PROJECTS JOURNAL OF SWALIHA K A
Major projects worked on •
PostEDUCATIONgraduate DegreeMaster of Landscape Architecture(2019): CEPT University, Ahmedabad. Degree-B.arch(2016): MES School of Architecture, Kuttippuram. Pre Degree(2011): Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Cochin. Matriculation(2009): Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Cochin.
Website: • Yamuna Biodiversity Park • Bagh e Bahar,District Park Vasant Vihar Research Papers • Study on Regenerative Architecture. • Understanding Sacred groves through Human Ecology Workshops attended • Exploring Happiness in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. • Resilient communities for resilient cities: Inquiry into the design projects in New York City. SOFTWARE SKILLS • Autodesk AutoCAD • Adobe Photoshop • Adobe Indesign • Adobe Illustrator • Google Sketch up • Microsoft Office • Lumion PERSONAL SKILLS • Sketching & Painting • Communication & Presentation • Leadership • Team work • Pencil Carving • Model making ACHIEVEMENTS • School Senior Head girl • Second Highest position for B.Arch Thesis. • Second Highest position for B.Arch. • Ruebens Trophy co ordinator for Zonasa 2012(Runners up) • Part of London Biennale Team of DDA. SWALIHA K A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT COUNCIL OF ARCHITECTURE OF INDIA REG NO.: CA/2019/104770 https://dda.gov.in/rejuvenation river yamuna floodplain https://dda.gov.in/land /biodiversity park yamuna https://dda.gov.in/land /vasant udyan RESUME Online Portfolio https://issuu.com/swalihaka/docs/portfolio_swaliha_k_a RESUME
AddressCONTACT
Consultant
THOUGHTS Hailing from the state of Kerala(The God’s Own Country) in India, Nature and Culture has always been close to my heart. After my post graduation, I realized how important it is to consider man as part of nature rather than a separate entity. I believe a landscape architect plays a major role in the society by binding different factors such a nature, infrastructure, social factors and so on. Thus I very strongly believe in the role of nature and society(social and cultural values) in any design. A landscape architect is one who should be equipped to design a small courtyard to a huge city. I envisage to do the same with passion and vigor. I aspire to become a human being who can make a positive change in the society by healing the Earth and reaching out to people in the best way possible. Abu Dhabi, UAE Email Id swalihakaa@gmail.com Contact 0547164369 Development Authority as Landscape Architect. Teaching assistant- KMEA School of Architecture. Yamuna Riverfront Development, Delhi.
FirmsEXPERIENCEassociated with • 2019-present: Delhi
• 2016:
TABLE OF CONTENTS 121110090807060504030201 Yamuna Biodiversity Park New YamunaNewAsitaDelhiWestDelhiFloodplains adjacent to CWG Village New Bagh-e-BahaarDelhi District Park Vasant Vihar New JinanaDelhi Resorts and Theme Park Tabuk, Saudi Arabia Ojha SukhdevDehradunFarmGurgaonFarmsHouseVihar Residence New ProjectDelhi Rekindle UnderstandingGujarat Sacred Groves through Human Ecology WorkshopsKerala Attended Bhutan, DigitalUSA& Hand Skills PROFESSIONAL PROJECTS ACADEMIC PROJECTSSKILLS
01 YAMUNA BIODIVERSITY PARK NEW DELHI
Spreads over the flat alluvial active floodplains of the River Yamuna with mosaic of wetlands,grasslands and floodplain forest communities.
Category : Biodiversity Park Phase : Completed Area : 148 Hectares Involvement : Presentation for London Biennalle OVERVIEW
The restored wetlands serve as nurseries by storing a diversity of life forms.
A wetland of 100 acres not only impounds substantial amount of flood water and recharge the ground water but also provides ideal habitat for the rich faunal communities.YBP is an amalgamation of the ecosystems of the riverscape,hilly tracs of Delhi and the people of the region. It is the prototype for the development of biodiversity parks across Delhi.
River Yamuna with its extremely rich riparian ecosystem and vast flood plains flows on the eastern edge of the city of Delhi, from the north to the south [covering approximately 52 kilometres] . One of the most sacred and revered rivers of the country has been subjected to contamination and has transformed into a dirty stinking drain.
In 2015, DDA prepared a Comprehensive Plan for Zone ‘O’ identifying and mapping potential areas for wetlands, biodiversity parks and greenways for the public at large. The main objectives are to increase the storm water run-off catchment area of the floodplains, so as to prevent floods and increase the number of flora and fauna.
