Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary

Children’s Books

Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary The Kingdom of Birds

Author Erach Bharucha Artist Maya Ramaswamy

About UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India Children, look around you. Our world is beautiful, with snowy mountain peaks and sparkling rivers, home to many peoples,

This book belongs to:

animals, birds and trees. There are also mighty monuments

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......

built by our forefathers which have stood fast for centuries,

...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......

enriching our lives and history.

These precious monuments and natural landscapes must be protected. That is why governments and institutions like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) work together to help keep them safe.

UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites are places around the world that are remarkable examples of natural or man-made

A dam built by Raja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur (mid-18th

landscapes and architecture. As of 2018, there are 37 such

century) on the river near the Keoladeo Temple created a

celebrated sites in India. We need to take care of these sites

wetland, attracting many birds. From 1850, hunting them

and protect them.

was a popular sport among the rich. This cruel practice

For the first time, Mapin Publishing is producing a series of

ended in 1976 when the area was made a sanctuary

children’s books about UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in

(refuge) for birds—not only Indian ones, but cranes

India. We hope that the books will make these places seem like

from as far off as Siberia. It became known as one of the

old friends, waiting to meet you again. So, young reader, let us

best bird-watching sites in Asia. In 1985 it was declared a

begin our exciting journey across India!

World Heritage Site. One tragic side effect is that it has Eric Falt

Director and UNESCO Representative UNESCO New Delhi

closed off the area for villagers to graze their cattle.

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF INDIA SERIES Children’s Books

Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary The Kingdom of Birds

Author Erach Bharucha Artist Maya Ramaswamy

MAPIN PUBLISHING

Sometimes, one small incident can change the direction of our lives.

In 1906 in Mumbai, a young boy was playing with his toy air gun.

He took a playful shot at a sparrow and the bird thudded to the ground, dead! The boy was so upset about what he had done that he vowed to find out more about birds and do everything he could to help them thrive.

This boy was Salim Ali, the famous ornithologist.

He also helped to create the Keoladeo National Park—a bird sanctuary in Bharatpur— which is where our story begins!

Early one December morning, a group of young students from classes VII and VIII travelled from Agra to spend a day at the Keoladeo National Park to learn more about nature.

They enjoyed their experience so much that one of them, Dev, said, “I want to be an ornithologist too!”

What had he seen that made him say that? Let’s find out!

3

The children got off the bus at the gate of the sanctuary and walked in. It was like stepping into a different world! Quiet and green, with soft earth on the paths. There was no screeching and honking of vehicles, only the hushed tinkle of bicycles and cycle–rickshaws, and the gentle patter of the drivers, who also acted as guides.

The children were met by Dr. Kranti Yardi, a zoologist, Rupa Ma’am, and Dr. Erach “Doc” Bharucha, a surgeon who also knew a lot about birds. A local guide showed them his telescope, which was pointed at a far–off tree. The children crowded around the telescope in curiosity and zoomed in on a group of pied mynas sitting on the tree.

“Be careful not to move the telescope, or it will shift away from the birds on which I have focused it,” the guide said.

Doc had been interested in wildlife conservation for a long time and had been coming to the sanctuary for many years. What was so interesting about this sanctuary, wondered the children, that someone would visit so many times?

4

Pied Mynas

Flameback

Common Kingfisher

Purple Heron

Slowly, as they looked around through the early morning mist, they began to realise the sanctuary was not actually quiet. There were dozens of birds, talking and twittering, or flying around playfully or looking for something to eat! Just like the children moved about in groups, the birds too tended to be in groups, constantly chirping or lifting off into the sky with a swish of their wings.

The birds were unpredictable too—one minute they would be sitting still on a branch but in the blink of an eye—whoosh !—they would fly away. The only way to observe them was to keep still and patient, but the children were so excited that it took them some time to quiet down.

Then they heard the “Bharatpur Orchestra”— full of chirping and cheeping, cooing and hooting, tweeting and trilling, cawing and warbling! All around them was the music of the birds.

Hardik wrote later, “I would really like to come back here and get used to the singing and beauty of the birds.”

7

“What is a sanctuary?” Sunita asked Ruksana. Ruksana was not quite sure, so Sunita asked Rupa Ma’am.

“A sanctuary is a place where you feel safe,” said Rupa Ma’am. “In many places, people have cut down trees and drained wetlands to build houses and factories. These trees and wetlands are the birds’ homes and without them birds do not have places where they can live. So a ‘bird sanctuary’ is a place where many different birds have a safe place to live, with lots of trees and food.”

Grey Hornbill

While they were talking, Hardik noticed a bird with a huge beak sitting on a fig tree and eating the fruit. “What kind of food do birds eat?” he asked Doc.

