The Beautiful Hand Block Design Motif of Bagru

Bagru, an erstwhile sleepy and desolate village on the Jaipur-Ajmer Road in Rajasthan, is now the cynosure of many fashion houses and boutiques.

As the world is waking up to environmental consciousness and eco-living, this little village has been attracting the attention of green moguls as one of the must-have items in your home wardrobe. What draws the crowds is its ancient art and craft form that is high on ecological consciousness and for its use of eco-friendly hand block printing practices.

Bagru boasts of a handful of crafts persons who still use traditional vegetable dyes in their hand block prints. Bagru’s method of printing is completely eco-friendly. From treating the base cloth with Fuller’s earth (multani mitti), soaking it in turmeric (haldi), to stamping the cloth with beautifully patterned blocks of wood using natural dyes of earthy hues, Bagru’s prints are epitome of eco-friendly textiles and printing practices. Added to that, natural coloring agents such as alum, turmeric, pomegranate, dried flowers, indigo, etc are used to add colorful designs and motifs to the fabric. Blue from indigo, green from indigo mixed with pomegranate rinds, red from madder root and yellow from turmeric. It can’t get any more eco-friendlier than this.

Bagru Design Detail with Threadwork

Since India is rich and abundant in its natural resources, most of its arts and craft forms derive raw materials and design influence from nature. Almost all the ancient art forms are eco-friendly and mostly celebrating nature. Bagru’s hand block printed fabric is no exception. From vegetable dyes, natural fabrics, nature-inspired patterns and design, its products are ecologically natural.

Bagru prints are so unique and renowned that the Calico Museum of Textile in Ahmedabad, India, has commissioned a study into this old art form. Thanks to this kind of interest in ecofriendly printing practices, the village now hums with much activity: stamping, printing, dyeing and supplying the exquisite art form to different corners of the world.

In spite of poor living and working conditions, the expert craftsmen of Bagru have kept the three-centuries-old tradition of block printing alive in India. Thanks to them, we now get to witness and ancient art form that shows how man lived in symphony with nature without harming the environment and oneself.

Bagru Prints in Home Decor

History of Bagru Hand Block Printing
There is no authentic record for reference on backdating Bagru’s block printing practices. It is estimated that this art form was introduced 450 years back when a community of Chhipas (literally meaning people who stamp or print) came to Bagru from Sawai Madhopur (Alwar), and settled in Bagru. Even today, their community works together in a place called Chhippa Mohalla (Printer’s Quarters), by the Sanjaria riverside. It is perhaps the river name that lends it name to Sanganeri printing art form.

The Chippas community settled along the riverside, like any other nomadic settlement. The bank of the river provided then with clay which is an important ingredient in getting the base color of the famed Bagru prints. The artisans smear the cloth with Fuller’s earth got from the riverside and then dip it in turmeric water to get the beige colored background. After that, they stamp the cloth with beautiful designs using natural dyes of earthly shades.

Hand Printing Blocks - Teakwood & Rhodha

Eco Friendly Colors used in Bagru Hand Block Printing
Bagru prints are done on off-white, ivory white, or beige background. The main colors used in Bagru printing are black, red and maroon. These three main colors are extracted from naturally occurring sources: black is derived from worn-out iron horse or camel shoes soaked in water, red comes from gum paste and phitkari, and maroon is a result of mixing the above two colors.

Turmeric used as Vegetable Dye for Eco-Friendly Hand Printing Technique in Bagru

Apart from these base colors, natural vegetable dyes are used to add colorful patters and designs. These include madder, indigo, pomegranate rind, turmeric, etc. Pigment colors such as green, rust, blue, violet, brown, and pink are added to appease wider markets. There is also a traditional reason for picking a particular color in the designs, such as indigo for Lord Krishna, saffron for a saint or yogi, yellow for spring season, etc.

Bagru Hand Block Printing Process
Bagru’s method of hand block printing is a labour-intensive process that requires a lot of, skill, patience, effort and time.

Bagru's Teak Wook Hand Blocks

The wooden blocks used for printing a design on the fabric are hand-made using traditional fine-carpentry tools. Some blocks are made of teakwood while some use light-weight wood called Rorda. These blocks are soaked overnight in oils, washed and then put to use. Usually, over a period of time, the Chhippas have considerable amount of blocks collection which they consider as their core wealth.

