Context:
Recently, a new flowering plant species from the ‘ceropegia’ genus has been discovered inside the Vishalgad premises in Maharashtra and named it as Ceropegia Shivrayiana.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
Ceropegia Shivrayiana Overview
- Named in honor of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, this flowering plant species was found at the historic Vishalgad Fort.
- The plant features distinctive tubular flowers designed to attract moths for pollination.
- Thrives in rocky terrains and can grow in soils with low nutritional content.
- Part of the Asclepiadaceae family, which includes several medicinal plants with notable ecological benefits.
- Conservation Status: Threatened by habitat loss, making its conservation critical.
Vishalgad Fort Insights
- Located in Vishalgad village, Kolhapur district, Maharashtra, this fort was a strategic asset of the Maratha Empire.
- Locally known as Khelna or Khilna, originally named Khilgil.
- Built in 1058 by Shilahara king Marsinh, it has been ruled by Seuna Yadavas, Allauddin Khilji of the Vijayanagar Empire, and later by the Adil Shahi dynasty.
- Captured by Shivaji in 1659, who renamed it ‘Vishalgad’.
- Notable Structures: Includes the revered Dargah of Hazrat Sayed Malik Rehan Meera Saheb and significant temples such as Amruteshwar Temple, Shri Nrusinha Temple, and Sati’s Vrindavan, making it a site of both historical and spiritual interest.
-Source: Times of India
