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भारताकडे प्रगत देश एक अस्वच्छ देश म्हणुन पहातात. आपल्याकडील लोकशाही व स्वैरशाही मुळे येथील नैसर्गिक संपदेचा गैरवापर व विनाश होत आहे. निवडक निसर्गदत्त प्रदेश वगळला तर इतरत्र १० % विकासदर गाठण्याच्या नावाखाली निसर्गचा समुळ विनाश चालु आहे. अशा विनाशाकडे चाललेल्या आपल्या देशाची हे उरलेसुरले निसर्ग वैभव मी येथे मांडले आहे. पाहु वाचवु शकतो काय आपण या निसर्गवैभवाला.

India is often looked up on as a dirty place by rest of the world. Its Democracy is infected by poor governance leading to poor management of ecosystems, wildlife and urban areas. Only the region where the human intevention is minimal, one can see its original charm. Most of the ecosystems near the major urban and industrial area is under severe stress. I am sharing herewith some glimpses of the Nature, hoping that it inspires the mass to Save it from the Indian Jangal Raj.

पुणे जिल्ह्यातील पवना मावळात लोहगड आहे. एके काळी सदाहरीत रानात वसलेला हा गड कोकणातुन घाटावर येणाऱ्यांवर नजर ठेवण्यासाठी असलेली महत्वाची चौकी होती. या गडाचा इतिहास सातवाहनांपासुन सुरु होतो व पेशवेंपर्यंत येउन थांबतो. वाढत्या शहरीकरणाची झळ व फार्महाउस व पर्यटन शाळांची गर्दी गडाच्या पायथ्यापर्यंत येउन पोहोचली आहे. येथील प्रवेशदाराकडील दरवाजा व बुरुज बांधकाम पहाण्यासारखे आहे. वर पोहोचल्यावर उत्तरेकडे तोंड असलेली ही कमान अप्रतिम आहे. एका बाजुस मशिद, दुसऱ्या बाजुस भगवे निशाण, समोर ध्रुव तारा व त्याच्या भोवती पिंगा घालणारे तारे असा हा नजारा आहे. (पृथ्वी फिरताना त्याचा अंश ध्रुव ताऱ्यातुन जात असल्याने, इतर तारे ध्रुव ताऱ्याच्या भोवती पिंगा घालत आहे असा आभास होतो. वास्त्तवात मात्र तारे स्थिर आहेत.)

The fort of Lohgad is located west of Pune. Lohgad literally means fort of iron. Built in 200 BC by Satawahan dynasty, it was active check fort located on the deccan platue till middle of 19th Century. The arch at the entrance as can be seen here in the image was oriented facing north. As I wandered to this place in last monsoon, the frame with the arch was in my mind. Here in this image the lone tree on the Rock fort at the distance, with the north pole star just at the opening above the arch, was framed keeping in mind also the position of mosque at left and the Saffron flag on right. The image was made with composition of about 100 frames with 30 sec exposure each, using tripod and auto cable release. The backlight is due to Pune-Mumbai Expressway which passes by northern valley of this mountain. The flag was lit by the LED torch. The startrail is amazing form of photography with many unexplored frame possibilities.

श्रावणात सह्याद्रीच्या डोंगरदऱ्यांना हिरव्या रंगाच्या गालिच्याने आच्छादित होतात. जमिनीत दडलेली बरिच सृष्टी जमिनीवर फुलते. रानात, माळावर रानफुले बहरतात. कुठे सोनेरी फुलते, तर कुठे तेरडा फुलतो. नाजुक इवलीशी रानफुले जणु रंगसोहळा साजरा करतात.

