Boulders of Tehla

Wildlife  ·  4 min read

Tehla is located in the Alwar district of the state of Rajasthan. Tehla is surrounded by the Aravalli Mountain range amongst which many small villages named Murlipura, Chawa ka baas, Ghewar, Talab, Losal, Nadoo, Nayala, Roopbas, Rajdoli, Mallana, Bhangarh, Naidoli, Dabkan are located.

The forests of Tehla consist of grasslands, dry deciduous forests, tropical forests, and scrub-thorny arid forests. Utsav Camp Sariska is located near to a village named Murlipura, which is ~1 km away from the Sariska Tiger Reserve. A geological wonder present near the Utsav Camp Sariska is the presence of ‘Boulders’.

Boulders are an amalgamation of igneous rocks that are spread out for ~12 to 15 km covering areas around the villages named Murlipura, Chawa ka baas, Ghewar, Talab, Losal, Nadoo, and Nayala. The boulders are an interesting geological wonder as they are estimated to be older than the Aravalli Mountain ranges, which are the oldest mountain ranges in India.

Flora and Fauna of the Boulders

The Boulders consist of many narrow passages, caves, crevices, and hill ranges extending for about 200 ft. The narrow passages and naturally formed depressions provide optimal water-storing spots for the animals and birds which inhabit the boulders. During monsoon and post-monsoon, these depressions are full of water and the passages have flowing water in the form of slow-flowing streams. The undulating terrain provides an intricate and secluded habitat for different animals and birds which take refuge amongst the boulders and also find ample food for survival.

Flora

The flora includes large deciduous trees to small shrubs which grow on and around the boulders. The flatlands present in between include the trees of Dhok (Anogeissus Pendula), Babool (Acacia Nilotica), Dhak/ Palas (Butea Monosperma), Ronj (Acacia Leucophloea), Ker (Capparis decidua), Ber (Ziziphus Mauritiana), Khair (Acacia Catechu), and Khajur (Phoenix Dactylifera). Amongst these trees are small thorny bushes and shrubs which grow amongst the boulders on the slopes, lowlands, and also on the top.

These include Gunja (Abrus Precatorius), Jal (Capparis Spiaria), Marod Phali (Helicteres Isora), Arandi (Ricinus Communis), Karanj (Prosopis Juliflora), Khaas (Vetiveria Zizanioides), Aswagandha (Withania Somnifera), and Jhahrberi (Ziziphus Nummularia). An invasive plant which has been well adapted to the boulders and found extensively is Adusa (Adhatoda Vasica).

Birds

The varied vegetation and ample of nesting and roosting places shelter a variety of small grass birds to huge predatory birds. As the season changes, different birds are observed whereas some resident birds are observed throughout the year. The monsoon and post-monsoon months (July to December) provide ample rainfall for the small catchment areas amongst the boulders to be filled up. The water gradually dries out at the end of winter (February) and the land becomes completely dried out when March starts.

The birds seen throughout the year are Red Vented Bulbul, Indian Robin, Oriental Magpie Robin, Grey Francolin, Purple Sunbird, Rufous Treepie, Long-tailed Shrike, Rose-ringed, and Plum-headed Parakeet, Brahminy, Pied Starling, Eurasian, Laughing Dove, Babbler, White-throated Kingfisher, Greater Flame Back Woodpecker, Black-winged Kite, Shikra, Prinia, Weaver, Indian and Egyptian Vulture, Indian Eagle Owl, and many more. When water is available many water birds like Indian spot-billed duck, Black-winged Stilt, Pond Heron, Common Teal, Little Grebe, Great Thick-knee, Cattle Egret, White-breasted waterhen, and Bar Headed Goose are observed. The time of winter attracts many birds like Wheatear species, Bushchat species, Stonechat species, Lark species, Pipit species, Bunting species, Yellow Wattled Lapwing, many Warbler species, and huge raptors like Common Kestrel, Bonelli’s Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, and Pallid Harrier.

Mammals

The absence of human interference and plenty of protected terrains to roam about many mammal species are also observed amongst the boulders. The widespread boulder terrain has many crevices and caves due to erosion patterns. The caves are home to many mammal species which rest throughout the day and become active during the night time. The herbivore species which basically rely on the shrubs and leaves are Nilgai, Indian Porcupine, and Black-naped Hare. The carnivore species which are actively spotted from dusk till dawn are the Indian Leopard, Indian striped Hyena, Golden Jackal, Indian Fox, Ruddy Mongoose, Grey Mongoose, Small Indian Civet, and Jungle Cat.

Cup Art of Boulders

The boulders are made of Igneous rocks and the major component of these rocks include granite and quartz. These rocks are erosion-resistant and radiometric dating suggests that the boulders are even older than the Aravalli hill ranges. These boulders showcase peculiar cup-shaped (hemispherical) marks on the boulder surface which have been pounded into the rock surface by humans. These cup-shaped marks are one of the most common types of rock art and are termed 'cupules’.

These cupules are seen on many surfaces (horizontal and vertical) and are supposedly made by percussion blows by humans. The surface around the cupules shows microscopic signs of crushed rock particles and surface bruising. Cupules are the earliest known prehistoric art, and have been found in every continent except Antarctica, and were produced during all 3 eras of the Stone Age (Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic). Cup art is abundant in various parts of Rajasthan, mainly in the Alwar, Kota, and Bundi areas. In India, for example, home of the Bhimbetka Petroglyphs, the world's earliest art cupules were also made during the era of Mesolithic (10,000-6,000 BCE) and Neolithic art (6,000-2,000 BCE onwards) as well as the preceding Upper Palaeolithic.