Change in Range

Oct 10, 20216 min read

Celebrating Himalayas

Updated: Oct 13, 2021

The Himalayas are a mountain range in South and East Asia that runs in an arc from west-northwest to east-southeast. It spans around 1,550 miles (2,500 km), This region is home to more than 50 million people, moreover an estimated 2 billion people are dependent on Himalayan glaciers' water for various purposes. Residents of Himalayas have their own remarkable cultures, and this place has a huge religious significance. The Himalayas are also a biodiversity hotspot. In recent years it has also become a popular tourist spot. Although tourism does bring various economic and business opportunities, it also has adverse effects on the environment.

There are 32,392 glaciers in the Himalayas which form part of complex geographic and climate systems. Approximately 75% of the world’s freshwater is stored in glacier ice which is a source for drinking water, power generation and agriculture purposes. The Indus, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra Rivers, all originate from glaciers.New studies have revealed that the glaciers in the Himalayas are melting at an alarming rate which can cause disastrous consequences including increase in floods, low agricultural yields and changes in energy production.

Himalayan glaciers have lost billions of tons of ice between 2000 and 2016, which is twice the amount lost between 1975 and 2000. The culprits for the same are global warming due to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutants from unclean energy sources. One study showed that if CO2 emissions are not cut drastically, around two-thirds of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) region glaciers could vanish.

The only real solution is to cease further global warming that includes climate change solutions which mainly focus on reducing carbon footprint. We can take steps to reduce emissions, governments and corporations need to make far-reaching changes in policies.

Reference: FutureLearn

September 9 has been officially declared as the ‘Himalaya Diwas’ – a day which is celebrated across Uttarakhand to spread the message of conservation of the Himalayan ecosystems. In the light of the same, MH Vatavaran - The Environment Society of Miranda House invited Miranda House students and faculty members to contribute entries and information in the form of poems, articles, experience, artwork, snaps, videos, etc. to celebrate the beauty and importance of Himalayas.

Poems

विलखता हिमालय सुन हिमालय पुकार रहा रोको जरा मानव कदम बिखरे मेरे विशाल पटल मन रो रहा सानिध्य को ।। कल-कल झरनों का मधुर संगीत आज रूप लिए है अश्कों का ढलती मेरी काया-कल्प आज मौत लिए प्रांगण का ।। नव यंत्र-तंत्र की परिभाषा तुम मानव ही समझते हो मैं तो सुनता कैलाश गर्जन जो दे रहा संकेत विचलन ।। " मेरी जननी की हिम किरीट " कह बदनाम किया इन सालों में पूछो टूटती भुजाओं से मेरे क्यों प्रहरी बन खड़ी थी वो ।। तुम्हारी बदली महत्वाकांक्षाओं ने छिन्न-भिन्न किया है मेरे चित को पर भूल न जाना स्पृहा में जननी नहीं तनय हो तुम ।। डरो मनु रुको यहीं सुनो इन फटते बादलों को जो दे रहा संदेश निरंतर सम्भालों अपनी जननी को सम्भालों अपनी अवनि को ।। डॉ. दीपाली वनस्पति विज्ञान विभाग

हिमालय

हिमालय

तुमसे कोई रिश्ता तो जरूर है

जानती हूँ तुम पर्वत हो

विशालकाय हो

और मैं एक इंसान

शायद तुमसे बहुत छोटी

पर अगर कोई रिश्ता नही होता तो तुम ही

क्यों होते हमारी रक्षा के लिए

क्यों तुम हमें अपनी नदियों से यूँ हीं जल लेने देते

कुछ तो है जो हमारी लाखो गलतियों

कि सजा तुम भुगत रहे हो

क्या रिश्ता है ये समझना मुश्किल है

पर कोई रिश्ता तो जरूर है

तभी तो तुम चेतावनी देते हो

की हम बंद कर दे प्लास्टिक को तुम्हारी गोद मे फेकना

और रोक दे तुम्हारे यौवन को नष्ट करके बाँध बनाना

पर अफसोस हम कहा समझ पाते है

तुम्हारी चेतावनियों को

फिर से उसी गलती को दोहराते है

आपनी गलतियो को छुपाने के लिए हम उन

चेतावनियों को प्रकृतिक आपदाओं के नाम से बुलाते हैं

तुम्हारे अस्तित्व को पिघला रहे हैं

तुम्हारे शरीर को तोड़कर सड़के बना रहे हैं

और खुद को बहुत विकसित बता रहे हैं

पर ये नहीं समझ पा रहे की ऐसा करके

खुद को ही आफत मे डाल रहे हैं

क्योंकि कोई रिश्ता तो जरूर है

जो तुम्हारे अस्तित्व को हमारे अस्तित्व से जोड़ता है......

