Our Natural Heritage

This talk, titled ‘Our Natural Heritage’ will be given by Prof. P.K. Ghanekar. A botanist by profession, Prof. Ghanekar is also an avid trekker and has studied the environment for 45 years.

The state of Maharashtra is geographically unique. It hosts two famous mountain ranges: Sahyadri and Satpura. The Sahyadri range is one of the eight ‘hotspots’ of biodiversity in the world, a veritable paradise for nature lovers. The state boasts a range of flora and fauna, seen in wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and protected areas. Maharashtra’s many rivers and their basins, including those of the Narmada, Tapti, Godavari, Krishna, Bhima and Painganga, enrich the state’s biodiversity and quality of life. Most of Maharashtra is covered in igneous rock, resulting in a tremendous variety of geological morphosites. The Sindhu Sagar (Arabian Sea) on the western coast it is also home to marine life forms and estuarine wildlife. The state’s varied weather patterns result in a unique meteorological phenomenon known as the indravajra (circular rainbow). This talk will discuss the different aspects of our natural heritage with special reference to the biodiversity of Maharashtra.

This baithak is in collaboration with Heritage India Communications, an organisation that, for the last 12 years, has worked extensively towards creating awareness about India’s rich heritage through publications, heritage walks, trips, lecture series and workshops.