Call of the hill myna...

Devarayanadurga State Forest and surroundings - As seen on new google maps, May 2013

2013-05-30T16:43:00.000+05:30

Among the oldest reserve forests of India, Devarayanadurga State Forest is a pocket of isolated wilderness amidst growing urban areas and upcoming highways. Here is how it looks on google maps.

Devarayanadurga State Forest and surroundings - As seen on new google maps, May 2013

With labels - Devarayanadurga State Forest and surroundings - As seen on new google maps, May 2013

For more on Devarayanadurga state forest, please see the below post on this blog:
150 years later, Devarayanadurga Forest chugs along...

Presqu'ile Provincial Park - Home to Ontario's winged wonders

2013-05-23T23:34:00.001+05:30

The region to the east of Toronto along Lake Ontario is less densely populated than to the west which leads to the cities of Burlington, Hamilton, Niagara falls and beyond to Rochester in the United States. Out on the east, one can have the pleasure of driving leisurely on the roads that have a comparatively lesser vehicle population as well. Also to the east along Lake Ontario are a string of provincial parks that protect rare vegetation and wildlife, particularly migratory birds. These parks are the equivalent of India's conservation reserve and community conserved areas being too small in most cases to be given the status of a wildlife sanctuary or a national park.

Google map screenshot showing the parks to the east of Toronto. In the south is New York state of USA.

Among such parks are the twin wilderness of McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve and Second Marsh wildlife area along with the neighbouring Darlington Provincial Park (read more), Presqu'ile Provincial Park and Sand Banks Provincial Park.

Google map of Second Marsh including McLaughlin Wildlife Preserve and Darlington Provincial Park

Being less than an hour's drive from Toronto, Presqu'ile is an accessible paradise for birders in spring and fall when one can watch migratory birds in various hues. It falls along a major migratory flyway. Here's what Park Canada website has to say about this park:
"The park is a haven for migratory birds. About 126 species of birds nest here, and at least 321 species have been sighted enroute to destinations such as South America, the Arctic, Europe and Asia. Each autumn, the park is a gathering point for monarch butterflies as they begin their migratory trek to Mexico." (Read more)

A screen shot of satellite imagery from Google map showing Presqu'ile Provincial Park

Here are some pictures of Presqu'ile wilderness areas taken around 2005.

A board requesting birders not to trample on the feeding grounds of waterfowl. It was a Sunday and despite many birders and bird photographers being around, none actually crossed the fence to take a 'good shot'. Contrast this with the current scenario in India, particularly Hessarghatta grasslands near Bangalore.

There are a number of marked trails for birders

Along the trails are boards providing a wealth of information on the area and its wildlife

Migratory waders along the shore

A ringbilled gull (Larus delawarensis) in flight

A view of Gull Island

A fresh water beach at Sand Banks Provincial Park

Sunset over Ana Sagar lake, Ajmer

2013-02-21T15:04:00.001+05:30

Sunset over Ana Sagar lake, Ajmer, a photo by Tumkur Ameen on Flickr.

Watching Winter Waterfowl in Karnataka: 'Welcoming winged wonders'

2012-12-19T00:07:00.000+05:30

The annual mid-winter Asian Waterfowl Census has groomed hundreds of nature lovers into serious bird watchers and has helped wetland conservation in Karnataka. Ameen Ahmed reports.

(This story was published in the Science and Technology section of the Deccan Herald on 22 Jan 2008 http://archive.deccanherald.com/Content/Jan222008/snt2008012147835.asp)

It was early January in mid-1990s and the road overlooking Kunigal chikka kere marshland, 75 km west of Bangalore city, was desolate, except for a few bird watchers. With the monsoons gone and the dust settled down, we were taking part in the annual mid-winter Asian Waterfowl Census. Our eyes caught a greyheaded fishing eagle that had perched itself on one of the trees lining the lake. The eagle looked ahead, as the orange sun ball rose up the horizon. The mist veil steadily disappeared, offering beautiful vista of the granite hills of Konkekallu that continue to the magnificent Savanadurga. Underneath the eagle's watchful eyes a coot shrugged water off its wings by rapidly flapping them. The coot was preparing itself for the wonderful winter day ahead. The eagle moved its gaze towards purple moorhens located a short distance away. As one mother moorhen was readying its young ones to venture in fresh water to teach them to feed, the eagle broke cover and swooped down. Before the moorhen family realised of the happenings, one of them was in the firm grip of the raptor's sharp talons above. As the terrified waterfowl scurried for cover amid the aquatic plants, the raptor rose as gracefully as it had descended, looking out for a perch to feed on its hard earned food.

An hour into the day, the sun sprinkled pleasant shine around us, dispelling the cool winds that were piercing our bodies. The stage was now set for a huge flock of northern pintail ducks to make a 'safe' landing in the now clear water. In no time, the lake was a myriad of bird sounds. Those were the pre-cable TV days and we relished every minute of the action – action that any nature channel now would be too eager to document and air.

About the Asian Waterbird Census
Launched in the Indian subcontinent in 1987, the Asian Waterfowl Census (AWC) is an annual event that is usually scheduled during the second and third weeks of January. The census aims to annually record information of waterbird populations at wetlands in the non-breeding period of most species, to annually monitor the state of wetlands and to promote wetlands and waterbirds conservation by encouraging people to visit them.

The Asia Pacific unit of Wetlands International (WI), formerly Asian Wetland Bureau and Asian Waterfowl Research Bureau (IWRB), organises AWC. Many governments, along with NGOs and individuals, co-ordinate it. It is organised parallel to other major international census of waterfowl in Europe, Neotropics, Africa under the aegis of the International Waterfowl Census (IWC). To date, more than 6,300 sites from 32 countries have been surveyed, with the active participation of tens of thousands of volunteers.

AWC in Karnataka
In Karnataka, the census was supported by the popular bird magazine, Newsletter for Birdwatchers (NLBW) in 1987. Says S Sridhar, the publisher of NLBW, "The Census was started in the winter of Dec 1986–Jan 1987 with the help of local bird watchers. It slowly expanded and at one time 330 wetlands throughout the State used to be monitored."