The life on the earth has always been beautiful. Often we underestimate the Natural wealth and fortune we have around us. The western ghats is one of the enigmatic biodiversity hotspot on the earth. This beauty of the earth sometimes is so overwhelming that one can not describe it in the words………. …

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सड़्यावर पावसाळ्याच्या शेवटी वैविध्य पुर्ण वनस्पती दिसतात. बऱ्याच वनस्पतींना फुले येतात. वातावरणातील बाष्प, पाण्याची पातळी, जमिनीतला मातीचा थर व सुर्यप्रकाशाची तीव्रता, अशा व इतर घटकांवर अवलंबुन असलेल्या वनस्पतींचे साम्राज्य सड़्यावर दिसते. १) मोठे धोंडे, २) उथळ झरे, ३) उथळ पाण्याची डबकी, ४) खोल पाण्याची रांजणकुंडे, ५) उथळ माती असलेली जमिन, ६) खोल माती असलेली जमिन, ७)उतार जमिन, असे विविध लहान अधिवास येथे दिसतात. प्रत्येक अधिवासात वेगवेगळ्या वनस्पती दिसतात.

The lateritic plateaus have various sub-habitats. In these subhabitats various species bloom. A mosaic is seen on such plateau with various species of flowering plants. The typical examples of these subhabitats include, a) Loose rocks/boulders (species such as Utricularia striatula, Cheilanthus farinose etc), b) Shallow Streams (e.g.Eriocaulon dalzellii) c) Shallow water puddles (e.g. Aponogeton satarensis, Eriocaulon tuberiferum etc) d) Deep water holes (e.g. Nymphoides) e) Deep Soiled depressions (Impatiens lawii etc) f) Shallow soiled depressions (Smithia species., Habenaria species etc) g) Rocky Slopes (Utricularia species) h) Very Deep Soil. A mosaic of these species is seen depending up on the local micro condition of the land.

चंडोल भरारी --

हटले पडदे रंगमहाली, रंग भटकले वरतीखाली

सीतेची आसवे जांभळी, निळी आभाळी निळी नभाळी

दमून झोपली पिवळी कावळी, रुसून राहिली कारवी टोपली

तेरडी बहरली लाल गुलाबी, गर्दीत या दिपकडी हरवली

हबे अमरी कुठे पळाली, बाकी फुलांची तर गट्टी जाहली

हटले पडदे रंगमहाली, पर चंडोल पाखर वेंधळुन गेली

जिकडे तिकडे गर्दी जाहली, चंडोल पाखर वेंधळुन गेली

घरटुली माझी कुणी मोडीली, उंच भरारी म्हणू लागली

झरी वाळली, चहाच झाली, वेंधळली ती गेंद मंजिरी

हटले पडदे रंगमहाली, नको अशी हि करुण कहाणी

घरटुली माझी कुणी मोडीली, उंच भरारी म्हणू लागली

In early monsoon rock platue is covered with furious clouds, heavy rains and strong wind current. no one can venture there, not even the might eagles. As the rain recedes, in this theater of Nature, veils of mist are removed. The colors start dancing, on the floor and up in the sky. the purple flowers of utricularia (“sitechi asave”). the blue hairy flowers of “aabhaali” and “nabhaali” start blooming the yellow smithia, gets exhausted after dance in the morning and goes to siesta in the afternoon. The karvi flowers which bloom once in eight years are blushed and have not appeared this year the red balsam, purple balsam, pink balsam all of them all around, the white tall orchidlike depkadi montanum is surrounded by these pink beauty. the habe amri (ground orchid) which blooms in july august has vanished now in september and nonone knows where it has gone now. All this is fine but the bird pair of chandol (Malabar crested larks) are baffled and confused. As they do their sorties and dives in the sky they look worried and tense So many people all around. tourists, children, with their cars all around. As they fly, larks say “who has broken my nest” (these birds nest on the floor in the grass, on which anybody can step upon) the small streamlet has dried, somebody has opened a tea shop on the platue. tourists are happy, drinking the tea. The stream water is being consumed, the little tiny flowers of “gend “(white balls) and “manjiri” which rely on the stream water are also worried and tense. Let us change the story. this is not what we want. As the Malabar crested lark had its flight, it saw the glory on the velvet pink green, leaving its unattended nest on the ground, surrounded by tourists. Look at the image, you can feel like a lark, happy with flora glory but tense about the future. Please help the larks, and many tiny flowers by not stepping upon them and their nests.

