A sample of Bandhavgarh

This post should have been written a year and half ago, so I had to go down the memory lane and dig into my memories to recollect as much as I could.

Whenever anyone thinks of the big striped predator cats, Bandhavgarh is the first name that comes to their minds. Home to exotic Royal Bengal Tigers, Bandhavgarh National Park has the highest density of tigers in India and statistically, the probability of sighting  a tiger in this park is more than anyplace in this whole world. So, If you are expecting some photos of tigers in this post, I suggest you to press the ‘Ctrl. + W’ keys on your keyboard and see the magic yourself.

The best way to reach Bandhavgarh is to take a train till Katni, a small town in Madhya Pradesh, and drive to the park from there. Scheduled for the 2 P.M. safari, we started from Katni at around 11. Cruising along the smooth road with loud music in the cold month of  January with a perpetual sunshine, it was a great way to kick start my 20 days vacation after four months of monotonous college life. We passed through rural India, experienced wide variety of  landscapes from barren lands to lush green fields, quiet to raging rivers, women carrying clay pots full of water on their heads and child on the hip, animals roaming aimlessly in the fields, long and shady trees lining both sides of the road.

Scenic landscape during the way

We were about 50 kms. away from the park and then suddenly the unexpected happened – a flat tyre. Owing to the hot bolts it took 15-20 mins. for it to be replaced. Since we were getting late for the safaris, reckless and rash driving for the last 30 mins. ensured that we reached the park just in time.

Flat Tyre

There are two safaris in a day, one in morning and other in the evening and for each, a permit is required . Forest has delimited path for the open safari jeep. All the entrance paths lead to a central huddle point from where the information is exchanged about the tiger sighting zones. From the central point, the safari jeep follows the path assigned in the permit.

Bumpy safari drive along the uneven, rutted path of the park and the anticipation to spot the beast kept us on the edge of our seats throughout our whole time inside the park. We took two safaris but none of them proved to be fruitful. We, however, did sight other animals and birds. Bandhavgarh has a very dense population of deers – around 15,000 and out of these 15,000 we managed to see around 1500 deers, no kidding. Deers can even be found in the buffer zone of the park, outside the core area. If not the tiger itself, we did manage to get a glimpse of its pug-marks and hear its roar.

Welcome to the Jungle

Safari Jeep

Inside the forest

Deer posing!

Cute Langur!

Elephant

Deers savoring the Sun

This is how a tiger marks it territory by scratching the trees

Isolated

Waiting for a glimpse

Splendid Forests

Broken horn of a deer. But the driver didn’t let me pick it.

After spending nearly 10 hours in the park, we were letdown but this board at the exit of the park did provide some solace. We were in two different safari jeeps and were assigned different zones for the safari.It was disappointing that our jeep couldn’t sight the beast but the fact that my friends and cousins in the other safari also couldn’t spot anything gave such a comforting and delightful feeling. (Haha… I’m such a sadist)

Some Consolation

After returning back from the park, it was time to pack our bags and return back to Katni, and continue with our next destination of the itinerary. However, a small Macro photo session with the flowers of the resort, just before leaving helped me in refreshing myself.

A flower from the resort

Ah..Hungry Ants!

Stay tuned…New post on the next stop, Pachmari will be up soon. Until then..Cheers!

Faith in humanity restored!

When was the last time you didn’t see negative news on the front page of a newspaper? Can’t remember, right? While rapes, scams, shootings, wars and all dominate the headlines, there are folks, right amongst us, who with their deeds and sacrifices keep a check on human race and make this world a place worth living, who once in a while restore your faith in humanity, who are present in every country, every city and every neighborhood, who with their random act of kindness, make you believe this world is not as bad as you thought it to be. And I witnessed one such act this Sunday evening.

