For those amongst us who know the Author, he is a man of great academic stature, deeply connected and affected by environmental issues and most of all a thorough gentleman and truly caring Human Being.
His WALKS reflects his intense feelings on the need to preserve Nature and listen to our inner voice whether we are being totally fair and right. He is a well established and prolific artist. In this article his paintings reflect his creativity of depicting fallen leaves. It is a privilege to reproduce his writings with his kind permission.
Our beloved Kodagu is blessed with lush verdant forests, flora, fauna, perennial and magical monsoon springs and much more. A lot is sung in praise of Pommale Kodagu by our Dudipaatkaras. Please share your own experiences and reflections of your walks, treks and festivities that take place all over Kodagu. CLN would be delighted to publish them. – CLN Newsdesk
Solitary Walk 45 – Leaves Fall-ing.
This morning, walking along a solitary path that borders a forest strip on one side and a little clear stream on the other I collected several fallen leaves (see the picture).
This is English countryside, not far from Swindon, and the season is autumn. The gaiety of a lively summer has given way to wet, windy, and chilly Autumn.
The word ‘Autumn‘ has the root meaning ‘harvest’ while ‘Fall’, in American English, is literally true to the seasonal falling of leaves in preparation for winter. By the shedding of leaves, like tears, the trees seem to be wailing as they anticipate the “dead of winter”. They would soon be stripped bare of their glorious vestments of vital foliage, and forced to stand like skeletal shadows, utterly naked in the freezing cold of dark winter.
On the one hand it is quite natural that the season of Autumn in the northern hemisphere is associated with feelings of sadness and impending death. (I am also attaching a page from my diary-sketchbook that made some friends sad).
On the other hand, we may celebrate in all joy the sight of the arboreal landscapes that turn golden yellow and red, ochre and crimson dotted with fading green and ogling black. In the best of terms, if you are poetically inclined you may also listen to the;
“The whispers of the autumn breeze“…
”tenderly, as in a lover’s ear“ .
(Wordsworth).
Altogether the blazing colours conspire to lift the human spirit rather than dampen it.
The whole scenario can be taken as a metaphor for life. Seen from geological, biological and cosmological perspectives human life on earth is just a very negligible, tiny, transient, recent occurrence in cosmic history though we describe our history in great eras of evolution and epochs of seemingly infinite span.
Dramatic geological and cosmic catastrophes, apart from man-made ecological disasters, can wipe out life on earth in no time. Whatever that be, it is in our power to rejoice in and celebrate life in all its hues, knowing very well that it is fleeting like autumn colours. Such celebration of life can evoke new meaning and fresh openings in our lives if it is done in all simplicity and sobriety , in spiritual sensitivity to the dignity justice for the other, to nature‘s beauty and to Mother Earth’s ecological predicament.
We on earth are facing a terrible winter of desolation, if not total annihilation, with war mongers and power brokers on the rise. This is all the more reason for us to celebrate the passing splendor of the season of Fall in joy, gratitude and love as a metaphor for life.
(Dr. K.M. George, 25 September 2024, Swindon, England)
Dr. K.M.George is an erudite scholar, thinker and writer. He has published a number of books and articles in English and Malayalam besides several speeches and presentations made in international forums.
He is presently Chairperson and Professor, Dr.Paulos Mar Gregorios Chair, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. Any attempt to list his CV would be an article in itself!
Further motivated by the various comments, I have posted another poem of mine.
Wish we had roots too…
Not the imaginary roots
that define the belongings
but solid roots like
the plants and trees…
The roots which would
let us grow
and spread our wings…
The roots which would
make us strong
and fight the wind…
And the roots which
would tie us so
that we hold on
to our grounds
and spring…
Hills and valleys,
coasts and forests,
deserts and plains
would have equally
bloomed with it’s offspring…
Places would flourish
and remained pristine
and distinct
and distinguished…
I would have greeted
you and
liked you and loved you
all the same
without meddling
and interfering and
trespassing into
your culture and
your integrity…
It is a beautiful symbolism of a tree, representing the community.
