Sacred groves - tracts of virgin forests - are vestiges of an ancient practice in which people protected a forest to avoid the wrath of its resident god. Though sacred groves exist in various parts of the country and are unique examples of ecological understanding and management, very few studies have been done on them. Today, most of the groves have disappeared and those that exist are vulnerable to pressures of development. A special report on the state of sacred groves in the country today.