Notes-NCERT-Class-7-Social Science-Part : 1-Chapter-8-How the Land Becomes Sacred-CBSE

Topics To be Learned: Define the concepts of 'sacredness', tīrtha, and tīrthayātrā across multiple religious traditions. Explain how ancient pilgrimage networks like the Char Dhām, Jyotirlingas, and Shakti Pīṭhas mapped the sacred geography of India. Analyze the concept of 'sacred ecology' and its role in biodiversity conservation through sacred groves, rivers, and trees. Evaluate how pilgrimage routes intersected with trade networks to foster pan-Indian cultural integration.

What is Sacredness? ;

 Meaning of Sacredness : Sacredness means something that has deep religious or spiritual importance.

Forms in which sacredness appears :

• A special location or shrine that evokes deep feelings, high thoughts or emotions.
• It refers to places, objects or things that are considered holy and respected.
• Sacredness can also be connected with special journeys called pilgrimages.
• The route of a pilgrimage and the land through which it passes can also be considered sacred.

Sacredness is wider than religion : Sacredness is connected not just with religion and spirituality but also with geography and all sorts of traditions. In India it also connects with the idea of the land itself being sacred.

Sacred Places in India :

• Almost every religion and school of thought in India has its own sacred places.
• People visit these places for prayer and worship.
• Followers of other religions also visit some sacred places.
• For example, people of different religions visit the Dargah Sharif at Ajmer in Rajasthan and the Velankanni Church in Tamil Nadu.

Importance of Pilgrimages in India :

• India has been a land of pilgrimages since ancient times.
• People travel from different parts of India to visit sacred places.
• These places are spread from Badrinath, Kedarnath and Amarnath in the Himalayas to Kanyakumari in the south.
• Pilgrimages connect people from different regions.
• They help create a feeling of unity and a shared Indian culture.

Jawaharlal Nehru's View : Jawaharlal Nehru said that pilgrimages have helped connect people from the north to the south and from the south to the north. He believed that these journeys created a feeling of one country and one culture.

Pilgrimages :

Meaning of Pilgrimage : Pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred or holy place.

• In India, pilgrimages are called Tirthayatras, and sacred places are called Tirthas.
• Tīrtha: literally a place to cross a river or water body; symbolically a place where one crosses from ordinary worldly life to a higher, spiritual life.
• Many Indians visit these sacred places during their lifetime.
• A pilgrimage is not only a physical journey but also a journey of the mind and soul.
• Pilgrims are expected to follow certain rules and good behaviour during the journey.

Pilgrimages in India :

• The tradition of pilgrimage has continued in India for at least 3,000 years.
• In ancient times, people travelled long distances without modern transport.
• They travelled across different parts of India to visit sacred places.
• These journeys helped people connect different regions of India.
• As a result, the entire geography of India came to be considered sacred.

Pilgrimages in Jainism :

• In Jainism, Tirthas are places connected with the lives of the Tirthankaras.
• These are places where Tirthankaras attained liberation or important events of their lives took place.
• Trees, ponds, hills and mountains visited by the Tirthankaras are also considered sacred.
• Important Jain pilgrimage places include Mount Abu, Girnar and Shatrunjaya Hill in Gujarat.

Sabarimala Pilgrimage :

• Sabarimala Temple is located in Kerala and is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa.
• More than ten million devotees visit this temple every year.
• Traditionally, devotees had to trek through difficult hills and forests to reach the temple.
• The difficult journey represents the challenges of the inner spiritual journey.
• Natural places along the route are also considered sacred.

More Sacred Sites :

Nature as Sacred : In Hinduism and many folk and tribal traditions, nature is considered sacred.

• Mountains, rivers, trees, plants, animals and even stones are worshipped.
• Many rivers are considered goddesses (Devis).
• Certain trees, plants and animals are also considered holy.
• This belief comes from the idea that God is present in all parts of nature.
• The entire Earth is considered sacred and is worshipped as Mother Earth or Bhūdevī.

Importance of Sacred Natural Places :

• These traditions show that people respect and worship nature.
• They help protect forests, rivers, mountains, plants and animals.
• They teach us to live in harmony with nature.

