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19th
century marvel wildlife
19th
century marvel Peshawar, the oldest living
city of South Asia, has always been a melting pot of cultures and On the southern side of this mound, less than 200 meters away from the Gor Khuttree, lays Mohallah Sethian -- which has seven magnificent mansions built by a famous business dynasty of the 19th century India, the Sethis. The Sethis had business links with India, China, Central Asia and Russia, which were seriously affected by the Russian Revolution. The Sethi Complex bore the brunt of hard times since then, till 2006 when the MMA government bought one of these mansions for the purpose of conservation and handed it over to the archaeology department. The Sethi House was built by Haji Karim Baksh in 1882, and has used techniques and aesthetics from a very diverse range of sources. The layout plan resembles plans of old houses in Baghdad, while the decorative elements used here can be traced to Samarkand, Bukhara, Persia and India, which makes it one of the richest living architectural record of building techniques, tastes and craftsmanship of old times of the region. The Sethi House is a three
storey building with huge basements on all four sides of the central
courtyard, making intelligent use of the ground levels. The incredible
ceiling heights of these basements, there multiple levels, intelligent use of
wooden jalis, panjalis, and baadgirs for light and ventilation, and
compartmentalisation for different usages are good examples of space
utilisation and energy conservation for compact urban properties. A
well-protected vault in one of the basements with a strong steel door is a
telltale sign of the riches the Sethis had to guard. Walking through load-bearing brick arches one finds a fountain in the central courtyard, which is not functional these days, however it does not need a lot of imagination to picture the calming effect of its music on the inhabitants. The structure of the building has used enormous amounts of wood with brick fillings. The central courtyard is surrounded by doorways and windows on the ground floor. Balconies of the balakhanas, the upper two storeys, open into it and connect all levels for instant communication -- a significant feature as opposed to the contemporary house plans that approves the western-style of individualism. The views on all sides of the courtyard is that of wooden doors, basta windows and panels, all intricately carved with floral and geometric motifs, blending Gandhara with the Islamic practices of those times. The splendid woodwork is embedded with beautiful stained glass pieces which make a colourful show for the indoors during daylight, and for the courtyard after dark. Mostly pukka kali is used as a base for the fresco work; however there are a few instances of bypassing the standard technique, an observation made by architect Tahir Khattak, head of the documentation of the project. Inside the rooms and living spaces, one finds ornately embellished cheenee khanas as the central decorative elements. These cheenee khanas alone have used many layers of the crafts that one might find only in palaces of those times. Starting from the aina-kari, which are then embedded in manabat-kari that is covered with kashi-kari. There are panels with paper paintings which are framed in plain glass, with the repetition of the layers mentioned above. The false ceilings are decorated with panels made of hundreds of wooden pieces that are studded with wooden reliefs painted with pigment paints; a technique known as tarseem bandi. The elaborate use of decorative elements like carvings, fretwork, fresco tracery, stucco tracery, floral motifs used in scrolls, freeze lines, arches, and paintings makes it a monumental and arduous task for any conservation intervention. Proper conservation and interpretation of the tangible cultural heritage will open many doors for the researchers, a task so vital for a culture that is still in search of its identity on many levels. One must contemplate that it is our built heritage -- which we are leaving behind -- that is most likely to survive in its original form and not our intentions. Our claims or level of honesty should not be the only benchmarks to qualify us to intervene in such projects, for it requires a lot of experience, technical expertise, and above all, sensitivity to qualify for that. wildlife Khunjerab’s elusive cats The photograph of three snow leopards, all sitting grandly together, brings this endangered animal in the spotlight By Aoun Sahi Recently, during a two-month long night camera trapping
session at the Khunjerab National Park For the locals in Gilgit-Baltistan, this is like a miracle. They call it ‘pes’, a female supernatural beautiful denizen of the high mountains. The snow leopard is considered a mysterious animal that stays away from humans, and so hardly a case has been reported where a snow leopard has attacked a human being. Whereas, many cases have been reported when snow leopard has attacked livestock but herdsmen have beaten it to death. Unlike other big cats of Africa and Asia, they do not roar instead have a sort of sneezing, chuffing sound. In Pakistan, habitat of snow leopard is spread over an
area of 81000 sq kilometres in the Hindukush, Himalaya and Karakoram mountain
ranges. Interestingly, latest information on the population of snow leopards
in Pakistan is lacking. The recent estimates of its population (between
150-300) are made on the basis of surveys undertaken by Dr. George Schaller
in the early 1970s. He also took the first-ever picture of a snow leopard in