“Birds have very definite food habits,” said Doc. “They can generally be divided into those that eat fruit and those that eat fish and worms.”

“Eww, worms!” said Punam.

Dilip was a bit upset to hear that birds of prey, like the kestrel, ate other small birds.

9

First published in India in 2018 by

Text and Illustrations ©

Author: Dr. Erach Bharucha is a doctor by day and

Mapin Publishing

eco–hero by night! He has been working to preserve India’s

706 Kaivanna, Panchvati, Ellisbridge

All rights reserved under international

beautiful natural heritage for many decades now. He enjoys

Ahmedabad 380006 INDIA

copyright conventions. No part of this

taking children to sanctuaries and other such areas to

T: +91 79 40 228 228

book may be reproduced or transmitted

F: +91 79 40 228 201

in any form or by any means, electronic

help them learn about nature, not just from books but also

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or mechanical, including photocopy,

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recording or any other information

Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd

International Distribution Worldwide (except North America and South Asia) Prestel Publishing Ltd.

through observation and interaction with the environment.

While much of India’s natural heritage has been destroyed,

storage and retrieval system, without

Dr. Bharucha is optimistic that children today will later in life

prior permission in writing from the

be able to protect our forests, rivers and animals.

publisher.

The moral rights of the author and

Artist: As children, Maya Ramaswamy and her sisters

14-17 Wells Street

illustrator of this work are asserted.

London W1T 3PD

ISBN: 978-93-85360-48-0

father had a deep respect for life, and taught them that

Series ISBN: 978-93-85360-47-3

wild creatures were also living beings. Maya grew up with

Series Editor: Narayani Gupta

a sense of wonder and love for India’s wilderness. She

Copyediting: Mithila Rangarajan / Mapin

has illustrated several books on wildlife and conservation

T: +44 (0)20 7323 5004 F: +44 (0)20 7323 0271 E: sales@prestel-uk.co.uk North America Antique Collectors’ Club T: +1 800 252 5231 F: +1 413 529 0862 E: sales@accpublishinggroup.com www.accpublishinggroup.com/us South Asia Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd

Editorial Design and Production: Gopal Limbad, Darshit Mori / Mapin Design Studio Printed in India The creation of this book was supported

by Parag, an initiative of TATA Trusts.

Editorial Board: Krishna Kumar Girish Joshi Swaha Sahoo Sopan Joshi Narayani Gupta

spent all their play–time with creepy crawlies. Their busy

for children, and she hopes that children will make time to observe birds and to admire butterflies.

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF INDIA

1 Agra Fort 2 Ajanta Caves 3 The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, Chandigarh 4 Bhimbetka Rock Shelters

jammu & kashmir

5 Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi 6 Champaner–Pavagadh Archaeological Park 7 Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

himachal pradesh

13

H

(formerly Victoria Terminus)

26

8 Chola Temples

28

I

3

punjab

9 Churches and Convents of Goa

uttarakhand

10 Elephanta Caves

M

haryana

11 Ellora Caves

17 30 32

12 Fatehpur Sikri 13 Great Himalayan National Park

18

Conservation Area

20

15

15

14 Hampi Group of Monuments

rajasthan

15 Hill Forts of Rajasthan

15

16 Historic City of Ahmadabad 17 Humayun’s Tomb and Group of Monuments, Delhi

i

19 Kaziranga National Park 20 Keoladeo National Park

gujarat

16

26

5

24

d

meghalaya

west bengal

a

tripura mizoram

34

chhattisgarh

21 Khajuraho Group of Monuments

orissa

2

22 Kanchenjunga National Park

33

11

23 Mahabalipuram Group of Monuments 24 Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya

maharashtra

36 7 10

25 Manas Wildlife Sanctuary 26 Mountain Railways of India

telangana

27 Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University), Bihar

and

37

28 Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks

9

14

goa

30 Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi

33 Sun Temple, Konark

23 tamil nadu

p

37 37 37 37

8

ds

ee

8 Natural Sites 29 Cultural Sites

26

an

dw

37 Western Ghats

kerala

ha

36 Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai

37

ks

35 Taj Mahal

isl

la

37

ar

34 Sundarbans National Park

The names of places and cities often change over time. Mumbai used to be known as “Bombay” and Kolkata as “Calcutta.”

Chennai was earlier known as “Madras.”