Environmentalist A N Yelappa Reddy, who then was the Secretary of Ecology and Environment, Government of Karnataka, requested the District Forest Officers (DFOs) to extend their help to bird watchers in conducting the event. A meeting was organised in 1990 by NLBW for nature clubs and bird watchers from around Karnataka, says Honourary Wildlife Warden of Tumkur T V N Murthy. Murthy, who was one of the participants, adds, "The encouragement by bird experts from Bangalore like Dr Subramanya and J N Prasad helped birders from towns like Tumkur, Hassan, Mandya and Mysore to fan across wetlands in their districts to record the winter visitors.” Since then, year after year, hundreds of bird watchers across Karnataka, like their counterparts throughout Asia, have been visiting wetlands in search of waterfowl.

Volunteers come from diverse walks of life - from school students to nature club members, and from amateur bird watchers to professional ornithologists. They scout water bodies - both man-made and natural, for water birds and also birds of prey (which feed on these waterfowl). The data collected is then used to fill standardised data forms. In each country a volunteer national or regional coordinator uses a network of volunteers by sending and receiving data forms and then compiles reports. This data is annually sent to international coordinators who use it for international reports.

Success of the census
According to WI, this census is "the largest biodiversity monitoring programme in the Asia-Pacific region, one that monitors millions of waterbirds and their key wetland areas in the region." Adds S Sridhar, "The event let us identify the threats these birds were facing, like poaching. We used the information to help curb illegal activities at many places."

According to ornithologist M B Krishna, "We participated in the waterbird counts from the very first year the programme was started. From the Bangalore point of view, I am happy that we took it beyond what the IWRB visualised. We actually converted the waterbird count into a full-fledged wetland survey in 1989 and 1995. The findings and knowledge which we gained, came in handy to help the Karnataka Forest Department make proposals under schemes like NLCP and NORAD, which was the incentive for government to launch the Lake Development Authority (LDA)."

Says WI, "The information collected by AWC has contributed to various international agreements, such as the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals; international initiatives, such as the Waterbird Population Estimates, Important Bird Area and Globally Threatened Birds updates programmes; regional flyway initiatives; GAINS avian disease surveillance and early warning systems; national and local waterbird and wetland conservation; and management efforts in all the participating countries."

In a nutshell, the census has been extremely successful in achieving its primary aims. As a result of increased awareness, local people and governments are now setting about the conservation of important sites in almost every country. The many protected wetlands across Karnataka are a living proof of this.

To keep yourself updated about the event in Karnataka, email to subscribe@bngbirds.yahoogroups.com

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Himalayan delicacies in nature's lap - Club Mahindra's Baiguney

2012-07-22T19:53:00.001+05:30

There are many reasons for one to visit Club Mahindra's Baiguney. And if you are foodie like me, I am pretty sure it will be 'love at first visit' as well. As some one on the look out for exotic food, the wide array of authentic Sikkim and Nepalese menu on the table floored me.

For starters, you can try 'Sekhua' a traditional Nepalese smoke cooked chicken. To me this chicken was the Nepali equivalent of north India's tandoor chicken. This chicken is marinated with ginger garlic paste with curd added as a binder. Traditionally it is smoke cooked using wood unlike charcoal grill. At Baiguney, for reasons of convenience the chicken was cooked using gas and not charcoal.

Chicken 'Sekhua' with authentic Darjeeling momos

I also had a taste of authentic Darjeeling momos, a dish that is now available at many fast food restaurants across India, particularly Delhi. I was informed by Chef Gagan that momos mass manufactured usually use dalda (vegetable oil) or ghee to soften them flour. But the ones that are still cooked authentically don't do so, yet they taste soft.

I had the good fortune of tasting a full course Nepali feast food. Some of the ingredients used in the local cuisines are found only in the Himalayas and no where else. The sumptuous meal consisted of the following variety:

1) 'Ningro Churpi': Fern soup with local cheese (churpi)

2) Kokru ko masu: Chicken curry

3) Nepali dum aloo (made of local potatoes)

4) 'Chamre' rice: A traditional variety of rice cooked and mixed with corn

5) Jogi sabzi: Mixed vegetable curry

6) Paheli: Local dal

7) Garli & green chilli chutney

8) 'Seal roti': A local sweet/ savory

9) Himalayan kheer: A kheer made using a local variety of rice.

Nepali feast food, a special menu of traditional Nepalese food

'Seal' roti (top) with 'sadhe koke phal' (fruit salad)

For a food lover there are few pleasure in world that can beat a evening tea with a chef who loves to feed you. In Chef Gagandeep Sabarwal I not just found a great chef but an awesome human as well. A food lover he is, we hardly had our first conversation going beyond food apart from the usual weather and my town vs your town stuff.

According to Chef Gagan, Baiguney offers a multi cuisine spread as well as Buffet & A-la carte. But there were some pleasant twists as well. For Senior Citizens they have 'Soul to Soul' Dining. Here a chef special menu as per choice is made to order. To top the complimentary cake is a private butler at your service. Not to miss the younger crowd, there is a 'Heart to Heart' dinner. If you are a young couple, your room is decorated and the complimentary cake is sent to it. The private butler comes to you as well.

Serving with a smile, the hospitality of the restaurant at Baiguney overwhelmed me

Many of the ingredients that go into the recipes of the menu here are found only in the eastern Himalayas. Above is a fern that is used to make 'Ningro churpi'

Chef Gagan (left) whose team cooks for you as if you are a prince.

CLICK HERE FOR CHEF GAGANDEEP'S MESSAGE

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Club Mahindra Baiguney - Sikkim's hidden treasure trove of serenity

2012-07-09T23:01:00.001+05:30

Think of Sikkim and one conjures images of snow-clad peaks and India's cold frontiers. But a recent visit to Club Mahindra's Resort at Baiguney let me discover a less explored world, one of serenity and peace.

It’s true that Sikkim has many snow capped peaks, particularly along the border with China and Nepal. But away from the maddening crowds whose only aim is to catch a solitary glimpse of obscure, far away snowy mountains, lies Club Mahindra Baiguney, a treasure trove of lush greenery and blissful serenity.

View Larger Map

A view of Club Mahindra's resort at Baiguney, west Sikkim

The resort is located about 3 km north of the twin towns of Naya Bazaar & Jorethang not far from the famed hill station of Darjeeling. But the weather here is like much of south Sikkim, pleasant in Winter and Monsoons but humid in the Summers.