स्वच्छ स्वच्छंद असावे मेघा समान
उंच उंच फुलावे या मेघा महान,
बहरावे वसुंधरेस, पर्जन्य मेघा समान,
गरजावे, बरसावे, या मेघा समान,
वर्णन किती करावे, लिहावे तितुके लहान,
मनाने महान, स्वार्थाने लहान !

Letter from Ansel Adams to Cedric Wright, June 10, 1937:
"Dear Cedric,
A strange thing happened to me today. I saw a big thundercloud move down over Half Dome, and it was so big and clear and brilliant that it made me see many things that were drifting around inside of me; things that relate to those who are loved and those who are real friends.
For the first time I know what love is; what friends are; and what art should be.
Love is a seeking for a way of life; the way that cannot be followed alone; the resonance of all spiritual and physical things. Children are not only of flesh and blood — children may be ideas, thoughts, emotions. The person of the one who is loved is a form composed of a myriad mirrors reflecting and illuminating the powers and thoughts and the emotions that are within you, and flashing another kind of light from within. No words or deeds may encompass it.
Friendship is another form of love — more passive perhaps, but full of the transmitting and acceptances of things like thunderclouds and grass and the clean granite of reality.
Art is both love and friendship and understanding: the desire to give. It is not charity, which is the giving of things. It is more than kindness, which is the giving of self. It is both the taking and giving of beauty, the turning out to the light of the inner folds of the awareness of the spirit. It is a recreation on another plane of the realities of the world; the tragic and wonderful realities of earth and men, and of all the interrelations of these.
Ansel"

लहान डबके
लहानश्या अशा या डबक्यात आजु बाजुची माती उतरली होती. काठावरच्या मातीस गवताने गच्च धरुन ठेवले होते. तरी एखादे ढेकुळ त्याला न जुमानता पाण्यात उतरु पहात होते. असे काय विशेष म्हणुन मी जवळ जाउन पाहिले. या काठावरच्या निवांत बेडकाने पाण्यात उडी मारुन त्यावर तरंग आणले. वरुन जाणाऱ्या वीजेच्या ताराच्या प्रतिबिंबास चांगलेच थरथरवले. येणारे जाणारे फुलढग पाण्यात डोकाउन गेले. छोट्याश्या या डबक्याने दुरच्या तुंग पर्वतास इवलेसे करुन टाकले.

The loose soil around the puddle had entered the puddle coloring it brownish merky. The soil on the edges was held tight by the grass. Still some loose soil was trying to enter the puddle slowly. To see what's the matter, I went close. Stunned by suddenly jumping toads in the puddle, I was taken aback a step. As the toads jumped into the puddle, there were ripples on the surface. The reflection of the overhead electricity lines in the puddle was shaken in the process. The reflection of thundering clouds was seen in the puddle. Small puddle made the tall mountain on the other end of the lake, more smaller.

माथ्यावर जेंव्हा ढग पाठशिवणीचा खेळ खेळतात,
सोनकीची रानफुलं नाचतात डोलतात,
खालच्या भर रानात रानकोंबडे साद घालतात.
जलप्रपात कातळातुन उनात उडतात,
रानकिडे वारयाच्या संगे गवतात वाजतात,
सुर्यदेव डोक्यावर येता, ढग शुभ्र लाह्या बनतात.
उंच उंच फुलतात, पाठशिवणीचा खेळ सोडुन देतात.

These nimbus cumulus thunderclouds are so impressive. They rise and rise, challenging the mighty sun. The brilliant clouds transform the sky into a spectacular theater. Often they drizzle, giving the oportunity to setting sun to spread the golden afterlight and for the stars to twinkle in the night. The cool breeze that spreads touches the heart.

