WIZARD OF THE STONES - Rock Agama

WIZARD OF THE STONES
(Click the images to see in high-resolution)

Lizard of the Rocks- The South Indian Rock Agama (Psammophilus dorsalis)
on the rock by the waterfall on River Cauvery. Mekedatu, Karnataka, India.July 2013. Liked this view through the camera, as it had the 'immersed-in-habitat' feel, with the lizard emerging as the rocks blur out of focus, but showing the orange-red veins on the rocks which is the basis of the lizard's camouflage pattern..and the bokeh effect also renders a tad green contrasting with the dry rock.

<< WIZARD OF THE STONES ><

Wizard of the Stones,

Explorer of the rocks,

Observer of the folks,

Admirer of the river,

Reveller of the ravine,

Dweller of the crevices,

Crawler of the cliffs,

Worshipper of the sun,

Diviner of the weather,

Survivor of the draught,

Surveyor of the forest,

Purveyor of silence,

Absorber of sounds,

Follower of traditions,

Imitator of designs,

Dodger of the attackers,

Trickster of the preys,

Addicted to habits,

Stickler of tastes,

Predator of the bees,

Reader of the snakes,

Escapee from the eagle,

Trustee of the valley,

Sentinel to the boulders,

Protector of territory,

Chaser of the intruders,

Sceptical of Men,

Interpreter of omens,

Teller of lores,

Disperser of mores,

Keeper of secrets,

Prisoner of Time.

--Sujith, 15 Aug 2013.

[Click for high-resolution images]

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With the Waterfall in the background.

History of India's Geography- Land of The 7 Rivers

Interesting insights about India and a fascinating new way of looking at History - Through geography and its changing landscapes!

 One such nugget of information, relevant while India celebrates another Independence Day : About, when the inception of the idea of India, rather "an awareness of the whole subcontinent as a geographical and civilizational unit" begins to take shape- this part here reveals that it is after around 1300BC, in the era of the epics Mahabharata & Ramayana -- i.e., after the destruction or dispersal of the very urban Indus civilization..

(On a related note, latest research report from May 2012 reveals that #ClimateChange  Led to Collapse of Ancient Indus Civilization  http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=117456&tid=3622&cid=138489 )

And here is Economist Sanjeev Sanyal's fascinating, insightful, brief, fast-paced overview of how India's history is tangled in its geography..
His talk @LSE in Jan 2013, based on this book - Audio podcast of the 30min talk +Q&A :

Sanjeev Sanyal is Deutsche Bank’s Global Strategist and was named “Young Global Leader 2010” by the World Economic Forum.

Book Review: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/spotlight-on-geography/article4205326.ece

This is my shot from July 2013: 'Moods of Cauvery - The Monsoon Fury'.
Ravaging River that created a ravine here.. 
Near a confluence of River Cauvery, Karnataka, India.
Cauvery's Water-sharing between the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu & Karnataka has been such a hugely controversial and largely unresolved issue to this day, leading to riots, violent protests and animosity between certain groups of people and politicians of the two states..
Then of course, there are opportunists-politicians who whip it up, to fish for power in troubled waters!
~~~ 
"You cannot buy a river,
Whom do you know that owns one?"
-African Traditional Song.

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The thread on the Collapse of Indus Valley Civilization takes us to NatGeo explorer and scientist/anthropologist/geographer Jared Diamond's theories on 'Why Societies Collapse?' 

How would it be to look back, from 200yrs into the future, of our civilizations' COLLAPSE?!
Many successful civilizations have become relics.. and Our Modern Industrialised Civilisation might as well!..
Jared Diamond, thinks so.

NatGeo documentary- 2210: The Collapse

+@TED : Jared Diamond: Why societies collapse? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IESYMFtLIis

He lists out the reasons:

#1 Human Environmental Impact

#2 Climate Change

#3 Relations with other friendly societies, hostile societies

#4 Political, Economic, Social, Cultural factors

Going by these, I feel, India's position is very precarious with respect to the first 2 factors. And for the next 2factors: Having straining relationship with increasing demands of the most populous neighbour China, water wars are looming, India's Economy booming (mining, pollution etc), along with the changing socio-cultural landscape (increasing water needs, unsustainable agriculture, effluents dumped on available water sources, rivers, over-exploited acquifers..) putting more and more pressure on the environment to doomingly unsustainable extent..
If our present industrialised civilisation continues like this, I seriously doubt whether we will still remain extant, and manage not to go extinct or Collapse by 2200! :)