During my brief stay last week, my body was pampered and the nerves soothed at the traditional Bhutanese hot stone bath - among only a handful of places offering this unique bath. There were trained masseurs who give me a swastha sparsh massage, after which I could literally feel my calories evaporate at the resort's sauna bath followed by a steam bath.

An inside view of the executive suite

For the fitness freaks in love with cardio-vascular exercises, the outdoor pool amidst the greenry invites you to relax in it. You may also use the well equipped gym with the treadmill in it. If you are a bookworm who just wants to spend the day relaxing by the riverside engrossed in the latest fiction, there is the river Rangit on whose bank this resort is located. I personally found the river a bit noisy after a while, as monsoon waters were pouring into it due to the rains up-stream. I relaxed in the executive suite overlooking the river at a comfortable distance. The kids in your family will surely love the rides on the ponies that walk through the undulating terrain around. For the water sports freaks Rangit River offers an excellent opportunity to wrestle with rapids.

I personally found the river a bit noisy after a while, as monsoon waters were pouring into it due to the rains up-stream. Overlooking the river at a comfortable distance I chose the executive suite to spend the day.

The rapids in River Rangit are an open invitation to adventure lovers to try rafting

Amidst the lush greenery the pool here is inviting

Baiguney's Club Mahindra is among the few resorts in the state that provide the traditional Bhutanese hot stone bath

The drive amidst lush rainforests and deciduous habitats from Siliguri through the famed Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary will set you up a grand scene for any nature lover visiting Baiguney. If creatures of the winged kind interest you, take your field glasses and let your eyes wander in the canopy around. You might be lucky to see a great pied hornbill gracing the tall trees just like I did; or, sight the emperor of India's butterflies 'Kaiser-e-Hind' gliding across one of the many water courses. Located in Eastern Himalayas, this region is one of world's few biodiversity hotspots.

The rainforests and deciduous habitats on the drive from Siliguri to Baiguney are famed for their scenic splendour and wildlife.

For the ones whose taste buds are always on the look out to wander on new exotic cuisines, the resort is among the best places to enjoy ethnic Nepali and Sikkimese food.

Seen above is a traditional Nepali feast food. The chefs at Club Mahindra Baiguney led by Chef Gagan leave no stone unturned to satisfy your palate

Whether you are a senior executive wanting to hibernate away from endless meetings and business trips or someone who wants a rush of adrenaline to flush out the pent up stress, Club Mahindra's resort at Baiguney is the destination for you. It is one place that will surely leave you asking for more of Sikkim’s grand hospitality. The next time you want to pamper your mind, tongue & body, look east to Club Mahindra's resort at Baiguney.

Hospitality at its best - Club Mahindra at Baiguney

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Destination Nagarahole – Shining jewel of India's jungles

2012-06-13T12:52:00.000+05:30

Driving away from the remote Kutta village in south Kodagu district, our SUV occupied by members of my family crawled silently through the dense early morning fog on this winding Western Ghats' road. The powerful headlights lit up the signboard on which a tigress and cub were painted neatly, with "Welcome" etched in English and Kannada, the languages that a majority of the people of Karnataka state speak. Across the signboard was a check post of Rajiv Gandhi or Nagarahole National Park, among India's richest and deservedly the best known. The check post was manned by personal from the wildlife wing of the Karnataka Forest Department. Rubbing my hands to warm myself against the cool breeze that hit me as I stepped out of the vehicle, I approached one of the forest guards manning the check-post. Dressed in khaki field uniform, complete with a pair of anti-leech boots, "Saar" he said, "10 more minutes before I can let you into the park". A thermal mask muffled his voice as I lit my watch and nodded in agreement, the early sun yet to light the sky. I completed the formalities of visitors' registration at the check post, as the rest of my family anxiously watched me through the window.

A hoarding welcoming tourists into Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park near Kutta village, Kodagu District

As the night falls inside India's wildlife parks, various herbivores gather to graze along the edge of road and forest taking advantage of the restriction of entry of tourists from dusk to dawn. They do so, hoping that this clearing in forest will allow them to better view their would be hunters. This in fact attracts the hunters – tigers, leopards and Asian wild dogs to the roads, who know where their food is. To the tourists waiting at the park's entrance early in the morning, this is like the proverbial early bird getting the first worm. Early entrants into the park rarely miss the amazing variety of wildlife as they travel inside, before the wildlife disperses taking advantage of the sunlight.

At 6 AM sharp, we entered the park. We passed by a couple of small, water logged paddy fields, the monsoons keeping them lush. As the road entered the dense teak forests of the park, our eyes fell on a herd of Asian gaur. Indian bison, as they are some times called, is a misnomer though. Wary of our stopped vehicle, the calves in the herd hid themselves behind the massive adults and the tall vegetation. Inquisitive, a massive bull with its legs white, unlike the rest of its dark brown body, emerged out of the tall grass to give us a cold stare. A well-grown adult bison can weigh more than 1000 kilos and stand well over 6 feet. Respectfully, we kept our distance. Moving ahead slowly and observing the array of wildlife around, it roughly took us twenty minutes to reach Nagarahole, the starting point of the forest department safari's game-viewing vehicle.

A herd of gaur in the wilderness of Nagarahole National Park

Rajiv Gandhi or Nagarahole- the previous official and still the popular name of this National Park, is spread across the districts of Kodagu and Mysore along the border with Kerala. This famed south Indian jungle was once the favourite hunting ground during the Raj and the reign of erstwhile Mysore Maharajas. Fortunately, it is now a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), India's first. Spread over 5000 sq. km of some of Indian sub-continent's finest and largest contiguous forests, the NBR is home to the world's largest population of Asian elephants and among the most viable populations of Bengal tigers. Like Nagarahole Park much of NBR is located inside Western Ghats or Sahayadris as it is commonly known, a long mountain spine running parallel to the Arabian Sea bisecting the coast from Deccan Plateau in India's south-western part.

