Notes from the Sunderbans

That was awesome writeup on Sunderbans. Brought back my memories of a few blissful days spent traveling there a long time ago.

Dear Veeresh,

Thank you ...... I cannot say why ...... perhaps because of the way you juxtapose natural beauty with human suffering ....... I remember visiting those parts with my father when I was very young ...... but I vividly remember. Thanks once again.

Spree of digs in Sunderbans
SEBANTI SARKAR

Artefacts from the Tilpi archaeological site. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya
The archaeological find at Tilpi and Dhosa, in South 24-Parganas, has prompted the authorities to excavate 20 other sites in the Sunderbans, starting at Deulpotha, where Pala-era pottery was recently unearthed at a brick kiln.

“The area has been declared ‘protected’ and work will start next week,” said superintendent of the state directorate of archaeology Amal Roy.

Excavation at the twin sites of Tilpi and Dhosa, 50 km from Calcutta, was suspended in June last year because of the rains. Work resumed in Tilpi two months ago, but the Dhosa site could not excavated, as it falls within a residential area.

A stupa from 2nd Century BC was found in Dhosa in March last year.

“Digging 5.30 metres down at Tilpi, we have come across interesting evidence suggesting that the site was devastated in a fire 10,000 years ago. Habitation appears to have begun there in 2nd Century BC, only to end abruptly in 3rd Century AD, when the land got submerged. The second phase of habitation might have started in 16th Century AD,” said Roy.

The recent digging in Tilpi — at Tentultala and Kancharipara — has yielded 356 items, “proving once again” that “a highly-developed civilisation” existed there from 2nd Century BC.

Goutam Sengupta, state director of archaeology and museums, said: “The Sunderbans ecosystem was not as inhabitable as we find it today... The land must have been less saline and the Piyali a source of fresh water, supporting a flourishing trade in forest products.”

Among the recent find — from 2nd Century BC to 2nd Century AD — are ivory products and precious stones.

Unlike other contemporary sites in lower Bengal, Tilpi has thrown up abundant evidence of industry in the form of near-intact hearths, smelting and casting tools and copper ingots. “Evidence of trade and aesthetic sensibilities, too, were found in the form of inscribed seals, coins, black ware, terracotta figurines and precious stones,” said an official.

There are carnelian and agate beads with delicate carvings and fine fragments of coins and seals. One of them bears a figure dressed in apparently foreign clothes.

That the civilisation predates Brahmanical Hinduism is borne out by the Yakshi figures and lotuses, which point to the existence of local cults.

Went through automatic slide show. Very good job and interesting pictures.
What are those plastic looking grey looking big whale like stuff ?
Do they putting lots of Eucalyptus trees ? I have seen they demand huge waters and grow fast dominating local flora ? wonder.
Thanks for pictures

Thank you all, there were some Hindu/Muslim observations which I left out. Then there were some observations about airline food also which I left out. And finally there were many observations about the whole Bangladesh thing which I left out too.

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AM/4 - that plastic blown up in the water is the way they fish over there, just could not figure it out, plan to go there again in December with water-proof camera, needs to be salt-water proof too as well as mud proof. Eucalyptus is following the Government and shows up where ``they`` have placed brick roads, sad but true. However, almost 85% of the Indian Sunderbans is declared as a ``core`` area so nothing changes there, hopefully, and even entry into those areas is very difficult, you really have to have a purpose like photography or whatever.

Shah2/3 - thanks. Yes, there are also supposed to be treasures that flow down the rivers and then settle in the delta, appearing every now and then.

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Re: # 5
Thanks for explaining about blown up plastic thing. I think fishes must be feeling like cover and protection just like domestic cats always like sit under chair, having roof over head is pleasant feeling for all humans and beasts also.
From pictures it appears the soil is etremely fine , beyond silt but clay which are almost impermeable. The land is saturated with water so most crops cerel ( except) rice difficult to grow. But they can be destroyed easily if drained . Good thing for lands and animals going is my feeling extreme heat ( which tans Bengalies ) humidity and hopefully lots mosquitos make life miserable for humans. Other things which can help indian forests over long term is urbanisation. Soon in near future more more Indians will like in Mega and big cities reducing pressure on lands, waters and animals have chance.
I have seen pictures of indian forests and noted statistics amazing part is there is more protein in form of animals than east asians forests.( east asians eat every thing dead or alive, four legged they do not eat is table and two legged humans rest is all koshar, so their forests are having much less animals) So even with small areas animals have chance of survival. This is twilight time for Indian animals. If urbanisation goes as indicated by all trends then lesser pressure on animals and lands and trees they have chance even to increase numbers. It is creditable for people when they follow federal govt bans Elephant hunting when they damage farms on regular basis and compensate farmers , or airforce which abandons airforce base as elephants invade and can not be kept away. Most will shoot them and finish problem. There are some good things and ethos for wild animals to some extent.
You can some times give us pictures of seas and ships specially of VLCCs, Drybulk carriers, and various class pictures suezmax, afrimax, handymax, some LNG carriers or some when ships travels through frozen seas near article circles as well as pictures of ports of subcontinents and some writing on shipping business, just suggestion.
Thanks, good night.

Amitav Ghosh has written about that region i think in hungry Tides ....

Dear sir,
I have misplaced ur email id. i was interacting with you since your cybersteering days. was at Reliance petroleum jamnagar those days.
am at mumbai now.'
my present email id is :dineshkumar.chaudhary@ril.com
Can u pl! send me a tinker.
regards
dinesh