Spiritual Commons: An Indigenous Narration for Sacred High-Conservation Value Landscapes of Himachal Pradesh, India

The “spiritual commons” idea establishes enduring and unrestricted sacred interlinkages of humans with different high conservation value landscapes and ecosystems. The best understanding of sacred landscapes comes from the knowledge systems of indigenous and local communities who live in these sacred landscapes since they interact and have deeper connections with these ecosystems. Most scholarly debate has focused on the ecological characteristics of sacred forests, neglecting the community perceptions, values, and customs of sacred landscapes. The tangible and intangible sacred linkages, deep meanings, potentials, and the need of providing sacred landscapes much deserved special attention. Sacred landscapes can serve as a network of high conservation value landscapes for the preservation of bio-cultural diversity. The importance of customary rights in spiritual commons as a means of cultural expression and intergenerational transmission of knowledge necessitates their recognition and preservation for future generations. The present chapter is an attempt to explore spiritual commonalities and attitudes of residents towards sacred landscapes of the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA) in Himachal Pradesh, India. A detailed personal interview approach was undertaken with the residents belonging to Saraji community of Gushaini, Guruli, Bathad, Shangarh, Shainsher, Raila, Ropa, Narwali, Suchen, Seri, and Tungru villages to understand the perceptions of resident’s and their spiritual connections towards sacred cultural landscapes in Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA) of Himachal Pradesh, India. A total of four sacred water bodies and twelve cultural festivals have been identified from the study area. The information received about the sacred taboos, symbols, sacred waters, devbans, and historical landmarks depicts the sense of place-based attachment and nature connectedness of the inner Saraji community to sacred landscapes and spiritual commons.