I was at this grocery store near my house to get some cheese. There’s a temple adjacent to the store, so the whole region is always a bit crowded with beggars and poor people. People, for whom, the temple means the whole world, who have paper thin body, long & greasy hair, who have just one asset – an old, dented mug filled with pennies, making rattling sound, who just know one statement “Please spare some change”, a sight at which you always feel sorry. It was a usual Sunday evening with empty streets and everyone rejoicing the free day of the week . I stepped out off the car and noticed there was just one guy outside the temple but on a wheelchair, his eyes filled with anticipation that someone would pass some food or money to him. As I was about to enter  the store, I saw a guy who had just bought his grocery (3-4 bags), moving out of the store, towards his car. This guy, then saw the poor, handicapped person on the wheel chair and without a second thought or hesitation, he went straight to him and handed-over all the grocery bags and the money he had, to him and brought a broad, dazzling smile on poor man’s face. A smile when someone is really satisfied and content from inside. The whole incident gave me goosebumps and just left me speechless.

That day I realized how blessed we are, but how we always fail to see it and how we can share our blessings through such gestures. A Rs. 100 or a $5 note might not mean much to you but always remember, it means a world to someone else..

Udaipur – The White City

In the western side of the country, sharing border with the rival country, Pakistan, dwells the Indian state of Rajasthan, a state of camels and deserts, a land of spectacular and majestic forts & landscapes, a place of rich heritage & culture and  mouth-watering cuisines (Dal-Baati-Churma & Ghewars), a land of long and glorious history, a place where royalty is a way of life. Abode to fearless, brave, tenacious and notorious Rajput warriors and kings, the state is rightly called Rajasthan, ‘The land of Kings’.

2013 was already proving to be a good year for travelling; ancestral villages and temples in January, Ranthambhore in February, and then it was Udaipur in March . Udaipur was founded by Maharana Udai Singh in 1559 when he shifted the capital of Mewar from Chittorgarh to Udaipur. With seven artificial, inter-connected and beautiful lakes, the city is aptly known as ’City of lakes’, ‘Kashmir of Rajasthan’, and ‘Venice of the East’. Owing to the white buildings and houses, it’s also called ‘The White city’.

With just one day in hand, I had to squeeze the most out of this splendid city and kicked off the day with authentic, heavy and delicious Rajasthani dish, Dal-Baati.

Dal-Baati

The first spot on the list was ‘The City Palace’. Located on the banks of Lake Pichola, it was constructed by Maharana Udai Singh in 1559 and has many other palaces built within. The city palace is divided in three parts – one-third has been converted into the museum for general public, another third is the home of the 76th king of the Mewar dynasty, Maharaja Arvind Singh Mewar and last third was turned into a hotel in 1963 by the Maharja and is now managed by HRH group of Hotels (I think HRH stands for His Royal Highness…Haha). Massive in size, this palace provides an amazing insight into elegant Mewar culture and architecture, a great view of the city, and is a must visit for everyone who visits Udaipur.

Entrance to City Palace

Residence of the current King and an awesome Vintage car!

Museum Part of City Palace

As you enter the City Palace, you get a stunning view of The Lake Palace hotel located in the Lake Pichola, a sight that you just don’t want to stop staring at. Built from 1743 to 1746 by Maharana Jagat Singh II as a summer resort to get respite from heat it was known as Jag Niwas island and was later turned into a luxury hotel and the management was overtaken by Taj Hotels in 1971 and since then, its called Taj Lake Palace. Today, it’s considered as the most romantic hotel in India. Tranquil blue water of the lake reflecting the calm blue sky, Arravali mountains and the Palace constituted a breath-taking view.

Lake Palace!

The whole museum is divided into several Mahals, and has many Gates and Chowks. Just as you enter the fort, you see a wall lined with yellow, red and white flags & a lush green garden which gives you a royal feeling of the era of 1600′s. This place is called Bada Chowk and is the main compound of the palace.

Red, Yellow & White!

Bada Chowk

The entrance to the main museum is through an impressive gateway, which boasts two warriors on a golden mosaic painting. Once inside, you again have to go through a security check. As you move on, you come across a hall displaying old arms and weapons such as guns, swords, pistols, spears etc. The palace is so huge that after passing through several rooms, passages, verandahs and galleries, I was unable to keep track and remember the names of all the places, though I remember a few.

