Question

Which sacred groves are located in Kerala?
A. Dev Rahati
B. Sarnas
C. Lyngdoh
D. Eringol Kavoo

Answer 1

Hint: Even the trees here are treated as deities. It is run by the Travancore Devaswom and is owned by Naganchery Mana. They were forced to experience dispossession by the landed elite and were hence pushed into abject poverty. Vasudevan Namboothiri, the 102-year-old ‘Karanavar’ witnessed as 1500 acres were sold for a measly sum of one lakh rupees.

Complete answer: Let us go through the options-
Option A- This is a Hindu temple in Maharashtra. This is hence, not the right option.
Option B- This option can seem confusing as it is similar. Sarna Sthals are groves located in states on the Chota Nagpur plateau; Assam, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar.
Option C- This is not the name of any plant. Its only significance is its use as a surname, most famously in the case of the former Indian Chief Election Commissioner, James Michael Lyngdoh. This is clearly a wrong option.
The correct answer is option D- Also spelt as Iringole Kavu, this temple is located in a forest and is dedicated to Lord Durga. It is touted to be one of the 108 temples in Kerala which have been graced with the presence of the 6th avatar of Vishnu, Parshurama.
It gets its name from a myth about the birth of Krishna. When the evil king Kansa had declared that he would kill off baby Krishna, he was sent to Vrindavana and his cradle was replaced with a baby girl (who was an incarnation of Maya). When an attempt was made to murder the said child, it revealed its true form of supernatural power and sublated into the atmosphere. This force was named Irrinole, which later became Iringol. It is said the forest manifests this.

Note: This 50 acres huge area is home to a wide range of flora and fauna and is located in the Kunnathunad Taluk, in the district of Ernakulam. Its capital is the town of Perumbavoor. It is in central Kerala and houses almost 9% of its total population.