338
et al., 2017). Consequently, recreation and ecotourism are frequently included in
valuation studies. In contrast, the rest of the values (i.e., spiritual, religious, aesthetic, inspiration etc.) are extremely difficult to quantify in terms of money. This
type of CES has been tagged with the label “intangible,” because not only are they
difficult to identify, they are enmeshed with multiple aspects of a peoples culture and
ecosystem use (Chan et al., 2012; Satterfield et al., 2013; Pert et al., 2015). Even
with “recreation and ecotourism,” it is questionable whose values are being quantified – the local stakeholders or stakeholders further afield from a different population. Yet determining the cultural values of mangroves is important; for the local
community and primary stakeholders these values represent an important facet of
their lives, livelihood, and cultural identity. Recognition of these benefits and their
inclusion in data collection is important for generating community investment in
conservation actions and identifying the true cost of the decisions being made. In
many mangrove belts the trees are worshipped as sacred groves. There is an ancient
temple Chidambaram, nearer to Pichavaram mangrove forests in Tamil Nadu, India.
In this temple there is a tradition of worshipping the species Excoecaria agallocha
by the Hindus since the third century. People have the belief that a holy dip in the
temple’s pond surrounded by mangroves can cure their diseases. Such beliefs cannot
be valued by money.
In Gujarat, there are some religious sites of Muslims on the Islands of Mitha,
Chusna, Khara Chusna, Chhad and Pirotan, where Muslins do not cut mangrove
trees or harm the wild lives. In places like Chhas and Zindra, Avicennia spp are
distributed and most of them are protected religiously because the fishermen worship them. Such individual trees are seen marked by green cloth or flag as site of
Muslim’s worship spots.
Anthropologists believe that there are traces of both animistic and totemistic
characteristics of primitive religions in the religion and culture of the Sundarban
societies in the Indian sub- continent. Folk rituals and rites of Bengal are closely
related to the seasons, agriculture, trees, rivers, plants, animals and fruit crop.
The folk culture of Bengal orients around; (1) worship of a village God, (2) cult
of ancestors, (3) fertility cult and phallic cult, (4) totem worship (plants), and (5)
magic.
In the mangrove dominated Indian Sundarbans, the principal local folk deities
are Dakshin Rai, Kalu Rai, Badar Sahib, Bakra Gazi, Sonapir, Sawal Pir, Gazi
Saheb and the first/principal Goddess, Bonobibi. Wood cutters, honey collectors
and fisherman worship Dakshin Rai, Narayani Maa, Bonobibi, Gazi Saheb, Kalu
Rai, Barkhan Gazi and Sa Janguli. In addition, the Goddess Manasa is worshipped
to protect the people from venomous snakes, and Jagatguru from cobras. These
Gods and Goddesses are believed to be the life saver of local island dwellers who
penetrate in to the deep mangrove forests to collect wood, honey, wax etc. (Fig. 10.1).
Makal Thakur and Biswalakshmi are treated as the God and Goddess of fish
respectively. Manik Pir is worshipped for the welfare of cows and Olabibi for protection against cholera. The villages of Sundarbans are girdled by embankments
which are susceptible to erosion due to tidal actions and waves. The condition
10 Mangroves: A Natural Ecosystem of Cultural and Religious Convergence
et al., 2017). Consequently, recreation and ecotourism are frequently included in
valuation studies. In contrast, the rest of the values (i.e., spiritual, religious, aesthetic, inspiration etc.) are extremely difficult to quantify in terms of money. This
type of CES has been tagged with the label “intangible,” because not only are they
difficult to identify, they are enmeshed with multiple aspects of a peoples culture and
ecosystem use (Chan et al., 2012; Satterfield et al., 2013; Pert et al., 2015). Even
with “recreation and ecotourism,” it is questionable whose values are being quantified – the local stakeholders or stakeholders further afield from a different population. Yet determining the cultural values of mangroves is important; for the local
community and primary stakeholders these values represent an important facet of
their lives, livelihood, and cultural identity. Recognition of these benefits and their
inclusion in data collection is important for generating community investment in
conservation actions and identifying the true cost of the decisions being made. In
many mangrove belts the trees are worshipped as sacred groves. There is an ancient
temple Chidambaram, nearer to Pichavaram mangrove forests in Tamil Nadu, India.
In this temple there is a tradition of worshipping the species Excoecaria agallocha
by the Hindus since the third century. People have the belief that a holy dip in the
temple’s pond surrounded by mangroves can cure their diseases. Such beliefs cannot
be valued by money.
In Gujarat, there are some religious sites of Muslims on the Islands of Mitha,
Chusna, Khara Chusna, Chhad and Pirotan, where Muslins do not cut mangrove
trees or harm the wild lives. In places like Chhas and Zindra, Avicennia spp are
distributed and most of them are protected religiously because the fishermen worship them. Such individual trees are seen marked by green cloth or flag as site of
Muslim’s worship spots.
Anthropologists believe that there are traces of both animistic and totemistic
characteristics of primitive religions in the religion and culture of the Sundarban
societies in the Indian sub- continent. Folk rituals and rites of Bengal are closely
related to the seasons, agriculture, trees, rivers, plants, animals and fruit crop.
The folk culture of Bengal orients around; (1) worship of a village God, (2) cult
of ancestors, (3) fertility cult and phallic cult, (4) totem worship (plants), and (5)
magic.
In the mangrove dominated Indian Sundarbans, the principal local folk deities
are Dakshin Rai, Kalu Rai, Badar Sahib, Bakra Gazi, Sonapir, Sawal Pir, Gazi
Saheb and the first/principal Goddess, Bonobibi. Wood cutters, honey collectors
and fisherman worship Dakshin Rai, Narayani Maa, Bonobibi, Gazi Saheb, Kalu
Rai, Barkhan Gazi and Sa Janguli. In addition, the Goddess Manasa is worshipped
to protect the people from venomous snakes, and Jagatguru from cobras. These
Gods and Goddesses are believed to be the life saver of local island dwellers who
penetrate in to the deep mangrove forests to collect wood, honey, wax etc. (Fig. 10.1).
Makal Thakur and Biswalakshmi are treated as the God and Goddess of fish
respectively. Manik Pir is worshipped for the welfare of cows and Olabibi for protection against cholera. The villages of Sundarbans are girdled by embankments
which are susceptible to erosion due to tidal actions and waves. The condition
10 Mangroves: A Natural Ecosystem of Cultural and Religious Convergence