View Nagarahole tourism complex in a larger map

Nagarahole tourism complex as seen using satellite imagery
url: http://goo.gl/maps/wPPFX

Lucky to be in the midst of this unparalleled wilderness we sat in rapt attention as the driver of the Safari vehicle and the accompanying forest guide took charge. Their eyes were better experienced to spot the wildlife here. A few hundred metres from the Ranger's office, the backdrop of the nearby Brahmagiri hill range reminded us of our location in the Western Ghats. Rising to over 5000 feet, these hills constitute the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary and form a spectacular backdrop to the lush green forests of this park. We could see an abundance of the beautiful spotted deer or chital, feeding on the luxuriant grass underneath the tall trees. As we approached a muddy pond in the midst of the forest, the vehicle grounded to an abrupt halt. Our guide pointed to a herd of Asian elephants, bathing lazily. We were told about 'Hadlu' or natural swamps found in these moist deciduous forests. They hold water through much of the year and provide excellent fodder for the herbivores and hence are also a favourite spot of the predators. Many birds like the greater racket tailed drongo and the crested serpent eagle could also be seen, before the vehicle moved ahead. With nearly 300 species of birds found here, some of which are endemic, the park is a bird watcher's haven at any time of the year.

A crested serpent eagle keeps an eye over the Kabini River inside Nagarahole National Park. Nearly 300 varieties of birds have been recorded inside this park

Ahead, we came across a solitary wild boar, which seemed to be wandering aimlessly on the game road. As we stopped to watch it, a series of 'Oop, Oop, Oop' calls echoed in the trees overhead. These voices led us to a troop of Hanuman langurs, the blackfaced 'monkeys' revered by many Indians. These were the alarm calls that they raise when they sight a large carnivore like tiger or leopard. As the cameras in the vehicle clicked away, my eyes fell on a trail on the rain soaked track on which our safari vehicle was parked. At last, I could lay my eyes on some evidence of the lord of Indian jungle, the tiger. The huge pugmarks left behind by a tiger that had patrolled this very track a few hours or probably even a few minutes ago were clearly visible, without having to get off the vehicle. India's forests today hold a wild population of tigers that some estimate at less than 1700. This, a far cry from what some estimates put at 40,000 that might have ruled the wilderness at the beginning of last century. Fortunately, many of them find refuge in some very well guarded forests, like the ones we were in now. Rajiv Gandhi Park has among the highest densities of wild tigers in the world, a result of the tireless protection that the park continues to receive from the authorities that control it. Apart from tigers and leopards, packs of Asian wild dogs fearlessly roam these jungles. It is important to add, though this park is rich in big cats, due to their nocturnal habits and also due to the dense nature of the vegetation, sighting them in one visit is rarely possible. But there is so much this park has to offer to a visitor. Any visitor would be mesmerised by the sheer variety in flora and fauna that one can encounter here. This apart from the calm and serenity of these jungles that we so much need but dearly miss each day.

A wild Asian elephant besides a forest track inside Nagarahole National Park.

Before you go:

Location and approach:

The park is located inside Karnataka state bordering Kerala. Mysore City located 96 km away is the nearest domestic airport while Bangalore located 246 km away is the nearest international airport. Taxis can be hired from both the cities.
Accommodation & food:

Though there are many accommodations surrounding the park, among the handful of places providing accommodation within the park boundaries is the tourism complex at Nagarahole. It is maintained by the Karnataka Forest Department and has luxury suites and double bed rooms. Food - Indian vegetarian, can be ordered.

Jungle Lodges and Resorts run the well-known Kabini River Lodge at Karapura village, a public enterprise of the state government. This acclaimed resort offers packages, which include ride in either a country-made boat or mechanized boat along River Kabini and jeep rides into the jungle accompanied by accomplished guides. The boat ride is highly recommended in the dry season as it offers sweeping views of some of the largest gatherings of wild herbivores in south Asia. Those interested in photography, particularly wild Asian elephants, should not miss it. There are also a host of private resorts adjoining the park catering to visitors of different budgets, information on whom is widely available on the net.

Tourists enjoying ride in a coracle (locally made boat lined with buffalo hide) in the backwaters of Kabini reservoir inside Nagarahole National Park.

Best time to visit:

October to February is a good time to visit the park. The park is closed in summer to protect it from forest fires.

Nearby interesting places:

Neatly laid and well-maintained coffee plantations; beautiful hills and dense rainforests, are all a few minutes drive from the park. The picturesque Iruppu falls in the spectacular Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary as well as Kerala, one of India's best-visited tourist destinations, are within half an hour's drive from Nagarahole tourism complex.

Neatly lined coffee estates enthral visitors while driving along the southern periphery of Nagarahole National Park, particularly on the way to Kutta and Konnanakatte villages.

Permission/ Reservations:

Daytime visit into the park is allowed. For overnight visit to Nagarahole Tourism Complex please see http://www.karnatakaforest.gov.in/FRH_KFD/FRH.html#Gangothri (retrieved 13 Jun '12) . To stay at Kabini River Lodge, visit http://www.junglelodges.com/index.php/resorts/kabini-river-lodge.html (retrieved 13 Jun '12).

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Super drive: Delhi by car from Bangalore

2012-06-05T18:27:00.002+05:30

Summary: I drove to Delhi from Bangalore from 15 to 18 April 2009 in our family's compact car. There were many interesting experiences that I had during the course of the four day drive. My feeling was reinforced that India is big and truly amazing; a nation for which we all should join hands to make it a much better place to dwell. The big picture of this drive was that Indian roads are still not meant for driving pan-nation, they seem to primarily cater to local traffic - vehicles moving between two adjoining cities. The roads along the borders of the states are orphaned with hardly any one caring for them. As for infrastructure that is in place, the best stretch of road was the one leading into the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secundarabad and the road leading out of it for a couple of hundred kilometres. As a nature lover I think the best part was driving through the length of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. I could see different landscapes ranging from the gentle rolling hills north-west of Nagpur City to the dense sal forests around Itarsi and Hoshangabad including the newly created Satpuda (Satpura) Tiger Reserve. The landscape is different as one moves north-west of Bhopal into the thorn and ridge forests of Chidikho wildlife sanctuary around Narasinghad town. The drive from Shivpuri to Gwalior is through dry forests, including those of Madhav National Park. But these big swathes of woods form a spectacular sight. Around Gwalior the people and traffic are as rough as the landscape. I could see one guy driving his 2-wheeler with a country-made revolver tucked into his belt at his lower back. Being in close proximity to the Chambal valley, this surely must be India's answer to America's 'wild wild west'. Much of Madhya Pradesh's roads still need to improve, but the varied landscape made up for the beating that my car's suspensions and tyres took. As one enters Uttar Pradesh, one can't miss the fact that it is the most populous state. The traffic and no: of people you run into have to be seen to be believed. Since this was purely a drive to take my car to Delhi within 4 days, I could not take even a single picture, though I was tempted to stop the car at many a place. Below are some details of the drive.

