The Southern Grey
Shrike (Lanius meridionalis) is generally found towards the western
part of the country, stretching to gangetic plain till Bihar and western part
of Maharashtra. I saw this one on the outskirts of Sambhar lake. I quote here these
compelling lines by M Krishnan (from Birds
and Birdsong)... “I watch him narrowly though with a pretence of
indifference, for he interests me. He is a pale, clear grey, with a murderous
looking hooked bill, black mustachios, a big black cheek stripe and black and
white wings and tail. His square, top heavy build is balanced by the length of
his tail, and he has a ruthless, efficient look. The lesser shrikes live amidst
cultivation and greenery, by themselves no doubt, but tolerating neighbours. The
Grey Shrike scorns company, and retires to some patch of desolate thorn where
he can be alone. He sits upright and still, and wears an air of unconcern. At times
he fluffs his plumage and humps his back and seems to go on sleep –but no bird
is more awake. Something stirs in the brown grass twenty yards away and he
pounces down to the earth, to return to his perch with prey securely clutched
in his claws. He hold it down with his feet and batters it with his great,
hooked bill, and then he eats, not greedily as other birds do, but bit by bit…Shrike
will eat anything and everything they can catch and conquer. They have the
habit of impaling their surplus catch on thorns -against the lean time…”
Society
to Save Rocks
I was in Hyderabad, and
was flipping around to find something interesting to explore. I came across a
note 
on walks conducted by a group called the Society to Save Rocks. I really was quite intrigued by this one. After
spending precious few hours I was able to locate their office in Jubilee hills
(except Bangalore or Mysore no other city in India probably has proper system
of lanes and houses numbers, they are always haphazard. Finding an address,
like most things in this part of the world, falls in the realm of providence).
I was very soon facing Frauke Quader, the ‘Rock Woman’ of Hyderabad, originally
from Germany she settled in Hyderabad in early 1970s. She is also the founder
member and secretary of Society to Save
Rocks. Next half an hour or so I was engrossed in her world of rocks!!
on walks conducted by a group called the Society to Save Rocks. I really was quite intrigued by this one. After
spending precious few hours I was able to locate their office in Jubilee hills
(except Bangalore or Mysore no other city in India probably has proper system
of lanes and houses numbers, they are always haphazard. Finding an address,
like most things in this part of the world, falls in the realm of providence).
I was very soon facing Frauke Quader, the ‘Rock Woman’ of Hyderabad, originally
from Germany she settled in Hyderabad in early 1970s. She is also the founder
member and secretary of Society to Save
Rocks. Next half an hour or so I was engrossed in her world of rocks!!
Society
to Save Rocks is a first of its kind NGO which was set up in 1996 by
concerned citizens and rock lovers of Hyderabad, since then has expanded to
include many other citizens, from students to housewives to businessmen and
bureaucrats it has about 300 members now. The society aims to promote the cause
of protection and preservation of rocks, and emphasis the crucial role rocks
play in protecting our delicate ecology. Besides conducting awareness programs
and regular walks, rock painting exhibitions, cultural shows and concerts, the
society advocates the integration of rock formation into the architecture.
Consequently many corporate houses, hotels and bungalows have made rocks part
of their interiors. Because of the initiatives by Society to Save Rocks Andhra Pradesh is the only state in the
country where rocks are under government protection as natural heritage, under
this 26 rock sites have been notified. Also the Municipal Corporation have
coordinated with the Tourism department to develop rock gardens in the city. People
are being sensitised about this unique heritage and you could see many homes in
the twin city, instead of dynamiting the rocks, are painstakingly chalking out
plans to incorporate rocks into their homes. It is not very uncommon to see
houses with boulders inside, as also in the parks and gardens. The society has
also given individual identity to several rock formations by naming them after
the things they resemble, like for instance, Mushroom rock, Elephant rock,
Mother-child rock, Giant Laddoo rock
so on. Religious structures like temples, mosques, tanks, monuments etc. have
been saviour in many cases as people avoid destroying rocks around them.
