India, May 19 -- For the people of Dewas in Madhya Pradesh, Shankargarh Hill has never been just a ridge of sandstone. It has been a landmark of memory, mythology and ecology. It shapes the town's groundwater, shields it from dust storms, and gives generations a sense of place. Older residents could recall that until the 1950s, the hill stood untouched- dense with wild shrubs, medicinal herbs, and seasonal waterfalls visible from the road. It also carried spiritual weight. Locals describe a temple established around 1950 by the royal family of Dewas after "Shankar ji appeared in a dream", asking the king not to dig the sacred hill. The remains of an old summer house and a centuries-old well on the crest still testify to that earlier life....