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चित्रनिबंध -ओळख सह्याद्रीची - कावळ्याचा कस्तुर |
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Photo essay : The spectacular North western ghats - Varandha Pass |
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August 2010 |
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Text in Marathi and English is not exact translation.
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श्रावण महिना सुरु झाला कि उन पावसाशी लपंडाव खेळू लागतो. सह्याद्रीच्या रांगा, हिरव्या शाली नेसुन नटतात. रसिक भटके मात्र अस्वस्थ होतात. एकाच वेळेला कासची सड्यावरची रानफुले, कोकणातले पाहुणे नवरंग, खुज्या खंड्यासारखे सुंदर रानपक्षी, मढे घाटातले महाजलप्रपात, हरिश्चंद्रगडावरचा फुलांचा सोहळा, कस्तुर पक्ष्यांची धुक्यातली महफिल, महाबळेश्वरातला तुफान पाउस, राजमाचीच्या ओढ्यातली पाण्याची ओढ आणी इतर असंख्य आमंत्रणाची मनात गर्दी होते.
पुणे शहरापासुन अंदाजे शंभर किमी अंतरावर आहे, कावळा किल्ला. सह्याद्रीच्या रांगेतला हा एक जुना मोहरा आहे. घाटमाथ्यावरचा हा डोंगर समुद्रसपाटीपासुन ६७० मीटर उंचावर आहे. आता किल्याचे फारसे अवशेष शिल्लक राहिलेले नाहीत. येथुन दिसणारा निसर्गनजारा मात्र नेत्रदिपक आहे. कावळ्याच्या डोंगरातुन इंग्रजांनी गाडीमार्ग खोदला आहे. गडाच्या दोन खड्या शिखराच्या मधून गाडीमार्ग कोकणात उतरतो. या घाटमार्गास वरंध घाट म्हणतात. घाटाच्या पदरात माझेरी व पारमाची अशी दोन छोटी गाव आहेत. गडाच्या उत्तरेस खोल दरीत खरक नदीचा उगम आहे. दरितल्या सदाहरित जंगलाला अजुन माणसाची नजर लागलेली नाही.
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In the month of "Sraavaan" (Marathi calender, roughly August/September in English Calender), the pattern of monsoon suddenly changes.
The intermittent rains and sunshine poses great opertunities for the photographers and the avid wanderers.
Ranges of Sahyadri change their makeup with beautiful green dress dotted with lovely colorful wildflowers.
The nature lovers of the region, get confused due to sudden invitations from various wildflowers, birds, rain spectacles, magnificent waterfalls,
misty rainforests from all across the western ghats.
One such inviting place is the fort of kavalyaa. Located at the border of Bhor(Pune) and Mahad(Raigad) region, it has one of the spectacular narrow motorways,
rainforest in the valley below. Though very little remains can be seen of this ancient fort, the motorway cuts though the pass between the two summits of the forthill is thrilling.
A small riverlet, "kharak" begins its journey towards the arabic sea from the waterfalls landing from the precipitous cliffs in the valley below.
Historic Sundermath (Shivtharghal) is located at the opening of the valley in Mainland konkan.
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सदाहरित रानावर कावळ्याची सावली , Shadow of northwest summit of kavalya fort on the evergreen forest below |
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वाघजाईचे चिमुकले देऊळ घाटरस्त्यावर आहे. वाघजाई म्हणजे नक्की काय हा मला बरेच दिवस पडलेला एक प्रश्न आहे. कदाचित वाघापासुन रेडीमेड संरक्षण मिळावे म्हणुन माणसाने योजलेला प्रकार असावा असा माझा समज. वाघजाई मात्र सह्याद्रीत प्रसन्न आहे. निवडक बोटावर मोजता येतील एवढे पट्टॆरी वाघ आता महाराष्ट्रातील सह्याद्री रांगेत कागदावर शिल्लक राहिले आहेत. एकविसाव्या शतकात आता गरज आहे प्रदुषणजाई देवीची.
या देवीची तीन ठिकाणी देवळ असावीत. एक उरणच्या समुद्रकिनारी, दुसरं पुण्याच्या कर्वे रस्त्यावर, आणी तिसरे उजनी धरणाजवळ भिगवणला.
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At the edge of the cliff road, there is a small temple of godess waghjai (literally meaning TigerVanish godess).
The humans need Pollutionvanish godess now in 21st Century. Tigers no more exist in north western ghats. Lepards are on the way of vanishing.
There are some remains of water cisterns in the groves on the summit.