Consequently many corporate houses, hotels and bungalows have made rocks part
of their interiors. Because of the initiatives by Society to Save Rocks Andhra Pradesh is the only state in the
country where rocks are under government protection as natural heritage, under
this 26 rock sites have been notified. Also the Municipal Corporation have
coordinated with the Tourism department to develop rock gardens in the city. People
are being sensitised about this unique heritage and you could see many homes in
the twin city, instead of dynamiting the rocks, are painstakingly chalking out
plans to incorporate rocks into their homes. It is not very uncommon to see
houses with boulders inside, as also in the parks and gardens. The society has
also given individual identity to several rock formations by naming them after
the things they resemble, like for instance, Mushroom rock, Elephant rock,
Mother-child rock, Giant Laddoo rock
so on. Religious structures like temples, mosques, tanks, monuments etc. have
been saviour in many cases as people avoid destroying rocks around them.
Despite these efforts
and initiatives rock sites continues to be degraded and systematically destroyed
by realtors, contractors and rock cutters. Economic boom and urbanisation saw
destruction of many rock formations in and around Hyderabad to give way to high
rises. Many of the finest rock formations have been flattened; many hills are
disappearing that includes the Banjara and Jubilee. It is estimated that only
about 5% rock formations are left in Hyderabad city. But despite all these the city can be proud
for being the only city in the country where rocks are protected as natural
heritage.
The granite rocks in
the deccan region are among the oldest in the world and came into existence
about 2500 million years ago, these were originally molten magma pushed from
the centre of the earth upward into the crust where they slowly solidified and
with millions of years of weathering have acquired the shape that we see now. These
metamorphosed rock formations that in their myriad forms and contours lend an
awesome natural beauty to the surrounding cannot be recreated and once they are
lost, these silent sentinels of passage of time are lost forever. Apart from
loss of aesthetic value, if these boulders are destroyed, the terrain would
become flat, in the absence of these rocks, that acts a natural channel for
ground water, the rain water would just run off. Rocks do not just represent
themselves but also have a unique ecosystem, with its flora, fauna and
microorganism that is dependent on it. A study done by the Society found 90
species of birds breeding in one of the rock sites and adjacent areas.
awesome natural beauty to the surrounding cannot be recreated and once they are
lost, these silent sentinels of passage of time are lost forever. Apart from
loss of aesthetic value, if these boulders are destroyed, the terrain would
become flat, in the absence of these rocks, that acts a natural channel for
ground water, the rain water would just run off. Rocks do not just represent
themselves but also have a unique ecosystem, with its flora, fauna and
microorganism that is dependent on it. A study done by the Society found 90
species of birds breeding in one of the rock sites and adjacent areas.
I was reading a book Rockscape of Andhra Pradesh (by Narendra
Luthra) that the Tourism department of AP has brought out in collaboration with
Society to Save Rocks. In 1933 when Rabindranath Tagore came to Hyderabad and happen to stay at Rock
house (of Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jung) in Jubilee hills “he was so fascinated by the
place that he said if he didn’t have his Shanti Niketan to care for, he would
have liked to settle down here.” He was even inspired to write a poem titled ‘Kohsar’ on the rocks. The translation…
From the distance thou
didst appear
Barricaded in rocky
aloofness
Timidly I crossed the
rugged path
To find here all of a
sudden
An open invitation in
the sky
And friend’s embrace in
the air.
In an unknown land the
voice that
Seemed ever known
Revealed to me a
shelter of loving intimacy.
Even
when Gunter Grass visited Hyderabad he preferred to see these prehistoric
rocks than manmade structures like Golconda fort or Charminar.
I
wasn’t in Hyderabad for too long to explore the rocks but yes some places where
there are some wonderful rocks that comes to mind is Mahabalipuram (the picture
herein I took sometime back), Ramanagara (on the outskirts of Bangalore, famous
for Sholay movie) as also Hampi.
From
my scribble pad…
Prehistoric
rock paintings
Rudimentary weapons
the intent sharp as the charcoal
dark
red ochre adds the macabre.
TV channels replicate the scenes
Streets, gallows and homes
cruel, brutal and the horrid
debate for explanations
that the prehistoric didn’t seem
necessary.
The dead still jerk for the last
breath
Reasons to kill very much the same.
Clouds unconcerned as much as every
creature
on earth and expanding universe
to the plight of profits and losses
and recipe of appam stew.
