Chilika Lake: Odisha

Context: The Odisha government has proposed to ban movement of mechanised fishing boats in the Mangalajodi area of the Chilika lake, an important haunt of migratory birds, to provide the winged guests an undisturbed ecosystem for six months every year.

  • Largest brackish water lake and wintering ground of the birds in the Indian subcontinent.
  • Asia's largest and world's second largest lagoon.
  • In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
  • Major attraction at Chilika is Irrawaddy dolphins which are often spotted off Satapada Island.
  • The large Nalabana Island (Forest of Reeds) covering about 16 sq km in the lagoon area was declared a bird sanctuary in 1987.
  • Kalijai Temple - Located on an island in the Chilika Lake.
  • Chilika lake hosts birds migrating from thousands of miles away from the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea, remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia, Central and South East Asia, Ladakh and the Himalayas.
  • The birds find the vast mud-field and abundant fish stock here suitable to congregate

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mandsaur Inscription of Kumaragupta

Mandsaur Inscription of Kumaragupta It was written by  Vatsabhatta   during the period of   Kumaragupta (5th century). The starting of the inscription praises the sun god and asks for his blessings. The Mandsaur inscription refers to Kumara Gupta 'reginging over the whole earth' ( kumaragupte prithvim prasasti ). It mentions about many silk weavers migrating from Lata (Gujarat) to Dasapura. Some took up other occupations, while those who kept to their original craft formed a guild. Tantuvaya   was the name given to the guild mentioned in Kumargupta's Mandsore inscription. During his reign, the guild of silk-weavers built a temple   dedicated to Surya in Dashapura  
Read more

Later Vedic Period

Sources of Information: Sam Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda . Other sources : Brahmanas - The Detailed commentaries/ explanations on the Vedas. Aranyakas (forest books)- Explains metaphysics & symbolism of sacrifice. Upanishads or books on philosophy or deeper knowledge about ‘aatma’, ‘brahma’ etc. They are antiritualistic. Geographical Expansion Aryans became generally familiar with the major portion of the Gangetic valley where they gradually settled. Western Ganga-Valley was called ‘ Aryavarta’ Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean , Several Himalayan peaks and Vindhya mountains (indirectly) are mentioned. Society Visible 4-fold varna system and appearance of several ‘ jaatis’ or castes made the social system complex . Untouchability appeared; women’s position degraded as they no longer got formal education. Gotra was the place where cattle resided together with ‘janas’ and later developed into an identity for the ‘janas’. Nishad , Ch...
Read more

Sadiya Serpent Pillar (Assam)

Sadiya Serpent pillar, is an ancient octagonal stone pillar that was erected in the region of historical Sadiya in Assam . The stone pillar contains one of the earliest Ahom inscription founded to date inscribed in it, dated to 1532. The inscription dates to the reign of Suhungmung Dihingia Raja (1497–1539 ). Ahoms who captured Sadiya in 1532 and entered into a treaty with the local Mishmi tribe , the terms of the treaty were inscribed on an eleven feet high stone pillar, constructed in a design of a huge serpent encircling it from bottom to top. The epigraph consisting 9 and a half lines on the pillar is a proclamation issued by Phrasenmung Borgohain (Ahom governor of Sadiya) asking the Mishimis to pay annual tribute in certain articles and to dwell on one side of the Dibang River.
Read more