आभाळात ढगांच्या मांडवातुन अधुनमधुन उन्हाचे कवडसे हिरव्या रानावर पडुन त्याला उजळत होते. लहान स्थिर पाण्याचा सफेद जलप्रपात खळाळत होता. अचानक ढगांच्या गर्दितुन एका ढगाने तेथेच अंखंड प्रपात घडविला. आकाशातुन कोसळणाऱ्या पावसात, जलप्रपात हरवला. पाउस ओसरला खरा, पण लहानश्या दिसणाऱ्या जलप्रपाताने उग्र स्वरुप धारण केले. लाल माती चा रंग धारण करुन त्याने आपला वेग व आकार व आवाज वाढवला. अशा वेगाने वाहणाऱ्या जलधारेपासुन माणसाने मात्र जरा जपुनच रहावे.

There was a celestial light piercing through the rapidly moving clouds. The stream was thin and nice jumping from one level to the other below and another further below. Suddenly a large cloud appeared from west. Having suddenly come across the land, the cloud busted, It was dark. Even the exposure of 5 seconds was not sufficient. In no time the thin super white rappelling stream turned chocolate brown. The volume of its music increased to deafening level. I rain to the shelter of a temple waiting anxiously for my friends who had earlier crossed the stream. These streams in western ghat suddenly become violent if the rains upstream rise. To cross such violent stream is a serious survival test.

रान आवाज काढत नाही पण रानातले पक्षी, व प्राणी आवाज काढतात. रानाला असा वास नसतो, पण येथील पान, फुल व फळांना मोहक वास येतो. रान स्वत: वाहत नाही पण येथील ओढे खळाळुन वाहतात. आपण येथे श्वास घेतो, तो येथील शुद्ध हवेचा. जंगल आपल्याबरोबर विविध वनस्पती, किडे, पक्षी व प्राणीवर्गाला आश्रय देतात. माणसाने जंगलाकडे आदराने पहाणे महत्वाचे आहे.

When we hear the forest, we hear the birds, when we smell the forest, we smell the flowers and fruits, When we see the forest flying we see the moths and butterflies, when we see the forest flowing, we see the clean stream, when we see the forest eating, we see monkeys eating the fruits, When we breath the forest, we breath the clean air it stores, The forest trees give pleasure to inumerable small organisms, we are just one of them ! It is the forest that sings, sways, flies, and flows ! We should not be silent spectators of its destruction while it acts like God !

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धाविक हा पक्षी गवताळ माळरानावर रहातो. त्याच्या या अधिवासात लपणारे अशी त्याची रंगभुषा असते. १० ते २० पक्ष्यांच्या गटागटाने ते गवतात फिरताना आढळतात. त्यांच्या जवळ गेल्यास ते पळु लागतात. म्हणुन त्यांना धविक असे म्हणतात. उंच सफेद पाय, फिक्या तपकिरी रंगाचा अवतार व डोळ्यांवर सफेद आडवी लकेर असा याचा अवतार असतो. दुर्दैवाने गवताळ माळरान म्हणजे निरुपयोगी जमिन या धारणेमुळे वेगाने याचा माळरान अधिवास लुप्त होत आहे. मोकळ्या रानावर उघड़्यावरच घरटे करणाऱ्या या पक्ष्याच्या संख्येत शहरीकरणामुळे घट होताना दिसते.