Stack of Hand Blocks used for Printing

The base cloth on which the block printing is done is prepared with riverside clay, turmeric, and other solutions to make it softer and absorbent. It is then dried and washed whilst acquiring a dull white or light beige color. This color background is one of the distinctive characteristics of Bagru hand prints.

Base cloth dyed with vegetable colors - Ready for Stamping

The vegetable dyes are prepared as per family traditions that have been passed from generation to generation. The printer dabs the block in the dye and stamps the design outline on the fabric as per the pattern template. Single measured dab is required for one stamp. There are no hi-fi tools to stamp but simple human judgment in assessing the amount of color required and in placing the block on the fabric. This imperfect yet neat stamping process lends it own unique charm to the design and product.

Hand Block Printing on a Bedsheet using Vegetable Dyes

Once the cloth has been printed, it is dried in the sun and then readied for dyeing. The design outlines are then filled with other color dyes with the help of complimentary hand blocks that are carved to fill the hollow spaces created by the outlined design blocks.

After printing, washing, and dyeing, the cloth is given a final wash and is sun-dried.

Difference between Sanganeri and Bagru Prints
Whilst both the eco-friendly printing forms belong to Rajasthan and use hand blocks, Sanganeri prints are usually done on bright colored fabric as a base. Sanganeri prints are found on bright white background whereas Bagru prints are done on black, brown, beige, and red back grounds. Sanganeri prints are mostly floral trellis like patterns whereas Bagru prints have motifs and geometrical inlays.

Difference between Dabu printing and Bagru Printing
Dabu printing is also a unique art form found alongside Bagru prints. In this, a design is sketched onto the background cloth. This sketched design is covered with clay on which saw dust is sprinkled. The saw dust sticks to the cloth as the clay dries. Thereafter, the entire cloth is dyed in select colors. The area where clay and sawdust mixture is present does not catch the dye and remains colorless. After dyeing and drying, the cloth is washed to remove the clay and the mixture. For additional color, this cloth is dyed again in a lighter shade to cover the patterned area. This unique form of printing is also environmentally non-toxic and uses no harmful or synthetic dyes.

The Dark Side of Bagru Block Printing
Like any other trade, Bagru’s block printing also comes under considerable flak for its adultery in art form. While retailers sell Bagru products at a premium price, a fraction of this reaches the actual workers. The printers are looking out for cheaper, faster options of increasing the output – putting this trade at a risk.

Market demand, poverty, poor living and working conditions have forced these craftsmen to resort to trade shortcuts that range from using synthetic dyes, machine cut tools, to fabrics of sub-standard quality.

The Future of Bagru Printing
Bagru block printing has evolved over a period of time accommodating to changes in lifestyle, demand and fashion. Since ancient and exotic art forms had taken a back seat due to western influence and globalization, many Chhippas have given up the art of hand block printing as people have adopted modern and synthetic textiles. Yet there are a handful of craftsmen who swear by the beauty of the art form and equate their work to worship.

While traditional art forms and methods are increasingly being replaced by modern tools, techniques and synthetic dyes, Bagru prints are finally getting recognized. With attention back on preserving the near extinct art forms, there is a revived interest in preserving the rare art of hand block printing with vegetable dyes.

Bagru prints are unique, captivating and exotic. Erstwhile used for clothes and turbans, Bagru textiles are increasingly in demand for home furnishings and décor. Bagru prints and motifs are preferred for bed spreads, bed sheets, table linen, and home accessories.

Bagru prints are here to stay. As people around the world are increasingly becoming environmentally conscious, soft-on-nature art forms are once again back in demand. Many block printers may now follow Bagru’s example of stamping it right.

Heaps of Hand Block Printed Textiles in Bagru - Ready for Export

Resources on Bagru’s Famed Hand Block Printing
For more information on Bagru Hand Block Printing process - click here   and here is a lovely collection of some beautiful and exotic motifs of Bagru Block printing

This article is based on a visit to Bagru Village, Rajasthan, for Hand Block Printing. We deeply appreciate the hospitality of the Hand Block printers, their families and other villagers – as we continue to admire their works of art which now adorn our home.

On our way back, we came across a heart-warming sight – a bunch of kids were studying under a lone tree in the desert, which is their makeshift school. The need of the hour is support in terms of infrastructure, education, finance, etc, for upliftment of the Bagru community.

For information on reaching Bagru or buying thier merchandise, get in touch with us.