Becoming Aware of Sacred Geography :

Meaning of Sacred Geography : Sacred geography means considering the land and its different places as holy or sacred.

• Many sacred places are spread across different parts of India.
• These places are connected through pilgrimage routes and religious traditions.
• Together, they make the entire land of India sacred.

Important Hindu Pilgrimage Networks :

Hindus visit many sacred places spread across India.

Some important pilgrimage networks are:

• Char Dham Yatra: Four sacred places located in the northern, southern, eastern and western parts of India.
• 12 Jyotirlingas: Twelve highly sacred shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• 51 Shakti Peethas: Sacred places associated with Goddess Shakti.

These pilgrimage places cover different regions of India and even parts of present-day Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Story of the 51 Shakti Peethas :

• According to Hindu tradition, Goddess Sati was the wife of Lord Shiva.
• Sati's father insulted her and Lord Shiva.
• Upset by this insult, Sati gave up her life.
• Lord Shiva became very angry and carried her body.
• To restore peace in the universe, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra to divide Sati's body.
• The places where her body parts fell became known as the 51 Shakti Peethas.
• This story symbolically shows that the entire land is the body of the Divine Mother.

Pilgrimages and Cultural Unity :

• Pilgrims travelling to sacred places covered different parts of India.
• During their journeys, they met people speaking different languages and following different customs.
• They experienced different types of food, clothing and traditions.
• At the same time, they also found many common cultural practices.
• These journeys helped people understand and respect different cultures.

Importance of Travel in Cultural Integration :

• People travelling for different purposes often followed the same routes.
• They exchanged goods, knowledge, ideas and experiences.
• They shared stories and learned about different cultures.
• New ideas developed, and old ideas changed with time.
• These activities helped bring different regions and communities together.
• This process played an important role in the cultural integration of the Indian Subcontinent.

Sacred Ecology :

Meaning of Sacred Ecology :

• Sacred places (Tirthas) are usually located near rivers, lakes, forests or mountains.
• These natural places are considered holy and are called Punyakshetra.
• People believe that nature is sacred and humans are a part of it.
• This belief helps protect and preserve nature.
• In these sacred places, geography, culture and spirituality are connected.

Rivers and Sangams :

• Rivers have been worshipped in India since Vedic times.
• The Rigveda contains a hymn called Nadistuti Sukta, which praises 19 important rivers of ancient northwestern India.
• Many Indian religious rituals invite the presence of seven important rivers:
  1. Ganga
  2. Yamuna
  3. Godavari
  4. Sarasvati
  5. Narmada
  6. Sindhu
  7. Kaveri
• Rivers have supported Indian civilisation by providing water for life and farming.
• Their sources, tributaries and the places through which they flow are also considered sacred.
• People show respect to rivers by calling them Ganga ji, Yamuna ji, etc.
• Sangam means the meeting point or confluence of two or more rivers.

Importance of Sacred Ecology :

• It teaches us to respect rivers, forests, mountains and other natural resources.
• It connects nature with religion, culture and traditions.
• It encourages people to protect the environment.
• It shows that nature is an important part of Indian civilisation.

Mountains and Forests :

(1) Mountains as Sacred Places :

• Mountains are often connected with religious stories, gods and heroes.
• Because of their great height, mountains are considered a symbolic path from Earth to Heaven.
• Many temples and pilgrimage places in India are located on hilltops.
• Climbing mountains to reach these temples is considered a spiritual journey towards God.
• In ancient times, people walked through difficult mountain paths to reach these places.
• These journeys tested their physical strength and mental courage.
• Today, many such places can be reached by roads and other transport.

(2) Trees, Forests and Sacred Groves :

Sacred Trees

• In many parts of India, people decorate trees with offerings like turmeric and kumkum.
• The Peepal tree, also called the Bodhi tree or Ashvattha, is considered sacred.
• It is respected in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.
• Its scientific name is Ficus religiosa, which means sacred fig tree.
• The Peepal tree has been an important part of Indian culture for thousands of years.