Category : Ecological Restoration Phase : Work in progress Area : 200 Hectares Involvement : Conceptualization,Planning, Working Drawings, Consultant Coordination,Site Inspection OVERVIEW VISION
02 ASITA WEST NEW DELHI
The regulatory recommendations by experts include a 300 m wide green buffer area along the river with its edge planted with riparian species named as Ecological Zone. A belt of 100-150 meters along the peripheral roads is being developed as Greenway [a continuous trail of natural pathways and cycle tracks] dotted with various public amenities and resto ration and deepening of the existing low-lying areas as natural wetlands.
Asita West has been carved out of the existing features and topography of the site. A number of detention and retention basins have been planned by restoring the existing depressions into catchment areas to carry the flood water and storm water run-off. These basins not only act as spong es for the site but also the plantation in and around these basins would help purify the water from the drains by phytoremediation.The proposed waterbodies intend to form a connecting element between the city and the river, also acting as a metaphor for the river at the same time. The design aims at reliving the glorious past of the river where the river was celebrated as the gift of nature rather than a polluted waterbody in the backyard of the settlement detested by the people.
REBIRTH FROM THE LOST SELF
-Flood Tolerent species -Trees most suited in swampy,moist areas -Indegeneous species -Materials have been selected such that they are eco friendly so that there is least harm done to nature.Reuse of waste materials have been practised. -Maxiumum materials used are from within the site. -The debris from the removal of existing structures are used for the filling of site wherever reqiured. -No permanent structures are built. -Attracts birds and animals, resting sites. -Combinatio of sun loving and shade loving species. -Indigenous species. -Flood tolerant species. -Attracts birds and bees. -Indigenous -Native-Bigand-Combination-NativeOrnamental.-Floweringand-Combinationspecies.ofdeciduousevergreen.trees/species.ofdeciduousevergreen.Canopytrees.species. PLANTING STRATEGY MATERIAL PALETTE
PROPOSED SIGNAGES ENTRANCE INFORMATIONSIGNAGESIGNAGE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE I SPOT SIGNAGE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE II ACCENT SIGNAGE
WORKING DRAWINGS PLANTING PLAN AMPHITHEATRE DETAIL
Areas
i.e. 90 days. Land Below Lvl +203 is inundation - 1 in 5 LandyearsAbove Lvl +203.5 remains above water as per previous years data. SITE DESIGNSYNTHESISSTRATEGY Assisting natural recovery processes Creating resilient, flood adaptive landscape Creating a city-naturehealthyrelationship 03 YAMUNA FLOODPLAINS ADJACENT TO CWG VILLAGE (EASTERN BANK) NEW DELHI Category : Ecological Restoration Phase : Work in progress Area : 90 Hectares Involvement : Presentation Drawings, Working drawings
Since water release is manually controlled at ITO Barrage, the site is not gushed with flowing river water, rather inundates gradually as the water level increases vertically. 50% of Site fills with water at 202.5 Lvl. The receding water takes the course of natural contours and the lower most contours turn into moist gullies retaining the for the longest period of time
Approximately 50% of the land is below 202.5 Lvl. Therefore, Lvl 202 may serve as catchment for various water features to be designed. above 203.5 Lvl are conducive for at large.
water
pubic
LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
SCHEMATIC SECTIONS RETENTION ZONE DETAIL
Core areas where the receding surface water intercepts a buffer area detailed to hold wa ter for a prolonged period of time and allow it to seep gradually.
PLANTING STRATEGY CONCLUSION
Our sites, as a piece of earth, are often layered with diversely distinct identities adsorbed one after the other over a period of time. Sometimes they sustain the travel of time, sometimes lost completely and occasionally these layers manage to retain their identities holistically evolving into another heterogeneous system. Our site, a district park in Vasant Vihar, was found to be one such system. The last surviving of the 1500 approx. gardens that were once planted, with deposited layers of historical context and presently serving the local population as an urban park. It is located in Vasant Vihar and is spread over an area of 18 Ha in a dense urban fabric of the city of Delhi. It was largely used by the surrounding neighborhood as a routine everyday park. The same park and surround ing area, however, during the reign of Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1309-1388), was a garden laid out by him. In 12 Ha. area of this present-day park were spread the remains of the layout that originally existed. As per his biogra pher Afif, in ‘Tarikh-i-Firuzshahi’, Sultan had laid out some 1500 gardens in Delhi and its close vicinity. This is the last surviving garden of those baghs. The project ‘Bagh-e-Bahaar’ (literally the garden of spring) as we call it now, traces a sense of place for this garden by laying a narration around the existing monuments and building a socially cohesive urban green that side by side acts as an ecological repository.
