Written by Radhika Bhagat Radhika tells us about the time she spent with elephants, exclusively for Different Truths. If you live in India, it is inevitable that sooner or later, you will come across an elephant, if not in the jungle then on the city streets. Braving traffic and the sound of babies crying, blaring horns, engines revving, hawkers calling out to passersby to buy street food, or clothes made in China, fake designer watches or secondhand books, among other things

Written by Anant Shastri Looking up at a mountain can be an awe inspiring moment as they tower upon us – lofty, majestic, and grand. These are often considered pathways to reach God, literally like a stairway to heaven and a gateway to reach the Supreme. Mountains stand strong and brave against all vagaries of the natural elements. Despite that, they are always persevering and teaching us equanimity, especially during adverse conditions. It is not difficult to believe that e

Written by Anant Shastri Forest bathing is a term that has been around for a while. It could be thought of as a fitness trend or just a simple mindfulness practice. Back in the 1980s, the Japanese term Shinrin-Yoku (“forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”) came into light. This was considered to be a physiological and a psychological exercise. The reasons for this term to become popular were two-fold. First was to offer relief against the tech-boom burnout. Seco

Written by Radhika Bhagat A glimpse into the Sacred forests of Maanpur, Uttar Pradesh and Sunehra, Rajasthan, India By Radhika Bhagat and Rubina Rajan In the heart of Braj, the forests where Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha performed many “leelas’ ‘, lie several small and large sacred groves. The trees here are said to be divine themselves and are revered as great souls, devotees of Krishna and Radha. It is tragic that the great forests, such holy places have now all but disapp

Written by Ritu Gajbhiye by Ritu Gajbhiye A dense canopied old growth forest with tall trees intertwined with vines and creepers. A melody of bird calls harmonizing with the howls of the Hoolock Gibbons. This was experienced by Ms. Vianney Ch Momin, a researcher with the Sacred Earth Trust in Selbalgre, Meghalaya as part of a research project titled “Sacred Groves: Potential for biodiversity conservation in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya. A study by Tiwari et al. (1998) which co

Written by Mansab Sayyad Humans have been curious since the dawn of mankind. Fueled by creativity and inquisitiveness crossing paths with each other often led to discoveries and innovations which were once assumed impossible. I love science as well as mythology especially, Greek mythology. So, when I did some looking, one of the theories that was presented in front of me was the Gaia Theory which sounded extremely cool. So let me take you on a journey discovering how a hypoth

Written by Shaariq Ashar India is a land rich with a variety of tribal groups that inhabit different parts of the country. Each of these communities shares a unique bond with nature that is showcased in how they lead their lives as well as their cultural and religious practices. Let’s take a look at some tribes that follow exemplary approaches to coexist with nature: For the Moyon Tribe of Manipur, fishing is one of many traditional occupations that provide a seasonal incom

Written by Mansab Sayyad We are aware of the potential of the internet, and because of that, you are here reading this article; started on August 1991 world wide web took the world by fire. Spreading across the planet, it was a phenomenon that revolutionized everything. But if we take a walk in some moderately dense forest, you might not know it, but there is a woodwide web beneath your feet that wants to stay hidden until now… So what exactly is that? We must take our journe

Written by Shiny Rajan Article by Shiny Rajan NATURE IS THE BEST TEACHER. I know it’s a cliché. We often forget it or conveniently disregard it to suit our needs and selfish justifications. Picture 1 I recently had the fortune of spending some time in nature. I allowed myself to be present in the moment. On reflection, the first term that came to my mind was ‘Harmony’. As I looked around, harmony was everywhere – to see, hear, smell, and feel. Nature does not create boundarie

Written by Radhika Bhagat Animism is considered to contain the oldest spiritual and supernatural perspectives in the world. Radhika aspires for its revival to save our planet. An exclusive for Different Truths. Zemyana in Lithuania, Pachamama in South America, Bhumi Devi in India, Aja in Africa, the mother goddess, the revered and the most ancient one. Gaia. Who created herself out of the primordial chaos. Out of whom all living beings originate and must return. The worship o

