The Hindu : New Delhi News : When faith and conservation blend

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 10, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

When faith and conservation blend

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI: Acknowledging the close bond between religion and conservation, the Capital will host a special exhibition titled "Tryst with Trees -- Punjab's Sacred Heritage'' at World Wide Fund for Nature-India Auditorium here. The two-day exhibition will be inaugurated by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni on Thursday.

The exhibition is a pictorial documentation, by civil servant D. S. Jaspal from Punjab, of sacred Sikh shrines named after native species of trees. He has documented 48 Sikhs shrines in India and Pakistan that are named after 17 species of trees (Gurdwara Tahli Sahib, Gurdwara Ber Sahib, Gurdwara Jand Sahib, Gurdwara Imli Sahib, Gurdwara Luhura Sahib, Gurdwara Phalahi Sahib and Gurdwara Amb Sahib).

The show will also bring out through these pictures the sanctity in which trees are held by devotees and the central role of nature in religious preaching and practices. The exhibition includes a series of photographs of the shrines, with trees in the composition, accompanied by a brief description of the botanical features of the tree and a description of the relationship between the species and the historical and religious background of the shrine.

According to a release issued by sponsors World Wide Fund for Nature-India, the show will not only bring conservation concerns into national focus, but also rally the powerful forces of faith behind the endeavour.

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