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Our two night stay was booked at the Rainforest Retreat located about 5-6 kms beyond Madikeri town. In their website the retreat claims to be an ecological hotspot run by two former scientists (husband and wife) of the Forestry Institute. The property is basically a 25 acre organic farm growing coffee and spices – cardamom, pepper, vanilla etc with a few cottages and couple of tents being allotted to the Retreat for tourists.

Directions from Madikeri were simple – follow the Club Mahindra sign boards and once you pass Club Mahindra, turn off at a school and drive the 3.5 kms to the Retreat. This last 3.5 km was through a winding country road hemmed in on both sides by thick rain forest interspersed with a few farms. Lantana in various hues – purple, orange –yellow, red overhung the road and the air was heavy with humid scents. We met but a single auto winding up in the opposite direction during this journey of 15 minutes and finally reached the gate.

Road to the RainForest Retreat

Ingrid, the manager welcomed us and one of the plantation workers doubling up as bell boy showed us to our room in the Cottage. Our two day stay here was a real eye opening experience in what eco tourism should really be about. Having read about other so called high profile eco lodges and having actually stayed in a couple of them – the simplicity in design and approach at Rainforest Retreat won our hearts and minds. Firstly some salient features about the rooms.

No electric power; there are no power lines to this place. How does one survive then?

Firstly, its location nestled in a small cusp surrounded by hills and under the huge canopy of rainforest trees makes modern amenities like air conditioning and even fans irrelevant even in height of summer. The rooms are designed for cross ventilation – open the windows in the daytime and the door and a delightful breeze will caress your skin. The temperature as in any forest drops at night, and one needs to shut the windows unless you want to share your bed with some of the creepy crawlies unique to the rainforest – snails, centipedes, the atlas moth (world’s largest winged moth), beetles and snakes are some of the neighbours here. In mid day, one can also relax or take a nap in the hammocks hanging next to the stream in front of the cottage, swaying in the strong breeze.

Light is required for reading or seeing ones way around the room and bathroom. The sloping slate roof of the room has two eyes – skylights cut out near the centre through which natural sunlight filters in. Additional light from the open windows is actually a bonus. There are CFLs in the room and bathroom. Power for these comes in after dark. The Retreat operates on solar power generated through their own panels. The cells get charged through the day and the stored power is used at night.

Skylights in the room

The bathroom has a translucent corrugated roofing of some form of plexi-glass which allows sunlight to fill up the entire area while at the same time making it impossible for anyone to see inside. Even our clothes could be washed and dried within the day time by hanging it in the bathroom itself.

Hot Water Cistern

Since nights are pretty cool, having the morning bath in hot water would seem a necessity. This is also beautifully taken care of. A large earthen cistern is part of the bathroom. The cistern can be filled by a tap above it. Every morning, a bunch of firewood is lit under the cistern – a cavity under it accessed from outside the cottage is used by the staff for this purpose. Firewood comprises of the dead or fallen twigs and small branches which are available in plenty on the premises and the trees regenerate quickly in the monsoon rains. A chimney is provided to take the smoke out and the water remains hot for at least a couple of hours after heating.

Heating water with firewood

Natural soap (ayurvedic) is provided. Any water other than from the toilet is channelled out of the bathroom directly into the garden outside thereby ensuring even this water is used productively. Drainage is provided only for the toilet.

Food is simple and wholesome. Dishes are a mix of Coorgi, south Indian, north Indian and international cuisines – made with mostly organic vegetables, pulses and spices some of which are grown in the plantation and the rest sourced from other organic farms in the area. A simple hut open on the sides and supported by a conical roof on pillars is the dining area. Food is placed in casseroles on a side table of granite stone. Simple stainless steel plates and tumblers are used for eating and are placed in a bin afterwards. This is then washed by a couple of the women staff.

Nature is the only entertainment here and there is plenty of it. No TV. No signal for the cell phone or internet. No music ,loud or otherwise. One can read. Walk around the 25 acre plantation observing the varied plant, insect and bird life. Early mornings are filled with music of a different kind – the sing song bird calls of the rainforest. A couple of good bird watching spots are available a short walk away. The Retreat staff (mr.Ravi) is well informed and takes you on a 3 hour trek through the surrounding countryside and plantations upto the Galibeedu ridge. You can also do the 3 km wlak down to the river below (in the evening); be prepared for the steep and continuous climb back up to the Retreat.

