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Searching a Bird in Anamalais: Remapping Pampadumpara

// February 12th, 2010 // No Comments » // Culture and Ecology, Eco Watch

Exploring Beyond Iravikulam in a Sole Search

I was part of a unique eco expedition in the high mountains of Rajamala near Munnar during February 4 to 7, 2010. My friend and former colleague Dr Dilip K G of S S University, Kalady invited me for a key inquiry in the shola grass lands north of Rajamala gap beyond Pettimudi.  It was a specific search for a single species!

Bio-diversity Hot Spots High up in the Western Ghats

This unique grassland shola and mixed wet evergreen forest are home to various endangered Western Ghats endemic flora and fauna. Our

expedition happened at a critical juncture when the Munnar land issue was turbulent in the media and in the politics of the state.

The expedition was in search of a single species: Nilgiri Laughing Thrush, which is common in the Nilgiri mountains north of Palghat pass.  It was organized jointly by Kerala Forest Department and Cochin Natural History Soceity lead by Dr Dilip and Vishnupriyan Kartha.

The Elusive Bird: Nilgiri Laughing Thrush in the Anamalais?

In the recently concluded Mankulam Bird Survey 2010, Dr Dilip chanced to see a bird resembling the Nilgiri Laughing Thrush in this purticular location called Pampadumpara, a few miles north west of Rajamala gap and Pettimudi.   The exact location of sighting is called Mappatham at an elevation of 1430 meters.

Though Grey-breasted Laughing Thrush and Wayanad L T are found in the Anamalis and Sahyadri mountains south of the Palghat pass, the sighting of the Nilgiri L T is a rare record, yet to be confirmed.  The dialogues between Dr Dilip and DFO Induchudan proved successful and the re-survey was materialized.

All Set for the Search: The Team  CNHS

I joined the team at Munnar by the afternoon of 4th February, 2010.  Apart from Dr Dilip and me Vishnupriyan Kartha, Jinu George, Adv. Jay

and Jijo were part of the team.  Forest guard Babu accompanied us through out and forest watchers Indran and

company played our hosts in the forest.

After having lunch in Munnar we started our journey on jeep.  At the Iravikulam National Park we took a small break to see a few mountain ungulates, the endangered Nilgiri Tahr.  We also saw a few Grey-breasted Laughing Thrushes near the Story of the park.  A few Pacific Swallows were also flying around.

Crossing Rajamala Gap, the Jeep Journey to the Edge: Feb. 4, 2010

Then we resumed our journey to Pettimudi beyond the Rajamala gap.  The gap is at an elevation of almost 2000 m. stated the altimeter in my Timex Expedition WS4.  From there we had a great view of the whole park with pinnacles like Naykoli and Umaya Mala in the backdrop.  Anamudi the highest peak in South India at an elevation of around 2600 m. is not visible from here, though it towers nearby.

Crossing the gap we descended down to the Nyamakad and then Pettimudi estates owned by the Tatas.  The road to Idamala Kudi, a tribal settlement of the Muduvan tribe, divereged again to the high grasslands from Pettimudi estate junction.

The Long Trek to the Location: Pampadumpara

Turning left from here we reached the border of the Pettimudi estate and began our long trek to Pampadumpara further north west in the mixed evergreen and shola grassland forest.  We saw plenty of Pied Bush Chats in the tea gardens.  In the forest Scimitar Babblers were plenty with their

distinct calls.  We also saw many Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers.  Vishnu was busy with his heavy Canon barrels.  Above the rocky cliffs we observed a few Black Eagles as well.

Finally when we reached the camp site at Pampadumpara it was getting dark. The tribal forest watchers lead by the chief Indran Annan welcomed us and served us hot black coffee.  The temperature was dropping with the sun  Though there was an ancient natural rock-cave we opted to sleep outside in the open on the rock  overlooking Mankulam valley as the cave was too small to host all of us together.

Sleeping in the Open near the Fire among the Ancient Folks

We spent the night on the rock near the fire at 1520 m. in altitude.  Supper was served hot

near it and we relished the simple meals as lights began to emerge in the valley from the wild darkness further down west in Mankulam and Anakulam.  The sounds of the wilderness resonated from all sides in the dark.  The sky was an ocean of twinkling stars.

It was both scary and sensational. Our hosts the ancient Muduvan tribesmen had come all the way from Anakulam to set us camp.  In the warmth of the fire Indran ”Annan” (the elder in ancient Tamil) narrated the story of his people and the plight of the Adivasis in the Western Ghats today.

We also had heated debates on the Munnar land issue.  As cold was engulfing everything, we slowly retreated into the safety of our warm sleeping bags.  Though the night sky was starry the cold wind creeped into the sleeping bag through the airhole and pinched us with a vengeance too

often.