The driving route I took from Bengaluru to Delhi

Day 1, Wed, 15 April 2009;

Bengaluru (Bangalore) to Kurnool via Devanahalli, Chikballapur, Bagepalli, Penukonda, Anantpur and Gooty

This was a long planned drive, one that I was keenly looking forward to. I guess half the fun of taking up a new job in Delhi for me was this drive to it. After days of sprucing up the car and spending quite an amount on it, my father's Hyundai Santro was ready to be driven. While the packing overhead was to ensure things didn't fall off during the long drive, it also had to be done in a ways that facilitated easy unpacking for the daily overnight halts. Hence it took me a day to pack things into the car and over it - on the newly installed overhead luggage carrier. My original plan was to hit the Bangalore - Hyderabad National Highway No:7 after first prayers early on 15 April, but the time for packing took its toll on the departure and it was 1130 AM by the time I started my car's engine at my wife's residence in RT Nagar.

The route of my drive from Bengaluru to Kurnool (first night halt)

I drove smoothly through Devanahalli, Chikballapur, Bagepalli, Penukonda and Anantpur beyond which I stopped along the highway to have my packed lunch besides what looked like an old Hindu temple. The drive was fairly without issues and the only time I had problems was when I neared urban centres. The bye -passes skirting urban centres were incomplete and so were the overhead bridges on them, All this to me were indicators that the roads were actually meant for travel between neighbouring cities rather than pan-national or inter-state drives. My second stop for the day was at a Mosque to offer my afternoon prayers. At 4:45 PM, I stopped at a Bharat Petroleum fuel station, 288 km from the place in Bangalore where I started. This was just before Gooty town. The nice coffee at the restaurant made me fill my mug in the car with some more of this stimulant. The sun had set as I approached Kurnool and I decided to call it a day and stayed put at a hotel inside the town. The town pleasantly had quite a few decent hotels.

Day 2, Thurs, 16 April 2009;

Kurnool to Nagpur via Hyderabad/ Secundarabad, Nirmal and Adilabad.

I left Kurnool very early in the morning. For a few kilometres as I tried reaching the highway outside Kurnool, the road was under repair and the traffic was redirected to just one side of the 4 lane road. In the hurry to make it to the smooth stretch of road ahead I had a narrow miss with an oncoming truck. I was alert of the fact that most of the accidents on Indian Highways involving heavy and medium vehicles happen at dawn, with drivers pushing searching for a place to halt after long and sleepless over night drives. After a few kilometres I reached the famed road leading to the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secundarabad. The 120 km stretch of road to the twin cities from here proved to be the best part of the drive so far. The drive was very smooth and I approached Hyderabad a little after day break and topped up my car's fuel tank. Inside Hyderbad, it was tough finding my way out to Medchal Town which was to lead me to Kamareddy Town, as there were no signboards to guide me out. I felt the lack of a talking GPS which would have been an immense help. After asking my way on the streets, I stopped on the northern outskirts of Secundarabad to have my breakfast of some hot idlis and vadas along with some awesome filter coffee.

Fortunately for me I left the city around 8 AM as the traffic began building on this week day (Thursday). The road again was superb, just like the 120 km stretch leading to the cities from Kurnool. Though there were a few curves in the urban centres, which cut down the speed, the road quality was great. Along a straight stretch of the highway I stopped at a neat restaurant a few kilometres before Kamareddy town. I used this break to clean the car wind shield as well as the head and tail lamps. This place was away from human habitation. I was 675 km from where I started in north Bengaluru and about 475 km from the petrol station before Gooty town where I had stopped for coffee last evening.

The smoother stretch of this part of drive ended a little beyond Kamareddy, after which the highway turned into a single, two-lane road. Though the road has a few potholes it was still good enough to maintain a decent speed. I bye-passed Nizamabad town and as the bye pass ended the road turned circuitous and led into hilly terrain. The single road continued and a few kilometres before the town of Nirmal, the new bye-pass, a four lane road, was being constructed. I drove through Nirmal town and a few kilometres beyond the town I ascended a hill ridge surrounded by lush forests which provided beautiful vistas around. The temperature decreased as well.

Route from Kurnool via Hyderabad to Nagpur (2nd night halt)

During this stretch of the drive I saw the work on NH going on intermittently. The work being carried out was massive as it had to create a path through the undulating terrain which was made up of heavy minerals. I could feel the hard soil when ever the car ran into potholes and felt the heavy resistance here versus the smoother resistance in areas where the soil is not very hard due to lack of minerals in it. I thought this will be a picturesque stretch to drive once the work is completed.

Andhra Pradesh was going to polls on this day and there was visible presence of security forces between Nirmal and Adilabad. I was stopped by one picket of AP police and my antecedents were checked apart from my car being inspected. But the cops were a friendly lot who were respectful and wished me good luck on being informed I was driving all the way to Delhi to take a new job.

The terrain along the drive from Nirmal to Adilabad inside Andhra Pradesh

The sun was shining hard and it was pretty hot as I rolled down the window panes of my car at a 'Garden' restaurant inside Adilabad town at 3 PM. The Telangana style veg lunch was fun - spicy spruced with lots of chillies. I was 861 km away from my staring point in Bengaluru and about 186 km from the coffee stop in the morning at Kamareddy. There were not many people on the roads of Adilabad; the locals were probably practising in preparation of the upcoming harsh summer.

The road beyond Adilabad deteriorated progressively, a proof that I was approaching AP's interstate border with Maharashtra. This is typical of inter-state roads in India. The only state where I have seen roads in a good state even in remote areas is Kerala. Tamil Nadu's border roads are also not that bad. As a born Kannadiga (resident of Karnataka) I feel even my home state Karnataka has a long way to go in getting its border roads in a better state. The road was far worse on the Maharashtra side, just like the border roads in Karnataka. The road became narrow and the pot holes bogged my car down as I approached the bridge over the now dry Penganga Rivulet, a tributary of the bigger Godavari River. The bridge which marks the AP-Maharashtra inter-state border, itself was fairly old with only a small parapet wall on its sides.

