Legally the forests under the grove are reserved forests, brought under government control during British rule (for details, refer to Karnataka state chapter)
Although the sacred grove had existed for generations in the village, it was only about 40 years ago that the protection efforts started with a new vigour. Facing indifference and overuse, the forests around the village were gradually degrading, including those in the sacred grove. This degradation directly affected the availability of water in the village. Realisation about decreasing availability of water led to the formation of the Hunsur Gramabhivruddhi Trust (HGT) for forest protection.
TIMELINE
In 1967 the Karnataka forest department (KFD) gave out a contract for logging of trees in this area.
In 1969 some plywood factories received a tender for selective felling of trees.
In 1971, a contract was given to extract dalchini bark. However in all these cases the villagers have successfully avoided the entry of outsiders by staging a dharna (demonstration) and satyagraha.
Earlier, in 1961, a local landowner, who had started to encroach upon this forest area by digging trenches, was also stopped by the villagers.
Over the years the villagers have also received help from a few NGOs, including the Vruksha Laksha Andolan and Seva Sagar Trust, in their efforts. These NGOs have launched an abhiyaan (campaign) for protection of the sacred groves in this region.