The Indian courser is one of the enigmatic birds of Indian dry grasslands. They nest in open in dry rocky grasslands. Coursers walk in the grass looking for the food. These birds walk a lot and are called as "dhaavik" in marathi, meaning the runners. Their camouflage is very interesting and is called as obliterative coloration.(graduating tones, with colors which are same as the habitat) Their crown is rich rufous, The black strips pass through the eyes and the white strip pass above the eyes merging together at the neck behind. Their legs are long with beautiful silver white coloration. The bird is very elegant. Unfortunately its habitat is being destroyed around the urban regions. Often the bird is seen in very small grassland strips in the midst of cultivated farms

आषाढ महिन्यात पावसाला जोर येतो. एखाद़्या आठवड़्यात पाउस सर्वांना झोडपतो. डोंगर सफेद ढगांचे पांघरुण घालुन लपतात. हिरव्या मखमली गवतावर लहान सफेद आषाढ अमरी ची रानफुले येतात. चरणाऱ्या गुरांशी हितगुज करतात. पावसाचे थेंब आपल्या अंगाखांद्यावर खेळवतात. धुंद वाऱ्यावर थरथरतात. आपल्या स्वागत पर मुद्रेतुन येणाऱ्या जाणाऱ्या माश्यांना व किड़्यांना आश्रय देतात.

In month of July, the atmosphere gets filled with white cluds and mist. The hills are constantly covered with the white clouds. The small ground orchids start appearing on the meadows on hills of medium altitude. These small orchids with white misty sky, is a picture on untouched hills.

हवेत संथगतीने उडणारे हे कॉमन सेलर फुलपाखरु हमखास भारतात सर्वत्र आढळते. साधीसुधी अशी हि फुलपाखरे उन्ह खाताना हमखास दिसतात. सदाहरित रानात कोरड़्या ओढ्यात वाळक्या पानांवर बसलेले फुलपाखरु काय पहात असाव, त्याला काय दिसत असाव, याचा उमज येण्यासाठी काढलेले हे छायाचित्र आहे. अशा असंख्य नद़्या भारतातील डोंगररांगात जंगलात उगम पावतात, नद़्यांच्या उगम स्थानी प्रदुषण कमीत कमी व्हावे याचा माणसाने विचार करावा.

As we walked along the dried stream, we found these common butterflies, called as common sailor, enjoying the sun. These common butterflies are simple. They fly a slow flight without flapping the wings much. Their slow movements make one feel follow them from one perch to the other. The dried leaves, a dried stream, feels like butterfly is waiting for the stream to flow again !! Now the monsoon has started. In the forest at these stream, now the water gushes rapidly down hill to form a river to reach the ocean. Most of the rivers in Indian plains originate from the forests on the hills. These rivers supply the water to the large population. We need to protect the River Origins

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आकाशाचा मंच ताऱ्यांच्या रोषणाईने सजलेला पहायचा असेल तर शहरापासुन दुर जावे लागते. प्रकाशाचे प्रदुषण नसलेल्या एखाद्या भागात. अमावस्येच्या रात्री तर यात मजा औरच असते. संध्याकाळ होताच पश्चिमेला क्षितिजावर सुर्याचा ढग व धुरकट वातावरणावर रंगसोहळा पार पडला. अल्याड पल्याड च्या सुळक्यांनी त्यात आपली रुद्र प्रतिमा दाखवली. बघता बघता अंधार दाटुन आला, आकाश असंख्य ताऱ्यांनी उजळुन निघाले. नेहेमी प्रमाणे सर्व ताऱ्यांनी ध्रुव ताऱ्याभोवती पिंगा घालण्यास सुरुवात केली. संध्याकाळी नियोजनाप्रमाणे सेट केलेल्या कॅमेऱ्याने, उत्तर व पश्चिमेला सामावुन घेणारे तिनी सांजेपासुन रात्री पर्यंत चे चित्र टिपले. आकाशात फक्त तारे नव्हे तर बऱ्याच इतर गोष्टी दिसत होत्या. कड्याच्या कडुन दुर कोण्या पक्ष्याचा किंचाळ्ण्याचा आवाज येत होता. अधुनमधुन पाकोळ्या हवा कापत दचकवत होत्या. आकाशात मुंबई कडे झेपावणाऱ्या विमानांचा ट्रॅफिक जॅम लागला होता. एका मागे एक रांग लावुन उतरणारी विमाने आकाशाला जिवंत करत होती. आळे फाट्यावर आकाशात सुद्धा आळे फाटा आहे हे कळाले. या ठिकाणी नंबर न लागलेली विमाने दक्षिणेला वळतात व एक फेरा मारुन पुन्हा रांगेत येतात असे आढळुन आले. (पृथ्वी फिरताना त्याचा अंश ध्रुव ताऱ्यातुन जात असल्याने, इतर तारे ध्रुव ताऱ्याच्या भोवती पिंगा घालत आहे असा आभास होतो. वास्त्तवात मात्र तारे स्थिर आहेत.)