04
NEWVIHARDISTRICTBAGH-E-BAHAARPARKVASANTDELHI
Category : Tracing of history in urban context Phase : Completed Area : 18 Hectares Involvement : Presentation for London Biennale OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW PROCESS OUTCOME
The project is a part of 600 acre farm in the Tabuk region of Saudi Arabia. The brief is to develop a Resort and an entertainment hub integrated with the farm. Taking inspiration from the Tabuk region, the project is divided into four zones- Amenities zone, Residential zone, Theme park & Sports Arena. Existing olive plantation is integrated with the design journey with out cutting of any trees. Cottage units are designed as geodesic dome structures to reduce solar heat gain by self shading, to reduce the heat interaction between the indoors and outdoors as the surface area to vol ume ratio is low, to get maximum view of night starry sky from indoors. - 50 plan - Zoning
Category : Hospitality Phase : Concept Area : 50 Acres Involvement : Feasibilty Study, Concept Development, Presentation OVERVIEW JINANA RESORTS AND THEME PARK TABUK, SAUDI ARABIA Total farm area - 600 acres Site area
acres Master
05
Entrance gate Reception block EntranceCafeteriaavenue Central plaza Club house Waterbody Rock garden Green mounts Meadow Barbeque kiosk Chalet CONCEPTUAL IDEATION SKETCHES
Experiential path Cottage units Flower bed Swimming pool Orchard Viewing deck Sports arena reception Games courts CONCEPTUAL IDEATION SKETCHES
MASTER PLAN
VIEW OF ENTRANCE WATERBODY
VIEW OF PATHWAY
VIEW OF COTTAGES
VIEW OF AMPHITHEATRE
06 A farmhouse at PATAUDI ROAD was getting used as a site for organic and cattle farming. The existing bungalows’ extension are designed to be used for access, gatherings, strolling, perch and breeding grounds for biodiversity. the site aims to provide a harmonious environment for users, birds and animals alike. Category :Farmhouse Phase : Completed Area : 2.5 Acres Involvement : Conceptualization,Planning, Working Drawings, Consultant Coordination,Site Inspection OVERVIEW GURGAONFARMSOJHA PhasePhase01 02 Phase 03 PLAN LILLY POND MOUNDS CONGREGATIONAL SPACE
ACCESS TO BUNGLOW
PATHWAYCHABUTRA
07 FARM DEHRADUNHOUSE Pause 1 Pause 2 Pause 3 Pause 4 Existing Building (Repurposed)MeditationPod Densebedsshrub Densebedsshrub shrubDensebeds Entrance Secret Element Dense Shrub Plantation ( Broad Leafy and a Few Flowering) Enclosure with Seating Bench & Fire Bowl / MoundsPitto create a sense of mystery while moving through the landscape Pause Points ( Can have a different flooring texture) Enclosure Pause Points ( Can have a different flooring texture) with a seating bench Central Water & Stone Sculpture Meditation Zone / Plaza Stepping Stones Rock Boulders Entry Look Out Garden (Viewed from inside Building ) Arrival Point Dense Shrub Plantation along path edges of existing Structure. Climbers to be planted as well 3 types of spaces were created in this project: 1. Private 3.Helipad2.SteppedGardenGardenGarden Category : Farmhouse Phase : Work in progress Area : 10 Acres Involvement : Conceptualization,Planning, Working Drawings, Consultant Coordination,Site Inspection OVERVIEW PRIVATE GARDEN : ZEN GARDEN
STEPPED GARDEN PLANTING INTEND
SETTING OUT PLAN PLANTING PLAN
(JAVA WHITE) HYDRANGEAS CLEMATIS LAWN FICUS
WHITE) HYDRANGEAS CLEMATIS LAWN FICUS
DIANELLA TASMANICA ROSEMARY ACALYPHA
WEDELIA TRILOBATA WILKESIANA MICROCARPA TRILOBATA
BAUHINIA PURPUREA CATARANTHUS (SADABAHAR)WEDELIA
PLANTING PALETTE FICUS LYRATATERMINALIA MANTALY FICUS MICROCARPA THEVETIA PERUVIANA PEACH TREE ANGEL TRUMPET BAUHINIA PURPUREA PLUMERIA ALBA LAGERSTROEMIASPECIOSA MAGNOLIA ARABIANA JASMINE MURRAYA PANICULATA ROSEGARDENIA JASMINOIDESLEUCOPHYLLUMFRUTESCENS GAZANIAHYDRANGEAS STRELITZIA REGINAE (BIRDS OF PARADISE) BLUE SAGE EGYPTIAN STAR CLUSTER SNAKE PLANTACALYPHA WILKESIANA (JAVA WHITE) ACALYPHATRICOLORWILKESIANA ALPINIA CATARANTHUSSCHEFFLERA(SADABAHAR)
DIANELLA TASMANICA ROSEMARY
