The Hindu tradition considers forests ("Van"/ "Ban") to be of three types - "Tapovan", "Mahavan" and "Sreevan". "Tapovan" are forests associated with penance ("Tapas"), and are inhabited by saints and "rishis". "Mahavan" refers to the grand natural forests. "Tapovan" and "Mahavan" are considered to be a "Raksha" ("sanctuary") for flora and fauna as ordinary human beings are not allowed to enter these forests. "Sreevan", which means, "forests of prosperity", consists of dense forests and groves. From the former, people would collect dry wood, leaves, forest produce and a limited amount of timber, though natural ecosystem would not be unnecessarily disturbed. Groves were considered as spaces of forests from where harvesting could be done. Sometimes, specific trees like mango trees could be planted and nurtured here. Groves were associated with religious rites, festivals and recreation. Typical recreational activities associated with these groves included "jhoola"/ "jhoolan". In the villages, "Panchavati", or a cluster of five trees that represented the forests, were maintained. These trees represented the five elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space.