All in all this is what eco tourim really should be all about. It allows one to be alone with nature, soak into nature and really observe and understand God’s scheme of things on earth. It ensures that whatever we do whether it is eat, sleep, bathe or read is done without disturbing nature. And while making our stay so comfortable, ensures that resources consumed are regenerated.

The simple underlying message is

Do not waste whatever you have and give back to nature whatever you take

By doing this you take care of the environment and it takes care of you.

As we left after our 2 day stay I felt a lot healthier both in body and mind than I have been in a long time. If two days can do this, wonder what living all the time in such an environment would be like!

kingofthejungle

Pix Credits - Avanindra Reddy

Just imagine. In 2008, the state principal chief conservator of forests had claimed in an environmental magazine that Panna was teeming with the country’s national animal. The denial and the charade survived till a tiger survey conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) just managed to zero in one tiger only.

The final nail on the denial coffin happened this month, when a special investigation team, headed by former chief of Project Tiger P K Sen, conducted an in-camera enquiry that established that Panna had no tigers. Left with no alternatives, the state forest minister has confirmed this sad fact bringing to end a saga of shameful proportions.

Where are we headed now? Sariska then. Panna now.. What next?

Combat Global Warming with White Roofs

Mom sense says – wear white shirts in summer to feel cool. Builders vouch for the fact that lighter color walls and roofs keep the air-conditioning costs low. Now it is the turn of environmentalists, scientist and global warming activists to go green with white. The latest green idea that is rocking the White house, tropical nations, Internet, and bloggers alike is to paint your roofs white.

An unbelievable scientific fact states that if 100 of the major urban cities switched to white roofs and pavements, it would offset 44 metric giga-tons of greenhouse gases, which have been trapping heat in the atmosphere and altering the climate on a potentially dangerous scale, since globally, roofs account for 25% of the surface of most cities, and pavement accounts for about 35%.

Now should that make us think, smile, roll our eyes, or just have a good laugh and toss it out of the window?

Not yet! According to TreeHugger, the Earth can reflect 29% of sunlight falling on it – also referred and measured as 0.29 albedo. With an albedo of 0.1, towns and cities absorb more sunlight than the global average. Painting all roofs white could nudge the Earth’s albedo from 0.29 towards 0.30, which could lead to 1 degree drop in global temperature. And this one degree drop almost cancels the global warming that has taken place since the industrial revolution.

How does painting your roof white help fight global warming?

• We all have learnt in school that light colors reflect and dark colors absorb. A dark roof absorbs light. This light heats up the roof. This heat in turn is radiated around into the atmosphere in form of infra-red rays. These infra-red rays are absorbed by the atmospheric gases and are re-emitted in form of infra-red light. This phenomenon plays a role in the increase in atmospheric temperatures and is linked to the Greenhouse Effect. Since atmospheric gases do not absorb too much visible light, these reflected light rays travel through the atmosphere and reach outer space. It does make sense to increase the amount of reflective surface to cause the light rays to travel through the atmosphere.
• The heated roof also radiates the heat energy into the building. This causes the internal temperature of the building to increase. We use air conditioners, coolers and fans to keep the room/ building cool. The higher the temperature, more energy is required to keep it cool. By painting the roof white or by installing light colored tiles, the sunrays are reflected back and the heat is not fully absorbed by the building.
• Therefore, paint your roof white or tiled in white in order to increase the amount of light reflected off your roof. If all houses and buildings in the world followed this practice, a lot of light would be reflected back, instead of being absorbed by the Earth.

Sounds like science fiction and far-fetched but it may be one of the most practical and easiest solutions to implement. If you have been thinking of solar power backups and CFLs, it might be a great idea to add a splash of white on the top and then compare your energy bills.

White Roofs and the Obama Connection

If you are still not convinced that white roofs help combat global warming effect, heavy endorsement for painting roofs white comes from no other than the Secretary of US Energy, of the Obama administration and a Noble Laureate in Physics – Steven Chu. In an interview Chu said, “If you look at all the buildings and make all the roofs white, and if you make the pavement a more concrete-type of color than a black-type of color, and you do this uniformly … It’s the equivalent of reducing the carbon emissions due to all the cars in the world by 11 years.”

