Hindu Sikh Boddhi & Dalit Cremation Ground

Site 2

Nigam Bodh Ghat: Yamuna River Bank Delhi

Ghat Number 21

Aim: Interaction with migratory Siberian bird and to take an estimate of the minerals & nutritional strength of water as a food source and aquatic ecosystem

Yamuna an ancient sacred river of Hindus which becomes the host for hundreds of Siberian birds who migrate all the way from past many decades every year between November to march or after Diwali till Holi (both are Hindu festivals) in others words and as explained by the  Pundits who owns these Ghats here. But unfortunately these birds do not get a privileged welcome here in India anymore. The Ecological Health of our environment made claims of recovery but not much of this is true.

Yes, we hosted The Common Wealth Games and government had spent huge budget, thrice the amount of what was first estimated. Although our athletes performed decently well better then expected but what can be remembered most of this international festival is the effervescent performances of our elected politician with their natural inclination to be corrupted has been celebrated once again throughout the country. People spent more money from their pockets because prices rose on almost of everything and money thus generated consumed efficiently by "Our Saviour Gods" of government. The symptoms of their corruptdness appeared in many forms like the imported plants which were bought were used more for the purpose of mere decorating and thoroughly ignored were sustainable aspects of ecology.

The severe decline of birds as it was noticed in the recent past years was a direct evidence of impact caused by hundreds of construction project taking place everywhere in the city. With lesser green surfaces, reduced nesting spaces caused by deforestation all affected biodiversity of our environment acutely and with these imported plants the seeding opportunities and other needs of the local living birds is still not supplied. More so is the case with the river water. I remember hearing from my father almost five years ago when India was in initial stages of hosting CW Games that the filthy Yamuna will be treated on the lines of River Thames and transformed and fools are we for planning picnic at yet to be born Indian Thames.

By the policies and measures taken with Games hosting has impacted river's fate too, though to some extent but that too is just a shiny coat on the surface. While there is a clear evidence of difference & lightning of the colour of river water from how it was earlier but it still is black, it still smells the same what might has reduced is the frothyness or maybe it is just a change of light. The opaque black thick water anyhow is still sacred & sacred is still heavy. 

The Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism, mandate cremation. In these religions, the body is seen as an instrument to carry the soul. As an example, the Bhagavad Gita.

In Hinduism, during cremation the eldest son or the adopted son or the younger brother put first fire on dead person's body. And this ritual is considered mandatory. In modern period even daughters are also encouraged for this practice.

Hinduism and Jainism are notable for not only allowing but prescribing cremation. Cremation in India is first attested in the Cemetery H culture (from ca. 1900 B.C.), considered the formative stage of Vedic civilization.

Bodies of holy men and children, however, are buried not cremated. Certain castes and tribes who get classified as Hindus also perform burials, not cremations. The Rigveda contains a reference to the then emerging practice, in RV 10.15.14, where the forefathers "both cremated (agnidagdhá-) and uncremated (ánagnidagdha-)" are invoked.

According to Hindu philosophy the human body is a combination of five basic natural elements; namely agni (fire), jala (water), vayu (air), prithvi (earth) and akasha (space/ether). When one dies, fire (agni tattva) ceases, and that living form is sent to its original state of creation. Fire (in the form of cremation) is used to complete the fifth element.

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next page: Interrogating established bird feeding site at one side of a heavy traffic route of South Delhi...read more

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