Day 1. Feb. 5, 2010.   Hot Pursuit

We were awakened by the cold in the early morning.  Temperature dropped down to a minimum of 10 degree C.  After having coffee we began our birding transects.  We formed three groups and explored the area in the morning light.  I was with Dilip and we scanned the Mappatham ridge.  We could see many Scimitar Babblers and Grey-breasted Laughing Thrushes.  We also saw Honey Buzzards above .  Dilip chased the enigmatic birds for so long in the thick under growths, but was beguiled in the end. At noon we returned to the camp and had our belated brunch!

After a light nap our team mates found huge and fresh pug marks of a wild cat just a few meters from our camp in the damp soil.  It was a tiger!  He or she was around last night and a sudden tremor hit us like lightning!  But we were equally excited to see the trace of the big cat!

We repeated the transects in the afternoon and explored the wet evergreen forest patches and the riverine patches near the Pettimudi stream. I quenched my thirst and exhaustion with the cold and sweet water that comes all the way down from Pettimudi and beyond, the waters and rivulets of Anamudi also joins this stream says Annan our learned tracker.

Near the stream at around 1400 m. we heard the calls of mountain pigeons.  We suddenly saw a flock of more than ten Mountain Imperial Pigeons flying away from us with their heavy wing beats. Their whitish underbelly and grey tail bar were visible.  As we approched the tree a few more Nilgiri Wood Pigeons also flew away from us.  We noticed the difference in calls and their appearance as well.

Day 2. Feb. 6, 2010.  Still Hopeful:

The second day we changed our strategy and planned to flush the bird out in a joint mission.  We reached Mappatham (literally means the terraced land of Sambhar Deer in Muduvan tribal etymology) early morning and hid ourselves in various strategic locations.  Our attending staff also tried their best to flush some birds out of the thick undergrowth but they proved to be Grey-breasted ones and Scimitar Babblers, rather than the Nilgiri one.

But we saw a variety of birds in the meanwhile.  Emerald Doves, Nilgiri Wood Pigeons, Black and Orange Flycatchers, Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers, Black-lored Tits, Mountain Hawk Eagles, Serpent Eagles and Black Eagles.

The Mountain Imperial Pigeon came to my hide out near a small stream and allowed me a generous and graceful photo session. It also came close to me up to two meters and drank water from the stream.  A Paradise Flycatcher with long white tail streamers were also remarkable here. Butterflies like Colored Sergeant also came to visit me to pose before my Lumix FZ 28 for awhile.

In the afternoon we climbed up the peak of Pampadumpara in an exhausting adventure.  We could see the northern stretches of Iravikulam plateau and even Valpara and Malakkapara, lying in the north from there.  As evening approched it was raining raptors there.  The peak rose well above 1750 m. in altitude.  We saw plenty of Black Eagles, Booted Eagles, Common Buzzards and Honey Bussards there.  My friends also noticed a falcon diving down after lingering mid air static for a few seconds.

The Retreat: Feb. 7, 2010

The next morning we repeated the transects but in vain.  We saw plenty of other birds like the Nilgiri Flycatcher and Black and Orange Flycatchers.  But our target bird was still elusive.  By ten in the morning we began the return journey to Pettimudi estate through the dense jungle.

The Trail of the Tiger

On the way we saw several tiger scats and the blood of a deer on pebbles and leaves caught by the tiger.  The hunt happened just before our arrival at the spot.  Though we could not see the bird that we were looking for we could identify the place as a hot spot of the tiger, a big one

among the very few remaining in the Anamalais today.

At the edge of the forest we had a refreshing bath in the Pettimudi stream.  The beautiful sandy shores and pebbles of the stream captivated us and we ignored the cold to delve deep into the flowing water.  Some Blue Bottle and some unknown butterflies were mud puddling in the sandy shores. By the time we finished the bath our jeep arrived and sounded horn.

Trekking Down Rajamala: Grass Birds, Bush Quails and Pipits

At the Rajamala gap we alighted from the vehicle and trekked down to the Story of the park.  We could see plenty of Nilgiri Pipits and a few Broad tailed grass birds, an Anamalai endemic.  We saw plenty of Nilgiri Flycatchers and Pied Bushchats.  At the story we again saw the Grey-breasted Laughing Thrushes having their ridiculing laugh at us!  We were fortunate to see the nesting of Pacific Swallows in the building.

As we drove down to the main road we saw Nilgiri Langurs and a flock of Painted Bush Quails crossing and stopping by the road.  A Grey Jungle Cock also crossed our path before we hit the highway to Munnar.

