In the hilly region of the Western Ghats in South India, the people have preserved Sacred Groves for almost three thousand years. Their decision to preserve these patches of old growth evergreen forest was largely driven by the fact that these forests were fundamental to their livelihood. Old growth forests prevent soil erosion and species extinction, while also providing an abundance of resources, including clean water. While the Sacred Groves originally were meant to sustain an environment, religion has been a driving force in their survival. As Hinduism spread throughout India, the indigenous nature gods housed in the Sacred Groves were absorbed into the Hindu religion as various forms of Shiva, the nature god. While the original Sacred Grove had no temples because the gods were thought to reside in the trees, as the gods were adopted into Hinduism, the new converts cut the trees to build temples out of their wood. Later, stone temples were erected and dedicated to the Hindu deity who protected the remaining Grove. In many ways, these temples draw upon the physical qualities of the grove for their design, but more interestingly, they share a sustainable quality and stand as prime examples of how a people have lived in harmony with nature for centuries.
Portland, Oregon has long held the high rankings for the most environmentally friendly city domestically and internationally. It has consistently revolutionized the idea of the city by implementing far reaching projects to conserve resources and reduce waste.
By employing the methods of academic literature review, field documentation in the Indian district of Uttara Kannada, and design exploration, this study investigates the history of the Sacred Grove from its origin, three millennia ago, to the surviving Groves and temples of today. It concludes by applying this time-tested knowledge of sustainable design, apparent in Sacred Groves, to the resource-scarce world we face today in a contemporary design for Portland’s Eco-districts.