And if you still have questions, we should be on the same page. It is normal to have knee-jerk reactions to radical and practical ideas. It is normal to question the validity of a new thought wave and to analyse if it really makes sense. A lot of questions ranging from what happens if too much light is reflected back into space, the use of toxic paints, aesthetics, to driving problems are being discussed.

I came across this thought-provoking and hilarious debate  (read comments) on this topic on the Telegraph Website where the reader’s reactions ranged from extreme ridicule to sombre acceptance.

We are pleasantly surprised and amused for sure. But any little step towards stabilizing the global temperatures means saving many forms of life on earth and many delicate ecosystems whose worth is incalculable.

Before you write off this idea, give it a serious thought. For it is time for basic simple solutions to combat the grave problems we and our future generations face.

As the hottest summer in the past 5 years came to an end, I felt the need to pen my observations and thoughts. It seemed all the more apt considering all the hype about the World Environment Day on June 5th.

For once, I was at home throughout the month of May. No vacation. No office trips. Every morning I woke up to the 100 W sun. Watched each day get brighter and hotter, culminating in the peak white hot 2pm sun. And observed how people residing around my (upmarket) colony dealt with the summer heat. In simplicity, this came down to a tale of two trees – or two Neem trees to be precise. One in the vacant land next to my house and the other in a vacant land opposite to my house.

Both the trees were fully matured providing a sizeable cover of at least 20 feet radius.

One sheltered life; the other died gasping for air. Died because the sophisticated people living next door could not care less about what happened to her.

The Derelict Neem Tree - Pix Credits - Ganesh

Because people like them owning property worth a crore of rupees would not pay 200 rupees a month to have their trash, generated by consuming items worth Rs20000 a month, collected by the organized garbage disposal bundi. Because their servants dumped their trash in the vacant land under the neem tree. Because they could not bear the sight and stench of this trash and burned it under this tree. Because the flames of this burning junk of blatant consumption licked the branches of the neem tree.

Because the carcinogenic fumes of burning plastics throttled the pure scent and medicinal leaves of the neem tree. And because they did it not once but continue to do it day after day as the apathy of others and the inaction of the authorities gives them a license to kill. And because they could shut their windows, draw their curtains and turn on the air conditioning and not have to see, smell, hear, taste or feel the decay of death. They park their cars under the now dead bark of the tree. But does it matter? Not at all, the drivers turn on the AC and chill the car before these upstanding members of our society and media darlings get in and move around spreading their message to the fawning masses.

And what of the tree which lived. She lived because she was protected by people. By a fence erected by us who wanted to protect her. By allowing nature – sunshine, rain and autumn to take its due course as it has always done since life on earth began. Tired road sweepers sit under her to eat their lunch in otherwise sweltering heat.

The salesman making house calls catches a few minutes of cool before moving ahead. Cars lie with their open windows wallowing in her shade and the cool breeze. Bulbuls, doves, sparrows, parakeets and the lone kingfisher swear by her twittering and calling in the high branches every morning. And we who are fortunate to partake apportion of her bountiful shade – survive summer after summer without air-conditioning.

Protected Neem Tree - Pix credits - Ganesh

 It is not one dead tree or one fire that this story is about. It is about hundreds of such trees and fires burning in colonies all over our cities and across the country. About thousands of air conditioned houses and cars in addition to the fires which are all contributing tonnes of carbon dioxide to our atmosphere – which the world now calls Global Warming.

A simple neem tree can do more to fight global warming than a hundred petitions, causes, socialite discussions and debates. All we have to do is allow it to live life as it has always done – let nature run its course as mandated by GOD.

To begin our case with media reports, skeptics are crying hoarse that there cannot be a link between Global Warming and Swine Flu. They are two separate things that have no consequence on each other – akin to comparison between apples and oranges. Climate change has nothing to do with H1N1 virus and its mutations. This is more of media hype with not much scientific backing. Global warming skeptics are supposedly having their last laugh.

A Couple from Mexico Convey the Physical and Mental Strain of the Swine Flu Epidemic - Pix by National Geographic

There have been no confirmed reports or announcements that suggest that global warming could have triggered swine flu. But the environmentalists, the public health community and the experts are not buying this. Having seen deluge of diseases such as deadly disease such as malaria, dengue fever, SARS and more in the recent past, the scientific community is not ruling out the possibility of global warming being one of the hidden drivers for swine flu.

