Written by Hrishikesh Yadav (Foreword to the book –‘Walking on the Edge’)
Translated by Alka Gadgil
‘It is difficult to not love Sahyadri Parvat. Every mountaineer worth her/his salt would vouch for it. Sahyadri is a timeless and eternal infatuation for many hikers’, says Prasad Nikte, a hiker who explored Sahyadri for 75 consecutive days from the base to the top of the and penned the tale of his journey titled – ‘Walking on the Edge’.
In his account Nikte speaks about his backbreaking, deadly and near fatal ascent to the peak. He had started his journey from the base camp -village Bari. Here is the foreword to the book written by Hrishikesh Yadav who is the president of Akhil Maharashtra Giryarohak Sangha (President of Maharashtra Mountaineers’ Association). In his preface Yadav is telling us the story of the creation of Sahyadri.
Sahyadri! The dominant mountain range has an imposing presence. It guards the state of Maharashtra and inspires poets, writers, and explorers of the land. It has also played an important role in nurturing and fostering the culture and lives of the people and history of the state of Maharashtra. While Himalayan Mountain ranges have been towering over India, Sahyadri ranges are also held in high esteem in Maharashtra. Now let us look at the formation of Sahyadri.
The Earth was born around four hundred and fifty billion years ago. For the next three billion years the temperature of the earth started decreasing and the movement of the outer tectonic plates began. As a result, the outer crust of the earth was formed and the movement of the surface of the earth began. Even to this date the movement of the tectonic plates persists. These developments, spanning over billions of years have had an impact on the Mother Earth.
The continents on these tectonic plates sometimes collide with each other and form supercontinents, and sometimes they divide and form new continents. Continents disintegrate and new continents are formed. Around one million years ago, the Indian continent shifted towards the north and collided with Asia. Before the collision ‘Tathis’ ocean, which had existed for millions of years started disappearing and gave rise to two oceans- Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal. Due to this jostle, the middle ground was lifted and Himalya was created.
Its height is such that its peak is the highest in the world. It is another matter that landslides and soil erosion are under way due to tree cutting. Himalaya is the youngest mountain range in the world. Around 6.6 million years ago, the Indian continent was not a part of Asia. It was quite far away from it. At that point in time the formation of Sahyadri and Deccan Plateau had started.
When you compare the Himalya with Sahyadri, you realize that the formation of Sahyadri began quite dramatically. There were volcanoes in the place where Sahyadri is situated. Million years ago, layers and layers of lava had started erupting steadily and intensely which were deposited on the plateau of Deccan. The Sahyadri range that we see today was formed due to volcanic eruption. When you watch intently you will see the layers of lava in the form of successive horizontal bands.
Sahyadri mountain range is also known as Western Ghat. It is about 1600 KM long. It starts from the valley of River Tapi in north Maharashtra and ends at Kanyakumari in the south. It runs parallel to Arabian sea on the west. Konkan region, is a relatively narrow strip of land which falls between Arabian sea on the west and Sahyadri mountain on the east.
Districts from western Maharashtra is known as Ghat region. It is situated on Sahyadri plateau. Sahyadri range stretches from north to south. Some of the mini ranges have spread from West to East. It has a repository of rich and diverse chain of ecosystems of birds and animals and water bodies. This mountain range has contributed a lot in fostering the culture, folklore, and mythology of the region. In this very hill many trails, ghat roads and caves were etched, forests evolved and villages were established. Due to the natural and man-made forms changes in the ecosystem had started. The evident characteristics of the mountain range had started changing.
One more distinctive feature of Sahyadri was its secret alleys and forest trails which were skillfully used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his army to defeat the foreign invaders and to establish his own rule. Sahyadri has historical as well as topographical legacy and it is an important mountain in the world. If it was not for Sahyadri, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would not have been able to crush Mughal invasion. His ‘GANIMI KAVA’, guerrilla tactics, worked in the difficult terrain and he was able to defeat the Mughal chieftain Afzal Khan.
The minute you start your journey into Sahyadri you are mesmerized to such an extent that you that you keep coming back again and again. The lure of Sahyadri is like an addiction. You cannot stay away from it for a long time. However, the soil is being washed away due to rabid tree cutting.
The Arabian Sea, Sahyadri and Western Ghat are a composite whole. Since few decades the coast of the Arabian Sea is eroding. Nature’s chain is such that even if one of the links from this ecosystem is disturbed its impact is felt on all other eco systems. That is why it is our responsibility to preserve all that we have in repository of the Western Ghat.