Padharo Mhare Desh!

Pillars!

The next point was Badi Mahal which is situated at the highest point of the palace. Being the highest point in the palace, it provides an awesome panoramic view of the White city and Lake Pichola. Badi Mahal features a beautiful garden with trees, flowers and fountains. Inside, it also contains beautiful stained windows.

Inside Badi Mahal!

Udaipur – The White City

Stained Glasses

Vani Vilas

Next up was Mor Chowk or The Peacock courtyard and this is the most beautiful place inside the palace. It contains five peacock mosaics with fine glass work and this makes it an amazing piece of art. No place inside the palace was as remarkable and attractive as the Mor Chowk.

Mor Chowk!

Amar Mahal displays the orthodox Indian kitchen and items of common use in an exotic manner. From clay pots, metallic utensils, fans to Chulhas made of clay and stones which used wood as fuel. The sheer size of pots and utensils made me imagine the size of the kings, their waistlines and how much efforts the cooks must had to put in for preparing the food.

Amar Mahal

Metallic Utensils

Having already spent 2 hours in the palace and restricted by time, we had to cover the rest of the palace quickly without spending much time at a particular spot and thus I was unable to gather much information about other places but just the pictures.

Nice place to work…ain’t it?

‘Hat Tables’ in Zenana Mahal

Picture Gallery

Almost a recursion!

Symmetry!

The final 10 minutes were spent in checking out the most expensive place of the palace; a place where everything is made up of pure Silver from Mandap to chariots.

A ‘Shaadi Mandaap’ made totally of Silver used for marriage of king’s son 2 years back

Silver Chariot!

Rich Folks!

Finally, it was time to leave the City Palace. It’s massive size, beautiful architecture, dazzling views, stained glasses makes it one of the best monuments in Rajasthan or might be in India too.

On the way out

Moti Magari, Maharana Pratap Memorial, was the next destination. An impressive Bronze statue of Maharana Pratap Singh on his favorite and faithful horse, Chetak, stands atop Moti Magari overlooking Fateh Sagar Lake. The statue is so beautifully carved that each and every nerve on both Maharana Pratap and his horse Chetak are clearly visible. Maharana Pratap never surrendered the independence of Mewar to Mughals when all other Rajput kingdoms had submitted to the wills of Akbar. And as a result Battle of Haldighati was fought in 1576, which lasted only for 4 hours. The battle didn’t have any clear outcome but is remembered for its hero, Chetak. Maharana Pratap had injured himself and so had his horse, but despite the injuries Chetak carried Mahrana Pratap on his back to a safe place after sprinting for nearly 2 miles on three legs. On the way, while trying to leap a strem, Chetak wounded himself and succumbed to injuries and thus became a legend.

Maharana Pratap and Chetak statue

Boating while watching the Sun setting over the Fateh Sagar lake in the evening hours is a must-do activity in Udaipur. The calmness and peace it provides is totally unmatched. It also provides a great opportunity for photographers to capture the sunset and twilight.

Mountain Silhouette

Tired and exhausted, we decided to visit the last spot, Nimach Mata Temple located on a hill-top and call it a day. The only access to the temple is through the rope-way. At almost a height of 1 km., it provides a stunning view of the Lake palace amidst the Pichola lake and City Palace by the lake, both bathing in artificial lights.

Atop the Mountain

Night View!

Untill next post…Cheers! Stay tuned.

Knockin’ on nature’s door – 2

It was the last morning, last safari and the last chance to capture the great beast!

After collecting the safari passes at 4 in the morning, the canter for the morning safari arrived at our resort at 0530 hours and we entered the gates of the park at 6 a.m. For the morning safari, we got a 14-seater petrol canter, much better and comfortable than the one we got last afternoon. With plummeting temperature of 3-4 degrees, it was freezing cold and shivering, everyone in canter was clad in warm clothes from head to toe. We were assigned zone 4 for this safari.