BAUHINIA PURPUREA RUSSELIA JUNCEALEMONGRASS ASPARAGUS RED FOUNTAIN GRASS INDIAN GRASS TREES - EVERGREEN SHRUBS - EVERGREEN LEAFY TREES - DECIDUOUS FLOWERING GROUND COVERS SHRUBS - EVERGREEN HARDY SHRUBS - ANNUAL FLOWER BEARING GRASSES
ACALYPHA WILKESIANA (JAVA MICROCARPA
Edges Potted plants along edge in cluster with Drooping Plantation Balcony Experience Tropical Planting Beds with Edge Seating Symmetry Geometrical Mounds With broad Leaf Tree Cover Ornamentation Sculptures on the internal Access Focal Point Water Fountain / Sculpture Axis Distinct Paving Plaza Axial Paving Corridor A B CDEFGA D D GG G G G GG G GG G B B B B C C E E E E HELIPAD GARDEN
SECTIONS AND DETAILS
SITE 08 SUKHDEV VIHAR RESIDENCE DELHI MARCH 20TH 0800HRS MARCH 20TH 1430HRS MARCH 20TH 1730HRS JUNE 21ST 0800HRS JUNE 21ST 1430HRS JUNE 21ST 1730HRS DECEMBER 21ST 0800HRS DECEMBER 21ST 1430HRS DECEMBER 21ST 1730HRS OBSERVATIONS THE HOUSE IS PRIMARY EXPOSED TO SOUTH WEST SUN AT ALL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR EXCEPT FOR MONTHS OF DECEMBER WHERE PARTIAL SHADE IS THERE. INFERENCE • SOUTH WEST SIDE NEEDS SCREENING AND DENSE PLANTATION. THIS ALSO GIVES US AND OPPORTUNITY TO GROW SOME FLOWERING SHRUBS AS IT GETS AMPLE OF LIGHT • PASSIVE COOLING TECHNIQUES CAN BE USED TO CREATE A MORE COMFORTABLE MICRO CLIMATIC ENVIRONMENT 7 am to 8 am 2 pm to 3 pm 5 pm to 6 pm COOLING STRATEGIES Tree Shade Canopy Shade Water Cooled Stilt and Ground Floor Level with Double Height Atrium First and Second Floor Balcony Gardens Terrace Garden and Party Area A COHESIVE AND BIO PHILIC LANDSCAPE STRATEGY The designed building consists of various kinds of open areas such as atriums, balconies, terraces and service areas. These areas percolate the natural elements of the context, physically and visually. The intent is to introduce vacuum and green areas which could double up as recreational or buffer zones. Category : Residential Phase : Work in progress Area : Parts Involvement : Conceptualization,Planning, Working Drawings, Consultant Coordination,Site Inspection OVERVIEW LOCATION SOLAR LANDSCAPEANALYSISAREAS
East West Shade / Semi Shade Leafy Shrub Plantation LEGEND Natural Stone Paving with Gravel InfillSculptureJhoola Reference Imagery & Planting Intent Paving Intent Suspended Light Installation Suspended Shrub Installation Suspended Installation Potted Shrub Plantation East West Shade / Semi Shade Leafy Plantation LEGEND Linear Waterbody Lawn / Ground cover plantation (Tree SteppingUnderstorey)Stonewith White loose Gravel Finish Reference Imagery & Planting Intent Boundary Wall Intent Boundary Wall Cladding Material Shade Loving Potted Plants Platform for kennel CongregationArea2ServicesArea CongregationArea1 deck/WoodenPlantationScreenEvergreenShrubsEvergreen&Dec.TreesFloweringShrubsTurfHerbs FloweringFlowersandtreesEvergreenTrees plantationBuffer Swing Circular congregation area could act as barbeque zone and bonfire area. Movable furniture could be added. Material palette Turf, Wood, Pavers and Gravel. Gravel line also helps in maintaining the discreet drainage of the terrace A feature swing gives the identity to the place, and connects to other areas of the building. Buffer/ plantationScreen CONCEPTUAL DESIGN - ATRIUM AREA CONCEPTUAL DESIGN - TERRACE LANDSCAPE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN - BOUNDARY WALL East West Shade / Semi Shade Leafy Plantation Creeper of Climber Plantation Over Jakob Wire) LEGEND Green Wall ( Double Height) Outdoor Seating area with Jhoola Creeper/Climber Plantation ( In pots : Drooping type) Daughter’s BalconyFront Balcony Flowering Creeper & Climber at the rear balcony Shade loving plants in Master bedroom balcony REFERENCE IMAGERY PLANTING PALLETTE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN - SECOND FLOOR BALCONY AREAS
ACADEMIC PROJECTS
09GUJARATRekindleProject DEMOGRAPHICS Category : Academic project Semester : 2 (Urban Studio) SURAT
WHY? DIVERSITY - A BOON FOR SURAT
OPEN SPACE- AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INTEGRATION WHERE?
