1 Eco News, Vol. 22, No. 1 April - June 2017 · 10/1/2017 · Eco News, Vol. 22, No. 1 April - June 2017 With a population of over 1.2 billion, India is soon set to dislodge China

1Eco News, Vol. 22, No. 1 April - June 2017

Eco News, Vol. 22, No. 1 April - June 20172

Established in 1989

✯ 1980 - The C.P. Ramaswami AiyarFoundation starts nature education forteachers and students.

✯ 1989 - C.P.R. EnvironmentalEducation Centre (CPREEC) establishedjointly by the Ministry of Environment andForests and the C.P. Ramaswami AiyarFoundation as a Centre ofExcellence of the Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests. Governmentof India.

Our Mission

✯ To increase knowledge, awareness andinterest among the public about theenvironment in all its aspects

✯ To develop resource materials forenvironmental education andawareness raising

✯ To conduct training programmes for awide cross-section of people

✯ To take up environmental projects fordemonstration and research

Our Activities

✯ Training and awareness raising✯ Awareness to and through action✯ Awareness programmes in ecologically

fragile areas✯ Conservation of the ecological heritage✯ Research and surveys✯ Generation of resource materials✯ Exhibitions✯ Courses, seminars and symposia

Facilities

✯ Environmental Laboratory✯ Library✯ Computer Division✯ Publications Division

Geographical Spread

CPREEC’s activities extend to

✯ Andaman & Nicobar Islands✯ Andhra Pradesh✯ Goa

C.P.R. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTRE

✯ Karnataka✯ Kerala✯ Maharashtra✯ Orissa✯ Tamilnadu✯ Puducherry

NGO Network

CPREEC has an extensive network of about600 NGOs. All educational programmes arecarried out in partnership with select NGOs,Universities, Colleges and Schools.

Publications

✯ Activity and information books and pam-phlets for children

✯ Environmental training guides and kitsfor teachers

✯ Researched Publications✯ Colourful and informative posters✯ ECONEWS - A quarterly magazine✯ Indian Journal of Environmental

Education, a peer-reviewed journal

Exhibitions

CPREEC designs three new exhibitionsevery year and has a bank of mobileexhibitions that travel all over India.

Environmental Education

✯ Green Schools of India (GSI)✯ Training programmes for Teachers✯ Training programmes for School and

College Students✯ Environmental Law Education

Special Projects

✯ National Green Corps (NGC)✯ Biomedical Waste✯ Biodiversity Conservation

Research and Surveys

✯ Sustainable Technologies✯ Surveys of Natural Resources✯ Socio-Economic Surveys✯ Lab to Field Technology Transfer


Contents

Why is Environmental Education Important? -------------------------------------------- 5

Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary-------------------------------------------------------------- 8

Wipro-Earthian Sustainability Education Programme in Schools-------------------10

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) – Paradise of Birds ----------------------------------16

Karuppuswami – A Village Deity of Tamil Nadu --------------------------------------19

Food as Medicine -------------------------------------------------------------------------------24



With a population of over 1.2 billion, Indiais soon set to dislodge China as themost populous country of the world. WhileIndia has one of the fastest growingpopulations in the world today, it is farbehind most others when it comes topreserving the environment and theecology. Today, our country is riddled witha number of environmental concernswhich have only aggravated in the lastfew decades1.

Many people recognise that environmentalpollution is an extremely urgentproblem. However, when placed in thecontext of seemingly more immediateproblems such as poverty, crime,corruption and religious and socialconflicts, the environment often loses.The inter-relationship betweenenvironmental degradation and many ofIndia’s serious problems is often over-looked. It is necessary to stress on therelationship between destruction of theenvironment on the one hand and socialas well as health problems on the other. Itis especially the poor and illiterate whoare most exposed to environmentalpollution3.

Our nation’s future relies on a well-educated public to be wise stewards of thevery environment that sustains us, ourfamilies and communities, and futuregenerations. It is environmental educationwhich can best help us as individuals makethe complex, conceptual connectionsbetween economic prosperity, benefits tosociety, environmental health, and our

own well being. Ultimately, the collectivewisdom of our citizens, gained througheducation, will be the most enduringand most successful strategy forenvironmental management2.

Environmental education helps increating awareness in people and helpsthem understand the effects ofhuman activities on the environmentand guide the society towards sustainabledevelopment. Education gives the rightknowledge on how natural environmentfunctions and how human beings candeal with various complex problemsassociated with environmental issues.

The United Nations Educational, Scientificand Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)states that EE is vital in imparting aninherent respect for nature in the societyand in enhancing public environmentalawareness. UNESCO emphasises the roleof EE in safeguarding future globaldevelopments of societal quality of life(QOL), through the protection of theenvironment, eradication of poverty,minimization of inequalities and insuranceof sustainable development.

Environmental education has thusgained prominence across the worldas it focuses on the importance ofconservation, preservation andsustainability along with environmentalawareness.

Environmental education is essential inIndia because most of the individuals are

Why is Environmental Education Important?B. Tirumala


disconnected from nature and are noteven aware of critical environmentalissues. It is now understood thaturbanization, population and poverty andenvironment are all interrelated. Energyconservation in rural areas, wastemanagement, empowerment of women inrural areas, soil management etc are thecommunity issues in India. These havebeen addressed through environmentaleducation which has proved effective toa great extent in solving both economicissues as well as environmental issues.

Environment Education has definitelyempowered people with required skillsand knowledge to take independent andcollective actions to make the world abetter place to live in. Environmentaleducation should be a continuousprocess for the society as a whole andnot confined to a specific group orcommunity. Government must considerit as an investment which would givevaluable returns over a period of time,and therefore, should encourage suchinitiatives.

