India’s Ecological Traditions.
Transcript of India’s Ecological Traditions.
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Indian Concepts of Nature
and their artistic representations
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The universe as a thousand-branched tree (III.8.11, IX.5.10)
Heaven is my father; my mother is this vast earth, my
close kin (I.164.33)
Rig-Veda & Nature
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He who
worships the
ashwattha
worships the
universe.
(Mahbhrata)
The kalpavriksha
or kalpataru, the
heavenly tree,
grants our everydesire.
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Sparkling water,
open space,
hills and forests
constitute a fortress
Kural, 742
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Ganga and
Yamuna(Ahichhatra,
UttarPradesh)
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Kumbhamela at Haridwar (1968)
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Descent of Ganga
(Mamallapuram)
A sannyasin at
Gaumukh
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Tree worship
(left: Harappan;
right: Buddhist)
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Some of the
gods vhanas
Indra on the
elephant (= bigmammal)
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Garuda
(Vishnusvhana, bird)
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Ganesha
on the rat(small
mammal)
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Krishna and the
cows: again a symbolof the supreme
divinitys
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Protecting Nature:
Texts & Traditions
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The dedication of a tank is moremeritorious than that of a hundred wells.
(Mahbhrata)
One of the many signs of the Kali Yuga is
that the merchant class have abandoned
holy rites such as digging wells and tanks,
and planting trees and parks. (Shiva
Purna, II.1.23)
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Ashokas edicts
prohibited hunting and
cruelty to animals and
ordered medical
treatment to them when
necessary.
KautilyasArthashstra
(2.26) described forest
and animal sanctuaries,
where animals were
protected fromslaughter.
The Bishnois sacrifice:
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The Bishnois sacrifice:
In 1730 at Khejadli (Rajasthan):
363 women, children and men
laid down their lives to protest
against the cutting of Khejadli
trees. Led by Amrita Devi and
her three young daughters,
they died chanting one of their
Gurus teachings: Sar SanteyRookh Rahe To Bhi Sasto Jaan
If a tree is saved even at
the cost of ones head, it is
worth it.The Maharaja of Jodhpur
apologized and prohibited the
cutting of trees and hunting of
animals in all Bishnoi villages.
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Sacred groves in
Tamil Nadu
(Perambalur dist.).
This traditionexists in many
parts of India,
especially the
Western Ghats
and the North-East.
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Harnessing Nature
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WaterStructuresat Dholavira
(Rann ofKachchh), a
majorHarappan site
(2600-2000BCE)
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Computerreconstructionsof Dholavira, with
its reservoirscovering over athird of the wholecity (47 ha).
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Interconnected stepped reservoirs in the Castle
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Circular well and
water chute in theCastle
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Stormwater drains
in the Castle
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Eastern reservoir:73 x 29 x 10m
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The rock-cut Southern reservoir (33 x 9 m), with asecondary reservoir at the bottom
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Huge or small underground drains connecting
several reservoirs on the southern side
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Water Structures
in Historical Times
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Indias water
harvesting
systems:
Shringavera-pura
(Allahabad
dist., U.P., 1st
century BCE)
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Kallanaior Grand Anicut. Its initial structure is said to
have been built by Karikala Chola some 1800 years
ago on the Cauvery (320 m long, 20 m wide).
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Settling tank andchannel near Patan(Gujarat), diverting
water from thenearby Sarasvati
river
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Shrines to Gang, Yamun and Sarasvat
at the end of Patans channel
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The famous Rn Ki Vv at Patan
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Varha with apsaras (nymphs)
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Shiva with apsaras (nymphs)
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A temple tank at the Modhera Sun temple (Gujarat)
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Step well at Chand Baori(Rajasthan), built in the 9th
century: 3500 narrow stepsin 13 levels.
Rainwater collection
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at Sravanbellgola
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Irrigation through
networks of
bamboo in the
North-East
Water Structures in Inscriptions
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Numerous inscriptions record constructions of
tanks (tatka) and ponds (vpi), also their
maintenance: desilting, repair of embankments,sluices, irrigation channels....
Irrigation with well water was also prevalent.
Taxes paid by water diviners are acknowledged in
some inscriptions.
Water Structures in Inscriptions
The Arthashstra and Irrigation Works
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Kautilya (300 BCE?) mentions water divining, water-
lifting devices and various irrigation techniques.
Farmers had to pay for water: the lowest rate for water
from their own water works, the highest when set
flowing in channels by a mechanism.
Tanks were built for common use by pooling resourcesfrom local inhabitants. Tax exemptions of varying
durations were granted for new or renovated tanks.
Fines were prescribed for obstructing or diverting a
water course, failing to cooperate in the building of anirrigation tank, damaging embankments, or causing a
lower tank to dry up by constructing a tank on a higher
level.
The Arthashstra and Irrigation Works
Th h f thi t
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The shape of things to come
Effects of global warming: Mumbais sea frontunder water in 2020, Ganga and Brahmaputra
seasonal by 2050, spread of epidemics,
disappearance of many species of flora and
fauna may have disappeared, coastal T.N.
submerged by 2100...
Disruption of monsoon rains, depletion of water
resources, possible water wars.
Severe pollution of air, soil and water, and
consequent decline in general health.
Decrease in agricultural yields: possible food
wars.
Depletion of the Ganges
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(Courtesy TIME, 19 July 2010)
Rajendra Singh, the waterman of
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Rajasthan, is a winner of 2001 Ramon
Magsaysay Award. Since 1985, his Tarun
Bhagat Sangh has been working atrevivingjohads, streams and rivers in the
Alwar district. More than 4,500johads have
been revived, and some rivers have started
flowing again.
Anna Hazare at Ralegaon Sidhi: treeplanting, terracing to
reduce soil erosion, digging canals, solar power,
biogas
Sunderlal Bahuguna and the Chipko movement.
Many individuals across India have silently planted
millions of trees and reclaimed degraded land.
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Five Principles
for Nature conservation Restore the sacredness of Nature.
Remember that all creatures are interdependent.
Let us keep our needs under control.
Development must respect environment.
Get involved before we get extinct.