बादल तिवारी

Mountains and the Memories

Those mesmerizing hills wrapped with the snow-white sheets, Me and my family adoring the food , fronting the furnace's heat .... The fresh blowing wind was whispering in my ears, Reciting the beauty of the place ,yet many of my memories to peer .... Those mountains are the hub of the wonderful peace, I wish I could accommodate the glorious place on lease ...... How could I forget the experience of skiing, Those mountains are in my memories ,still they are dreeing ........ Pinnacle of the mountain is inspiring to rise high, Still living in nostalgia with blossoms, passerines ,and of course, the pleasing sky ...... Recollecting the memories I like, dreams come alive, enduring the mountains again , is all I strive ...... Divya

Mountains Masters

Looking through the beauty that clutches the heart Mountains snare the withering apart The light of glory that imprints the shallow rocks There rests the shivering folks In the The top of the hills the birds fly Praises the glory the way high Walking through the distilled hill The cold wind outlets Nil My pale face redeems the explicate effects of greedy humans beneath The snow that sniffers the crowd beneath The mount of hills that touches the heaven Of the glory, of the beings, of the humans, of the mountains Still sparks the mere power of the king that rules the heaven, the mountains.

Pooja Gireesh

I WONDER…

Sitting in the lap of the Eastern ghats,

I wonder, How the Himalayas would be…

‘Coz, for all the stories, I heard,

both historical and mythological,

they behold in their womb,

the mystical and most profound experience,

one could ever have!

I wonder, what the difference is,

as these evergreen hills, never

enjoyed the same significance?

And why the creation chose to manifest itself, there?

Maybe ‘cause its brazen and cold,

or maybe its high and huge.

But I have to admit,

the sense of fulfilment exploding in me,

just by imagining it…!

Why didn’t I feel this with ‘my’ hills?

I wonder, the beauty of ours is no less.

With flowers of all kinds,

trees—tall and small,

birds cooing and snakes hissing,

fresh water rushing out of the stones,

whose origin, found nowhere.

Then why, I wonder,

those barren slopes,

with neither leaf nor life,

Having their permanent stay,

find such significance?

Maybe, this absence of humans

Is what makes it pristine…Maybe…

Sitting miles away,

I wonder…

to the Himalayas, I wish, I go someday…

I wish I go someday!

Jnanita Asapu

Articles

The Poet in the Abode of Snow - Dr. Bani Roy (View article)
Beauty of Mountains - Anshika (View article)
A Trip to Maa Vaishno Devi - Kajal (View article)
Beauty of Mountains - Deepika (View article)
Nainital: A Memorable Journey (View article)
Travel Memory of Bir Billing - Badal Tiwari (View article)
My Trip to Hill Station - Nisha Priya (View article)
A MYSTICAL TRIP TO MANALI - Apeksha Jain (View article)

Artwork

The Himadri (Himalaya) depicting the story of destruction of the Himalaya in current situation through Madhubani Art, a folk art of Madhubani district of Bihar. The traditional artisans use this art to depict story of the Ramayana and Shri Krishna’s raasleela of the Hindu mythology. With time there are many changes in its story and depiction. Now professional artisans are depicting any story by using this folk art. The presented piece of art explaining the Kailashpati (god Shiva) doing Tandav. The Shiva, a Supreme Lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe. The closed eyes of Shiva projects peace and opening of third eye is a symbol of destruction of universe. The myth is that, when God Shiva gets angry his third eye opens and then destruction of universe starts. By maintaining his beloved home “the Himalyaya” we make Shiva calm. But by disturbing the flora and fauna of the great Himalaya, the home of Shiva, we ultimately make him angry. Consequence is the ugra roop of Shiva resulting in destruction of nature in the form of land sliding, cloud burst, flooding etc., vanishing all creatures. The painting also depicts Ganga, mythologically originated from top knot of the god Shiva is also feeling unstable and unable to give shelter for various lives residing with it. The trees saved by Chipko movement now fighting itself for their existence. The deer and peacock are beautiful charming animals and symbol of love, saying we should love the Himalaya and maintain the beauty of it.

Dr. Deepali Department of Botany

Aayushi Sahay

Aditi Singh

Art, Crafts and Architecture in Himalayas

(View information)

Snaps and Videos

Hues of the Hills: Birds of North Bengal - Ritika Mukherji

Once flush with dense forests with the echoing euphony of chirping birds, the Himalayas of North Bengal is no longer the glorious bird haven it used to be. Clearing forests for transportation infrastructure, urbanisation, and rising human population has led to indiscriminate habitat fragmentation and a rapid rise in air and noise pollution. Fatal accidents of elephants and monkeys on railway tracks running through forests is now commonplace.

Dividing the habitats of animals into smaller areas greatly impacts their reproductive success and genetic diversity as a consequence. Some migratory bird species are unable to survive in small areas, and therefore suffer a lot. Increasing human population and urbanisation also leads to changing plant diversity in these hills that further deleteriously alters animal habitats, especially those of birds. Avian behaviour and intra-species interaction is also affected by the surroundings of the birds. This video is an effort to showcase the beauty of the Himalayas and its inhabitants, and to urge the public to unite in preserving this gem.

Ritika Mukherji