Environmental education can leadto sound legislation, sustainablemanagement, and responsible actionsby individuals and communities, animportant component of an effectivepolicy framework for protecting andmanaging the environment

Curcuma longa (Turmeric) Curcumin isthe primary pigment which is yellow-orange in colour. It is generally used invarious food industries for colouring. It ismainly used in pickles, sausages,confectionaries, ice cream, bakery andsavory products. It is used as analternative to saffron. Apart from colouring,it is also used in skin care and hair carecosmetic products. It is also used in

Ayurvedic medicine as an analgesic,antiinflammatory, antitumor, antiallergic,antioxidant, antiseptic, in treating anemia,diabetes, indigestion, gallstones, foodpoisoning and poor blood circulation.

Indigofera tinctoria: (Indigotine)The blue colour obtained from flowers ismainly used to dye fabrics and is used tocure constipation, liver disease, heartpalpitation and gout.

Alkanna tinctoria: Alkanna is anastringent and a source of red pigmentused in cosmetics. It is used traditionallyin the treatment of skin wounds anddiseases. Orally, alkanna root has beenused for diarrhea and gastric ulcers.

Tagetes erecta (Mexican marigold):Lutein is a purified extract obtainedfrom the petals of marigold flowers withorganic solvents which changes fromyellow to orange colour. It is used asa food colouring agent and nutrientsupplement (food additive) in a widerange of baked goods, beverages,breakfast cereals, chewing gum, dairyproducts, etc.,

Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry): Thefruit juice is red in colour and this turnsblue in basic medium. The extract can beused for treating bladder stones, biliarydisorders, scurvy, coughs, and lungtuberculosis. Bilberry leaf decoctionshave been used to lower blood sugar indiabetic patients.

Crocus sativus (Saffron): The essentialoil of saffron contains several terpenes(pinene, cineole) and carbonyl compounds.Saffron also finds use in medicine, as afood spice, and in the textile industry as adye and in perfumery.

Natural food colours not only add flavourand good appearance to the food, but italso enhances health.


References

1. Chaitanya Lakshmi G. Food Coloring:The Natural Way, Research Journalof Chemical Sciences, Vol. 4(2), 87-96, February (2014).

2. F. Delgado-Vargas, A.R. Jiménez,O. Paredes-López: Natural pigments:carotenoids, anthocyanins andb e t a l i n s — c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s ,biosynthesis, processing and stability.Critical Reviews in Food Science andNutrition, 40(3), 173, (2000).

3. Mott MacDonald, Project Profile onNatural Food Colors – Marigold,Annatto, iNDEXTb (2000).

4. Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry),Alternative Medicine Review, 6(5),(2001).

5. Aura Sturzoiu, Marta Stroescu,Anicuþa Stoica, Tãnase Dobre:Betanine extraction from betavulgaris - experimental research andstatistical modeling, U.P.B. Sci. Bull.,Series B, 73(1), (2011).

6. Bernard Weiss: Synthetic food colorsand neurobehavioral hazards: Theview from environmental healthresearch, Environmental HealthPerspectives, 120, (2012).

7. Richard Cantrill, Chemical andTechnical Assessment (CTA), Luteinfrom Tagetes erecta FAO, 63rdJECFA,(2004).

ECONEWS is an online magazine byC.P.R. Environmental Education Centre (CPREEC).

Visit us on : www.econewscpreec.com


Introduction

Meghamalai is a recently declaredwildlife sanctuary of Tamil Nadu with atotal area of 269 sq.km. It is situatedin the Western Ghats area of Thenidistrict of Tamil Nadu. This is one of theuntouched hill stations in this regionwhen compared to other hill stationslike Ooty and Kodaikanal. The regionhas sprawling tea, coffee and cardamomplantations apart from natural forestarea. Meghamalai has a very rich andunique floral and faunal diversity.

Meghamalai sanctuary is situatedbetween the Anaimalai hill ranges to thenorth and the Sivagiri hill ranges to thesouth. It is one of the group of mountainsin the Cardamom Hills region of theSouthern Western Ghats. Brook’s peakis the tallest point in this hill block(1,950 m). Brook’s peak is also the secondtallest peak in the Cardamom Hills, nextonly to the Kottamalai (1,985 m) locatedfurther south. To the east, the hillscontinue on to the Srivilliputhur hillrange, and to the west are steep slopesand drops down to the Cumbum valley.

Meghamalai together with theSrivilliputhur hills are an easternoff-shoot of the Cardamom Hills, the maincourse of the Western Ghats. In fact,Meghamalai is at a biogeographicallyimportant cross-roads where thiseastern off-shoot of the Western Ghatsapproaches the southernmost part of

the Eastern Ghats –Sirumalai, nearMadurai.

Meghamalai, like other taller peaks inthe Southern Western Ghats are largelymade up of igneous rocks, charnockiterocks and granite gneisses dating backto the Cambrian Era. Here and there,these waterways form large stagnantmontane lakes, kept by check dams. Themain such formations are the Manalar,Upper Manalar, Venniyar and Iravangalarwhich abuts the Kerala border. A 190 feetdrop of the Suruli river creates thefamous Suruli falls (or the cloud-land falls),a major tourist attraction of this region.

The weather of Meghamalai is typicallycool and wet with more rainfall and lowertemperatures compared to the dry andhot plains of the Cumbum valley.

