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Sacred Mountains
Mountains are sources of spiritual inspiration, healing and renewal to millions of people around the world. Mount Kailas in the Himalaya, for example, is sacred to millions of Hindus and Buddhists. Mount Sinai in the Middle East is sacred to Jews and Christians. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is sacred to the Masai.
But unlike temples and other human-made sacred sites, sacred mountains are most often not recognized as worthy of conservation and legal protection. Consequently, sacred mountains are vulnerable to the effects of inappropriate and unsustainable development.
Sacred mountains attract pilgrims and tourists. However, these visitors can ultimately destroy what made a sacred site so inspiring in the first place and can undermine the integrity of local cultures. Also, many of the world’s sacred sites have been appropriated by outside groups and given a different significance to that given by the local people. This too can diminish respect for traditional beliefs and practices.
To protect sacred mountains from environmental degradation and to strengthen the integrity of local cultures, policies and laws must recognize spiritual values, conserve mountain environments and respect the needs and preferences of local people.
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