Forests and Indian Epics :

• The Mahabharata and Ramayana describe many pilgrimages and sacred places.
• They mention holy rivers, forests and mountains.
• Many rural and tribal communities believe that the heroes of these epics visited their regions.
• They have built small shrines to remember these stories.
• These local traditions helped different communities connect with the two great Indian epics.

Sacred Groves :

• Many rural and tribal communities protect certain forests because they consider them homes of gods and goddesses.
• These protected forests are called Sacred Groves.
• Activities like hunting, cutting trees and mining are prohibited in these forests.
• For example, some sacred groves in Meghalaya are believed to be the homes of deities like Ryngkew and Basa.
• Sacred groves protect many types of plants, animals and birds.
• They also contain small water bodies and help conserve water.

Importance and Protection of Sacred Groves :

• Thousands of sacred groves existed in different parts of India.
• Their numbers are decreasing because of farming, industries and human activities.
• However, many communities still protect these forests.
• Sacred groves help conserve forests, wildlife and water resources.
• They also preserve traditional beliefs and cultural practices.

Sacred Groves in Tamil Nadu :

• In Tamil Nadu, local stories describe the relationship between gods, nature and human beings.
• In Thanjavur district, people believe that the deities of sacred groves protect fruit bats.
• Fruit bats are considered sacred, and seeing one is believed to bring good luck.
• Fruit bats help in pollination and spreading seeds from one place to another.
• This helps plants and trees to grow.
• Thus, sacred groves create a harmonious relationship between gods, nature and human beings.

From Pilgrimage to Trade :

Relationship Between Pilgrimage and Trade :

• Pilgrims often meet traders and merchants during their journeys.
• Pilgrims buy food, clothes and other necessary items from traders.
• This helps both pilgrims and traders.
• Therefore, pilgrimage routes and trade routes often follow the same paths.
• Some traders also visit sacred places while carrying goods to distant towns and cities.

Important Trade Routes in Ancient India :

There were two important trade routes in ancient India:

• Uttarapatha : Uttarapatha was a major trade route connecting the north-western and eastern parts of India.
• Dakshinapatha : Dakshinapatha connected Kaushambi to Pratishthana (Paithan). It passed through Ujjayini (Ujjain).

Goods Traded in Ancient India :

Some important goods traded along these routes were:

• Precious items like shells and pearls.
• Coins, gold and diamonds.
• Cotton and spices.

Importance of Trade Routes :

• Trade routes connected different towns and cities.
• They helped traders exchange goods.
• They also connected people from different regions.
• Trade and pilgrimage together helped spread culture, ideas and traditions across India.

Sacred Geography Beyond India :

Sacred Geography in Other Countries :

• The idea of sacred geography is found in many countries, not just India.
• Ancient Greece had many sacred places, including mountains and sacred forests.
• Native Americans considered nature sacred and had a special relationship with it.
• The Maori people of New Zealand consider Mount Taranaki sacred.
• They believe that this mountain is their ancestor.
• The New Zealand government passed a law recognising the mountain as a living person with rights and responsibilities.
• Community elders represent the mountain or river when it is threatened with destruction.
• This helps protect sacred natural places from damage and misuse.

Restoring and Conserving the Sacred :

Relationship Between People and Nature :

• For thousands of years, people in India lived in harmony with nature.
• Sacred geography helped develop common cultural values across India.
• It encouraged people to respect and protect rivers, mountains, forests and other natural resources.
• However, this relationship is facing many challenges today.

Importance of Protecting Sacred Places :

• Sacred geography is still important in modern times.
• People raise their voices when rivers are overused or sacred mountains are threatened by development.
• They try to protect nature, religious beliefs and traditional values.
• Protecting sacred places also helps conserve the environment.
• Today, sustainability and environmental protection are important global issues.
• The idea of sacred geography teaches us to respect nature and use natural resources carefully.

Conclusion :

• Sacred geography connects nature, religion, culture and human life.
• It teaches us to live in harmony with nature.
• We should protect sacred rivers, mountains, forests and other natural places for future generations.

 

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