Biodiversity richness of Meghamalai

Owing to the great height of the relieffeatures and the increased rainfall,Meghamalai supports rich and luxuriantwet evergreen montane cloud forestvegetation. These forests and theinterspersed grassland matrix aretermed as sholas and are a characteristicfeature of the hill tops in southwestIndia.

The major trees of the climax vegetationinclude Hopea parviflora, Magnolia spp.,Calophyllym austroindicum, Artocarpushirsuta, Memecylon subramanii, Cullenia

Meghamalai Wildlife SanctuaryT. Sundaramoorthy


exarillata, Mesua ferrea, Palaquiumellipticum, Gluta travancorica, Nageiawallichiana, Garcinia rubro-echinata,Garcinia travancorica, Diospyros barberi,Memecylon subramanii, Memecylongracile, Goniothalamus rhyncantherus,and Vernonia travancorica.

The typically stunted trees in the sholasinclude Pygeum gardneri, Scheffleraracemosa, Linociera ramiflora, Syzygiumspp., Rhododendron nilgiricum, Mahonianepalensis, Elaeocarpus recurvatus,Ilex denticulata, Michelia nilagirica,Actinodaphne bourdellonii, and Litseawightiana. These shola forests areinterspersed with montane grasslands,characterized by frost- and fire-resistantgrass species like Chrysopogonzeylanicus, Cymbopogon flexuosus,Arundinella ciliata, Arundinellamesophylla, Arundinella tuberculata,Themeda tremula, and Sehima nervosum.

Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology andNatural History (SACON) has recorded63 species of mammals of which 24 areglobally threatened and one criticallyendangered. Among the animal species,the elephant and gaur are very abundantand regular encounters in tea estates andplantations have been reported. Tigers arevery rare in Meghamalai, but leopards arefrequently sighted. However, the mostenigmatic carnivore of these hills is theMalabar large-spotted Civet Cat (Viverramegasplia) originally discovered inMeghamalai and never again scientificallydocumented.

Other mammals such as the giantsquirrel, mongoose, palm civets, Nilgirimarten, the sloth bear, the barking deerand the sambar deer occur here. Primatesare also quite diverse with all five southIndian species being found – the commonlangur, the endemic Nilgiri langur, the

bonnet macaque, the endemic lion-tailedmacaque and the slender loris. Apart fromthe big cats, other carnivores include thewild dog, jungle cat, leopard cat and jackal.Salim Ali’s fruit bat (Latidens salimalii),an endemic bat species is reported onlyfrom this place.

The endangered Indian python andother venomous snakes like the kingcobra, common cobra, krait, Russell’sviper and pit vipers are found here. TheHutton’s pit viper (Tropilaemus huttoni),a venomous snake, first discovered byA.F. Hutton in 1949 has not beenre-sighted since then. This species hasaffinities only with Indo-Malayan pitvipers.

A rich life of reptiles including theAnaimalai Salea lizard and shield-tailedsnakes (Uroepltis spp.) has been recorded.Lizards such as the famous flying lizard(Draco) and the endangered monitor lizardoccur here. Endemic taxa of lizards suchas the large-scaled forest lizard (Calotesgarndisquamis) and the day geckoes(Cnemaspis) and the Anaimalai gecko(Dravidogekko anamallensis) andendemic genera of skinks such as catskinks (Ristella) and blue-tailed skinks(Kaestlea) are found here.

Several amphibian species are foundhere, with many genera of endemic frogssuch as the night frog (Nyctibatrachuspoocha), torrent frog (Micrixalus adonis)and the litter frogs (Indirana brachytarsus,Walkerana leptodactyla). The false-Malabar flying frog (Rhacophoruspseudomalabaraicus), the giant tree frog(Ghatixalus magnus) and the bus frogs(Raorchestes spp.) also occur here. Veryrecently, an endemic species named theyellow-eyed bush frog (Raorchestesflaviocularis) has been reportedexclusively in Meghamalai. Subterranean,


snake-like, caecilans like the Ichthophis,Uraeotyphlus and Gegeneophis alsooccur in this sanctuary.

Birds of this sanctuary include thefamous pied hornbill, the endemicMalabar hornbill, Malabar trogon,Malabar black woodpecker, Malabar treepie and blue-winged or Malabar parakeet.Many more colourful birds such asgreen pigeons, emerald dove, white eye,thrushes, robin, babblers, hill myna,black bulbuls, leaf birds (Chloropsis),fairy blue bird (Irena puella) and thevernal lorikeet (Loriculus vernalis) arefound here. Birds of prey include hawk-eagles, serpent eagles, kites and manykinds of owls, including the scops owl,fish owl and wood owls.

Conclusion

The recently declared MeghamalaiWildlife Sanctuary of the Tamil Nadu

Forest Department serves as animportant wildlife corridor andamalgamating buffer zone within theSouthern Western Ghats landscape. Itconnects Anaimalai-ParambikulamTiger Reserves to the north, Periyartiger reserve to the west, SrivilliputhurWildlife Sanctuary to the east and theAgasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve to thewest. The increasing human pressuresincluding tourism, construction of dams,monoculture plantations and roadnetworks to nearby well-visited pilgrimcentres such as Sabarimalai are puttingundue pressure on this fragile landscape.

Source

1. Tamil Nadu Forest Department2. Technical Reports of Salim Ali Centre

for Ornithology & Natural History(SACON)


The people around the world face a greatspectrum of environmental challengesin various forms every day. Be it in food,water, shelter, medicine and sustenance-the intensity of challenges grow day byday. The healthy and happy life hasbecome a dream for many. Somewherethe change process has to start in thecorners of every society. Education forsustainability was brought into foreby the Earth Summit in 1992. In thefollowing decade, the World Summiton Sustainable Development, 2002,reiterated the importance of educationand learning in further advancing thegoals of sustainable development.