TOWARDS REKINDLE WHAT?
REKINDLED DIVERSITY PARKS HOW?
ENVISION
Finally it could be concluded that sacred groves are repositories of the ecological and cultural history of a place where the social system and ecosystem co-adapt to form an inter-related unique web of man-nature relationship depending on the context and the people. The research suc cessfully established ecological and cultural value of the groves thus mak ing this study an initial step towards reaching out to people to make one understand the importance of sacred groves. The study can also be taken forward to make policies and guidelines in city planning such that these assets are protected and conserved.
Category : Academic Research Semester : 4 (Thesis) OVERVIEW
Nature worship has always played a vital share in the human society. Look ing back into the antiquity, this custom prevailed in every continent as embodied in the culture, belief and social models of traditional societies. Depending on the cultural heritage and the belief systems of the societies, nature worship took various forms. The institution of nature conservation is a very primeval tradition in India. Its origin dates back to the pre-agricultural, hunting and gathering phase of the civilization. Sacred groves are one of the most treasured of such legacies from the aboriginal practices of nature conservation. Dotted, across the nation, are tracts of sacred groves that are fairly untouched on the grounds of cultural/religious philosophies.
Kerala is home to many kavu (sacred grove) spread across the state. But due to a lot of factors there has been depletion in the number and size of the groves. Since sacred groves are a result of very strong man-nature relationship; the thesis aimed at understanding sacred groves through human ecology by studying few cases in Kerala in detail. Initially the study took shape by understanding different definitions of sacred groves by different professionals across the globe. After which the idea of sacred grove across the globe was understood. Parallel to this, the concept of human ecology was
10 Understanding Sacred Groves through Human KERALAEcology
Sacred groves are patches of landscape, where the vegetation and other forms of life co-exist with the geographical elements. To establish a mani festation of vital link to nature, these patches were left relatively untouched by attaching spiritual values and taboos to the grove,thus preserving the heritage of the region. Different cultures observe this link in diverse ways and establish various rules. However wherever they occur, sacred groves narrate a tale of the cultural heritage and ecology of the region.
comprehended. Thus from the definitions and the understanding of human ecology set of parameters were derived. The parameters formulated were 1.Abode of supernatural power 2.Natural vegetation 3.Physical and geographical delineation 4.Historical / cultural / Mythical background 5.Associated Then7.Associated6.Communitytaboosnotionvalues.afewcasesacross India were studied, followed by a deeper under standing on the concept of kavu of Kerala. Few cases from Kerala were studied. All the case studies were studied based on the same parameters derived. Finally 2 cases from Kerala were studied in depth . The understanding and findings from the groves were linked to the human ecological aspects. From which a complex web of relationship between man and nature was derived. It was analysed that each kavu had a unique web de pending on its geographical and social context.
METHODOLOGY
Sacred grove ForestSettlementPlantationPaddy J.D Hughes and M.D. Subhash Chandran (1998): Sacred groves as segments of landscape, containing trees and other form of life and geographical features, that are delimited and protected by human societies because it is believed that to keep them in a relatively undisturbed state is an expression of important relationship to the divine or to nature. Diverse cultures perceive this relationship in different ways and establish various rules of behavior in regard to sacred space and its denizens. But whenever they occur, sacred groves are of ecological and cultural interest.
Sacred Groves of Africa (Ghana): community of Malshegu in Northern Ghana has preserve Sacred as a small forest Sacred Groves of Western Asia(Sumeria): a journey to distant mountains where a cedar grove stood surrounded by a palisade and guarded by a semidivine giant named Humbaba Sacred Groves of South East Asia(Yunnan province): Members of hill-farming com munities designated sacred woodlands where the gods were believed to dwell Marten, G. D. (2001). Human Ecology : Basic Concepts for Sustainable development: Ecology is the science of relationships between living organisms and their environment. Human ecology is about relationships between people and their environment. In human ecology the en vironment is perceived as an ecosystem . An ecosystem is everything in a specified area - the air, soil, water, living organisms and physical struc tures, including everything built by humans. The living parts of an ecosystem - micro organisms, plants and animals (including humans) - are its biological community. The social system is everything about people, their population and the psychology and social organization that shape their behavior. The social system is a central concept in human ecology because human ac tivities that impact on ecosys tems are strongly influenced by the society in which people live. Values and knowledge - which together form our worldview as individuals and as a society - shape the way that we process and interpret information and translate it into Socialaction.system is linked to eco sytem through co-adaptation.
