ISSN 2319-4361 (Indexed in Google Scholar) Volume 3 | Issue 3 | August - October 2014 Editorial Satish Pande Kiran Ghadge © Male White-bellied Minivet he low populations of Gyps vultures remain a cause forest departments with the participation of the local Tof concern. There is some evidence that the declining people and NGO’s. Many breeding sites of cliff nesting trend has now stabilized. To effectively promote vulture and tree nesting Gyps species are in private ownership conservation all present vulture breeding sites need to plots. The involvement of local communities is the be identifi ed urgently. These sites can then be prioritized pivot of vulture conservation. for protection and future conservation. Problems that Continued monitoring of such sites is possible such breeding sites may be facing can be identifi ed and with the active enthusiastic participation of sensitized appropriate measures can be taken by the respective local youth. Monitoring includes gathering data on Ela Journal / www.elafoundation.org / Vol. 3 Issue 3 / August - October 2014 | 1 EDITORIAL commencement of breeding, number of breeding pairs, activities are threatening natural habitats on an occupation of nests, incubation and hatching, food unprecedented scale. Small habitat pockets are the last availability, threats to nestlings, protection of nest trees resorts of several species. There are several other avian and provisioning of carcasses for feeding in case of species about which ornithological data on aspects food shortage. such as habitat preference, feeding and breeding Provisioning of food at vulture restaurants in the form ecology, population recruitment success and threats of dead and diclofenac-free carcasses can be done at the is not available. Studies to gather such vital data are local level. The government machinery, particularly the important for effective conservation of species. forest department, is quite understaffed and they depend The key to safeguarding species for future lies in on local feedbacks for the availability of fresh carcass. getting scientifi c data and imparting education to our The problem of handling and the cost of transport of rural folk by ‘Rural Outreach Biodiversity Conservation carcasses can be jointly solved by local people and Workshops’. Ela Foundation has already completed forest offi cials, provided the economic burden is borne rural outreach programs in the towns of Jejuri, Baramati, by the forest department. The handling of putrefying Yadavwadi, with more than 100 participants each, and carcasses is a demanding task, and I have personal at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, with 250 participants, experience of the suffocating odor and the diffi culty in from surrounding 20 or more villages in each region. lifting dead animals. Availability of vehicles is not easy Several future rural outreach workshops are in the and people are often reluctant to offer vehicles to carry pipeline. These interactive programs have become out the unhygienic job of transport of cattle or other popular. They create sensitization and awareness animal carcass. about the conservation of habitats, need for conserving Other important manpower-free studies are biodiversity, importance of species, methods of study, continued observations by deploying motion sensing and use of ethno-biological perspective for conservation cameras on a few randomly selected nests of various among the rural communities. \ vulture species. This will throw light on the behavior Keeping with the above philosophy, in this issue, of breeding vultures at nests. So also, presently, we do we have papers on the discovery of nests of the Red- not have any data on the movement of vultures in India, headed Vulture in Nepal and the implementation particularly the home range and feeding areas of adults of conservation awareness programs in rural areas; and the dispersal range of young. This is possible only we have new ornithological data on the less known by satellite transmitters fi tted on vultures. The forest White-bellied Minivet from rural India, among others. department should promote such studies on a priority The papers exemplify that the out come of efforts of and the ornithological expertise can be taken from the village-based people interested in nature studies and experts from outside the department, if such critical conservation provide valuable scientifi c inputs – truly knowledge is not available in the department. Peoples’ Science for Nature Conservation. Today, widespread and increasing anthropological 2 | Ela Journal / www.elafoundation.org / Vol. 3 Issue 3 / August - October 2014 ETHNO-ORNITHOLOGY Ganga and Makara Dr. Suruchi Pande* *Ethno-Ornithilogist and Sanskrit scholar Citation: Pande, Suruchi (2014). In Indian culture Makara (a crocodile) is believed Ganga and Makara Ela Journal 3(3):3-5. to be the vehicle of the holy river Ganga or the Ganges. The meaning of the Sanskrit word Ganga is “the one Date of Publication: who takes (us or the devotees) towards God”. In 01-10-2014 Indian culture, Makara is believed