Sustainability Education or Educationfor Sustainability gained greatermomentum with the UNESCO’s decade onEducation for Sustainable Development(2005-2014). Education for sustainabilitycut across the entire band of educationand levels. Both formal and non-formalprocesses are crucial to promote ‘changeprocesses for establishing sustainabilityin the society. Rethinking, relearning,re-skilling and reconnecting our ways ofapproach to natural resources andpatterns of life are necessary to findsustainable solutions to our presentenvironmental challenges.

David Orr (1994) asserts that moderneducation contributes to destabilizingnature; it may also produce ecologicallyilliterate citizens. He further argues thatif education in the twentieth century is

the problem, “It is not education, buteducation of a certain kind, that will saveus”. Thus education for sustainabilityshould aim for a “certain kind of education”.There are many approaches going onin promoting sustainability thinkingamong young people. Project basededucation or skill learning is one of it.Wipro earthian believes strongly inProject based sustainability educationwhich will give a “certain kind of education”as David Orr proposes. A case study ofsustainability education in south India ispresented here.

Wipro Earthian: Sustainability Educationin Schools

Wipro ‘earthian’ was started in 2011 tobuild awareness on sustainabilityissues among the young population ofthe country. The earthian programmetries to address the environmentalchallenges that humanity faces and tofind solutions to several sustainabilityissues like climate change, water scarcity,loss of biodiversity, etc. The programmeaims to build skills, attitudes and valuesto create a sustainable future.

The Aim

Wipro earthian strives to integratesustainability education into the schoolcurriculum to critically engage students

U.T. Arasu

Wipro-Earthian Sustainability EducationProgramme in Schools


in multiple skill based activities. It is todrive sustainability thinking and actionthrough the learning process. Empoweringteachers and learners to initiate changein their own contexts and environment isthe core purpose of the programme. Theprogramme is creative in promotingenvironmental thinking among schoolgoing children (Std. VII to XII) which isvery relevant to the curriculum.

CPREEC: Technical Program Partner inSustainability Education

CPREEC in collaboration with WIPRO –Earthian has taken up a SustainabilityEducation Programme in South India.The programme involves innovativeproject submissions on sustainability ofwater and biodiversity by groups ofstudents guided by a teacher.

WIPRO Earthian - CPREEC SustainabilityEducation Programme Objectives

❖ To promote sustainability thinkingand vision through systematicallydesigned group activities in addressingthe environmental challenges of ourcountry through thematic areas ofenvironment (biodiversity and water).

❖ To train teachers on the environmentalchallenges faced by the country and

to prepare them for finding solutionsthrough innovative thinking and byconnecting dots in the larger matrix.

❖ To train teachers and teacher guideson sustainability education based onthe Earthian Programme guidelinesand to bring out unique and innovativetheme based projects from groups ofchildren across south India.

❖ To promote environmental skilllearning among school going childrenof south India through group, peerand collaborative project learningmethodologies.

❖ To encourage school students to thinkinnovatively in addressing theenvironmental challenges throughsustainability models and projects.

The geographical spread of collaborativeventure between CPREEC and earthian

Nine south Indian states and UnionTerritories were reached through a jointsustainability initiative. Tamil Nadu,Puducherry, Karnataka, Kerala, AndhraPradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Goa andAndaman & Nicobar Islands are beingcovered under this programme by usingthe existing outreach network, manpowerand resource pool of CPREEC

State/UTs District/s Project Area

Tamil Nadu Chennai Chennai

Greater Chennai

Thiruvallur Thiruvallur

Karnataka Tumkur Tumkur

Hassan Hassan

Chitradurga Chitradurga


State/UTs District/s Project Area

Kerala Thiruvananthapuram Trivandrum

Palakkad Palakkad

Tamil Nadu Erode Erode

Nilgiris Ooty

Andhra Pradesh Guntur Amaravathi

Vishakapatnam Vishakapatnam

Telangana Ranga Reddy Hyderabad

Odisha Cuttack Cuttack

Ganjam Berhampur

Goa South Goa Panjim

North Goa Panjim

Puducherry Puducherry Puducherry

Cuddalore Cuddalore

Andaman & South Andaman Port Blair

Nicobar Islands Wimberlygunj Wimberlygunj

CPREEC with its network in Tamilnadu,Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,Telangana, Odisha, Puducherry, Goa andAndaman & Nicobar Islands has orientedschool teachers on earthian sustainabilityeducation programme by organizing20 exclusive workshops.

The Workshop for Teachers

The workshop for teachers aims atpromoting sustainability thinking andinitiate them to form groups of studentsin systematically carrying out designedgroup activities on water and biodiversityto address the environmental challengesof our country. A total number of944 schools and 1078 teachers werereached through 20 Earthian teacherorientation programmes in nine states/UTs.

The oriented school teachers formedproject groups with the thematic focus on

any one areas viz water or biodiversity,guided by earthian frame work in theirschool.

Supportive Resource Manuals

The earthian sustainability educationprogramme is supported by two thematicmanuals on biodiversity and water inEnglish. The manuals give a structuredapproach in carrying out sustainabilityactivities involving students. The Wiproearthian website has also the provisionfor downloading the soft version of themanuals along with enclosures.

Earthian Resource Manuals invernacular languages

The earthian resource manuals inEnglish on biodiversity and water weretranslated into Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu,Odia and Kannada by experienced science


translators in the respective regions andthe soft copies were circulated to theteachers, participants and schools throughthe CPREEC network. The trans-adaptation of thematic manuals are toencourage rural schools to participate inthe programme.

