Sighting of mesmerizing Asiatic lions in Gir

For attending the seventh meeting of the National Board of Wildlife, I reached Sasan Gir from Rajkot Airport of Gujarat. After attending the NBWL's meeting addressed by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the next day, on March 4, I got up early in the morning for my first Wildlife Safari, that was organized by Gujarat Forest 's Assistant Conservator of Forests, Ajaysingh Rathod. Though for the last two days, I was experiencing heat, on that day, however, the climate was cold and pleasing.

In his speech, the Prime Minister highlighted how his efforts as then Chief Minister of Gujarat, helped in the revival of the Asiatic Lion population, which was on the way to extinction. Persistent and dedicated efforts of Gujarat Forest, has been instrumental in showcasing the remarkable story of resilience and recovery of the majestic wild animal that in 1900, reached to two digits, on account of excessive hunting and habitat loss.

Eye opening and harsh reality about dwindling population of the Asiatic Lion, made the Nawab of Junagarh to declare the area as the Protected Forest. On September 18,1965, the state Government declared Gir as a Wildlife Sanctuary. Word Gir represents rugged hilly terrain. Gir comprises a mix of deciduous forests, drained by numerous small rivers and streams, that play a crucial role in supporting the diverse assemblage of wildlife.Richness of grasslands has been thriving with an excellent population of the herbivores, on which the Asiatic Lion preys.

Travelling in a four wheel drive Bolero, through rugged terrain in the early morning when the jungle was still under darkness, was indeed an exciting experience. Varied species of birds, flying swiftly through the canopy of trees. As soon as I heard calls of Gray langur, I learnt, we would certainly spot the big cats in nearby vicinity and after travelling for about half-hour, the guide instructed the driver about the presence of a lioness with a cub. He immediately stopped the jeep, however, for a short while, I couldn't see anything. The guide, pointing in the left direction, told me to look at the ground. As there was meager sunlight and as colours of lioness and cub were camouflaged with that of soil, I could not spot them. But when I tried to click their pictures on a mobile camera, I spotted lioness feeding cub leisurely. As we were watching them eagerly, two more jeeps also stopped, however, both of them didn't take any note of us. Waiting there for 20 minutes, we then proceeded further in the jungle, where we could spot more than 15 spotted deers grazing in the grasslands. Revival of grasslands, availability of good amounts of green fodder, seasonal fruits, creation of check dams and water holes, flowing streams and rivulets has been helping wild ungulates to thrive well inside the Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. Besides, Anogeissus latifolia, Tectona grandis, Gir forest consists of Kumbha, Khair, Tendu, Ber, Bael, Palas, Vad along with numerous species of shrubs, orchids displaying richness of diversity.

Gir forest has acclaimed name and fame, as the only landscape in Gujarat,where beside Asiatic Lion maximum number of Carnivores like Leopard, Striped Hyena, Jungle Cat, Jackal are found. Being designated as an Important Bird Area, it displays a bewildering avi faunal diversity. Seven rivers that act as lifelines for the biodiversity and native communities, rises from the Gir forest. Providing drinking and irrigation water to the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, these protected forests support life and livelihoods of innumerable.

We also got an opportunity to see the male lion basking in the sunlight. The Asiatic Lion, today turned into a symbol of pride of Gujarat, was once widely distributed in Asia, encompassing Mesopotamia, Arabia, Persia and the Indian subcontinent, now confined only to Gir.

In 1879, then princely state of Junagarh initiated the first Important step for conservation of the Asiatic Lion, by prohibiting all forms of hunting and trapping of the lions without specific permission from the state. Nawab Muhammad Rasul Khanji had done pioneering work in providing shelter to this big cat. This marked the turning point in the protection and conservation of Asiatic Lion, and hence today after Indian independence efforts helped in reaching the population of the Asiatic Lion above 600.

As I was born and brought up in Goa, I saw the captive lion in the circus and then on the entrances of the old Goan houses in the form of artifacts. The First Chief of Goa, Daman and Diu union territories, Bhausaheb Bandodkar represented Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party on the symbol of lion. As the mount of goddess Durga, on some stone sculptures, one can see the lion in Goa. The idol of goddess meant for the festive occasions, too is seated on the decorated mount of lion during the Ashwin Navratri celebration, has commanded immense respect and gratitude to the lion from my days of childhood. Visiting Gir forest and understanding the role of ecology and environment in shaping the present and future of the Asiatic Lion, made me proud of this majestic wild animal. We should not forget the unique and diverse ecosystem of Gir with 258.71 sq.km National Park and 1,151.59 sq.km Wildlife Sanctuary, is the only home for the Asiatic Lion, and hence, announcement of the Project Lion in 2020, should be implemented in the holistic manner, through the fabric of coexistence.