The deeper the roots (customs, integrity, loyalty), the stronger is the trunk of the tree to provide shelter with its branches and fruits for everybody without differentiation.
Excellent article and it stirs up a sense of nostalgia!
The changing of seasons is the perfect reminder that Mother Earth is the greatest teacher about all things life! As Lucretius so elegantly stated in his classic work “De Rarum Natura” (the nature of things) – “Nothing can dwindle to nothing, as Nature restores one thing from the stuff of another, nor does she allow a birth, without a corresponding death.” It is a sobering reminder, yet one that fills us up with hope and optimism for the shape of things to come!
Having born and raised in the City of Chennai where the only seasons are “Hot, Hotter and Hottest”, I have only read and heard of the four seasons – never experienced what it felt like!! When I moved to the US many years ago, to the State of Tennessee which I now call home, the sighting of the first Fall literally moved me to tears. The hill behind our house pregnant with sugar maple, dogwood, hickory, birch, aspen and yellow poplar radiated brilliant Fall colors (picture attached). As a runner, Fall is also a great season for me because the weather cools down and it allows me to put in some speedwork to tune up for Spring and Summer races in the coming year. So it is my favorite time of the year!
I almost feels like you develop a communication routine with Mother Nature through the signs she gives out. There is a tree in our backyard that has a vine running through it. When the colors start changing in that vine, that’s when you know Fall is here and looking at how the colors are changing on that specific vine, it’s almost as if Mother Nature is trying to tell you if the colors are going to be great or just average!
Thank you for this article – it made me drift off into my memory bank of the sights of Fall that I have stored for moments like these!
I was sent this poem by a friend. I am part of RAAH Foundation where we are deeply involved in regreening vast areas of the Brahmagi range in Nasik. It is so relevant to the message by Dr. George.
Attached is Wendell Berry’s “A Vision”
Life on a plantation has everything to do with season – each of them generally has a well established schedule of work, the outcome of which is reflected in the health of the plantation.
Since we are referring to Falling Leaves, it is such an integral part of estate operations. Leaf mulch is simply leaves used as an organic mulch that covers your top soil. If you take a walk in the plantation, you’ll notice that Mother Nature uses leaves to mulch the ground underneath shrubs and trees naturally. Fallen leaves are just about as important to cultivating healthy soil as a soaking rain is.
Using leaf mulch is an organic, inexpensive, nutrient-rich way to make sure your plants will grow and produce year after year. As the adage goes – Fall is in the air; the leaves are on the ground, and I couldn’t be happier. Nature knows what it’s doing – leaves contain 50 to 80% of the nutrients that are extracted from the earth by tree roots? Recycling this precious resource to replenish soil will nourish all that is planted in it. It is a sustainable practice.
I was tempted to share a beautiful vista of a somewhat delayed changing colour of the leaf of some jungle trees – so here is one for the record!
A stunning portrayal of autumn by Dr. K. M. George.
The nature is so selfless to give way to new life by falling herself. We used to walk on these dry leaves while making natural music in our childhood. The loss of these beautiful trees now by concrete is a tragedy caused by development.
This is a wonderful retrospective. We ought to celebrate the Fall as a mark of gratitude towards the changing season and also because it reflects the changing (towards the worst) times.
This thought occurred to me only after reading the article. So, I was motivated to write this poem.
Leaves fall and
appear to disappear again,
laying the tree bare
to face the adverse weather
while we shield ourselves
with layers of blankets…
Leaves fall to conserve
the energy
so that it can replenish
resplendently…
And what do we do?
Sulk at autumn weather,
sneer at the bare tree
and prepare ourselves
to plunder
the verdant scenes…
Do we deserve
Spring when we
don’t celebrate the autumn?
It is really refreshing to see eminent Writers, on a wide array of topics, contributing to CLN. This provides excellent food for thought and a broadening of perspectives – in any otherwise highly politicized and (for some odd reason) macabre reporting of criminal activity, accidents, murder, theft and worse that one sees prominently being featured in the local newspapers.