Written by Mansab Sayyad According to the American Institute of Stress, 35% of the world’s population has been struggling with stress since the early 19th century. The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. With the long work hours faced by urban Indians, it wouldn’t be surprising if we spent even more. Putting the generation of Vitamin D aside, the simple act of being outdoors in nature offers severa

Written by Radhika Bhagat The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is situated along the Osun River in the city of Osogbo and is a UNESCO world heritage site. Here, a statue of the goddess Osun stands by the river with her arms outstretched as if to welcome visitors to her forest. Since ancient times, worshippers arrive at the Osun sacred grounds to present their prayers and offerings to Osun – the goddess of rivers, fertility, sexuality, prosperity and love, says Radhika, tracing the or

Written by Anant Shastri If you remember your last visit to a forest, you might have seen some trees, birds, and an occasional wild animal. However, just hidden away from plain sight, under the soil, there lies a complex network of microscopic fungi. These fungi find its home below the soil, leaves, and moss. Additionally, it is intertwined with the roots of the trees, connecting them together. When you ask anyone about fungus, they might recollect seeing mushrooms sprouting

Written by Shaariq Ashar “On earth, there is no heaven, but some pieces of it” Picture this: you have woken up to a symphony of bird calls which slowly softened as the day wore on; now sitting in an incredibly verdant tract of land a sudden breeze sends a shower of delicate, fragrant mahua flowers all over you. You may be forgiven for thinking you were in one of India’s famous National Parks or Wildlife Sanctuaries instead of a little community-managed forest called a ‘sacr

Written by Rubina Rajan Understanding traditional belief systems protecting sacred groves in Uttarakhand, India Throughout the year devotees throng the Golu Devta Temple nestled between tall chir pine trees located in Almora district of Uttarakhand. The passage leading to the temple is full of brass bells of all sizes. They are often accompanied by a red Chunri (a small red cloth with a golden border). Among the bells are handwritten notes hanging as well. Devotees believe th

Written by Mansab Sayyad. “Indigenous peoples are right on the frontlines of the very real and dangerous fight for the world’s forests.” – Alec Baldwin, actor, and climate activist Humans have always had the urge to put things into perspective so they can be understood by the human brain. Still, some phenomena, such as climate change, are far more complex than we can ever imagine! Climate change is undeniable, and the world’s leaders are trying to take action against it. Indi

Written by Mansab Sayyad The human civilization has never stayed the same throughout history. Since the beginning of time, societies have grown, shrunk, fought, worked together, merged, conquered, fallen apart, struggled, changed, and made new things. People of many cultural origins undertook long and fruitless expeditions to assert their authority over neighboring or distant cultures. Historic indigenous civilizations are not eternally fixed like any other human community. S

Written by Shaariq Ashar Ether, air, fire, water, earth, planets, all creatures, directions, trees and plants, rivers and seas, they are all organs of God’s body. Remembering this a devotee respects all species.” This passage is from the Srimad Bhagavatam (2.2.41) explaining, everything in the world is part of one sacred unity. The elements, the forces in the universe, all creatures, all things living and unliving, are ultimately part of one divinity. The natural environment

Written by Mansab Sayyad In 1987, Ynestra King, a feminist teacher, writer, and historian published an essay titled “What Is Ecofeminism?” in The Nation. She asked all Americans their most important question: how do their belief systems allow for the exploitation of the planet and the ongoing subjugation of women? Ynestra argued that if we are to accomplish significant change, we must understand how our patriarchal and capitalist structures rely on both nature’s and women’s s

Written by Anant Shastri Humans have always been intrigued by the wonders of nature, and the Green Man is proof of this. The weird thing is that most of us have seen the Green Man but haven’t realized what we’re looking at. The Green Man first appeared in France in the first century and flourished in British architecture from the 11th through the 15th centuries. This Wildman was essentially a Pagan figure who was venerated as apotropaic, gentle, and, associated with fertility