DEFINITION OF SACRED
GROVES
DEFINITION OF HUMAN ECOLOGY
WORLD VIEW ON SACRED GROVES PARAMETERS FOR CASE STUDY
Natural vegetation: Trees planted as shade for the deities were species that were the native to the region, of which most of them had good regenerative characteristics. Thus keeping the ecosystem Treesbalanced.related to snakes were present in the grove. The existing vegetation created a system of itself with the key stone species and the rest of the species in the ecological Theweb.only things that could be taken from the grove were medical plants. 40% of plants had medicinal value, which were fading from rest of the regions due to intense agricul ture practise.
CASE 1 : PULITHARA KAVU (AREA : 0.36 ACRES
Abode of supernatural power: Deities worshipped within are abstracted from nature and believed to permeate through entire groves as indistinct beings such as tree spirits
The(vanadevatas)maindeity vana-durga is represented as a crude stone in the temple where the god dess was believed to be risen as Thelight.tree spirits(the grove) are believed to protect the
1 2b2a3
owned:Community The grove is owned by more than one community).Infamily(ezhava the case of Pulithara Kavu,it is owned by 40 communities. Sacred PrivatelyWaterbodiesGrovesowned: The grove is owned by communities).boothirihousehold(NamaandNair
Thisgoddess.grove is an example of nature worship that has protected the patch
Physical / geographic delineation: Pulithara kavu belonged to the Alappuzha region of Kerala. Alappuzha lied in the low lying areas of the state where the altitude is 2-11 m from main sea Landscapelevel. of Alappuzha con sisted of coast, low-land and midland. Kavu were found in all the three zones. Alappuzha was studded with around 2242 kavu across the region (Kerala, 2018). Since Alappuzha was the only region in the state with no forest cover, kavu were the only repositories of the forest once existed. The kavu in the region formed a system along with the Vembanad lake. Most of the kavu had a pond attached to it thus forming a water recharge system in the region (Kerala, 2018).
Associated Taboos: Each taboo associated with the grove has a scientific reason attached to it. Activities and rituals There existed daily activities and rituals and also yearly ritu als. It was observed that since it was a community owned kavu attached to household, the user group was mostly the residents of the house. All related activities were most ly religious and some of the activities involved social and cultural activities. Daily activities As observed it could be understood that the mem bers of the household visited the kavu to light the lamp and seek blessings from the spirits in the morning after sunrise and evening before sunset. Other times of the day the no peculiar activities were Itobserved.wasobserved that only the cleared path created was used for different activities. Rest of the parts were left untouched which were protected by the deities.
/ Cultural and Mythical
Historical Background: Historical background Since kavu in Alappuzha re gion existed as part of house hold and livelihood of people; A timeline of the livelihood explained that sacred groves became a part of the system where kavu started appear ing a protected patch during sustenance farming. Thus explaining the existence of kavu in the region from around 3rd century ParasuramanMythicalA.D.backgroundhadto repent for killing Kshatriyas and so he was asked to donate land to the Brahmins. He threw his weapon(Axe) into the Arabi an Sea. As the axe touched the sea,the water split. Thus Kerala was formed which was to be a peaceful home for the Brahmins and the Dravidians. However the land was thick forest with full of snakes thus was not inhabitable. Para suram prayed really hard to the snake god and Nagaraj appeared. Thus the people followed as told by Nagaraj, they left a piece of the forest patch untouched considering them sacred and the home for the serpent gods.
• The knowledge about the traditional practices were concentrated in the age group above 40 years, it was fading in younger generation
UtsavamNoorum
Utasavam conducting every year for 2 days and noorumpalum once in every year.
• Since very few knew about the ecological value of the grove, those who had less religious belief didn’t think the groves were important
• More than 95% of people in the region followed Hinduism
• 20-40:College going adults, working adults, home makers
• 40-60:working adults, home •makers>60:senior citizens
• The only reason people visited the grove was for religious purpose.
Thalichodkalpalum
Yearly rituals
• 0-20 :school going kids, school going teenagers
The major yearly rituals associated with Pulithara kavu -Utsavamincluded: which was held every year on the month of February-march for 3 days with associated rituals. -Noorum palum which was held on every 1st day of the Malayalam month except for the month of June-July -Thalichodkal which was held yearly on the auspicious day specified by the priest.
From the surveys it is under stood that:
Community notion: Survey of 40 people were conducted of both genders (10 from each age group:0-20,20-40,40-60 and >60). The various samples included the following:
• Since the groves were a part of the household almost 90% knew about the existence of sacred groves.
• 60% believed that sacred groves were important, of which majority believed they were important because of the religious reasons
Rituals and Practices Understood reason Lighting of the lamps is done every morning and evening where people come and pray Ensures that the belief of the people remain intact and the values are not lost.This ensures that the grove is not cleared.
