths.

Religions that originated in India, such as Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, have numerous sacred sites.

Buddhism: Sacred sites are often places visited by the Buddha or where his relics (holy objects associated with a spiritual figure) are kept. Examples include the Great Stūpa at Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh) and the Mahabodhi Stūpa in Bodh Gaya (Bihar), where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.
Sikhism: Takhts are centers of spiritual authority. Examples include Takht Sri Patna Sahib (in Patna), the Akal Takht (at the Golden Temple in Amritsar), and Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib (at Anandpur). Sikhs try to make pilgrimages to these places because they are linked to important Sikh Gurus.

Pilgrimage

A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place that holds special significance within a religion or belief system. A shrine is a place considered holy because of its connection to the divine, a sacred relic, or a spiritual figure.

Example

Think of a time you or your family visited a temple, church, mosque, or gurdwara. The feeling of peace and reverence you experience in that place is connected to its sacredness.

A tīrtha literally means a place where one can cross a river. Symbolically, it becomes a place where one can cross from ordinary life to a higher, spiritual life.

India has a long history of pilgrimages. People travel from all over the country to visit ancient sites like Badrinath, Kedarnath, Amarnath in the Himalayas, and Kanyakumari in the south. According to Prime Minister Nehru in 1961, these pilgrimages show "the feeling of one country and one culture."

Tīrthayātrās (pilgrimages to various sacred sites) are not just physical journeys but also inner journeys that require a specific code of conduct. For thousands of years, people in India have been traveling across the subcontinent, leading to the entire geography being seen as sacred.

Example

Imagine traveling from your home to a famous temple in another state. You would experience new languages, foods, and customs, but also recognize shared values and beliefs.

More Sacred Sites

Hinduism and many folk and tribal belief systems consider elements of nature to be sacred, including:

Mountains
Rivers
Trees
Plants
Animals
Sometimes even stones

Specific mountains, rivers, and forests are worshipped as deities. Many rivers are regarded as devis (goddesses), and certain species of trees, animals, and plants are considered holy. This comes from the idea that there is a divine presence in all of nature. Ultimately, the entire planet Earth is considered sacred – she is Mother Earth or Bhūdevī.

Example

Many Hindus don't eat beef because the cow is considered a sacred animal, representing Mother Earth and providing for people.

Here are some examples of such traditions:

The Niyam Dongar hill in the Niyamgiri Range of Jharkhand is sacred to the Dongria Khond tribe. They believe it is the home of Niyam Raja, their supreme deity. Cutting trees there is prohibited.
In the early 2000s, the Government of Sikkim identified sacred mountains, caves, lakes, rocks, and hot springs for protection.
In the Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu, the Todas (a tribal community) consider many mountain peaks sacred and link them to their gods. This sacredness extends to plants, Shola forests, wetlands, stones, and trees.

Becoming Aware of Sacred Geography

Sacred geography refers to the interconnected network of sacred places across India.

Example

Think of India as a body, and the tīrthas as vital organs. The network that connects these organs makes the whole body sacred.

Some examples of sacred networks include:

The chār dhāmyātrā: Hindus aspire to visit these four sites, located in the north, south, east, and west of India.
The 12 jyotirlingas: These are considered highly auspicious shrines dedicated to Shiva.
The 51 Shakti pīṭhas: These sites cover the entire map of India (and parts of present-day Bangladesh and Pakistan).

The story of the 51 Shakti pīṭhas illustrates how the land itself becomes sacred. According to the story, when Satī immolated herself after being insulted, Shiva was so angry that he carried her body and refused to allow her last rites. To stop Shiva's anger, Vishnu cut up Satī's body, and the places where her body parts fell became the Shakti pīṭhas.

When pilgrims visit these major sacred places, they travel across India, experiencing different languages, customs, clothing, and foods. This helps them notice commonalities and strengthens the sense of unity within the country.

Sacred Ecology

Tīrthas are often located in natural settings like:

Riverbanks
Lakes
Forests
Mountains

These natural landscapes are seen as sacred spaces or punyakṣhetras. This perception encourages people to protect and preserve nature, as they see themselves as part of it. In these kshetras, geography, culture, and spirituality come together.

Rivers and sangams (confluence of rivers)

Rivers have been worshipped in India since Vedic times. The nadīstuti sūkta of the Rigveda praises rivers and invokes nineteen major rivers of ancient northwest India. Even today, rituals invoke the presence of important rivers:

Ganga
Yamuna
Godavari
Sarasvati
Narmada
Sindhu
Kaveri

These rivers are lifelines for Indian civilization. Their sources, tributaries, and the places they flow through are considered sacred and visited by pilgrims. Rivers are often referred to with respect, such as 'Ganga ji' or 'Yamuna ji'.