Two decades of the Mauxi rock art

Almost twenty years ago, the volunteers of Saptarang Kala Manch of Mauxi, boosted my morale and helped me actively involving in bringing to light the prehistoric heritage of the village situated at the foothills of the Western Ghats and enriched by the Zarme rivulet flowing from the Vagheri hill. Predominantly, agricultural village, the present settlers of Mauxi migrated from Bethoda of Ponda.

As per, the villagers, the rock art lying on the boulders were the creation of the Pandavas from the epic Mahabharata. The temple of Puravtari, was believed to be constructed by the Pandavas during their exile and villagers wanted to build the new temple in the light of one wick and within one night. Today, the new temple of Puravtari is standing. The temple of Ravalnath, situated on the right side of the Zarme rivulet, is the chief attraction for the devotees, who throng in a big number on the occasion of the Dussehra festival. The persons, who are believed to be possessed by the ghosts and goblins are brought here and through the blessings of insignia of Ravalnath, are relieved. As the rivulet, in the past, was having a large quantity of water, the villagers were involved in doing the autumn season agriculture at Ravalnathache Vaigan and also the silt based agriculture called the Puran sheti. As per, locals, before their settlement, Mauxi had been dominated by the primitive Dhavad community. The ancestors of present settlers, treacherously assassinated all of them and established their supremacy.

On April 4, 2004, under the initiative of Devidas Gaonkar, Rupesh Gaonkar, Jaidev Gaonkar, Santosh Gaonkar, Rama Gaonkar and Sangam Patil, were successful in unearthing the hidden treasure of prehistory. Pundalik Govind Gaonkar, who completed, then 75 years of age, told, During our childhood, when we used to come for doing the silt based agriculture believed to be creation of the Pandavas,we every time, mesmerized by enjoying glimpses of these specimen of rock art.

As some boulders were taken for various purposes from the course of the rivulet, the specimen of rock art went into oblivion.

Carvings of the bull fight, dancing woman, X - ray type of bulls, foot print, trident, deer, barking deer, came to light, on account of the excavation carried out by the volunteers. Contribution of the journalist, Devidas Gaonkar, in bringing the heritage of rock art to light is indeed noteworthy and memorable.

Villagers of Mauxi, have the belief that Ravalnath of their village, is unmarried and they also do not marry with the girls from Coparde, Veluz and Dabe.

Mauxi rock carvings are unique specimens of creative mind inherited from ages, displaying hidden facets of unknown history here before.

There is an urgent need of doing in-depth research and study of the rock art of Mauxi. Recently, The Directorate of Archeology has notified it as a protected site. If proper steps aiming conservation and protection of the site are taken it will certainly help in boosting the heritage tourism of Sattari.

Carvings of the Zebu, found in Mauxi are clear indicators of transition from the hunter gatherers to the agro-pastoral society. These bovids, carved on the monolith of different shapes and sizes inside the Zarme rivulet, are the eco- geographical territorial markers that throw light on the creative talents of the prehistoric human beings.

Mauxi, etymologically, means the big sugarcane. It is situated in the vicinity of Gulle village that was associated with making jaggery. Sugarcane grown in Mauxi, might be taken to Gulle, for the production of jaggery, during the hoary past.

The rock carvings of Mauxi, are unique not only in Goa, but also in the Southern Konkan to Udupi - Malabar region, as far as styles, designs and skills are concerned. Archaeologists associated with Archeological survey of India, Goa Mini circle, had done comparative study of the rock art of Mauxi with the rock art of Maski and Piklihal sites of Raichur district of Karnataka, showcasing the heritage of prehistoric cattle herders. The rock art discovered in Virdi of Maharashtra, near to Keri of Sattari has some parallel linkages with Mauxi rock art, and the researchers have a lot of scope to study in this direction.

