Category Archives: Nature

Ganga warrior Yogeshwar passes away

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature

Varanasi :

Ganga warrior and self-proclaimed head of Kashi Mahashamsan Peeth Nagnath Yogeshwar, passed away after a prolonged illness on Friday. He was cremated at Manikarnika Ghat.

In 2008, he undertook a 1,000 day long fast for uninterrupted flow of Ganga from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar. The fast began on July 19.

He was admitted to a government hospital recently and referred to Sir Sunderlal Hospital of Banaras Hindu University on Thursday. He died at the hospital around 1.45 am. He protested against the construction of dams on Ganga.

His last rites were attended by scores of people, including Congress MLA Ajai Rai.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Varanasi / TNN / July 12th, 2014

Exploration to ascertain ancient course of Ganga

Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Nature, Records, All

Allahabad :

What was the course of river Ganga thousands of years ago? Was there a communication link between the Indus Valley Civilisation and Gangetic belt? In an attempt to find answers to questions like these, Allahabad Museum would carry out exploration at the 20-kilometre tract of land between Allahabad-Varanasi after the monsoon.

Earlier, discovery of fossils and tools at the Gangetic plain had revealed existence of habitat prevalent in the neolithic age. Experts claimed that the exploration is expected to detect the deposits that the shrinking river left thousands of years ago. This in turn would help find places where early civilization used to live at the banks of the river.

Several scholars and archaeologists would be participating in the exploration which is expected to be conducted with the help of satellite mapping and coordination from India Space Research Organization (ISRO).

“The stretch of land covering the two civilizations has been a subject of curiosity for excavators and archaeologists as the cultural resemblance between the two societies has till now not been identified. We would be focusing on exploring whether there existed any communication link between the two cultures,” said Allahabad Museum director Rajesh Purohit.

The exploration which was conceptualized last year is slated to start after the rainy season when the upper crust of the land softens, making it easy for explorers to execute the job.

The teams which would be taking part in the explorations include assistant curators and archaeologists Dr Sunil Gupta, Arun Wankhade and Dr Sriranjan Shukla along with the director.

“The stretch between Uttar Pradesh and Balochistan has always drawn the curiosity of archaeologists who are still studying about the root cause of differences between the two societies,” added Purohit. At present, paper work to seek permission from Archaeological Survey of India is being completed.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Vinod Khanal, TNN / June 04th, 2014