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कावळ्याच्या खांद्यावरचा वानरलिंगी सुळका, Vanarlingi peak on the shoulders of Kavalyaa |
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पावसाळ्यात सह्याद्रीत कातळांवरुन छोटे मोठे धबधबे कोसळू लागतात. यांच्या आडोश्याला उभ्या कातळावर, पाणसर भागात चिरे
छोट्या पापण्यांची शाळा आपल्याला पहाण्यास मिळते. छोट्या पिशव्या वापरुन हि वनस्प्तती प्रवाहातील सुक्ष्म किडे खाते.
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The waterfalls around the cliffs, are dotted with schools of small flowers of Begonia crenata and Utricularia striatula.
The Utracularia striatula plant survives by trapping the organisms from the flowing water.
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दरितले सदाहरित रान, evergreen forest in the Valley |
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सदाहरित रान म्हणजे, रान जे उन्हाळा, पावसाळा व हिवाळ्यात नेहेमी हिरवे रहाते ते. सह्याद्रीत दरी, घसारे व कडे हे या वनांचे माणसांपासून रक्षण करतात.
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The few remains of evergreen forests in North western ghats are guarded mainly by the precipitous cliffs, inaccessible patches of terrain due to gorges and screes and tiny forest dept offices.
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कावळ्याच्या घसारयातून खोदून बनविलेला वरंध घाटरस्ता,
Varandha ghat road along the scree of kavalyaa fort |
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The small patches of platues are cultivated with padyfields. The tiny villages/Wadis depend on the forests around for their daily needs.
Govt agencies work hard to arrange the electricity and basic education in these villages.
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MSRTC bus transports the humans from Konkan sealevel platue to the upper deccan platue |
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महाराष्ट्रात अंदाजे दहा गाडीमार्ग व दोन रेल्वेमार्ग कोकणातून घाटमाथ्यावर येण्यास वापरले जातात.
वरंधा घाट हा या घाटरस्त्यांमधील सर्वात अरुंद मार्ग आहे.
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There are roughly 10 major motorways and 2 trainways which climb from the konkan platue to the upper Deccan platue in 600 km strecth of western ghats in Maharashtra.
Varandha ghat is the only remaining narrow ghat road. The driving of heavy vehicles up the ghat is a challenge particularly in the misty monsoon season.
More demand of the motorways, widening of the exisitng motorways will pose serious threats to the species in north western ghats
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Tiny village on the Lower platue of varandha ghat |
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Tiny village and its vast paddy fields on the Lower platue of varandha ghat |
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Panaromic view from the ghatroad along the scree |
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Tiny villages, vast paddy fields and the remaining trees |
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Systematically burnt patch of forest |
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Panorama from the Varandha pass |
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शीळकरी कस्तुर (पर्वत कस्तुर), Malabar whistling Thrush |
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जाळलेला जंगलभाग पाहून मन निराश झाले. तेवढ्यात कानावर साद पडली कस्तुराची. पर्वत कस्तुर सह्याद्रीच्या कडेघसारयांचा एक रहिवासी आहे. याची शीळ ऎकण्य़ासारखी असते. भारतात आढळणारया अनेक पक्ष्यांमधील हा जणू तानसेन आहे. |
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शीळकरी कस्तुर (पर्वत कस्तुर), Malabar whistling Thrush |
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जंगल, रस्ता आणी शेती, Paddyfileds and forest - face to face |
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नळीतून घसरलेला मानवनिर्मित कचरा |
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Serpentine road |
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Road along the scree |
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Estimated 8 hours are required by an average evergreen forest tree to compensate the carbondioxide generated by an average small car in 1 km drive.
Roughly 10,00,000 vehicles in Pune city generate [(10,00,000 veh x 100 g/km x 10 km/veh) gram = 1000 tons of carbondioxide everyday.
To compensate this CO2 about 100,00,000 large trees have to work for one day. Pune city do not have these many trees.
Due to such an unbalance, the atmospheric level of CO2 is increasing leading the global warming. Please note that the automobile pollution is one samll part of the total Industrial CO2 pollution.
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शीळकरी कस्तुर (पर्वत कस्तुर), Malabar whistling Thrush |
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Eucaliptus trees around the human habitat |
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The roads and automobiles are all fine on the road, as long as there is a greenery around and as long as they do not murder the wildanimals. Further ahead at the end of the day we saw the roadkill of Langur. Our trip to Kavalya that started with positive note of Malabar whistling thrush ended with the sad site of the dead Langur.
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Dead Langur between the greens and the road |
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Western ghats is one of the important hotspots of biodiversity. Let us preserve it !
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References : My notes, My photographs, "Dongaryatra" by Anand Palande.
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Contact me at kale_v@rediffmail.com for any
queries and suggestions and email subscription.
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