Spotted and Sambar deers were the first animals to be sighted during the safari. Sambar deers are the most preferred, favorite  and easy prey for the tigers for three reasons. Firstly, their bulky body which provides plenty of meat, secondly, their slow and lethargic nature and lastly their poor eyesight (just 250 m). One Sambar deer can fulfill a tiger’s hunger for nearly a week.

Sambar Deer!

Zone 4 like the zone 3 has fair number of lakes. After nearly 30-minutes, we came across a lake covered with red algae. The lake and the whole scene was so splendid that no words or photos can do the complete justice to the actual sight. With Aravallis range, thick & dense forest trees, white storks flying over the lake clad in red algae, black ducks swimming in the lake and freezing cold weather, it was one of the most mesmerizing sights I had ever experienced.

Can you spot the alligator?

Surreal!

Just when we were contemplating the beauty of the mother nature, in came the tree-pies to grab our attention. I think they are the ‘Paris Hilton’ of the bird world, always craving for attention. One of them came and sat on my head and it was at this moment, I realized how painful it must be for the trees every-time when a tree-pie sits on them. With my camera hanging around my neck, I just pointed the camera towards it and got a great shot by fluke (at least I think so).

A ‘tree-pie’ sitting on my head!

One and half hour into the safari and still there were no signs of the tiger. We waited by the lakes, carefully listened to the alert sounds made by other animals, observed pin drop silence, continuously stared at the bushes for any movement, and did every other thing that was possible but the tiger had some different plans. And, then suddenly pug-marks of the giant predator were espied on the canter track and optimism made its way into our hearts. Is there a tiger in the vicinity? Will we spot it finally this time?

Pug-marks!

We slowly and meticulously surveyed the whole region. Canters were now moving at snail’s pace. But the unexpected happened once again – no sighting. Frustrated, my cousin, sitting next to me, came up with a rather funny and interesting story. He said, “all these safaris, tiger sighting and national parks are a big conspiracy by the Government. There are, actually, no tigers in the national park. All these things are just a big set-up and money making scheme of the Govt. Just before the morning and afternoon safari, some Govt. agents make pug-marks of tigers all over the forest and that’s how they lure and fool the tourists and make money out of it.” In a place where I was supposed to observe dead silence, I started laughing on top of my voice and thus started getting stares from everyone around almost till the end of the safari.

After a while it started drizzling, adding more beauty to the landscapes. The green and brown forests made a perfect contrast with the grey clouds and blue sky. However, the first priority of everyone aboard the canter was to protect their photography gear and then themselves. Amidst the rain, we spotted a big, fat vulture sitting on a tree, and bunch of deers sipping water from a small lake, which was the high of the morning safari.

Drizzle, a beautiful lake and peacocks – a great place to ponder!

Vulture!

Deers fulfilling their thirst!

As we were making our way out of the park, a Jackal, suddenly popped out of the forest and started running in front of our canter and trailing the canter ahead of us. This was something unusual because  jackals are nocturnal animals. It trotted along our path for almost 3-4 kilometers, looking back at the canter almost every 15 seconds. It almost escorted us to the exit of the park before it finally disappeared into the jungle. Don’t know what was on its mind but like tree-pies last evening, it gave us a reason to go out of the park with a smile. Sure, we spotted none of the animals from the cat family but we did sight a member of dog family and that too for almost 10 minutes.

Let me guide you out of the park !

My job is done…bye-bye now!

A roar in Bandhavgarh and pug-marks in Ranthambhore, I’m pretty sure next time it would be the predator itself. The hunt still continues..

Knockin’ on nature’s door – 1

It had been a while since my camera saw the outside world. So being a loyal friend, I planned a trip to Ranthambhore National Park (Tiger Reserve) in the Indian state of Rajasthan in February 2013 for him.

With the intentions of spotting and capturing (in my camera) the majestic and exotic Royal Bengal Tiger in their natural habitat, this trip, like my last two wildlife safari trips, ended in disappointment. Nonetheless, beautiful forests, diverse flora and fauna, cold spell of weather, radiant & stunning sunsets and sunrise, and serene forests made up for the non-sighting of the tigers and also boosted my enthusiasm further to the next level to sight the predator.