As I crossed Bori and Kelapur villages, I saw more NH7 under progress which had left the original road in a horrible state. A little distance beyond Karanji village I realised most of the trucks and vehicles were leaving the highway and deviating west on the road to Yavatmal, one of the bigger towns in this part of Maharashtra. As I drove along the single road, I realised the original road was ripped apart and the soil was being repitched for the 4-laning. About 6 km from the Yavatmal road junction, I hit a road block; rather a non-road block. The road just ended and the highway ahead was nowhere to be seen. It seemed the highway had just vanished into thin air! There was natural vegetation and a few cultivated crops ahead no sign of any road. There were not many vehicles following me. At this point I was afraid if I had made the right decision in taking this stretch of road to drive to Delhi. Would it not have been better driving to Mumbai and then to Ahmedabad to reach Delhi? I drove back a few hundred metres and found a dirt track skirting this stretch of the highway and following it for a few hundred metres there I found the highway again! Bingo!

Map showing the stretch of highway that vanished in front of me (http://goo.gl/maps/uRkc)

For a little over 20 km the road was single and I travelled with utmost care, lest the highway disappeared again. Beyond that though the road turned into a four lane road but it was under construction again and I drove with care for the next 20 - 22 km till I hit the road junction 4 - 5 km to the west of Hinganghat town. There was a lot of heavy and medium traffic joining this road and it seemed the traffic that left towards Yavatmal road was joining the road at this particular junction. I crossed the bridge over Vena River that had plenty of water in it. Hinganghat is like any other dusty town of India that has people racing and almost driving over one another to get through the chicken neck railway crossings.

Beyond Jamb village my car picked speed as the condition of the road improved. From Hinganghat the traffic all seemed to be moving towards Nagpur. It was late in the evening and already dark as I touched the outskirts of Nagpur, when I was stopped by two constables of Nagpur Police at a 'naka' (checkpost). As I was to halt at Nagpur I was mentally prepared for a long haul with these cops. They examined my car and concluded I needed to explain why I had stuffed so much of luggage in the vehicle. On being told I was carrying my personal belongings, they informed me that I had converted my car into a 'maal gaadi' (goods vehicle), hence I had to pay a fine. I walked up to the head constable sitting a few metres away and asked for the section of the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) or any other act under which I had to pay the fine. Realising I was some one with some knowledge of the law and constitutional acts they were polite but adamant and wanted me to 'settle' the matter as I looked 'sensible'. I said I was not going to pay anything for the same exact reason and dropped the names of a few IPS officers. I guess that sealed the conversation and I was off driving into the city without paying a paisa but after a satisfying experience : ) At the hotel in southern part of Nagpur where I halted overnight, I had travelled for 1052 km from where I started in Bangalore. I had left Adilabad town post-lunch at 3:30 PM and it took me 5 hours to cover a distance of 191 km to Nagpur, thanks to the bad inter-state roads.

Map showing terrain around the route from Adilabad Town, Andhra Pradesh (bottom place mark) through Andhra Pradesh-Maharashtra inter state border (white dash line) and Hingaghat (top place mark), ending at Nagpur (north) (http://goo.gl/maps/EjS2)

Day 3, Fri, 17 April 2009;

Nagpur to Biaora (Madhya Pradesh) via Saoner, Phandurna, Multai, Betul, Itarsi, Hoshangabad, Bhopal and Narsinghgarh.

As usual, in order to avoid the traffic I started off early in the day. But the flip side was there were not many souls on the city's streets who knew the way to Phandurna, my next destination. I stopped and asked many an early walker for the driving directions to Betul, Hoshangabad or Bhopal, which not many knew about, hence I lost precious time. Seoni and Jabalpur were places that many people knew of and the routes to them people were familiar with. I finally managed to find the way to Kamleshwar town - a single road, tolled and well maintained, that would lead to Bhopal. To enter this tolled road, one needs to take the road in front of the Nagpur Police Commissioner's office. At this time of the day the road was isolated but nothing untoward happened. Just after Kamaleshwar town, which was 15 km from Nagpur, I took a turn north and drove along the narrow, meandering but decently tarred road leading to Saoner (pronounced Savanur) town 18 km from Kamaleshwar. After entering Saoner, I had to deviate east (turns right) for a km after which one road leads north (turns left) to Chindwara town. A few hundred metres away ,the same road again turns south-west (turns left). I heaved a sigh of relief as the sign post at the entrance of that road read 'Bhopal 317 km' along with distances to other towns on the way - Chicholi, Phandurna, Betul, Hoshangabad, with Phandurna being the next major town 51 km away.

The drive from Phandurna to Multai skirts the birth place of Tapti River, known as 'Maa Tapti ka Talaab' a pilgrimage centre for Hindus. (http://goo.gl/maps/98aQc)

This road is newly tarred and is supposedly the new National Highway that connects Nagpur with Bhopal. The road was inviting with neatly lined trees and a flat terrain. At the same time there were a lot of curves which slowed down my speed. Beyond Phandurna, the road slowly climbs up the plateau of Mahadeo Hills of the famed Satpura Range of Central India. With the climb the temperature also became markedly lower than the surrounding plains through which I just drove. Given the weather on the plateau I expected some mature growth trees, but found only ones with smaller girth and short height (10-15 feet) amidst the sprawlling agricultural farms. I thought the trees had been clear felled for agriculture not so long ago. I crossed the railway line before Multai town and stopped to have my breakfast of bread and omlette at a roadside dhaba which seemed famous with the trucks. Inside Multai the road passes along 'Tapati maa ka talaab' (Pond of Mother Tapti) which is supposed to be the originating point of River Tapti, one of the major rivers of Central India. The small, quaint town was very picturesque with the settings of old temples and spiritual solace seeking pilgrims moving about in a relaxed atmosphere. The road continued to be winding as I drove towards Betul. The population density here was not high and I enjoyed the moments of solitude that were offered to me once in a while along the road, with no human in sight for miles around. Beyond Betul the road meandered along the backwaters of Tawa reservoir. I descended down the plateau afterwards but the road continued to be winding beyond as well.

I passed through the dense forests of Satpura (Satpuda) Tiger Reserve on the way to Itarsi town. This is the region where the famed Pachmari Hill Station of Central India is located. A few km before Itarsi on this single road I was carefully driving on my side when after a sharp left turn of the road I suddenly saw a pick-up truck overtaking 3 vehicles in a row and hurtling towards me. I was driving slow and fortunately for me the driver slowed down in time, else he would have rammed straight into me.