Student Conclaves

In addition to the school visits, follow-upand consultations, CPREEC has alsoorganized three student project conclavesin Goa, Erode and Thiruvananthapuramfor motivating the project groups ofdifferent schools. The student conclavewas a CPREEC’s exclusive initiativewhich has given direct experience to agroup of students from many schools.

Water Testing

CPREEC offered its monitoring laboratoryservices to the interested schools anddistributed free portable water testing kitsto a cluster of schools.

Regional Evaluation Committees

Competent regional evaluation committeesin nine States and Union Territoriesshort listed 91 project submissions andthe same were forwarded to the Wiproearthian national jury. The committeeconsists of environmentalists, activists,educationist and social workers.

The responses were generally good andproject submissions were received frommany of the participating schools. All theprojects submitted through CPREEC toWipro earthian received participationcertificates for the students and guide

teachers.

National earthian awards

The Wipro earthian national jury selectedthe 12 best project submissions asNational Winners for the year 2016-17from project submissions received fromall over India. The National level winnershave received rupees one lakh cash prizeeach and a unique opportunity toparticipate in a three years’ continuousengagement programme.

In the year 2016-17, among twelve nationalwinners, four schools from the CPREECnetwork in the states of Andaman &Nicobar Islands, Karnataka, Kerala andGoa have been awarded national levelprizes. The national winners from theCPREEC network are

❖ L‘ecole Chempaka International, SilverRocks, Edavacode, Sreekariyam,Thiruvananthapuram, KERALA

❖ Kamaraj English Medium School,Sr. Sec. School, Brookshabad, PortBlair, ANDAMAN &NICOBAR ISLANDS

❖ Sree Gurukul, SiddarameshwaraExtension, Batawadi, Tumakuru,KARNATAKA

❖ Mahalakshmi High School, Kudne,Sanquelim, GOA

Regional Recognition Events

Regional recognition events were organizedin all the CPREEC network states andUnion Territories to recognize and tohonour the sincere efforts of project teams.In total, twelve regional events wereorganized. All the project teams who havesubmitted their project reports were givenparticipation certificates and the regionalwinners were honoured with mementosand shawls.


Earthian Kit – A token of appreciation

The earthian kit forwarded by WIPRO wasdistributed to the participants in theregional events in order to directlyencourage them to participate further inthe programme.

Reference

1. www.glos.ac.uk2. www.wipro.org/earthian3. Davi.W.Orr., 1994. Earth in Mind-on

education, environment and humanprospect, Washington: Island press.


The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) canbe divided into seven jungle reservesviz; Mudumalai, Sathyamangalam andBandipur Tiger Reserves, Wayanad,Nagarhole and Silent Valley thatrepresents its ecological importancewhich helps to sustain the bio-diversityof the area.

The elevation of the NBR ranges from500 MSL to 2600 MSL. NBR is home toinnumerable endemic flora, fauna,including many avian species andindigenous tribal communities. ThoughNBR is home to a large species of birds,the bird diversity of the NBR is yet to beaddressed and classified scientifically.

The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) andBandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) are hostto around 350 bird species ranging fromlarge birds like vultures and small birdlike White-eye.

Commonly, warm-blooded birds areclassified under three categories such ascontour feathers or feathers coveringthe whole body. Secondly, down feathersare hidden by the contour feathers andthirdly, filo-plumes are covered by thecontour and down feathers. Thesecategories were classified by Salim Aliand Laeeq Futhehally (1967).

Role of Birds in Nature

Birds play an important role in nature,include supporting humankind directly

and indirectly. These can be classifiedinto three major categories. The first iscontrolling insects and vermin, thesecond is their role in pollination andthe third is the role of birds in seeddispersal. In addition to these, certainbirds like vultures, kits and crows playthe role of scavengers in maintainingthe cleanliness of the environment.

The increase in the population of insectsposes a threat to other living beings.Besides, the farming sector faces seriousthreats and loss in yield due to the pestmenace. The quantity of pesticides andinsecticides that are used to control pests,insects and vermin in the farm lands isproving to be detrimental for soil healthand environment. However, the naturalcontrol of insects, pests and vermin canbe done by avian in a more effectively.Birds also play an ecological role incontrolling the population of caterpillars,bugs and rodents. For example, sparrowsfeed on caterpillars and other soft bodiedinsects that in turn help to control theinsect population; house sparrows bringfood from 220 to 260 times per day(Austin, 1983).

Like bees and butterflies, birds play a vitalrole in cross pollination. This helps ingood yield of farm crops. Birds play a keyrole in seed dispersal and germination ofhealthy plants including many treespecies.

It is pertinent to note that during the dryseason in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR)

M. Kumaravelu

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) –Paradise of Birds


and Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR), theflowering tree species such as flame ofthe forest, Cassia fistula, Gulmohur etc.,support bird life in a commendable way.This ensures greater pollination anddispersal of healthy seeds to sustainjungle flora. It is proved that the seeds ofmany trees are consumed and passthrough the excreta of birds which will inturn germinate healthier seedlings.

Bird Watching

Bird watching is not that popular eventoday amongst nature lovers. The lack ofknowledge and interest in watchingbird is still a lacuna that needs to becorrected. While there is considerableinterest among the public on studiesabout big animals and tigers, it is imperativethat certain mechanisms be evolved toattract people towards birding to spurinterest among them and to help themgain knowledge on the geography,distribution, habits and behavior of

birds. This type of activity would go along way in understanding the role of birdsin nature. This will help in the conservationof birds and inculcate awareness amongthe public about their importance tomankind and their role in maintainingthe ecological equilibrium.

