Geoglyphs of Konkan come to focus

The Geoglyphs of coastal Konkan belt of India - which figures in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Centre - has come to focus in the wake of the ongoing protests at Barsu in the Rajapur tehsil against the proposed Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (RRPCL).

Geoglyphs are rock art produced on the surface of earth either by positioning rocks, rock fragments or by reduction technique - carving out or removing part of a rock surface to form a design.

These Geoglyphs of Konkan are more than 10,000 to 12,000 years old - and are very significant to learn more about our past in this sub-continent.

Also Read: Petroglyphs of Konkan throw light on ancient culture

Of the 600 Geoglyphs, Barsu has 62 - and is the largest cluster in Konkan region.

In fact, rock art in India is one of oldest material evidence of the country's early human creativity.

While for some time archaeologists, geologists and heritage lovers have been expressing concern over the issue, on Saturday, the Thackeray cousins - during their separate visits to Konkan, flagged the issue to the Centre and the Maharashtra government.

Uddhav, the head of Shiv Sena (UBT) and a former chief minister, during his tour to Barsu at Rajapur in Ratnagiri district, also made it a point to visit some of the Geoglyphs and interact with the locals and experts about its importance. “These important Geoglyphs need to be protected and their tourism potential needs to be harnessed,” Uddhav said, adding that these are unique and cannot be allowed to go.

Raj, the president of MNS, during his rally at Khed in Ratnagiri district, made a sort of power point presentation dwelling on the importance of these Geoglyphs. “No activity can be carried out in the vicinity as it figures in the UNESCO list,” Raj said, adding that construction activity cannot be carried out here.

On the multiple sites, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre states: “More than 600 figures arranged in the clusters are depicted in Kasheli, RundhyeTali, DevacheGothane, Barsu, Devi Hasol, Jambharun, Ukshi and Kudopi in southern Maharashtra and Pansaymol in Goa, are the most comprehensive, well-preserved and artistically distinct Geoglyphs evidencing a cultural legacy of 12000 years. The content, composition, scale, quality of imagery and artistic techniques not only provide an insight on the range of mainly faunal life, but also depict the increasing tendencies of depicting abstract and anthropogenic forms onto stone. Further, the Geoglyphs show increasing finesse of artistic skill and evolution of techniques of etching and scooping, that are fundamental to mastering rock art.”

Also Read: Konkan geoglyphs make it to UNESCO tentative list

As far as the Barsu site is concerned, one of them has a larger-than-life carving of a man and two tigers. The carving is spread over an area of 17.5 x 4.5 m. The man is shown standing between two figures of tigers leaping towards him. The human figure is four metres in height. The man is shown with stretched arms to keep these tigers at the bay. The tigers are stylised within a rectangular form shown with wide open mouths. Though attacking, they appear more or less static. Stylisation seems to have dominated over animism. The stripes on tigers are also composed by arrangement of horizontal and vertical lines forming rectangles and triangles in a stylised manner. In contrast to geometrical treatment of tigers, the human figure has a round head, curved waistline and rounded feet. The chest is shown with geometrical abstract forms.

The carvings are not much deeper than 2 inches, also the gap between the outer and inner line is 3-4 centimetre wide. Adjoining to the left side of human torso figures of a fish, a rabbit and a peacock are depicted. Depictions on the other side of the torso are eroded beyond recognition.

Scholars have pointed out the similarities of this composition with a motif depicted on at least two seals reported from the excavated sites of the Harappan Civilization-Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.