Petroglyphs of Barsu

While returning back after visiting the goddess Aryadurga originally worshipped in the island village of Anjadip of Goa that is believed to come to Devihosal for the intense  devotion shown by the aged devotee, we visited the plateau of Barsu on the way to Rajapur.

Barsu a village 10 kms  away from the city of Rajapur, recently is in the news as the government has decided to hand over the laterite plateau in the village for the proposed petrochemical industry, which however met with a stern opposition from the local villagers. The villagers are of the views that the Petrochemical industry,  would pose serious threat to the invaluable archeological heritage of Petroglyphs inherited, since the unknown span of the time period. Locally, the villagers call this plateau as the Tarwacha sada that means the plateau of boats. This name has been given as the locals, who were taking their cattle and buffaloes for grazing, were coming across the petroglyphs showcasing complex geometrical, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic shapes and sizes.

Barsu plateau offers excellent view of Petroglyphs of varied diversity in shapes,sizes and styles that are beyond imagination to understand and agree by the researchers. One can see the zoomorphic forms that are identified by the petroglyph experts as the Shark, crocodile, aligator and other wild animals.

Many of the Petroglyphs are accompanied with the abstract motifs and symbols, about which archaeologists continued to have differences about their age, meaning and creators. The locals used to call this area as the Tarwacha sada, on account the depiction of boats like carvings.

At Barsu, most of all Petroglyphs are unique, however the carving of a man and two tigers is indeed eye catching. The man is shown standing between two figures of tigers jumping towards him. The man has been depicted with streched arms to keep these tigers at the bay.

For the carving of tigers, markings made of stripes patterns is also different from the tiger that is seen in the Western Ghat forest.

Barsu plateau has more than 50 Petroglyphs, having a lot of variations as far as styles and patterns of carvings are concerned.

Though, the plateau where these Petroglyphs have been discovered, now has very little forestry species, but in the past, the situation however was totally different and there is need of doing extensive field study and research in unearthing the hidden secrets associated with the history and heritage of the Petroglyphs of Barsu.

The plateau has the trees like Falcornia insignis,thorny bushes and varied plants of wild berries. During the monsoon it, display excellent diversity of seasonal wild flowers, whereas after rain recedes, it is full with large tracts of grassland, that attracts a wide range of wild herbivores animals. Due to this, finds of the Petroglyphs during the rainy season and after it, is indeed cumbersome. However, when, some one able to discover, these Petroglyphs, he or she will indeed find extra ordinary experience that certainly boost to unearth the secrets associated it.

Indo -Portuguese coins found in Sattari

The earthen pot containing almost 832 Indo-Portuguese coins were found in the cashew plantation ofNanoda in Sattari, just 1 km away from the Kalasa nalla that eventually joins the Mhadei at Dusgir in Nanoda.

Vishnu Shridhar Joshi, 66 years of age alongwith the workers, while clearing the exotic weeds inside the Cashew plantation, suddenly came across, the earthen pot full with the Indo-Portuguese coins, belonging the first half of the sixteenth century.

Though the Portuguese conquered Sattari taluka in 1746 first, they took possession of it in 1782 amidst the revolt of Rane. These all copper coins, belonging to the early period of their rule and are helpful in throwing the socio-cultural and economic aspects of history of the Mhadei region.

As the area is situated on the Ghat pathway connecting British India with Portuguese India, these find of copper coins will help in unearthing the history of the Mhadei region. Just few kms away one of the biggest Hero stone depicting horses, elephants and camel and royal personnels have been discovered at Kadtari in Sonal village, locally known as the Bonelkarache Pashan. During the olden time,the travellers,traders were using the pathways going through the forest, connected to the Ghat ways.

After a major military defeat in the Battle of Talikota in 1565 by the combined armies of Deccan Sultanates,the rule lasted until 1646.Goa was under the rule of the Vijayanagara kingdom and the Bahamani Sultanates.However,when the Portuguese took over the possession of the Old Conquests , Goa continued trading relationship with the Vijayanagara and the hoard of coins that was found in Nanoda might be taken from the Old Conquests through the Ghat way to the neighbouring Kingdom by merchants. The place where the hoard of coins were found in Haddiche Bharad area of Nanoda, lies on the slope of the hillock adjacent to the Western Ghat of Sattari.