With a total of 9 people, 3 from Jaipur and 6 from Delhi, all the arrangements (travelling tickets, resort booking, safari tickets etc.) were done well in advance almost two weeks before, thanks to my cousin. The journey began with a two-hour train trip from Jaipur to Sawai Madhopur. The train which had to leave at 5:15 A.M. in the morning was late by two and half hours, thanks to Indian Railways.

Having read about the rains in the newspaper, there was a constant fear in the head. Will the trip be washed out? Will the safaris be cancelled due to rain? There were some drizzle but that made the weather more pleasant. Finally we reached Ranthambhore, streets lined up with gypsies and canters, to find clear skies which washed out all the worries. We checked into the hotel, had breakfast, swam for some time, had lunch, collected the forest pass and geared up for the afternoon safari with excitement reaching a fever pitch.

The first afternoon safari was in a diesel canter designed for seating 16 tourists, 1 guide and a driver. The canter was probably 30-40 years old, made highly annoying screeching sound and rather than reducing the bumps and jerks, I guess it was designed to intensify them. There is a possible chance that there were no shockers in them. To add to the woes, we got the last two rows of the canter.

Now some quick facts about the Ranthambhore National Park. Spread in a core area of approximately 275 sq. km, it has a tiger population of around 45 tigers. The tiger reserve is divided into 4 regions: Ranthambhore NP Zone (which is further divided into the 5 zones: zone 1, zone 2 …. zone 5), Kundal, Chidikho and Balas zone. The NP zone is the most probable zone for sighting the tigers as told by the guide.

We entered the gates of the National park at around 3:00 PM. Submission and verification of forest gate passes, signing indemnity bonds and the other formalities took some while, so the langurs took over the show and held our interest.

Run Langur Run!

The zones for the safari are randomly assigned and we got zone 3 for the afternoon safari. With a bunnch of lakes and forts, this is the most aesthetic zone in the park. Dry trees, long yellowish-brown grass, old grey trees devoid of leaves and Aravalli mountain range in the background make it a very photogenic place.

Second largest Banyan tree in India!

Dry leaves and grass

Serene!

Standing tall!

Nature at its best!

Bokeh

The safari continued and we spotted large number of birds and animals. From crocodiles savoring the sun, spotted Deers, Sambars, Wild Pigs and Jackals to large varieties of birds including Peacocks, Tree-Pies, Rose ring Parakeets, painted and black Storks, Great Egrets, and Kingfishers etc.  Time passed by but no signs of the beast caused disappointment to creep in.

Do I look alright?

Rose ring Parakeets shot in Monochrome

Have I been ‘spotted’? I think I should run. (Pun intended)

Naughty deers..Get a room, you two!

No force in this world can separate us!

Tanning should make me sexier!

With around one hour of time left for safari to get over, the driver and guide decided we would wait by  a lake for the tiger to show up, reason being that tigers are generally thirsty by evening and they generally come out to quench their thirst. Unfortunately we couldn’t spot any tiger but still it proved to be the most entertaining hour and the show was stolen by the Tree-pies. From setting it claws on the heads of people, to fighting and jumping inside the canters, they made sure we went out of the park with a smirk on the face.

Waiting for the beast

Tigers not showing up? No worries..we’ll entertain you!

These damn tourists!

Hey, you! Yes you, Who do you think you’re lookin at?

We, then,  came out of the park a bit frustrated but filled with optimism about the next safari.

Another brick in the wall

So, here I am, finally blogging. I’ve been thinking about blogging for a while and after a long long time, I’m able to come up with my first post.

Writing this post,  reminds me of a Pink Floyd song, ‘Another brick in the Wall’. A line from the song, ‘All in all you’re just another brick in the wall’ is roaring loudly in my head. Guess that explains my presence in this blogging world. 

I have no idea what I will blog or write about. Stay tuned to find out and guess I will figure that out very shortly.

 With the Floyds coming up in my first post, I think “this crazy diamond might shine”