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Indian Cultural Landscapes & Ecology

This document discusses the concept of Indian cultural landscape and its relationship to ecological cosmology. It examines how Indian cultural landscape represents the interplay between man and nature through various built structures and traditions that have maintained continuity over generations. The paper provides a critical analysis of aspects of Indian cultural landscape, such as its representation of cosmic rhythm, Bharat as Devi, the sacred Ganga River, and sacred sites. It argues that cultural landscapes reflect the interaction between humans and the natural environment over time.

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78 views1 page

Indian Cultural Landscapes & Ecology

This document discusses the concept of Indian cultural landscape and its relationship to ecological cosmology. It examines how Indian cultural landscape represents the interplay between man and nature through various built structures and traditions that have maintained continuity over generations. The paper provides a critical analysis of aspects of Indian cultural landscape, such as its representation of cosmic rhythm, Bharat as Devi, the sacred Ganga River, and sacred sites. It argues that cultural landscapes reflect the interaction between humans and the natural environment over time.

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16SA125.KaranThakkar
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416-13]. Singh, Rana P.B. 2013.

Indian Cultural Landscape vis-à-vis Ecological Cosmology: A Vision


for the 21st Century. Annals, National Association of Geographers of India, Annals- NAGI
(ISSN: 0970-972X, NAGI New Delhi), vol. 33 (2), December 2013: pp. 36-62.

Indian Cultural Landscape vis-à-vis Ecological Cosmology: A Vision


for the 21st Century

Rana P.B. Singh*


Abstract. The concept of Indian Cultural Landscape refers to a complex cultural mosaic and network
of spatiality of time, temporality of space, sacrality of nature and overall the encompassing
manifestation of transcendence of man who since time immemorial is trying to make a strong bridge
between conscious mind and super-conscious divine. This way the interplay has been part of constant
and continuous evolutionary drama between earthly Man and cosmic Nature, turning into various
built-structures and traditions that maintained continuity-maintenance-transformation and changes, of
course always keeping the essence of the past that processed and get transferred from one generation
to another. This makes the aliveness in the lifeways of the people and culture. Concept of cultural
landscape has root in geographical thought and commonly accepted as one of the best strategies to
understand and project the vividness and commonality of landscape and culture. This paper is an
attempt on the line of critical appraisal of history of Indian Cultural Landscape, and its selected
manifestive representations, e.g. cosmic rhythm and mandala, Bharat as Devi, the ‘motherly’ Ganga
River, and sacred sites.
Keywords: Indian Cultural Landscape, heritage, religious symbolism, Hindu cosmogony,
sacredscapes, global message.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Cultural Landscape: Envisioning the heritage


Virtually all landscapes have cultural associations, because virtually all landscapes have been
affected in some way by human action or perception. Therefore, the phrase “cultural landscape” does
not mean a special type of landscape; instead, it reflects upon a way of seeing landscapes and
associated attributes that emphasizes the interaction between human beings and nature over
* Dr. Rana P.B. Singh, Professor & Head, Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Banaras Hindu
University, Varanasi, UP 221005, India; & Vice-President, ACLA – Asian Cultural Landscape
Association. Email: ranapbs@gmail.com ; # This paper is based on a special lecture in the ACLA
International Symposium on “Meanings & Aesthetics in Asian Cultural Landscape”: 12~14 October
2013, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

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