During a recent visit to the sacred groves of Mawphlang in Meghalaya, I found myself reflecting on an idea that modern conservationists often overlook. Here was a forest that had survived for centuries, not because of government regulations, scientific management plans, or environmental activism, but because generations of people believed it was sacred. Many rationalists … Continue reading When Nature Becomes Sacred
Tag: environment
Let us save the native plants
Oplus_131104 This news report should come as no surprise. Till now the extinction of animals and birds have been the subject of much public discourse. It is not that plants have not been getting extinct. What could be alarming is that there could be plants that have become extinct without coming to our notice for … Continue reading Let us save the native plants
spare a thought for our water bodies
Water is life. The most essential thing after air is water. In my previous post in this series on environmental issues, I discussed about Air. In this article I intend to draw the reader's attention to water. There are man made water bodies like the ponds and canals. And there are natural water bodies like … Continue reading spare a thought for our water bodies
Making Air Breathable
The urban rural divide in the context of the Covid pandemic is clearly discernible. The percentage of infection and causality is very high in case of cities. The bigger the worse. No doubt overcrowding is one reason. A study about the pandemic in Delhi has found that the lungs of people living in Delhi are … Continue reading Making Air Breathable
Ritusamhara – there used to be six seasons, my love
प्रचण्डसूर्यः स्पृहणीयचन्द्रमाः सूखावगाह क्षतवारिसञ्चयः। दिनान्तरम्योऽभुय्पशान्तमन्मथो निदाघकालोऽयम् उपागतः प्रिये ।। The sun is furious, but the moon is cool. Bathing is pleasant, but ponds are shrinking. Day-ends are charming, but the Cupid stirs no more. Cruel summer has set in, my love. (Ritusamhara 1:1) random image collected from internet (supposedly the cover of a You tube … Continue reading Ritusamhara – there used to be six seasons, my love
of poets and forests
Today is International Forest Day. I also learn that today is Poetry Day. In our Indian tradition poetry and forests share a very deep and ancient connection. Upanishads contain the essence of Indian philosophy. These are perhaps also some of the most ancient forms of organised poetry and these were written by the rishis dwelling … Continue reading of poets and forests
near or far the threat is real
Why should I be holding this paper in this digital age? If I am old fashioned, paper means a lot. In spite of all the legislation for granting legal authority to digital documents, the old fashioned would believe in a printed and ink signed document than a document originating from a verified ISP that is … Continue reading near or far the threat is real
environment in the age of market economy
image credit : unsplash Competitive economy and protection of environment have been at loggerheads since perhaps the agricultural age. The first disturbances to earth's natural ecosystem must have started when men cleared a part of the forest to plant crops. Still there are many societies that live in deep forests without doing any agriculture. They … Continue reading environment in the age of market economy
the destruction of seasons
image source : wikipedia Ritusamhara is Kalidasa's poetic tribute to the six Indian seasons. Ritusamhara in the context of his work means the collection of seasons. Some even translate it as the pageant of seasons. India is one of the countries where the contrasting elements of the six seasons are so pronounced -especially in the … Continue reading the destruction of seasons
spirit of adventure
(Image courtesy: planetmountain.com) While ruminating on why do we seek risky adventures in remote areas, the script writer of 'Mountain' has come up with a beautiful answer. She says that our daily life has settled into such comfort and security that now we seek danger elsewhere. The documentary movie 'Mountain' is a melange of enthralling … Continue reading spirit of adventure
PEBBLES AND WAVES 