gujarat

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Forests and Climate Change, Government of India. ENVIS Centre ... can boast of a long and hoary history dating back to the Indus Valley ... and British rule.
ECOLOGICAL TRADITIONS OF INDIA VOLUME - XI

GUJARAT

edited by

M. Amirthalingam

published by

C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre a Centre of Excellence of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India.

ENVIS Centre - www.cpreecenvis.nic.in

2................................Ecological Traditions of India - Gujarat

© 2015 C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre, Chennai All rights reserved

Production: P. Sudhakar and R. Sathyanarayanan

No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission from

C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre The C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation 1, Eldams Road, Alwarpet, Chennai - 600 018. Email : [email protected] Websites : www.cpreec.org / www.cpreecenvis.nic.in

ISBN : 978-81-86901-25-0

Price: Rs. 150/-150/-

Cover Photos by: Dr. Arun Kumar Roy Mahato and Adalaj Stepwell, Gujarat - wikipedia commons

FOREWORD Geographically, Gujarat state is located on the north-west coast of India, encompassing an area of 196,204 km2 with a coastline of 1,600 km. Archaeological evidence suggests that Gujarat has been inhabited since the time of the Indus Valley Civilization. Gujarat state can boast of a long and hoary history dating back to the Indus Valley civilization. In fact some of the most important sites like Lothal and Dholavira are located in the state. Water wells have played a key role in the architecture of India since the dawn of history. Excavation has proved the existence of step wells in Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. A large number of wells, as many as 700, have been discovered in Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa and other related sites. In the north western part of India, especially in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, the stepwells can be dated at least 600 CE. The construction of these step wells reached its nadir between the 11th and 16th centuries CE. Most existing stepwells can be dated to at least 800 years ago. This long tradition of building stepwells continued even during the Islamic and British rule. However, during the British period, due to the demands of agriculture and the introduction of new technologies, there was a decline in the construction of stepwells. In the post Independence period, there has been a revival of interest in stepwells. The general public as well as concerned NGOs have taken up the task of reviving the stepwells. This movement has been so successful that UNESCO has awarded World Heritage Status of two of the most famous stepwells, namely Rani-Ki-Vav at Patan and Champaner-Pavagadh. Gujarat is also home to nearly 7,000 species of plants and animals, and also provides a safe refuge for many wildlife species. The religious and cultural practices of the people of Gujarat incorporate the use of many plant species and plant parts. Gujarat is known for

6................................Ecological Traditions of India - Gujarat

its great traditions of community participation in various social welfare projects, which includes the conservation of biodiversity. Though sacred groves are few and far between in Gujarat, they are worshipped by the people irrespective of caste or community. The sacred groves serve not only the religious needs of the people but also the more practical purpose of preserving the islands of biodiversity in the state. These traditions have been documented and are collected in this volume, which is the eleventh in the “Ecological Traditions of India” series. The states whose ecological traditions have been published already include Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. We are fortunate that eminent scientists and biologists have contributed to this volume. The threat to the intricate web of life threatens human existence. We could do no better than to rekindle knowledge of and interest in those traditions which protected our natural heritage through several millennia. We must preserve these traditions for future generations to know how their ancestors conserved the vast diversity of this country. We can do no better than quote Mahatma Gandhi who said: “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed”. Dr. Nanditha Krishna Honorary Director C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre Chennai