to be the symbol of lust and attachment. When we have controlled the lust ISSN 2319-4361 for worldly passions, we are set free and can persue higher goals in life. That is why Makara is said to be a Copyright: © Pande, Suruchi. carrier vehicle of Ganga, who has a control on it. Email: [email protected] Meaning of the word Makara Suruchi Pande © The painting of goddess Ganga with Makar in Vishrambagwada (Pune) Ela Journal / www.elafoundation.org / Vol. 3 Issue 3 / August - October 2014 | 3 Ganga and Makara ETHNO-ORNITHOLOGY Both Photos: Suruchi Pande © Goddess Ganga with Makar in a temple at Goddess Ganga with Ghadiyal in a temple on a Varanasi ghat, Varanasi 1 Makara Makaraketana- having the Makara for an emblem; a) An aquatic monster understood variably as the or having a fi sh on his banner. (MW, 1976, p. 771). alligator, crocodile or shark but properly, a fabulous animal. It is the emblem of the god of love- SYNONYMS Kamadeva. The lexicon Amarakosha (1/10/20 and 1/10/21) says, b) One of the signs of the zodiac. It corresponds with Shishumara = a child-killer, the Gangetic porpoise Capricorn. (Molesworth, 1975, p.624). or a dolphin or an alligator. (MW) Udra = an aquatic animal or a crab or an otter. 2 Nakra- Magar or Susar. A crocodile. [in other (MW). languages : Sanskrit- Nakra; Kannada- Negar; Tulu- Shanku = an aquatic animal. Negalu]. ) (Kulkarni, K. P., Vol.II, year- ? p.469). ‘Nakrastu kumbhirah|’ = ‘kumbhira’ is a crocodile of the Ganges (the long-nosed alligator). 3 Nakra – a crocodile, an alligator. Nakraketana- All these are called as ‘jala jantu’ – aquatic Name of god of love. (MW, 1976, p. 524) animals. Makara- a kind of sea monster (sometimes confounded with the crocodile, shark or dolphin; ETYMOLOGY regarded as the emblem of Kamadeva). If we see the root verb in Makara it is ‘makam rati’| 4 | Ela Journal / www.elafoundation.org / Vol. 3 Issue 3 / August - October 2014 Ganga and Makara ORNITHOLOGY = Ra or Ras cl. 2 P = to grant, to give, to bestow or to and Neela kamala. impart. (BSK, vol.II, p. 257). The verb in ‘kumbhira’ is ‘irati’ means to go, to move, to arise from. A variation of ‘kumbhira’ is I have not yet come across any other mythological ‘kumbhila’. The verb in this word ‘ilati’ means ‘not story except in the Ananda Ramayana explaining to move’. the signifi cance of depicting a Makara on the fl ag of The text Abhidhanacintamani (4.417) says, Kamadeva. But there is a possibility to fi nd one in the ‘Mankate makarah|’ = The root verb ‘mank’ means to vast literature depicting Hindu mythology. move or to adorn. English word Muggar is for the fresh water REFERENCES crocodile. A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, M. Monier- In Hindi the word Magar is used. Williams 1899(1976), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. From ‘makar to magar’. I think here we go from (Abbreviation MW). a harsh letter of alphabet to the soft letter.- (from ‘ka’ to ‘ga’ according to letters in the Marathi language. Abhidhanachintamani. Vol.I, II Of (This may not have grammatical justifi cation.). Hemachandracharya, ed. Hargovindas et al.(Veer I have found that in Farsi language ‘maga’ means Era 2441, 2446), Bhavanagar: Vakil, N. L. and a small river. Sheth P. R. & Sheth C. P. The Ashtadhyayi of Panini mentions nakra as ‘na kramati’| (VI.3.75). (Panini/Vasu,1988, vol. II, p. Amarakosha. Pandita varasrimadamarasimhaviracitah 1233). ‘Na kramati’ means not moving, in allusion to Namalinganusasanam Nama Amarakosa, ed. the habit of the crocodile of staying still at one place Haragovind Sastri (1957), Varanasi: Chowkhamba without moving. Sanskrit Series Offi ce. MYTHOLOGY Ananda Ramayanam. Hindi trans. Ramtej Sastri a) ‘Makaradhvaja’ is son of Hanumana. He was Pandeya (1966), Kashi: Pandit Pustakalaya. born to a crocodile that was residing in the ocean Bharatiya Sanskruti Kosha. Vol.II, ed. Pt. (salt-water crocodile) as the drops of perspiration Mahadevasastri Joshi (1985), Pune: Bharatiya of Hanuman fell on her body. (Vettam Mani,1989, Sanskruti Kosha Mandal. (Abbreviation BSK). p.471). The original story is found in the Ananda Ramayana Marathi Etymological Dictionary. Vol. II, Kulkarni, (SaraKanda, Canto 11, verses83-90). K. P. (year?), Mumbai: Keshav bhikaji Dhavale. b) The same text has another story where a sage Molesworth’s Marathi-English Dictionary, corrected makes an immoral demand to a beautiful Apsara print 1831 (1975), Pune: Shubhada-Saraswat Publ. (heavenly damsel) named ‘Dhanyamali’. But she declines to accept and the angry sage curses her to Puranic Encyclopaedia. Vettam mani (1989), Delhi: become a crocodile. God Hanumana frees her spirit Motilal Banarsidass. by killing the crocodile in whose body the Apsara is trapped. She regains her heavenly form. (Ananda The Astadhyayi Of Panini. Vol. II, ed and Engl, Ramayana, SaraKanda, Canto 11, verses 54-56). trans. Srisa Chandra Vasu 1891(1988), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ICONOGRAPHY With the fl ag bearing idol of the Kamadeva., a Makara is depicted on his fl ag and the face of the Makar is made up of fi ve arrows.