Buddhism in Kerala

// January 3rd, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Cultural Politics, Culture and Ecology

The Buddha idols of Mavelikara and Karumadi in south Kerala are now well known all over the world. Today we see plenty of relics and ravages related to Buddhism and the Sramana tradition in Kerala scattered all over the state. Architectural and sculptural reminiscences are numerous apart from the vital linguistic and cultural imprints like the abundance of Pali (the ancient Buddhist Bahujan language) words in the present south Indian regional languages.

The state is also known for the educational and health care achievements apart from its universal literacy. All these human development indicators are not just the product of 20th century evangelical Christian missionary activities and state welfare schemes but the lasting legacy of Buddhism, the democratic, egalitarian and inclusive way of living that shaped the cultural contours of Kerala from B C 3rd century to A D 13th century.

Kerala is also known for its progressive left and democratic politics. This grass root level democracy and collective struggles of subaltern people are also a reminiscence of Buddhism that was the first missionary yet peaceful religion that welcomed women and outcastes to the mainstream community. The people or Bahujans who were defiant to Hindu Brahmanism after the destruction of Buddhism by Brahmanism were condemned as untouchable Chandals as outside the Brahmanic Hindu Chatur Varnayam after the devastation of Sramana tradition in Kerala. These Chandals or untouchable Buhujan masses were and still are the agents of Kerala social revolution or renaissance under the aegis of various radical social rebellions like the Narayana Guru movement, Ayyankali movement, Sahodara movement and various other progressive left and democratic processes in Kerala.

According to researchers, historians and thinkers like P C Alexander, P K Gopalakrishnan, Pavanan, Puthussery Ramachandran, Aju Narayanan etc. Buddhism was introduced in Kerala in the B C third century itself by the missionaries of emperor Asoka on their way down south to Sri Lanka which still is a Buddhist country. Jainism and Ajivaka philosophy also co-existed with Buddhism creating the great Sramana civilization of the South that has given birth to cultural classics like The Thirukural, Silapatikaram, Manimekhala and the whole canon of Sangham writing. The Buddhist, Jain and Ajivaka seers introduced the Brahmi script and the art of writing in South India. All the early inscriptions now available are written in Brahmi script in Tamil language. The ancient Tamilakam or Tamil country was a treasure house of Sramana heritage.

Almost all the current Savarna Hindu temples in Kerala now are modified Buddhist or Jain temples by coveted Brahmanism and its Padaja (Sudra or subservient Varna) forces. The brutal persecution of Buddhist monks/nuns and conversion of temples happened in seventh and eight centuries under the leadership of Sankara the furious advocate of Brahmanical propaganda and violence. He argued with other religious scholars, defeated them verbally and annihilated them and their religion forever. His brutal followers and henchmen also converted the seat of the defeated to that of Hindu Brahmanical temples with extended support from ruling classes.

He is also called Prachanna (pseudo) Buddha as he modified and disguised Buddha’s Sunyavada (rational theory) into the empire of the

Brahmanic self, the Advaita ‘theory’ that reiterated and enforced caste division and hierarchy with a peripheral and cunning shroud of unity that cheated the masses. Thirumulla Varam, Thottappally, Podiyil Mala, Sabarimala, Kodungallur, Thrissur, Kottakkal, Madappally and Bekal were world renowned Buddhist shrines of worship, learning, health care and nature conservation. In places like Mathilakam and Kiliroor there were even Buddhist and Jian universities and Research centres in Kerala in the early centuries of the first millennium that attracted intellectuals and students from all over the world.

Pally is still the most popular affix used along with place, plot and family names in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra. The Pali word Pally means a non Hindu/ Brahmanic place of worship. In the ancient times it denoted a Jain or Buddhist shrine. Buddhism guided culture and society in the south for more than a millennium. It was erased from Kerala through the barbaric and coveted Brahmanic invasion that happened from the fifth to eighth centuries under cruel and reckless royal patronage and usurpation with power.

Images and records of Buddhist persecution by the Brahmanic barbarians are still available in Kerala in the form of stone carved images, local subaltern orature and secret lore (Valath). The Hindu Brahmanic colonists burned the Pali canon and the sacred texts and knowledge systems of Buddhism in Kerala. These nomadic Aryans from the Vedic and Sanskritic clans of West and Central Asia introduced Sanskrit and Hindu religion in the South Indian Kingdoms. They found leverage in royal patronage through cunning usurpation and cheat. The legend of Onam and Maha Bali still articulates the historic deceit of Buddhist Bahujan culture by the Brahman dwarfs. Poets like Sahodaran Ayyappan has extensively written about the internal imperialism of Hindu Brahmanism in Kerala.