To begin with, steps may be taken toobserve common birds such as thesparrow, crow and myna and to enthusethe people, especially the youth, to showgreater interest in birding to take lessonson nature. Bird watching should alsoinvolve observing calls and sounds of theeach species and observing the type offlight classified as flopping, gliding andsoaring (style of flight). Observation ofnesting of birds will also help in a widerstudy of the behavior of each species.

Ideal season for Bird Watching

In MTR and BTR, the ideal season for birdwatching is between December and April,the winter migratory period of birds.Moreover, the above said reservesencompass dry and moist deciduousforest, and many trees shed their leavesduring this period with only seeds andfruits in the branches. Therefore, it isquite easy to observe the birds. A fewwinter loving trees like Cassia species,gulmohur, ficus, flame of the forests etc.,are flowering during December andApril which attract many birds to them.The climate advantage during thesemonths is good for documenting andphotography of the birds.

Conclusion

Birds are most affected by climate change,particularly micro climate change of eachregion. The breeding season and hatchinghabits are badly affected due to micro-climate change. The disappearance of


suitable habitats, particularly the growthof undesirable and invasive plant species,affect the birds. For example, due to thedisappearing of tall trees such rose wood,jamun species, champak species andthe hornbills find it difficult for nestingon the eastern slopes of the Nilgiris(Kumaravelu, 2016). Invasive specieslike wattle, eucalyptus, pine, etc., are notideal for the formation of a perfect birdhabitat. The use of pesticides in farmlands and use of veterinary analgesiclike Diclofinac have proved to be costlyfor bird life.

Spreading awareness of birds and theirhabitat would go a long way towards avian

conservation. Nature education shouldfocus more on bird conservation as this,in turn, will help to protect nature andnatural resources.

Reference

1. Salim Ali and Laeeq Futhehally, 1967,Common Birds, National Book Trust,India.

2. Salim Ali, 1979. The Book of IndianBirds, Bombay Natural History Society,Bombay.

3. Oliver L. Austin, JR, Families of Birds,Golden press, New York, 1983.

4. Kumaravelu M, Vulture, Eco News,July-Sep, 2016, Vol.21, No.2.


M. Amirthalingam

Karuppuswami – A Village Deity ofTamil Nadu

Abstract

In this article, I have dealt with animportant village deity of Tamil Nadu,Karuppuswamy. He is a most populardeity known by different names and isconsidered protector from evil spirits,ensures a good harvest and protectingthe native vegetation of the grove, bothculturally and ecologically.

Introduction

In India, dedicating groves to local deitiesis a common practice of pre-agricultural,hunting and gathering societies. Thesegroves safeguard many plant and animalspecies and also provide food and shelterfor myriads of birds and insects whichotherwise would have become extinct(Patnaik and Pandey, 1998). The deitiesprotecting the sacred groves vary fromstate to state. The deity may be maleor a female, animals and ancestors.Sacred groves have been traced frompre-agricultural, hunting and gatheringsocieties. At the dawn of religious thinking,deities were imagined by primitive societiesto reside in stones, trees, animals andwoods.

In Tamil Nadu, sacred groves are guardedby folk deities and spirits (vanadevathai)such as Aiyanar – the guardian deity;Sastha, Muniyappa, swami, Veeran are theKaaval teivam or protective deity, Andavaris believed to be a powerful wish-fulfilling

deity; the goddesses Selliyamman, Kali,Ellaikali, Ellaipidari, Pechiyamman,Rakkachiyamman and Nagadevadhai arethe deities of fertility and good health,and Sapta Kannis is the deity which isassociated with streams that is the sourceof water (Amirthalingam, 1998). There areover 490 deities associated with sacredgroves in Tamil Nadu alone. Of the 490deities, 300 male deities, 185 female deitiesand 5 are represented by hero stonesand stones.

In Tamil folklore, imaginative folktales(kathai) usually begin with the openingformula in a certain place like oru urile.This usually bears reference to thenarrative world of fiction (Blackburn 2001).Unlike folktales, true stories about thedeities can be linked to their immediatephysical and social surroundings thatstrike a chord both with the narrators aswell as the audience. These narrativescan be linked to the analytical term“legend” used in folkloristic to mean a“traditional intermittent, highly ecological,restricted, historical rendering of pastevents told as believable in aconversational mode” (Tangherlini 2007).

Karuppuswami, one of the popular villagedeities of Tamil Nadu, is always depictedwith a sickle and turned up moustache.The name literally means a black god. Heis also known by several other namessuch as Karuppannaswami, ChangiliKaruppu, Chandana Karuppu, ChappaniKaruppu, Karuppaiyah, Kalani karuppu,


Karumbayiram Kondavar, KarungalMudimalaiaandi, Karuppanar, Karuppanna-samy, Kottai Karuppusami, MalaiyalaKaruppu, Nondikaruppu, OdakkaraiKaruppu, Padhakaruppu, Padhinettam-padi Karuppusami, Periya OoraandiKaruppar, Periyakaruppuswami, Samayakaruppu, Sangili Karuppu, Settumalaikaruppu, Sonai Karuppuswami,Srivalakkattu Karuppaswami, UchimalaiKaruppu, Vandikara Karuppuswami,Vaigai Karuppu and so on (Amirthalingam,2012).