Example

The Ganges River is not just a water source but a sacred mother to many Hindus. They believe bathing in it cleanses sins.

Prayagraj, located at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the invisible Sarasvati rivers, hosts the Kumbh Mela every six years. The Kumbh Mela has been listed by UNESCO as an 'intangible heritage of the world'.

The Kumbh Mela originates from the legend of amrita manthana. The devas (gods) and asuras (demons) churned the cosmic ocean to extract amrita, the nectar of immortality. To prevent the asuras from getting the amrita, Vishnu (in the form of Mohini) snatched the kumbha (pitcher) containing the amrita. A few drops fell over four places:

Haridwar
Prayagraj
Nashik
Ujjain

These are the places where the Kumbh Mela is held, and a dip in the rivers there during a prescribed period is considered auspicious.

Mountains and Forests

Mountains are often associated with legends, deities, or heroes. They are seen as a symbolic gateway from earth to heaven because of their height. That is why many tīrthas and temples are located on hilltops. The physical journey to these peaks is seen as a symbolic journey to reach the divine.

Example

Imagine climbing a mountain to reach a temple. The effort and challenges you face along the way symbolize the difficulties of the spiritual path.

Trees, Forests and Sacred Groves

In many parts of India, trees are adorned with offerings like turmeric and kumkum. The peepul tree (also called 'pipal', 'bo tree', or 'bodhi tree', aśhvattha in Sanskrit) is sacred to Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Its botanical name is Ficus religiosa.

Example

The Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya is believed to be a descendant of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.

The Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa describe pilgrimages and sacred places. Many rural and tribal traditions claim that the heroes of these texts passed through their locality, with shrines marking such passages.

Over time, many rural and tribal communities across India decided to protect some natural forests from harmful activities. They saw those forests as the abodes of deities. Such forests are called sacred groves. Because of their sacred status, they shelter great biodiversity and help in water conservation.

Example

Sacred groves are like natural temples where trees and animals are protected. This helps preserve the environment and local traditions.

Examples of names for sacred groves in regional languages:

Malayalam: kāvu
Tamil: kovilkādu
Kannada: devare kādu
Marathi: devarāī
Khasi (Meghalaya): khlaw kyntang
Hindi (Himachal Pradesh): dev van
Jharkhand: sarnā
Chhattisgarh: devgudi
Rajasthan: oraṇ

In Tamil Nadu, local chronicles highlight the relationship between the deity of a sacred grove, nature, and humans. The groves' deities protect fruit bats, which are considered sacred and play a critical role in pollination and seed dispersal. Sacred groves thus evolve a harmonious relationship between the deity, the ecosystem, and humans.

From pilgrimage to trade

Pilgrims often encounter traders and merchants on their journeys. Pilgrims need various items, which traders can provide. As a result, pilgrimage routes and trade routes often overlap. Some traders might also be pilgrims, taking their goods to distant towns and cities while visiting sacred sites and shrines.

Major trade routes in ancient India included:

Uttarapatha: Connected the northwestern and eastern parts of the Subcontinent.
Dakṣhinapātha: Went from Kaushāmbī through Ujjayinī (Ujjain) to Pratiṣhthāna (Paithan).

Goods traded along these routes included:

Precious stones (shells, pearls, gold, diamonds)
Cotton
Spices
Sandalwood

Sacred Geography beyond India

The concept of sacred geography is not unique to India.

Ancient Greece had sacred landmarks, from mountains to groves.
Native Americans had a special bond with nature.
The Maoris of New Zealand regard the Taranaki Maunga mountain as their ancestor and have granted it the rights and responsibilities of a human being.

Restoring and conserving the sacred

The harmonious relationship between people and sacred geography that sustained Indian civilization is now under strain.

Example

Rivers like the Yamuna and Kaveri, considered sacred, are heavily polluted. This shows a disconnect between our beliefs and our actions.

When there is a conflict between our relationship with nature and development, people have spoken up to protect their environment, deities, and values. Sacred geography continues to be relevant, especially as sustainability becomes a global issue.

How the Land Becomes SacredClass 7 Social Science Notes

How the Land Becomes Sacred

What is 'Sacredness'?

Sacred Places

Pilgrimage

More Sacred Sites

Becoming Aware of Sacred Geography

Sacred Ecology

Rivers and sangams (confluence of rivers)

Mountains and Forests

Trees, Forests and Sacred Groves

From pilgrimage to trade

Sacred Geography beyond India

Restoring and conserving the sacred