The place, where the hoard of 832 copper coins were found, lies on the trijunction of the Chorla ghat, Kel ghat and Chand Surya ghat connecting to different princely states.

Portuguese were the first among the Europeans to get footage in India. They took advantage of the internal rivalry existed among the local rulers over trade and this helped them to slowly establish forts and colonies in different parts of India. Their tactical approach paved way for them to get substantial leap in trade and commerce, making them economically powerful to start minting coins. Minting coins was not only a fiscal necessity of their government, but also a Fatah-namah-a declaration of their success in establishing the supremacy for smooth trade. Coins were minted in gold, silver, copper, tin and tutenag throughout the Portuguese territories. Minting coins continued till the Anglo-Portuguese treaty signed in AD 1880. This treaty made the Portuguese coins in India obsolete and the English Rupee and Anna system came into existence as the only legal tender.[1]

The hoard that was handed over to Goa government as per primary observation has revealed that the majority of the coins are Indo- Portuguese belonging to the sixteenth century. Immediately after exercising sway over the territories of the Old Conquests, consisting of Tiswadi,Bardez and Salcete( including Marmagoa),for encouraging trade,commerce ,the Portuguese government first introduced from 1509 to 1580,the Pardau coin .After it ,they introduced the Bazaruco copper coins,bearing the initial of Joao III,that were minted in Goa and Ceilao mints from 1522 to 1557. Bazaruco copper coins were released during the rule of Sebastiao I from 1557 to 1578,that were minted in Goa mint.[2]


Reference:

1. Indo-Portuguese Coins: A Preliminary Review by Preeta Nayar (University of Kerala) 2017

2. https://en.numista.com/catalogue/inde_portugaise-1.html#c_inde_portugaise2167

My Narayan Mama

In India, the family doesn't constitute only parents and siblings, but it includes a large number of relatives from the mother as well as the father's sides. From my childhood, I have been enjoying the companionship of paternal and maternal relatives. My days of childhood became most memorable as I got opportunities to spend my vacation under the maternal uncles' care and affection. Situated.amidst one of the tributaries of Colval, known as the Tirsoli one side and the Colval river another side, a beautiful village of Sal had connected me. From childhood with nature and the environment has enriched my understanding about society and culture.

I considered myself very fortunate, as I got immense love and affection from my maternal uncle. My Narayan mama without having any formal schooling, got the job in the Indian Navy and had immortalised his life by serving the nation with the intense degree of dedication and commitment. Joined as a naval soldier, he in due course of life was promoted as the head constable on account of his courage, strength and excellence in the naval service.

Immediately after the independence of India, the World witnessed the cold war. Though India initiated the Non Aligned Movement, there was a glaring need for the country to take needful steps not only for land frontiers, but also the sea frontiers. To consolidate strategic sea frontiers, India purchased the aircraft carrier warship from Great Britain and named it as INS Vikrant, which was commissioned in service of the nation from 1961. Immediately after, the INS Vikrant was brought into operation during Goa liberation against the Portuguese government, where it Played a crucial role.

In facilitating the Indian army to liberate Goa from their yoke. In 1971, during the Indo-Pak war, the INS Vikrant played a significant role in implementing the economic blockade of East Pakistan and thereby helped in the birth of Bangladesh. Narayan mama was involved in the Indo-Pak war, through the INS Vikrant. His interest and hardworkwon him not only appreciation from the higher authority, but he was selected for availing special naval training in Germany.

He enjoyed many occasions exploring into the deep ocean through the submarine. When he was returning home on vacation, I used to get the opportunity to listen to courageous stories from him full of thrilling experiences.

After serving in the Indian Navy, when he retired, he concentrated his attention in toiling hard in the soil, simultaneously helping in removing the dead bodies of drowned persons from the rivers.

On the occasion of the celebration of Anant Chaturdashi, he breathed his last. His deeds and contribution during the Indo-Pak war of 1971, will be remembered by me.INS Vikrant had already been decommissioned by the Government of India, however, we should not forget the contribution done by it, in protecting the sovereignty and integrity of our country. Pakistan deployed PNS Gazi submarine to hunt INS Vikrant aircraft carrier, but the dedicated officers and the soldiers like Narayan mama foiled the conspiracy and PNS Gazi submarine went mysteriously missing from the Bay of Bengal. His departed soul, certainly will rest in eternal peace. My heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family.