The article by Dr K M George brings back so many memories of my childhood that we just can’t experience in a city like Bangalore.
Unlike the four seasons in Western countries, Kodagu is blessed with lush green evergreen forests. There are a few trees that indeed change colour, but the few that do stand out like a red flame especially at sunrise and sunset, on the canvas of the green hillsides.
A lot of Kodava culture is in harmony with the changing seasons. Our equivalent of Spring showcases the many local festivals dotted around the countryside – essentially an exercise in community bonding and building camaraderie. A really important aspect is that during this time no trees, let alone branches are allowed to be cut and the Devarkadus are treated with almost fearful and utmost respect.
The monsoons are are a very special season. The hillsides are resplendent with greenery and all the special mouth watering monsoon delicacies make their appearance in every home.
Around this time of the year – similar to Autumn, _Kakkada_ and _Kaveri Changrandi_ are important festivals and as the leaves fall, it is magical to see new tiny leaves coming to life! And then of course we have our Harvest Festival _Puthari_ which is a time for much rejoicing and revelry (unfortunately not always justified when one sees the extensive uncultivated fallow precious wetlands).
Many thanks for this erudite experience shared by Dr George – so important to take note and slow down to enjoy Nature, in this otherwise mindless hustle and bustle of what we term as “living”.
I read Dr George’s solitary walks. Always a beautiful write up with meaningful insights. Dr K M George is always active and very creative, which is expressed in his art too.
Wonderful post 😊
Always enjoyed walking in the forests, through all seasons, including, beautiful rainy days.
Of course, we don’t have that many days of leaf fall in the Nilgiris, but the leaf litter in the forests adjoining especially Thiashola was amazing, sometimes, as much as 8 inches!
Here too in Ooty, the Acacia’s are in bloom and the beautiful yellow flowers keep falling every morning, leaving a nice carpet on the ground.
If one is fit, the most exhilarating experience is a walk!
I live close to Milan where Fall is stunningly beautiful – call it mesmerizing. Chestnuts and Lime trees change foliage, the place is quite foggy, and the weather is pleasantly warm. The locals consider it to be the best season – also to enjoy the culinary delights traditional Milanese cuisine: risotto and ossobuco, pizzoccheri and polenta! I make my annual pilgrimage to my home in Jalandhar every winter, which again is memorable with for the relatively less cold weather but delicious seasonal cuisine. Understanding and living life by the Season is such an important aspect of life as Dr George so beautiful articulates in his Walk!
Beautifully written!! Entirely in agreement especially with his last paragraph.
Thank you for sharing this gem.
Fell in love with the Chinar. So majestic. Many of them 200 to 300 year old. They have been witness to so much of our history. Some probably even before the British came to India.
They must be hating humans as a species.. driving ourselves and many other species to extinction
Lovely post! Resonates with what we feel for our land…
Look forward to similar posts from our own Kodavas – we have so much to share to the world!
Very well written, thought-provoking with a nice ‘turn of phrase’ personally I love fall. Sharing a couple of fall pictures through the years.
Loved reading this post. In simple words I believe that we harness the power of life from Nature. You destroy Nature – you destroy life itself.
Wonderful and very meaningful article. This reminds me of the long walks we used to take in the Peloponnese mountains in Greece during my growing up years – aimlessly wandering and soaking up Natures beauty. Could spend the entire day watching bees working away returning from their foraging. Bee keeping us considered “sacred” in these mountains.
Back in New York, the Fall colours are breathtakingly beautiful alongside the Hudson River and right up the Hudson Valley to the FingerLake Districts. Previous moments of much wanted peace.
Lovely article. I’m fortunate to be living on the east coast of the US because we get to experience all the four seasons. The fall season is my favorite with the explosion of colors of the fall foliage. Our local golf course has a lot of trees and I love walking the course at this time of the year because the ground is covered with leaves. The only time it is a nuisance is when the leaves are on the putting green and they block the path of my putt 😊