The Brahmans created the notorious sexual colonies among the Sudra women and used their male counterparts as foot soldiers who ensured the caste and Varna system, the practice of untoucahbility and pollution. The Sudras in return were given land and titles (as Nayar, Panikar, Thampy, Unni, Kaimal, Kurup, Menon etc.)with which they suppressed the local defiant untoucahable people having Buddhist lineage with bloody hands and weapons. These foot soldiers and menial hands of Brahmansim were absorbed to the Chatur Varnyam (fourfold Varna stratification of Brahmanical imagiNation comprising of Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra) as the fourth and last Varna, the Sudra. The vast majority of people, the Dalit Bahujans were outside the cultural geography of Brahmanism as Chandals and Mlechas, as they are the former Buddhist and Jain population.

The Nayar dominance in Kerala history began in the middle ages with large scale Brahman settlements and militarization and still holds sway though they also want to be declared as a backward community now, as they still relish absolute power! According to state commission reports this power elites and historically advantageous group having less than 15 percent of Kerala’s population enjoy more than 32 percent share in government jobs. In higher education and universities it is more than 48 and in private owned print media and visual media it is almost 90 percent. Imagine the extent of Savarna Nayar hegemony in Kerala even today!

These henchmen of Brahmanism who cheated and killed their Buddhist, Ajivaka and Jain brethren to enforce Brahmanic caste and did the work of pimps by fetching their own women for the Brahmanic high priests with all the shameless pride of getting an elite alliance; are now hailed as the Samurais of Kerala by some fascist spokesmen of elitism who thrive in popular cinema and culture. This historical mediating middllemen are still the advocates of Gita classes, Veda and Vedantic obscurantism in Kerala and outside! They are the orchestrators of Hindu hegemonic discourses and the power heads of the Parivar forces all over the country allying with the Neo Kshatriya aspirants. They are also Hinduizing the Bahujan masses who are attracted to power and chauvinist social status! They need the numbers of Hinduized Bahujans for their pseudo majoritarian and fascist politics. It is an absurdity of history that some of them even today boast about their Brahmanical wedlock which was stopped just a few decades ago!

This Brahman – Sudra alliance or infamous Sambandham gave birth to the Manipravalam literature, the new Malayam-Tamil and later Malayalam and the Savarna elite culture of Kerala in the dark and dubious middle ages that Sanskritized and Hinduized Kerala elites and a lot of people. Even Syrian Christians boast about their Brahmanical connections more than 2000 (?!) years after conversion! Actually there were no Brahmins in the south in the A D first century! Then how could St. Thomas convert those absent Brahmans to Christianity? The coveted Brahmans came to Kerala only in the 4th or 5th century or later.

The power of Brahmanism and Hindu hegemonic discourse is that much tangible and an everyday reality in Kerala and India. This hidden Savarna elitism is the real culprit behind all the fascist pogroms and genocides in post Independent India. All the minority religions in Inida and Kerala like Jews, Muslisms and Christians still use the Pali word Pally to refer to their place of worship along with Jains and Buddhists in the south. Buddhism is making a second coming as an ethical philosophy and eco-spiritual alternative way of life all over the world and in India and Kerala in particular.

The historic affiliation to Buddhism in the philosophy and praxis of Narayana Guru the seer of Kerala modernity, his disciples and intellectuals like C V Kunhiraman, Asan, Sahodaran Ayyappan and now the new Ambedkarite Dalit movement in Kerala are significant. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s illuminating subaltern hermeneutics of Buddhism in his masterpiece Bddha and his Dharma are also instrumental in the second rebellion of Buddhism against caste Brahmanism and social exclusion. Plenty of radical scholars and organic intellectuals in India and Kerala are now working on Buddhism like Gail Omvedt herself. It could be well assumed that Buddhism is emerging as the cultural and ethical alternative of the present and future all over the world and particularly in Kerala. The Bahujans in Kerala who lost their true Sramana legacy in the onslaught of Hindu Brahmanic internal imperialism are now recovering from the calamity of Brahmanism and its burden and looking forward to alternative paradigms and new ways of living.

Reference
Alexander, P C. Buddhism in Kerala.
Gopalakrishnan, P K. Keralthinte Samskarika Charithram. Tvm: Kerala Bhasha Institute, 2001.
Omvedt, Gail. Buddhism in India: Challenging Brahmanism and Caste New Delhi: Sage, 2007.
Pavanan. Baudhaswadheenam Keralathil. Tvm: Kerala Bhasha Institute, 2008.
Ambedkar, B R. Buddha and his Dhamma. Bombay: Govt. of Maharashtra, 1980.
Valath, V V K. Keralathile Sthala Charithrangal: Ernakulam Jilla. Thrissur: Kerala Sahitya Academy, 2001.
—, Thrissur Jilla,Thrissur: Kerala Sahitya Academy, 2001.
—, Thiruvananthapuram Jilla, Thrissur: Kerala Sahitya Academy, 2001.
Narayanan, Aju. Keralathile Buddhamatha Samskaram. Thrissur: Current/Tapasam, 2005.