I remember passing through Itarsi town quite a few times on my train journeys to Delhi. As today the town even 13 years ago was surrounded by dense forests. A little beyond Itarsi town I had my lunch at a neat roadside restaurant. MP is truly still a state of forests I realised, as I continued my drive through the forests interspread with towns including Hoshangabad. The later is a pretty little town along the banks of Kolar River, which was crowded on this Friday afternoon. Crossing Obaidullagunj I saw the sad spectacle of forest fires as an occasional forest guard struggled to keep the flames at bay using bare hands and branches of trees. I approached Bhopal late in the afternoon and I had travelled 361 km from the hotel in Nagpur since morning on a single road, a drive of around 9 hours.

The green cover around the drive to Itarsi and Hoshangabad. The Satpuda Tiger Reseve and Pachmari Biosphere Reserve are located to the east of Tawa Reservoir.

Before entering Bhopal, I asked for directions to Biaora (pronounced Byavra) from where I wanted to drive to Guna and Shivpuri one of which were my original destinations to halt tonight. I was directed by a couple of people to the ring road that would bye-pass the city from where I could take the Guna - Gwalior road. Driving on this 'ring road' for a kilo metre and half I felt like wading on my knees through a slush. I thought the road was designed for trucks only and not for light or even medium vehicles. I turned back and was happy to enter Bhopal city. Wandering through the city though I lost much time I got a good feel of the its famed structures apart from its people. I got to see some some of lakes for which the city is famous and also the Taj Masjid. I was advised to take the VIP road to reach Guna Road. Unfortunately that road was closed forcing me to take the one parallel to it to reach Jhinsi Chourasia which took me out of the city towards Biaora.

The road from Bhopal to Biaora passed through the beautiful but dry scrub forests of Narasinghgarh (Narsinghgadh) in which the Chidikho Wildlife Sanctuary is located. The drive offered beautiful views of the forest clothed small hills of the sanctuary. This was a newly tarred road and made an excellent drive. I stopped along to catch a glimpse of beautiful landscape as the road winded along. I reached Biora at 6:45 PM, 117 km from Bhopal. It was already dark as I decided to halt at the MP Tourism Bungalow which was near the Indore - New Delhi National Highway. Though the room was neat and well maintained, there were tens of crickets which descended all over the room as the night progressed. It helped carrying an insecticide spray with me, which was actually meant for my new home in Delhi, and I could sleep in peace without the insects crawling all over me at night.

The route from Nagpur to Biaora (3rd night halt) (http://goo.gl/maps/ASZzT)

Day 4, Sat, 18 April 2009;
Biaora to New Delhi via Guna, Shivpuri, Gwalior, Dholpur, Agra
I was back on road at 6:15 AM. The road was 4-laned at many a stretch and mostly on flat terrain. The morning was pleasant like the past few days. I could see peafowls on the road at many of the villages and I slowed down to enjoy them on a few occasions. I ascended and got down a ridge about 95 km beyond Biaora as I neared a toll gate on the highway before which I stopped by a roadside dhabha to have my breakfast. My fetish for good coffee ensured I got my mug filled with coffee after having my full at the restaurant. The road beyond the toll gate was new and looked well laid. Fortunately for me it by-passed Guna town leading straight to the forest surrounded Shivpuri Town. Inside Shivpuri I was forced to stop on more than one occasion waiting for the tractor-trolleys ahead to gave the traffic the way forward. These irksome drivers would often block the road to pick passengers with least concern for the vehicles behind.

Terrain around Shivpuri, Gwalior and Dholpur route (http://goo.gl/maps/U1W5i)

Shivpuri is the start of a dense stretch of forest that is dry but thick. The forest is extensive and extends for many miles, making it a pleasant stretch to drive. This forest was a part of Madhav National Park in north-west Madhya Pradesh. Towards west Madhav NP continues with the forests of Pulpur Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, the proposed home for reintroduction of cheetahs and Asiatic lions and further joins the forests of the world renowned Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan. This area is a part of the famed Chambal River Basin. Beyond Shivpuri's forests too the road was smooth and a pleasure to drive on. As I neared Gwalior, I decided not to enter the city and take the by-pass skirting it. For a few km the road seemed fine but I didn't realise I was actually driving into traffic jam trap. As the sun rose and heat from surrounding hills radiated I stayed in the car stuck for one straight hour. With the AC on and the car hardly moving an inch ahead, I decided to do some off roading and followed a pickup truck to enter a small metalled track that seemed to lead to Gwalior City. I asked a few residents the way to Dholpur through Gwalior City and was directed to Scindia ki Chavni, which I tried to reach following some old, rustic tracks. Once in the Old city I navigated through the pot-holes, ascending a ridge along an old, abandoned narrow guage railway track. The traffic here was the worst that I had come across in my entire drive. It took me another three fourths of an hour just to leave Gwalior and reach the highway to Dholpur. Beyond Gwalior the road was nice again but the no: of vehicles increased as I progressed ahead towards Dholpur. There were toll gates on this road that led me straight to Dholpur. I crossed the picturesque Chambal river and could see tourists in boats viewing the river and envisaged coming back to this town to visit the Chambal. Beyond Dholpur I stopped to have my lunch by which time it was well past noon, thanks to the terrible traffic around Gwalior. Again, the road to Agra was pretty good as I reached that heritage city at 5 PM. I didn't have to waste a second at Agra, literally, as the road to Delhi from there was pretty straight forward. I raced through the traffic knowing the fact that I would be running into peak traffic as I neared Delhi. Despite some chaotic traffic at a few traffic lights inside NCR including at Faridabad and opp. Apollo Hospital, I managed to reach Nizamuddin at 8:15 PM and with a little effort I managed to reach the guest house that had my reservation at Lodi Estate at 8:30PM.

The route from Biaora to Delhi (http://goo.gl/maps/XBiPR)

Some stats:
Total distance: 2050 km
No: of travel days: 4 days and 3 night halts
Vehicle: Hyundai Santro Zip Plus
Petrol: About 120 litres, costing about 6,000/- rupees (Sweetheart, it was Apr 2009 : )
Average petrol consumption/ mileage: 16 kilometres per litre (kmpl). Not bad for a car that mostly ran with AC on and was jam packed with luggage in it. Some of the road stretches and traffic took their toll as well.