Other sites are better known by names which may not be their official name— Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary is popularly called “Bharatpur” and Mahabalipuram is called “Mamallapuram.”

nicob

37

32 Red Fort Complex

and

karnataka

31 Rani ki Vav, Patan

General note about change of names of cities and sites

andhra pradesh

aman

29

29 Pattadakal Group of Monuments

nagaland

manipur

i

madhya pradesh

19

27

jharkhand

4

25 assam

uttar pradesh

21

S

Y 22s i k k i A m

A

35

15

n

6

12

L

bihar

31

18 Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

1

15

15

arunachal pradesh

A

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF INDIA SERIES Children’s Books

Series Editor: Narayani Gupta

The Roshni World Heritage Sites of India series aims to introduce India’s young readers to the richness of our natural and cultural heritage through UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sites. Produced in association with Tata Trusts and with the blessings of UNESCO, these books offer children five exciting stories, authored by renowned historians and conservationists and beautifully illustrated by accomplished artists.

Qutb Minar Head in the Clouds

Mahabalipuram

Story by Narayani Gupta • Illustrations by Shashi Shetye

The Ganga Comes to Tamil Nadu

On Christmas Day, a group of six children visit the Qutb Minar in Delhi. What follows is a process of discovery as the children stumble upon an unfinished Minar and a carved cupola and marvel at the skill of the craftsmen who built the Qutb.

Story by Nanditha Krishna • Illustrations by Y. Venkatesh

The children in the story explore the Descent of the Ganges, with its carvings of animals, humans and celestial beings. Temples, tigers and tsunamis all feature in this tale of the Mahabalipuram complex by the sea, lost and then miraculously found again.

Nanditha Krishna is a historian and conservationist from Chennai who has authored several books about art, religion and the environment. Y. Venkatesh is an artist who has illustrated several activity books for children about nature, art and culture.

Narayani Gupta is a historian and writer who has taught history at Indraprastha College for Women; she joined Jamia Millia Islamia University in 1986. Shashi Shetye has illustrated books for children for over two decades.

Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary The Kingdom of Birds

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Travelling through Time Story by Subuhi Jiwani • Illustrations by Kishan Dev

Bandu is the devoted clock-keeper at CSM Terminus in Mumbai, or VT as some people still call it. One busy day, Bandu and two friends tumble through time to the past and future, accompanied by a talking griffin, freedom fighters and flying cars.

Subuhi Jiwani is an independent researcher, writer and filmmaker based in Mumbai. Kishan Dev is an artist who has worked in print publishing and Bollywood.

Story by Dr. Erach Bharucha • Illustrations by Maya Ramaswamy

A large group of school children join Dr. Erach “Doc” Bharucha at the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur. Amid lush vegetation and a lively orchestra of birds, the natural landscape of the sanctuary comes alive for these young, intrepid explorers.

Dr. Erach Bharucha is a surgeon based in Pune and has been active in ecological conservation for several decades. Maya Ramaswamy is an illustrator who has

worked on several children’s books about wildlife and conservation.

Sanchi Where Tigers Fly and Lions Have Horns

supported by

E: THIS SERIES AR ALL TITLES IN s, stration 32 pages with illu scape, pb x 210 mm) Land 97 (2 6" 8.2 x 11.69 sh and Tamil in Available in Engli ditional regional Ad .

18 20 er ob Oct in 2019. w llo fo to es languag 195 | $9.50 | £5.99 Fall 2018 |

Story by Sohail Hashmi • Illustrations by Pervez Rajan

One morning as the city of Bhopal sleeps, a group of children join Sohail Hashmi to visit the stupas of Sanchi. Spellbound by the carvings on the gateways and pillars, they learn about the ancient history of Buddhism in India.

Sohail Hashmi is a writer, historian and filmmaker, who loves travelling to little-known places across India. Pervez Rajan is an artist who hopes to use his art to communicate with a wide range of people.

“The gentle, smooth colour palette,

and the use of detailing make [the pictures] interesting to look at. The framework...is very natural and believable... little touches tap into the feeling of excitement and wonder that being at a historical site can evoke.”

“The production values are high. The author has a connect with children and he brings out his observations gently. That he is good with words and enjoys what he is doing is apparent.”

—Teacher Plus Magazine, on Sanchi: Where Tigers Fly and Lions have Horns

—Goodbooks.in

“.. groundbreaking...”

—Eric Falt, Director General, UNESCO New Delhi

“.. beautifully written... Launching this series is a good attempt at making information about historical sites accessible to children.”

—Jaya Bhattacharji Rose

Children’s Books

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF INDIA SERIES

SUPPORTED BY

ISBN 978-93-85360-48-0

www.mapinpub.com

Front Cover (left to right): Greater Spotted Eagle, Painted Storks Back Cover (anti-clockwise from top): Small Pratincole, Common Teal, Waterhen, Egret