the wild in Chitral Gol National Park in early 1970s. The recent study aims at estimating the population of the snow leopards in KNP. Around 643 images of animals of different species were photographed during this intensive camera trapping session. But it was the photograph of three snow leopards -- two young adults with their mother -- all sitting grandly together that caught the eye. This photo has once again brought this endangered animal in the focus. Pakistan is among the few countries where snow leopards can be found in the snowbound northern areas. The camera trapping project records data about snow leopards and other carnivores that share snow leopard habitat. “The recent surveys in KNP were part of our ongoing research programme of assessing the status, distribution, population, and threats to snow leopards and other carnivores in KNP,” says Jaffaruddin, Program Manager, Snow Leopard Foundation. “We promote snow leopards as flagship for the conservation of mountain wildlife of Pakistan and support the government in improving the functionality and management of protected areas,” he explains. According to Jaffaruddin, who has been working on the conservation of this big cat for over a decade, the sub-objectives of the survey included testing the response of carnivores to each lure and the first-time introduced ‘Occupancy Modelling’ technique for snow leopards in Pakistan. Over 1,400 sq kilometres area of the KNP has been scanned during the surveys and 150 focal (snow leopard droppings or scat) samples have also been collected for genetic analysis. “Once data analysis is completed, the study will
provide more reliable estimates of snow leopards in the park besides
highlighting existing management and monitoring limitations. This will
ultimately help manage the park resources and increase awareness among locals
about the importance of this beautiful animal in ecosystem. Snow Leopard
Trust and Panthera provided financial support for this study,” says
Jaffaruddin. Khunjerab National Park being a snow leopard habitat is also home to other endangered species like marco polo sheep and Himalayan ibex, both important snow leopard preys. “According to initial findings, about 10-15 snow leopards are present in KNP. The most encouraging sight is the presence of 5,000-6,000 of ibex (primary prey) and around 80 marco polo sheep. The presence of primary prey in good number indicates the presence of this big cat that sits on top of food chain. “This animal plays a key role in maintaining the mountain ecosystem. Its absence can trigger environmental changes such as the denudation of vegetation cover and soil erosion”, says an official of KNP. The official tells TNS that lack of resources is the major constraint in making real efforts for conservation of this beautiful animal in the park. “We don’t allow all international NGOs working on conservation of snow leopards to work in KNP because it is a sensitive place situated close to the Chinese border,” he reveals. Experts think that man poses a major threat to the survival of snow leopards. Besides loss of prey, killings of snow leopards in response to or in prevention of livestock losses were reported as the prime danger to the species. Mining, logging, and industrial development degrade and fragment snow leopard habitat. They are forced to go to less suitable areas, where the climate may be harsher, prey scarcer and conflicts with humans more likely to occur. As the population grows people hunt ibex and blue sheep for food. As wild sheep and goat populations decline, snow leopards go hungry and chances of its attacking the livestock multiplies. “Killing of snow leopards in this area is driven by two main objectives: the desire to protect domestic livestock from predator cats and the desire to trade in the animal or its parts,” says an official. SLP has already done a similar survey in Chitral district. After data analysis, it is estimated that 36 big cats are present in the district. Livestock depredation reports collected from the area during study reflected 138 cases affecting 102 families in a period of eight years between 2001 and 2008 -- indicating existence of the human-snow leopard conflicts. Sensitising the local communities on the importance of this beautiful animal in the ecosystem and for the environment can help a lot to conserve it. Representatives of local community appreciate efforts of SLF and other organisations trying to conserve snow leopard but “The increase in population of this animal in our area means we have been providing space for it to thrive. We have been trying to conserve this animal since 1989 despite strong reservations of our community,” Rehman Posh, Chairman KVO tells TNS on phone. “We really love this big cat but as its population has been increasing, the number of attacks on livestock of local herdsmen has also been increasing. Two months back it attacked a herd and killed 50 goats and sheep in KNP. The government or NGOs did not compensate the affected herdsman. This incident has increased hatred for the animal in our area. We are about to reach a point where we will have to choose between conservation and livelihood. I hope some government departments and NGOs will come forward and start compensating locals before they turn into enemy of this beautiful animal,” says a very concerned Posh.
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civilisations throughout its known history. Archaeological investigations on
the famous Gor Khuttree mound in the walled city of Peshawar have identified
human settlements dating back to 539 BC. That makes it one of the most unique
world heritage assets where European, Central Asian, Persian, and Indian
civilisations have left their marks.
(KNP) near the Pakistan-China border in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, three
snow leopards were spotted in a single shot. A survey ‘Human-Cat
Interaction and Signs’ was conducted in November and December 2010, by the
Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) Pakistan in collaboration with the directorate
of KNP, the Forest and Wildlife Department of Gilgit-Baltistan, local
community organisations including Khunjerab Villagers Organisation (KVO) and
Shimshal Nature Trust (SNT) and WWF.
