In the ancient Hindu literatures Ramayana, Mahabharata and several Puranas two spiritually significant forests were mentioned namely Naimisharanya in the northern India and Dandakaranya in the south central India.
The word Dandakaranya is formed by joining the two separate words Dandaka and Aranya according to a rule of Sanskrit grammar. Aranya means a forest and Dandaka means punishment and Dandakaranya means Forest of Punishment.
It was described in Hindu mythology that Dandakaranya region was extended from Vindhya hill range, Narmada river and Mahanadi river in the north to Godavari river (in some mythology Krishna river) in the south, from Mahendragiri mountains of Eastern Ghat hills in the east to Wardha river in the west. Near about the beginning of Treta yuga Dandaka was a country ruled by a king named Danda who was the youngest son of the legendary king Ikshvaku, son of Manu Vaivasvata and founder of the Solar Dynasty of kings. Ikshvaku, finding Danda a great fool and the most useless, banished him to this region because he was highly anxious of his actions. Ikshvaku got a capital city built for him from where Danda ruled. But Danda continued to lead a voluptuous life.
Danda’s kulaguru (royal guru) was Shukracharya who lived in an ashram located in the jungle surrounding Dandaka kingdom. Once, when Shukracharya was away, Danda visited the ashram and molested Shukracharya’s daughter Araja, then left the ashram leaving Araja in trauma. When Shukracharya returned, Araja told the entire incident to him. This made Shukracharya very angry and he cursed Danda: "In 7 days, you and your kingdom, all your people and army, shall die. For a hundred yojanas around your city, all life will be consumed by a rain of dust and death shall rule this sinner’s kingdom." Things happened as per the curse. All life was extinguished. Danda perished. Dandaka kingdom was laid waste; in consequence the kingdom became Dandakaranya - the forest of punishment, a region of dense wild forest through which even sunlight did not pass.
Later, Dandakaranya became part of colonial state of Lanka under the reign of Ravana. Khara, a man-eating rakshasa (demon) and younger brother of Ravana was governor of the Dandakaranya province. Dandakaranya became a stronghold of the Rakshasa (demon) and then Dandakaranya was called the forest of demons. In the epic Ramayana, many of the events described in Aranya Kanda were happed in Dandakaranya.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER I An overview on Dandakaranya and objectives of the study
1.1 An overview on Dandakaranya
1.1.1 Dandakaranya : Etymology and mythology
1.1.2 Dandakaranya : Present extents
1.1.3 Dandakaranya: Gelogy
1.1.4 Dandakaranya : Minerals and mines
1.1.5 Dandakaranya : Forest and wildlife
1.1.6 Dandakaranya : The tribals
1.1.7 Dandakaranya : The DNK project
1.1.8 Dandakaranya : BRGF program
1.2 Objectives of the study
CHAPTER II Land use land cover changes of southern Dandakaranya
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Materials and methods
2.2.1 Study area
2.2.2 Methodology for land use land cover change detection
2.3 Results
2.3.1 Land use land cover changes
2.3.2 Land use land cover change rate
2.4 Discussion
CHAPTER III Forest fragmentation in and around Bailadila hill range
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Materials and methods
3.2.1 Study area
3.2.2 Methodology
3.2.2.1 Image processing
3.2.2.2 Analysis of forest cover change rate
3.2.2.3 Analysis of forest fragmentation
3.3 RESULTS
3.3.1 Forest cover change
3.3.2 Forest fragmentation
3.4 Discussion
CHAPTER IV General discussion and conclusion
Research Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this work is to assess and document the spatial and temporal changes in land use and land cover in the southern Dandakaranya region over a 25-year period (1991–2016), as well as to investigate the extent of forest fragmentation in and around the Bailadila hill iron ore range using geoinformatic technologies.
- Monitoring long-term land use and land cover dynamics.
- Evaluating forest cover change and rates of deforestation.
- Analyzing forest fragmentation patterns using landscape matrix parameters.
- Assessing the environmental impact of mining and human activities.
- Providing data-driven insights for sustainable forest management and conservation.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1.1 Dandakaranya : Etymology and mythology
In the ancient Hindu literatures Ramayana, Mahabharata and several Puranas two spiritu ally significant forests were mentioned namely Naimisharanya in the northern India and Dan dakaranya in the south central India.
The word Dandakaranya is formed by joining the two separate words Dandaka and Aranya according to a rule of Sanskrit grammar. Aranya means a forest and Dandaka means punishment and Dandakaranya means Forest of Punishment.
It was described in Hindu mythology that Dandakaranya region was extended from Vindhya hill range, Narmada river and Mahanadi river in the north to Godavari river (in some mythology Krishna river) in the south, from Mahendragiri mountains of Eastern Ghat hills in the east to Wardha river in the west.
Chapter Summaries
CHAPTER I An overview on Dandakaranya and objectives of the study: This chapter provides a historical, mythological, and geographical background of the Dandakaranya region and defines the study's core research objectives.
CHAPTER II Land use land cover changes of southern Dandakaranya: This chapter presents a longitudinal analysis of land use patterns using remote sensing and GIS data from 1991 to 2016 to track environmental changes.
CHAPTER III Forest fragmentation in and around Bailadila hill range: This chapter examines the specific environmental degradation and fragmentation of forest cover in the Bailadila mining area using landscape ecology metrics.
CHAPTER IV General discussion and conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the study's findings, linking them to broader conservation debates and offering recommendations for future management strategies.
Keywords
Dandakaranya, Bailadila, Land Use Land Cover (LULC), Forest Fragmentation, Remote Sensing, GIS, Deforestation, Biodiversity, Landscape Ecology, SLOSS debate, Iron Ore Mining, Sustainable Management, Environmental Conservation, Geoinformatics, Vegetation Cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on the environmental transformation of the southern Dandakaranya region, specifically investigating changes in land use patterns and the resulting forest fragmentation in the Bailadila hill range.
Which areas are identified as the main thematic fields?
The main thematic fields include environmental science, landscape ecology, geoinformatics, satellite image processing, and biodiversity conservation.
What is the primary objective of the work?
The primary objective is to quantify land use/land cover changes over 25 years (1991–2016) and to evaluate the degree of forest fragmentation caused by factors like mining and land conversion.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The study utilizes remote sensing and GIS techniques, including supervised classification of Landsat imagery, calculation of annual rates of deforestation, and analysis of landscape matrix parameters such as patch density and largest patch index.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers a comprehensive overview of the region, detailed methodology for change detection, statistical results on forest cover loss, and a discussion on the ecological consequences of these changes.
What are the characterizing keywords of the study?
The study is characterized by keywords such as Dandakaranya, Bailadila, forest fragmentation, LULC, remote sensing, and biodiversity conservation.
How has the etymology of Dandakaranya evolved according to the author?
The author notes that while traditionally known as the "Forest of Punishment," the modern state of the region justifies calling it the "forest that is being punished" due to ongoing environmental exploitation.
What is the significance of the Bailadila hill range in this study?
The Bailadila hill range serves as a critical case study because it is an ecologically sensitive area experiencing severe forest fragmentation due to large-scale iron ore mining activities.
Does the study relate its findings to international ecological theories?
Yes, the study links its findings on fragmentation to the "SLOSS" (Single Large or Several Small) debate in conservation biology, discussing how patch dynamics affect wildlife protection.
- Citation du texte
- Kritish De (Auteur), 2016, Studies on Land Use and Land Cover Patterns in Southern Dandakaryanaya with Special Reference to Forest Fragmentation in and around Bailadila Region, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/437233