He is also reputed to be a short temperedgod. There is a story connecting thisGod with Rama. It is said that Rama, afterreturning from the forests started rulingAyodhya. One day, Rama visited the cityand overheard a washerman criticizinghim for having taken back Sita aftershe had lived in Sri Lanka. Accordingly,Rama banished Sita to the forests. Sitatook refuge in the hermitage of SageValmiki, where she gave birth to a soncalled Lava. One day, Sita entrusted thebaby Lava to sage Valmiki and went totake bath in the river. Meanwhile, thesage was in meditation. Hence he did notrealize that Sita had taken back thebaby after returning from the river.Thinking that Sita would be angered, thesage created a new baby from grass. Fromthis time onwards, Sita began to considerthe new baby, Kusa, as her own. After theAswamedha Yaga, when the children werereunited with Rama, Rama wanted to findout who was his real child. Hence he putthem to a test. He asked both the childrento cross a fire. As soon as Kusa tried tocross the fire, his whole body turned jetblack. As a result of this test, Rama madeKusa the security chief of his palace andgave him the name Karuppu. He alsoconferred several boons on him.

People believe that the original temple ofKarupannachami is situated in front of

Azhagar koil in Madurai. All other templeswere established after taking mud fromhere. People affected by black magicconsider him as their only protection.Goats and sheep are given in sacrifice tohim. He is seen as a security God in a verylarge number of village God temples inTamil Nadu. The famous Sabari Malatemple also has a Karuppuswami guardingit. Most of the Karuppannachami idols areaccompanied by his hunting dog and hissteed which is a lion or a horse. The peoplewho follow tantric worship consider himas their greatest God.

One such Karuppuswami is VaigaiKaruppu situatated in Kandanur village,Karaikudi taluk in Sivaganga district. Inthis article, I have made an attempt toexplore the role of the deity in protectingthe grove both culturally and ecologically.

It is interesting to note as to why thesacred groves are offered to the localfolk deities. This is because these deitiesare associated with the local people’ssocio-religious and socio-cultural lifeand thus these groves are protectedwith fear and faith. There is a commonlyheld belief that removal of any dead wood,felling of trees or killing of any animalwill incur the anger of the presidingdeity of the grove. Therefore people areloath to remove even a dry twig fromthe grove as they believe that this willresult in the spread of disease and thefailure of agricultural crops (Swamy, et.al.,1996). Therefore, many people will noteven take dead wood out of sacredgroves. Folklore plays an important rolein conservation of sacred groves. Not onlythe tribal people, the rural people alsopreserve the sacred groves by theirtraditional customs, rituals, ceremoniesand folk-beliefs.

Ecologically, the sacred groves play animportant role in the conservation of


species diversity. The vegetation type ofthe district comprises of moderatelydense and open forest types. VaigaiKarupppu grove comprises of about143 plant species belonging to 58families and 129 genera. The dominantgenera of this grove is Justicia,Acacia, Albizia, Barleria, Bauhinia,Cardiospermum, Hibiscus, Indigofera,Jatropha, Ficus, Phyllanthes andSyzigium which represented about10% of the flora. The threatenedmedicinal plants recorded from thestudy area include Aegle marmelos,Strychnos potatorum and Madhucalongifolia. The presence of the shrubbyplant, Calamus rotang, an endemicspecies restricted to southern Indiawas found in this grove.

Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) is thekeystone species and offerings aremade to a particular tree in the form of(like twining, hung girdles, cloths withsome objects. Besides the banyan, otherplants are also considered to be sacredand it is called a culturally keystonespecies. Peacocks are found to beroaming around the grove. Keystonespecies play an important role inbiodiversity conservation mainly due to keyfunctions that they perform in anecosystem. These are socially andculturally valued and are useful inmanaging ecosystems and maintainingbiodiversity. This is applicable both tonatural and man-made ecosystemsthrough prudent rehabilitation strategiesalong with peoples’ participation (Jayapal,et. al., 2014).

They are also home to indigenous floraand fauna which contain someendangered, rare and threatened andindigenous medicinal plant species. Soilfertility is maintained by the decompositionof the leaves, wood, twigs and thus theymaintain the nutrient cycle. Sacred groves

control soil erosion and surface waterrunoff and thus help in retention ofsubsoil water and in recharging theground water level. They also serve as aseed source through dispersal by birdsfor the ecological restoration of degradedlandscapes. Sacred groves are the lastremnants of native vegetation and it isthe deities of the sacred groves that areprotecting them for future generations.

Conclusion

Karuppuswami is one of the populardeities worshipped by the people inTamil Nadu. The name literally denotes‘the black god’. The deity is called by manynames in the villages of Tamil Nadu. Thehistory of this deity goes back to theRamayana period. People affected byblack magic often pray to him for relief.He is also the object of devotion in tantricrituals. Ecologically, the sacred grovesare playing an important role in theconservation of species diversity.

References

1. Patnaik, S., and Pandey, A, 1998.‘A study of Indigenous communitybased forest management system:Sarna (Sacred Grove)’, in P.S.Ramakrishnan, Saxena, K.G. andU.M. Chandrashekara, (ed) ConservingThe Sacred: For BiodiversityManagement, Pp 315-321, Oxford &IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd.,New Delhi.

2. Amirthalingam, M., 2012. Sacredgroves of Tamil Nadu and theirmanagement, Forestry ExtensionDivision, Department of Forest,Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai.


3. Amirthalingam, M., 1998. ‘Sacred

Groves of Tamilnadu – A Survey’,

C.P.R.Environmental Education

Centre, Chennai.

4. Swamy, P.S., Kumar, M. and

Sundapandian, S.M., 2003. ‘Spirituality

and ecology of sacred groves in Tamil

Nadu, India’, UNASYLVA-FAO, pp. 53-

55, UN Food and Agriculture

Organization.

