Features Included in Natural Heritage of India | Explain in detail

Rich Heritage of India

        India has a varied natural and cultural heritage. The main reason for this is that India is a vast nation with different geographical and physical conditions. The history of India is thousands of years old. This culture has remained a witness, to the change due to exchange of ideologies.

        Many foreigners invaded India and were victorious. They settled down here and merged in the ocean of Indian culture. In this context, heritage is a precious gift from our ancestors. Heritage is natural as well as man-made. Its development has taken place along with the historic eras. On one hand, heritage is associated with place, province or region; on the other hand, it is associated with family and community. It is a special feature of the people and their identity.

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To make it simpler, we divide our heritage as natural and cultural.

Natural Heritage

        Natural heritage includes features like mountains, forests, deserts, rivers, streams, seas, trees, plants, creepers, flowers, leaves and insects etc. India is a land of geographical and environmental extremities. It includes high mountains, big and small rivers, wide fertile lands, river valley regions, dense forests, long seashores and deserts. In this varied landscape a wide range of minerals, vegetation, plants and animals are abundant. Irregularities in weather or climate can even affect our heritage. The result of a close relationship between nature, environment and human-life is natural heritage.

        Worshipping animals, rivers and mountains has been a part of Indian tradition. Similarly we consider pipal, banyan and tulsi as holy and reverential. Some birds and animals are accepted as the vehicles of gods and goddesses. It is only because of this that we treat them with respect and faith. Due to this, Indian culture has made a unique impression in the entire world. Some examples of these can be found in 'Jataka Katha's' of Buddhism.

        We can also see a close relation between nature and classical and folk music. Several classical ragas are based on 'Prahar' (period of a day) and on 'ritu' (seasons). Nature and the seasons of the year have been the central themes for our songs, poems, festivals and paintings. Similarly, Ayurveda, Unani and Nature cure are also based on nature. Therefore, we can say that natural and cultural heritage have a very deep relationship.

        Nature has endowed India generously. In the course of Indian history nature has played a prominent part.

• Which are the Features included in Indian Natural Heritage of India

Landscapes

        Beautiful landscapes are generally formed due to varied topography of land. For example, the Himalayas is a land-shape. But it has endowed Indians abundantly with brimming rivers, streams, forests of Terai and its pilgrimage places, which can be considered landscapes. The landscapes have greatly influenced the occupation of the people, their lifestyle and customs. Since the time of the Aryans, the mountains have been considered to be adorable and holy amongst various elements of nature. From ancient times, the Himalayan range has remained a part of Indian heritage.

Rivers

Indian culture is known as river culture.

        The rivers of India have remained 'reverential' as 'Lokmata' from ancient times till today. Our Indian culture has flourished on the river bank of Ganga, the Yamuna, the Ravi and other rivers. The rivers like the Ganga, the Yamuna, the Saraswati, the sindhu, the Kaveri, the Narmada and the Godavari, etc. have profoundly influenced the people of India. Rivers are the source for drinking water, household use, irrigation, floor-plastering as well as making utensils from clay etc. Landscape scenes at dawn and dusk are very fascinating on the side of the river; these are inspiration for artists and have enriched the lives of the people by developing their aesthetic sense.

Vegetation

        From ancient times people of India have remained lovers of nature. In India, the trees like banyan, pipal, neem, shrubs and tulsi etc. are considered as holy and treated with great reverence. Since ancient times, the green fields, prosperous forest and medicinal plants have enriched Indian culture. Grains and cereals, plants of oilseeds, myrobalan, tulsi, ardusi, aloe vera etc prove to be very useful. Flowers like rose, michelia, daisy, lotus, sunflower etc have made human life beautiful, useful and prosperous. It has a deep impact on our social, economic and religious life. Worshipping of Tulsi plants every morning and observing Vad-Savitri vrat, show the religious significance of plant-life.

Wildlife

        The people of India have loved nature and animals (flora and fauna) since ancient times. Indians have realized the importance of wildlife - elephants, rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, wolf, deer, bear, lion, stag etc. They have contributed greatly in making Indian culture varied. It is a well-known fact that the value of the tusk of a dead elephant and the leather of a dead tiger and lion are immense. But we have realized their values. So the preservation of wildlife, laws are framed and sanctuaries are established. This is ended by the fact that the National emblem of India has the figure of lion in it.