Global warming causes climatic changes wherein the environment becomes warmer or wet. This helps in the proliferation of certain plant and animal species which could be host to multitude of bacteria and viruses. Global warming has already been a catalyst to infections disease that needed a host or vector, to proliferate. We will not be surprised if swine flu links to global warming phenomena.

While the focus of the medical community is to get vaccines for H1N1 virus out in the market, scientific community is looking at the root causes to figure out the prevention routes.

With more information pouring in, swine flu is being attributed to the living conditions of the live stock. The level of hygiene, its living conditions, cramped quarters, and its environment is coming under scrutiny to establish a firm evidence of origin of swine flu.

Here is an excellent article from Down To Earth which explore the most possible reasons behind the occurrence of swine flu – while taking into account the poor sanitary and hygiene condition of the livestock at Smithfield Farms.

It is a known fact that swine flu did not happen overnight. Sustained exposure of livestock to industrial wastes, toxins, bad air, bad water, etc could have caused the livestock to fall sick most of the time. And treating their repeatedly sick pigs with antibiotics could have caused the gene strains get more and more resilient with time. This strain has now crossed its animal barriers and reached humans. To top this we cannot deny the possibility of changing temperature to be one of the reasons for these mutations to occur – by providing it with a favorable environment.

“Swine flu and climate change are inextricably related” says Angela Mawle, CEO of the UK Public Health Association, who explores and warns us of the catastrophic impacts of climate change and unsustainable development on human health.

Thankfully, Angela is not the sole champion linking swine flu to climate changes. Steven Sanderson of the Wildlife Conservation Society talks of the deadly dozen diseases that will spread because of climate changes, and says – “ the term ‘climate change’ conjures images of melting ice caps and rising sea levels that threaten coastal cities and nations, but just as important is how increasing temperatures and fluctuating precipitation levels will change the distribution of dangerous pathogens.”

We still need more confirmed reports and announcements to link these two phenomena together. While we wait and watch these developments, we can never forget the fact that we have caused nature to react in this way.

If it is the survival of the fittest, time will tell if these strains, which are getting stronger by the day, or humans will eventually survive.

Sunderbans - Credits - indiannetzone.com

The entire Sunderbans biosphere reserve area of 9600 square kilometres suffered extensive damage, all major dykes breached and water levels in the numerous creeks and inlets overflowing to dangerous proportions. Over a lakh people and livestock have
been affected to a great degree. Even though resuce and relief operations are being done on a war footing, it throws focus yet again on the pressing issue of climate change and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Dont forget that the Sunderbans is the natural home to the famed Bengal tiger, endangered and fighting for survival. Though rising waters might not pose a problem, these felines being strong swimmers and more attuned to natural disasters, there is the real possibility of tigers losing their bearing while traversing difficult watery terrain, increasing the possibility of human animal conflict. In fact, one tiger ventured into human habitat at Jameswar village and was tranqulized. Also, they might even die due to exhaustion.

Currently the tiger population is said to be in the low seventies, all the more reason for man to change his stripes and take a proactive stand for eco-conservation and wildlife protection.

The Malabar Banded Peacock belongs to one of the spectacular family of butterflies. They have amazing iridescent colors and hues. Some of the species look green or blue depending upon the viewing angle. Thanks to this amazing camouflage, these butterflies have survived over a centuries. Otherwise it is not hard to miss the Papilio Buddha.

Malabar Banded Peacock - Credits Thomas Neubauer

This species is ranked as one of the most beautiful butterflies in India. It is native to Australia, the indo-Malaya regions and India. In India, it is found in the Western Ghats – the Niligiris and some parts of Kerala. It derives is common name from the Malabar Coast of India.

India being house of rich biodiversity and rare species, Papilio Buddha finds its home in the cool and misty hills of South India. There have been rare sightings of this precious and evasive butterfly by the forest officials as well as nature enthusiasts.

This rare species of butterfly was first formally recorded in 1872 by Westwood. Thereafter, there is no mention of sub-species. And this makes it all the more rare and precious.

Its status has been declared as RARE and falls under Schedule II, which means that this species gets second level of protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

These butterflies are prized souvenirs as they are bright, beautiful and iridescent. While their beauty leads to these butterflies being trapped, the climatic changes and global warming is taking toll on its existence.

The climate is non-reluctant. The man is careless. This butterfly will vanish in no time. There is no dearth of people trying to collect wildlife souvenirs.

