Towards a Sustainable State (Dharma Rajya)

विविध प्रकारची जंगले हे भारताचे एक वैशिष्ठ्य आहे. मागच्या पोस्ट मध्ये आपण अशा काही जंगल अधिवासांचे फोटो पाहिले. आज घेऊया झलक महाराष्ट्रातील काही जंगलेत्तर अधिवासांची. जंगले तर महत्वाची आहेतच, पण अनेकदा लोकांचा असा समाज असतो की जंगल नसलेले ठिकाण हा महत्वाचा अधिवास असू शकत नाही. वास्तवात असे अधिवास सुद्धा किती वैविध्यपूर्ण व समृद्ध असतात याची थोडी माहिती घेऊया छायाचित्रांच्या माध्यमातून. शेती (विशेषतः पारंपारिक शेती) हा एक अधिवास असतो. शेताच्या बांधावर असलेली झाडे अनेक प्रकारच्या पक्ष्यांना आकर्षित करतात. यातील अनेक पक्षी शेतावरील कीटकांना खाऊन शेतकऱ्याला मदत करतात. पारंपारिक शेतीत बांधावर कोणती झाडे लावावीत याचेही ज्ञान शेतकऱ्यांना असते. शिवाय बऱ्याचदा शेताला लागूनच जंगल किंवा अन्य नैसर्गिक अधिवास असतो ज्यामुळे शेत सुद्धा त्याचाच भाग बनते. वरील फोटो कोकण रेल्वेने प्रवास करताना चिपळूण व कुडाळ यांच्या दरम्यान कुठेतरी काढला आहे. सामान्यपणे घनदाट झाडे असल्याशिवाय लोकांना एखादा प्रदेश जंगलाने आच्छादलेला आहे असे वाटत नाही. परंतु कमी पावसाच्या प्रदेशांत खुरटी किंवा काटेरी राने हा एक महत्वाचा अ...

In an earlier post, we had taken a photographic tour of some routine practices followed in India even today, primarily in rural areas, and to some extent even in urban areas, which reflect the essence of the age-old sustainable Vedic culture. It has been evolving over millennia and advocates living in sync with the surrounding environment, while adhering to universal principles applicable to all. Let's take another tour of such sustainable practices, through photos clicked during my field outings. Water, one of the five basic building blocks of life, called Panchmahabhutas in Indian culture, has always been respected in our country, and rightly so. As long as a community is dependent upon the local water body to satisfy its various needs, the same is revered and protected as can be seen in the form of myriad crystal clear streams, ponds and wells in rural areas. Those of us who get tap water from the municipality, should learn something from our rural brethren. Many house...

India's Vedic culture has essentially been a nature worshiping civilization that has always advocated a Dharmic way of life, which means living in tune with the cosmic laws, the natural phenomena and all living and non-living beings around us. This has manifested in myriad ways - from reverence towards the sun and rain to respect for the local sacred groves where the patron deity of the place is supposed to reside, and from paying obeisance to mountains and rivers to worshiping various plants and animals. There is scientific and / or spiritual significance to the beliefs and practices followed since time immemorial. Today, let's take a pictorial tour of some sacred plants of India and the ecological services provided by them, through photos clicked during my many field outings. Coconut tree is rightly called Kalpvruksh - the tree that provides all that one wishes for. No wonder it is respected and the fruit is offered to the almighty at the time of any auspicious occasion....

India, the origin and stronghold of Vedic Sanatana Dharma (the eternal evolving faith), is naturally home to thousands of beautiful temples, some ancient and some modern. This is despite over 1,000 years of subjugation by barbaric invaders who left no stone unturned literally in their madness to destroy and loot a very sustainable and scientific culture. That is perhaps of the essence of Sanatana Dharma - to stand the test of time! Here is a pictorial glimpse of some of the small and big temples of this holy land, which I had the good fortune of visiting till now. Yogeshwari Devi Temple at Ambejogai in Beed district, Maharashtra - This is our Kuldevi (patron family deity). Somnath Temple at Veraval in Gir Somnath district, Gujarat, is one of the 12 sacred Jyotirlings (spiritually powerful Shiva shrines) in the country. History books reveal that it was destroyed several times by Mahmud of Ghazni, once rebuilt by Ahilyabai Holkar and again rebuilt after India's independence ...

नमस्कार, आज महाराष्ट्र दिन! घेऊया एक सफर राज्यातील काही किल्ल्यांची. भटकंती दरम्यान काढलेली काही छायाचित्रं घेऊन जातील आपल्याला थेट शिवकाळात. सोबत अनुभवता येईल या गड-कोटांच्या आसपास असलेला निसर्ग..... प्रतापगड - अफझलखानावर महाराजांनी मिळवलेल्या प्रचंड विजयाचा साक्षीदार! आपण पुस्तकांत वाचतो की प्रतापगड घनदाट जंगलाने वेढलेला आहे. सदर छायाचित्रात आसपासच्या दऱ्याखोऱ्यात बऱ्यापैकी शिल्लक असलेले जावळीचे जंगल दिसत आहे. चित्रात समोर महाबळेश्वर डोंगर रांग दिसत असून, उजव्या बाजूस आणखी पुढे गेले तर सह्याद्री व्याघ्र प्रकल्प क्षेत्र सुरु होते... मुख्य सह्याद्रीच्या पूर्वेकडे मराठवाडा व विदर्भच्या हद्दीवरून पसरत गेलेल्या कमी उंचीच्या अजिंठा उपरांगेतील तळटेकड्यांच्या बहुतांशी सपाट भागात असलेला प्राचीन देवगिरी किल्ला. सुमारे ७०० वर्षांपूर्वी अल्लाउद्दीन खिलजीने जिंकण्या आधी ही महाराष्ट्राची राजधानी होती. किल्ल्याच्या परिसरात पानझडी वृक्षांचे रान काही भागांत दिसते. सदर छायाचित्र माझ्या वडिलांनी काढले आहे. चारी बाजूंनी समुद्राने वेढलेला व कलाल बांगडी सारख्या भयंकर तोफांनी रक्षिलेला असल्यान...

We know that rivers flow with abundant water due to the rains and melting snows. During rains a lot of water also seeps into the ground and recharges the aquifers. Ground covered with natural vegetation, fallen leaves and soil alive with the activity of myriad organisms, is more porous and allows better percolation, which in turn also helps keep the rivers alive. The roots of trees hold the soil, thus preventing erosion and silting of river beds, which retains their water carrying capacity. No wonder, forests are considered to be the mother of rivers. Our Vedic ancestors knew this very well resulting in the protection of forests in catchment areas and along river courses. Let's take a quick tour through photos that I have clicked over the years of rivers flowing through forests of India. One of the several rivers originating from the dry deciduous forests of Gir National Park, Gujarat. The presence of such rivers, fed by the forest, is all the more significant in this semi-ari...