Books with author Nanditha Krishna

Plants personify the divine— The Rig Veda (X.97)Trees and plants have long been held sacred to communities the world over. In India, we have a whole variety of flora that feature in our myths, our epics, our rituals, our worship and our daily life. There is the pipal, under which the Buddha meditated on the path to enlightenment; the banyan, in whose branches hide spirits; the ashoka, in a grove of which Sita sheltered when she was Ravana’s prisoner; the tulsi, without which no Hindu house is considered complete; the bilva, with whose leaves it is possible to inadvertently worship Shiva. Before temples were constructed, trees were open-air shrines sheltering the deity, and many were symbolic of the Buddha himself.Sacred Plants of India systematically lays out the sociocultural roots of the various plants found in the Indian subcontinent, while also asserting their ecological importance to our survival. Informative, thought-provoking and meticulously researched, this book draws on mythology and botany and the ancient religious traditions of India to assemble a detailed and fascinating account of India’s flora.

Read anytime, anywhere with the free Kindle smartphone appsThis book spans several millennia of the city’s history, from the first paleolith found in India, through Sangam literature and the ancient and medieval dynasties till the colonial and post-colonial periods, which have made it the metropolis of today. This book also describes the city’s natural resources and the squandering away of this wealth, which attracted settlements in the first place. The author Nanditha Krishna is a cultural historian and environmentalist, Director of the C P Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation, and author of several books and articles. She works in the Foundation’s 200 year old heritage building, one of the city’s historical sites.

Read anytime, anywhere with the free Kindle smartphone appsThe world's first environmental movement began in Rajasthan, circa 1535 C.E. by Guru Jambeshwarji, founder of the bishnoi faith, whose most important teaching was to save an animal or tree even at the cost of one's life. chipko-or hug a tree -became the try of indian environmentalists theraafter. There have been many after him who have spent their lives fighting to protect trees and animals.This play spans five hundered years and three manjor environmental movements in indian. whenever a group people perform this play they and thier audience will be reminded that the environmental began long ago in india