• People from all around the world owning this Kavu try to attend the same ensuring the sense of community and belonging in the people • The importance of the grove remains intact and so it is protected. Activities in the utsavam uses loaclly kola,etcrice,turmeric,thenginagriculturematerials(mostlyavailabletheproducts This makes sure that other outside projects that are non biodegradable and not part of the region is not broughtinto the kavu The poojas and utsavam are done Pulluvanpattuwith by the community.Kalamspulluvan are drawn by the same. This ensures the contituinty of the tradition such that the folk arts dont die and so does such communities. No pooja is done during the month of june july This ensures that the snakes are not disturbed during their reproduction time
Role
Groves as connected system of rich biodiversity as home to endemic/threatened species of pollinators in surrounding landscape
Associated values: Ecological and social val ues of the system of kavu of Alappuzha was understood. Existing relationships were understood and its benefits were AvifaunalEcologicalanalysed.valuesrelationshipwiththe surrounding landscape
Analysis: Human ecological web for Pulithara Overlayingkavuall the parameters and their inter-relationship between ecosystem and so cial system, a unique web of coadaptation between man and nature has been derived
• It was home to endemic species from western Ghats and southern India
Natural vegetation:
• Saraswathy devi (goddess of knowledge)in the morning • Goddess Vana Durga (the power of forest) at noon
Abode of supernatural power: Vegetation in the Kavu were considered as spirits. It was believed that the trees were the spirits that protect the main goddess and the temple from externalities.The temple in the center of the Kavu was dedicated to Durga Devi was believed to take 3 forms of power throughout the day:
• Bhadrakali (the power of fury and termination) at night the stakeholders.
• Many wild relatives of the cultivated plants like ginger, pepper, turmeric, etc. were found in the grove and this migt constitute precious gene pool valuable for genetic en hancement of these cultivated •species.Most of the plants have medicinal value thus becom ing a bank for the same.
CASE 2 : IRINGOLE KAVU (AREA: 50 ACRES)
Physical / geographic delineation: Iringole Kavu was part of Ernakulam district of Kerala.It lied in the mid land region of the Kavuregion.was a part of the midlands of this region, Since highlands already had forest cover there were no groves found in that region. Medium size kavu was more prevalent in this Iringoleregion.kavu with coordinates (10o6’31”N; 76o30’28”E) locat ed in the Perumbavur Munici pal Town existed in the dense rural settlement as seen in the above map. The landscape mosaic consisted of agricultur al land (paddy and plantation) , rural settlement and the large chunk of the grove. The grove was situated on the highest elevation of the region.
• The vegetation is West Coast Tropical Evergreen type as per Champion and Seth, 1968. The vegetation was slowly chang ing to semi evergreen type in which several species were common in evergreen forest
Historical / Cultural and Mythical Background: Historical background • The grove had been owned by a single family privately from the beginning of feudal ism in the region. Therefore the history of the grove was dependent on the transfer of ownership from the Illoms to the municipality and temple •trust.Itwas after the transfer of ownership from the private ownership that the community group started protecting the Mythicalgrove. background. Goddess Durgawho was hte eight born of Vasudeva-Deva ki couple improsoned by the cruel King Kamsais the power behund this grove.The little baby who rose up from the hands as he attempted to kill her,beaming bright in the sky above.The place where the beam fell was called ‘irunnol’ that later became ‘iringol’. the gods who descended on earth to pay obeisance to the godess 0became the vegeta tion in the grove.
Associated Taboos: Each taboo associated with the grove has a scientific reason attached to it. Activities and rituals There existed daily activates and rituals and also yearly rit uals. It was observed that since it was a community owned grove in the large settlement area, the number of users who visited the grove for variety of activities were very high. People from different back grounds including students, professionals, housewives, seniors citizens, etc. visited the kavu for varied activities. Even though there was large inflow of people into the kavu, the natural asset was disturbed to minimum extent. Daily activities In the mornings religious users attended the morning rituals in the temple and offered prayers. At the same time the professionals went around the vegetated area of the grove for study. In the afternoon, students and visitors came for short trips, media videography was a popular aspect. In the evening same as in the morn ing, people visited the grove for prayers and professionals for study. After the evening Pooja no one was allowed into the grove.
• The myth had no relation to Illom ,the myth was all about the vegetation having the spirits.
• Since this was more of a secular institution people use it for different purposes like socializing, professional, education ,retreat and religion.
The major yearly activities in Iringole included the following -Vithidal chadang was held once a year before pooram mostly in the month of -PooramFebruary-Marchwhichwas held once in a year for nine days mostly in the month of -ThrikarthikaFebruary-Marchwas celebrated once in a year.
