Govardhan Hill in Braj, India
Conservation Planning & Design
Eco-Cultural Zones
The community of Govardhan, at the times of Krishna, was agrarian which sustained itself by harnessing the mother earth and using the resources from cows. Krishna preached to the community that it’s very crucial to worship nature in all of its forms. Every form of nature, including mountain, cow or animal, river, was venerated. But presently there are problems existing around the Govardhan Hill associated with kunds, suface overflow, forests, and temple complexes.
Ecologically the Govardhan Hill is endangered today. In order to preserve this pure cultural and revered land of Lord Krishna, there has to be an initiative which allows the ecology of the hill to be restored in all spheres. The protection of the forests and animal and bird life are one the major concerns which need to be taken care of. An initiative towards sculpting the landscapes of Govardhan should be in way that it is the habitat for all forms of life. These habitats once established can be relished and enjoyed by the pilgrims and tourists visiting the sacred land of Braj. Two eco-cultural zones in the Govardhan have been identified based on the existing forest cover, wildlife existing in this region, water bodies, and connectivity with the inner parikrama path. One of the eco-cultural zones is identified near Kusum Sarovar, in the northern part of the parikrama route and the second zone is “Kadamba van”, between Surabhi kund and Apsara kund.