5. Blackburn, S., 2001. ‘Moral Fictions:

Tamil Folktales from Oral Tradition’,

FF Communications no. 278, Helsinki:Academia Scientiarum Fennica.

6. Tangherlini, T., 2007. ‘Rhetoric, truthand performance: Politics and theinterpretation of legend’, IndianFolklife: A Quarterly Newsletter fromNational Folklore Support Centre:Serial no. 25. January, 8–12.

7. Jayapal, J., Tangavelou, A C.andPanneerselvam A., 2014. Studies onthe Plant diversity of MuniandavarSacred Groves of Thiruvaiyaru,Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India,Hygeia.J.D.Med, 6(1):48-62.

Google map of Vaigai Karuppu grove, Kandanur,

Karaikudi taluk, Sivagangai district


Vaigai Karuppu sacred grove, Kandanur,

Karaikudi taluk, Sivagangai district

Karupannaswami, Nakkambodi village,

Sendurai Taluk, Ariyalur District.


P.Sudhakar

Food as Medicine

”Let food be thy medicine andmedicine be thy food”

- Hippocrates

We eat to live and not live to eat. Eatinghabits differ among individuals and variesin countries, states, districts, etc. Eachindividual follows different eatingpatterns and consumed different fooditems. In many parts of the world, peoplestill starve to death. We come acrossphotographs of small children grazingat food items and restaurants. Manyfeeding mothers try to eat whateverthey could to feed their infants. Somepeople fighting among themselves toshare the food provided to them inrefugee camps.

It is a general conception that foodshould be taken as medicine. Ayurvedaand traditional Chinese medicine havebeen stressing to follow a strict dietto keep oneself healthy and preventdiseases.

At present, the health conditions ofthe people are directly linked with theirdiet and eating pattern. Most of themodern food available is with lessnutrients and more toxic. With aging,our appetite diminishes and we consumefewer calories. According to a studyconducted by John Hopkins University,it is estimated that 80% of cancerpatients are malnourished. Heartdiseases, diabetes, auto immunedisorders like arthritis occur due toone’s dietary habits.

In order to keep diseases at bay, listedbelow are the list of medicinal foods bestsuited for one’s health.

1. Fresh and green vegetables

Green vegetables are a rich source ofVitamin C and vitamin K, magnesium,potassium, iodine and fibre and areless in calories. Anti-oxidants andphyto-nutrients restores the body’scorrect pH, reduces hunger anddetoxifies the blood. Vegetables alkalizeour body and prevent the occurrence ofosteoporosis and reduce aging as thecells remain fresh.

2. Probiotic Foods

Probiotic food like yoghurt help indigestion, immunization and generalhealth as indigestion leads to thyroidimbalances, fatigue, joint pains, psoriasis,autism and food allergies. Probiotic foodalso helps good bacteria and othermicrobes in the digestive system toreplenish.

3. Omega-3 Foods

Omega-3 fats are natural anti-inflammatories that help counteractthe effects of pro-inflammatory omega-6fats which are high in present-daydiet consumption. Diet with good fats


helps in controlling inflammation, cognitivehealth, hormone production, preventscancer and weight loss. Walnuts,flaxseeds, fishes like salmon, tuna andmackerel are a good source of Omega-3fats.

4. Healthy Fats

Healthy fats like avocado, butter, ghee,coconut oil and olive oil lower badcholesterol and helps in weight reduction.Coronary heart diseases and cardiovascular diseases can be prevented. It alsohelps in maintaining hair and nails.

5. High-Antioxidant Foods

Bright coloured vegetables like beetroot,carrot and leafy greens berries are thebest source of antioxidants which helpsin delaying the aging process.

6. High Fibre Foods

Most of the people lack in dietary fibresthat help in bowel movement. Fibre richfoods reduce cholesterol and triglyceridesand regulate blood sugar. It alsostrengthens the colon wall and helps ingrowth of probiotic bacteria and influencesimmunity. Rich fibre diets are leafy greens,broccoli, avocado, coconut, starchyvegetables like tapioca, sweet potato,berries, nuts, seeds, sprouted legumesand small millets.

Conclusion

The genes vary from one person toanother and react to certain foods. Eventhough a person follows a perfect diet,still they develop an illness. If a person

practices eating a nutrient rich diet, he/she can cope up and overcome an illness.

Reference

1. Sears, Barry, and Camillo Ricordi.“Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition as aPharmacological Approach to TreatObesity.” Journal of Obesity 2011(2011): 431985. PMC. Web. 2 May2017.

2. Schwalfenberg, Gerry K. “The AlkalineDiet: Is There Evidence That anAlkaline pH Diet BenefitsHealth?” Journal of Environmentaland Public Health 2012 (2012):727630. PMC. Web. 2 May 2017.

3. Asif, Mohammad. “The Prevention andControl the Type-2 Diabetes byChanging Lifestyle and DietaryPattern.” Journal of Education andHealth Promotion 3 (2014): 1. PMC.Web. 2 May 2017.

4. Reid, Gregor et al. “Potential Uses ofProbiotics in Clinical Practice.” ClinicalMicrobiology Reviews 16.4 (2003):658–672. PMC. Web. 2 May 2017.

5. Simopoulos AP. “Omega-3 fatty acidsin inflammation and autoimmunediseases.” J Am Coll Nutr. 2002 Dec;21(6):495-505. Review. 2010 AmericanSociety for Nutrition

6. Siri-Tarino, Patty W., et al. “Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studiesevaluating the association of saturatedfat with cardiovascular disease.” The American Journal of ClinicalNutrition (2010): ajcn-27725.

7. http://ghs.ucdavis.edu/


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