The sky theater at Harishchandragad showed a spectacular star show on the day of new moon. The haze on the western horizon was lightened by the setting sky for long time. The haze is mainly due to fires lit in agricultural fields by farmers in konkan platue. This tradition of burning the unwanted plants in field in summer is extremely polluting to the atmosphere and an alternative less polluting system to achieve the cleaning of fields needs to be found. The stars circles around the north star as usual. The pinnacles of Nhapta and kaladgad are lit due to backlight of the civilisation beyond. The composition and camera settings were finalized at sunset time with coverage of both north and west directions. (thanks to the compass by Sam) After sunset the light played its drama with haze for about an hour, before it got really pitch dark. The image was made starting with faded haze light till the appearance of stars on backdrop of west sky (about 1.5 hours duration). After about an hour after sunset, there was pitch darkness at the cliff with occasional wind cutting noise of martins. Strange creepy crickets and other insects gathered around us. Occasional bird cry from the valley below made us raise our ears. Along with hundreds of stars, many satellites and aeroplanes could be seen in the sky. One of the aeroplanes which we saw, one almost projected its lights towards us, making us wonder what is coming for us from the sky. After having good experience we returned back to the caves for dinner.

काही प्राणी माणसाच्या कडुन रस्त्यांवर मरण्यासाठीच आहेत काय ? त्यातीलच हे एक रात मांजर.

A typical kill of indian small civet was seen on road. Nosebleed with no other body injury except seen around the head. I wonder what stops govt to build small margins (footpaths) on the narrow, long bridges such as this. That can not only help the animals but also the pedestrians and slow moving vehicles. Look at the eyes, they speak.

कडक उन्हाळ्यानंतर पावसाळा आल्यावर एक आनंदाची लहर पाहण्यास मिळते. आकाश, वृक्ष, तहानलेले पशुपक्षी सर्वांना अपार आनंद होतो. उन्हाळ्यात वणव्याने करपलेले डोंगर पुन्हा हिरवेगार होतात. लहान पण सुंदर दिसणारी रानफुले हिरव्या पार्श्वभुमीवर डोलु लागतात. उंच डोंगररांगाकडेने, दऱ्याखोऱ्यातुन ढगांची धावपळ सुरु होते. ऐरवी शांत व बुजरा असणारा कस्तुर रानात मोहक गाणे गाउ लागतो. झरे झुळुझुळु वाहु लागतात. एखाद़्या उंच कड़्यावरुन हवेत उधळतात.

As clouds cover the deccan platue, in monsoon, a wave of joy passes through the plants, people and all the elements of Nature. The otherwise barren hills turn beuatiful velvet green. Small and beautiful wildflowers crop up from the ground. The grass is covered with sparkling dew. The clouds swing along the mountain ranges. The Thrush starts singing its monsoon melody. The streams start rappling down the most precipitous cliffs in to the vales full of mist. The otherwise harsh sunshine, becomes the desire of many. The dry grasslands regenerate themselves to rise again, to dance with the wind. The black rocks in evergreen forests of western ghats are surrounded by white speeding streams, and climbed upon by beautiful moist green moss. The monsoon is a pleasant Surprise Gift, which transforms the deccan platue beyond the imagination of a common man.