Scientific name

Papilio buddha Westwood 1872

Classification / Taxonomy

Kingdom: ANIMALIA

Phylum: ARTHROPODA

Class: INSECTA

Order: LEPIDOPTERA

Suborder: DITRYSIA

Superfamily: PAPILIONOIDAE

Family: PAPILIONIDAE

Subfamily: PAPILIONINAE

Tribe: PAPILIONINI

Genus: PAPILIO

Specific name: BUDDHA

Imagine a stretch of ocean with no form of life around. No fish, no corals, no sea grasses, no sea animals, no life; nothing. This is the dead zone in the sea. Once full of life with sea animals and plants – this dead zone in the sea is an ocean’s graveyard with ghosts of its past.

According to the latest reports by environmental agencies, oceans are now witnessing a severe damage causing pockets of lifelessness in the ocean waters. Life cannot thrive in here anymore. We are now witnessing an environmental disaster which is very difficult to undo.

Dead Zones - Robert Diaz VIMS

Environmentalists are now questioning the future of the oceans, the seas and its produce with which so many lives, livelihoods, eco-systems and food chains are connected. According to Gary Shaffer, Lead Scientist of the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen said it was unclear, in the grim light of this study, whether future generations could look to the oceans as a major reserve of food.

One of the major contributors to the dead zones is the dumping of agricultural and industrial wastes into sea water. Dead zones are mostly found around coastal areas where there is high industrial activity.

According to the UN Environment Programme flow of too many nutrients into the sea is causing major growth of algae, which in turn uses up the available sea oxygen. There has been a high increase in the number of oxygen-deprived “dead zones” in the world’s oceans, threatening fishes, fisheries as well as humans who depend on sea-life forms.

• Here is a brief on how the oceans and sea waters are slowly turning anoxic
• This is a lnk to an informative resource The Dead Zones: Oxygen-Starved Coastal Waters

But new reports have shed light on even more shocking facts. Dead zones are probably a direct consequence of global warming. This environmental disaster was so slow in its making that no one really saw it coming. It has been decades of environmental neglect that has caused oceans to breathe its life out.

As carbon emissions are steadily rising all over the world, the atmosphere is not able to contain and fix these emissions, leading to increase in the global atmospheric temperatures. The oceans and seas are turning warmer because of the trapped greenhouse gas – carbon dioxide

Increasing carbon levels in atmosphere leads to a warmer earth. This global warming causes change in atmospheric temperature and pressure due to which ice caps melt – adding mega volumes of fresh water into sea and altering its salinity levels. Any slight increase in global temperatures causes great harm to the environment as oceans circulation gets severely affected. When the ocean does not circulate enough, there is lack of oxygen distribution.

Where there is no oxygen – life cannot thrive. These anoxic – dead zones which do not have adequate oxygen do not support fish, seafood, corals reefs, marine ecosystem, shellfish, etc.

Sad but true, marine “dead zones” already exist today. They are continuously increasing in size and numbers. For Example, there is one dead zone in the Chesapeake Bay off the New York Coast covering about 1000 square kilometers. This single dead zone has an economic impact of around $500 billion every year, as commercial and recreational fisheries have severely been affected.

And if this was not enough, according to Robert Diaz, marine biologist of The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, more than 235,000 tons of food is lost to oxygen-deprivation/ hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.

Added to these environmental crises is the fact that even if the entire world switched off its carbon emissions completely, it would still take hundreds of years for the waters to come back to normal. This phenomenon is not an instant on-off switch and would roughly take about 2000 years to react to any damage-control measures. It indeed takes a lot of time to heal.

The need of the hour is deep drastic cuts in carbon emissions in order to break the rate of acceleration with which the marine ecosystems are getting depleted and to ensure that our future generations experience a form of life – The Ocean.

Agricultural and industrial wastes need to be sanitized before being released into the seas. Harmful pesticides, fertilizers, sewage, animal waste, and chemical compounds needs to judiciously used and treated before being released into the sea. Burning and use of fossil fuels should drastically reduce to contain the carbon levels in atmosphere.

It had taken hundreds of years of damage to the earth and heated up the oceans… and now even hundreds of years, cannot cool the ocean to normal limits.

While one may heave a sigh of relief that these dead zones are still far away in regions such as South America, Europe, etc., and may not feel the need to act now.

Quick reality check: A dead zone in sea has been found in the west coastal region of India, in the Arabian Sea. Need we say more? Or is it still somebody else’s business to fix that?