Feb 7, 2004, 12.00am IST
Narayani Ganesh.
Garjia, Uttaranchal: The jungle has inspired many an individual to turn philoso-phical and it is not difficult to see why. The five elements — air, water, fire, earth and sky — and trees, animals, birds and reptiles have all been the subject of reverence or worship in various communities worldwide either because of the fear and awe they invoke or because we need them for our own survival.
A group of journalists visiting the Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal, we were following a nature trail in the periphery of the jungle, led by naturalist-guide Rajesh Bhatt.
Treading heavily on dry leaves and twigs, we were wrecking the peace of the forest. “Do you know, a tiger would not make a single sound if he were to walk the same path?” he chided us gently. He proceeded to explain the intricate and intimate relationship between the various constituents of the jungle, including even the tiny termites city-dwellers try desperately to fumigate from their homes.
Termite mou-nds hide within intense activity and contribute greatly to forest biodiversity. More than 200 species of birds feed on termites as do monkeys and bears. Termites work methodically. A mound resembles a modern city system with air-conditioned rooms.
Acknowledging the industry of the termites, ancients have referred to them as being sarva shreshta or the ‘best’ of all. Termite mounds are still worshipped in many rural areas. “Look at the Sal,” Rajesh tells us, pointing to a tall tree tapering to the skies, arms outstretched upwards.
“It is the pride of the Corbett National Park. There’s a saying that the Sal tree stands for 100 years at least; even when felled it stays preserved for 100 years and it takes another 100 years for the rot to set in.” He points to the Banyan tree and tells us how its aerial roots strengthen the tree as well as harbour a variety of life forms. Again, the Banyan is also worshipped by many. Religious veneration was one sure route to preservation.
Clutching a few blades of Durba grass, Rajesh tells us how no puja was thought complete without it but now, with religious rituals on the wane, not much importance is given to this grass whose virtues have been extolled in Hindu mythology and the puranas. He tells us that nature, environment and culture were considered to be as vital for the survival of the species as are the brain, heart and backbone in a human being. He proceeds to quote a shloka: “Pathe pathe cho deva naam/ Saakha panch Maheshwara” — every leaf is the abode of God, and each branch is equal to the five gods...”
Jim Corbett, the legendary hunter of man-eating tigers — who was born and brought up in the Kumaon region and spent most of his life there — was also a committed conservationist and community leader who pain-stakingly deve-loped what is known today as Choti Haldwani. Corbett believed that human encroachment into forests and denudation turned tigers into man-eaters, because human activity reduced biodiversity and deprived the tiger of its natural prey.
Corbett championed conservation of the forest and took up the cause of the tiger who was fast becoming an endangered species. He said: “A tiger is a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage and when he is exterminated — as exterminated he will be unless public opinion rallies to his support — India will be the poorer by having lost the finest of her fauna”.
The fact that we know more about Corbett the Hunter than we do about Corbett the Conservationist only goes to show that our appetite for gore is far greater than our inclination to learn about the art of friendly survival.
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