Yearly rituals
VithidalPooram
RitualsPracticesand Understood reason Lighting of the lamps is done praypeopleeveningmorningeveryandwherecomeand Ensures that the belief of the people remain intact and the values are not lost. Pooram that is conducted every year for 9 days It brings in the sense of community among people and also keeps the relationship with the grove strong Vithidal chadang This is a way of seeking blessings from nature before sowing of seeds, thus reminding the man nature relation. This involves the pulaya community and the other communities,t hus bringing the communities together mudipattu,kudayattamPulaya,aatu(folkart) This ensures the continuity of the tradition such that the folk arts dont die and so does communities.such meal)Oottu(community This is also another way of thanking nature by sharing the agriculture produce from the farms with rest of community.the All the rituals and practices happen only in the cleared portion around the temple and the processions are always through the path from the east parambuside(poora)to the temple This ensures that the rest of the grove remains undisturbed by the large footfall.
Thrikarthikachadang
Community notion: Survey of 40 people were conducted of both genders (10 from each age group:0-20,20-40,40-60 and From>60). the surveys it is understood that:
• The grove was attached to the temple for goddess Durga and not as part of household ,so not all the peo ple knew about the existence of the grove.(The region had a people from different religion including Hinduism, Islam and •Christianity)60%believed that sacred groves were important, of which 40% people believed it was important because of religion(mostly of older age group),40% people believed it is socially important and 20% •ecologically.Theknowledge about the traditional practices was not known to many as the grove is situated in the region with people from all religions. Also the level of traditional knowledge decreased with the decrease in age. Which showed a deficit in passing of traditional knowledge
Associated values: Ecological values : -Avifaunal relationship with surrounding landscape -Butterfly relationship with surrounding landscape -Bidiversity hotspot Endamism of floral species
CONCLUSION
Avifaunal
Butterfly
Analysis: Human ecological web for Iringol Overlayingkavu all the parame ters and their inter-relation ship between ecosystem and social system, a unique web of coadaptation between man and nature has been derived
It can be concluded that a Sacred grove is a repository of the ecological and cultural history of a place where the social system and ecosystem co-adapt to form an inter-related unique web of man-nature relationship depending on the context and the people. relationship with the surrounding landscape relationship with the surrounding landscape hotspot
Biodiversity
SKILLS
EXPLORING HAPPINESS IN THE HIMALAYAN KINGDOM OF BHUTAN RESILIENT COMMUNITIES FOR RESILIENT
Bhutan, the land of Thunder Dragon is a land locked country in eastern Himalayas with a small population of the most contended and the happiest people in the world. In this era of global warming and climate change, Bhutan has emerged as an example where carbon foot prints are negative in Thimphu. The magnificent colorful building had resisted shocks of big earthquakes due to its resilience and the people have learnt how to be happy living within the natural milieu. People of Bhutan especially in Thimphu, pre fer to have police managing traffic instead of traffic lights. This course explored the wilderness of cultural traits that best suited for the natural abode amidst the happiest human being. The art of living with nature yet progressive in spirit was the major focus of this explorative study. In the shivering winter it was interesting to study and understand about how human interactions with nature has maintained a perfect balance in this picturesque Kingdom of Eastern Himalaya. The study focused on collecting direct information from the various key stakeholders in the city and its surroundings. It engaged with local experts, change makers and the developmental agen cies in order to know the details of the city life. Interactions with the local communities had been emphasized to understand the secret of their happiness. This study attempted to apply qualitative, participatory and explorative methods to un wind the happiness quotient of people of Bhutan particularly those living in the city of Thimphu. This course, offered in collaboration with Center for Environment Education (CEE), focused on an appropriate resilient design strategies by studying Neighborhoods in New York city that are being designed by differing resiliency approaches. We did this through a study of design initia tives that included architectural, landscape and planning strategies by Rebuild by Design and Department of City Planning (DCP), one focusing on architectural & landscape design, and the oth er focusing on local area planning. As part of the Study, we visited and interacted with teams from NYU, 100RC (Rockefeller Foundation), Rebuild by Design (RBD), Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), SCAPE, and the Mayor’s Office NYC. Rebuild by Design, under the 100RC framework, has initiated several resiliency projects in New York since the superstorm Sandy in 2012. The resiliency projects by RBD included those by internationally acclaimed practices such as Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), OMA, and SCAPE, while some of the same neighborhoods also fall under the Resilient Neighborhoods Program of the DCP. Our studies focused on identifying areas of overlaps and/or gaps between the approaches and meth ods of the two institutions. This was done through understanding the design strategies and design processes that enhanced the resilience of the built fabric and the linkages of the built environment to the community members. The perception of the community members were the focus of the Study. Through this, we discussed the potential of such approaches in Indian cities for flood resilience, which is the main concern of the course. CITIES,NEW YORK
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Workshops Attended
14 Digital skills
15 Hand skills THANK YOU!