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Himalayas from air: Mother Earth is worth every attempt to save her

2012-01-11T19:12:00.001+05:30

I just can't stop admiring the tallest mountains standing above the oceans, each time I get a chance to fly near them. At the moment of making some of these images, I could see the rivers flowing through the fertile plains almost at sea level and at the other spectrum some peaks as high as our aeroplane's flying altitude - over 8km above mean sea level! And I have read about mountains nearly twice the height of the Everest rising from the Oceans' surface but still buried in them. Surely mother earth is worth every attempt to save it from her childrens' greed.

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As some one following Islam I need to believe that the earth was created in 7 days. I have a strong feeling Allah created the rest of the world in 6 days but took one full day to create the Kashmir Valley. The three pics below are of the flight from Jammu to Srinagar.

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Among the best domestic flights in India to enjoy the Himalayas is the Delhi to Guwahati via Bagdogra. The flight path converges with the Himalayas as it gets away from Delhi with the first landing near the Himalayan foothills at Bagdogra, giving a glimpse of the mountains around Darjeeling in northern West Bengal as well as Sikkim and even China. As the flight departs from Bagdogra one gets good views of these mountains inside Bhutan and a few of western Arunachal Pradesh's peaks as it nears Guwahati airport.

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Nepal's capital Kathmandu is an amazingly less expensive destination to fly from Delhi. Below are some pics of a flight from Delhi to Kathmandu. Some of the pics show how densely populated the Himalayan valleys are. Although humans benefit immensely from these mountains and their ecosystems, at the same time we are probably the biggest threat to them - from climate change to over exploitation of the resources like forests and their dependant wildlife.

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Map on tigers around the world...

2010-11-22T15:11:00.000+05:30

A good map highlighting the issues affecting Panthera tigris (the tiger) and its sub-sepcies around the earth. Browse your cursor over a country to read the note and follow the link to get more information. (Courtesy: Facts about the tiger and tiger sub-species, WWF-International website http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/tigers/about_tigers/)

Sultanpur sanctuary, Haryana - A kingdom welcomes its sultans

2010-09-19T14:50:00.001+05:30

Sultan in Hindi/ Urdu means a Prince and Pur is used to refer to a habitation/ village. Sultanpur, south-west of the NCR (National Capital Region), is the jewel of Haryana state's wildlife sanctuaries. This year's rains have broken records of the past few years resulting in nature blessing the wetland with the most precious of its bounties - water. The birds' kingdom is more than ready this year to welcome its winged princes & princesses. Above: A view of the seasonal jheel (wetland) in Sultanpur Park in August 2009

View Larger Map

Some images from my recent and last year's visits to the place:

Breeding waterfowl on one of the islands in September 2010.

A flock of Comb Ducks in Sep 2010.

Boards like these help common man understand the different birds inhabiting or visiting this place.

Haryana Tourism has its tourist complexes across the state named after birds. The one at Sultanpur is named after Rosy Pelican.

The restaurant. The place is clean and food is good.

A proud grazer with his herd of cattle in Aug 2009 on the Gurgaon - Basai - Sultanpur- Farukhnagar road.

Enjoying the fooder thanks to monsoons, in Aug 2009.

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Available for free download 'Highlands of Central India'

2010-09-03T15:58:00.000+05:30

Dear nature lovers,

The bio-geographic region Central Indian Highlands covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Maharashtra states. This region is home to some of India's best known forests and tiger habitats like Pench and Kanha, among others. These forests are the catchment for some of India's well-known rivers like Narmada, Chambal and Tapti. The Maikal hills here bridge the Satpura and the Vindhya ranges. It is here that the natural teak (Tectona grandis) forests from southern Peninsular India give way to natural sal (Shorea robusta) forests that are predominant in north India.

One of the earliest books to detail the region's wildlife was 'Highlands of Central India: Notes on their forests and wild tribes, natural history and sports.' It was penned by Captain J Forsyth of Bengal Staff Corps, who was the ACF (Asst Conservator of Forests) and acting CF of erstwhile Central Provinces. The book describes the region's various forests and their denizens - both human and wildlife, along with some of his hunts. Forsyth died at a young age of 33.

A copyright free version of the second edition of this book with map and illustrations, printed in 1872 is available for free download at

http://www.archive.org/details/highlandsofcentr00forsrich

Happy reading,
Ameen

The famed Indian mangoes - The king is gone...for now

2010-08-29T15:56:00.089+05:30

In the summer of 2010, I had more than my share of the 'King' of fruits.

Engrained in childhood

For a vast majority of Indians, both urban and rural, mango is an integral part of their growing years. The fruit flowers in spring and is harvested in summer, which coincides with the summer holidays for kids in India. These holidays for many kids in India are a time to break free from the bondage of formal schooling. A time to holiday with fellows from their mohallas, go to vegetable markets with their parents, play (and fight) over sports like Cricket as well as enjoy street side eatables. Pic (above): Kids from Baiga tribe enjoying wild mangoes fallen due to winds of the first monsoon rains in Central India's Seoni District.

For the nearly 80% of these who live in non-urban and semi-urban areas, it also means exploring nearby woods, throw stones to bringdown fruits from avenue mangoe trees and for some (mis)adventurous souls, even stealing from some body else's orchard. Every year when the cold winds wane and the sun get harsher above my head forcing me look for shadows, I feel a strong carving for mangoes. I guess they are engrained in the summer part of my body's annual biological clock.

All in the family

I spent a few summers in Canada's Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Like the rest of North America, this is one of world's most eternally mangoe famine-stricken areas. All one can have here of mangoes, are a few glimpses of a couple of tasteless varieties supposedly brought in from Mexico, something hardly worth the buck. I bought a few, one summer, from Scarborough's well-known desi store 'Karachi Bazaar' located at Eglinton and Kennedy. But they were nowhere near what I had grown up eating back home in south India. Pic (above): Fruits from a farm being sold near Kingston City in Canada's Ontario province. I took this image during one of our summer outings to Presquille Provincial Park / bird sanctuary along Lake Ontario, in mid 2000s.

My grandfather, apart from being a farmer, was also a mango merchant, leasing mango orchards in and around south India's Tumkur District in summers, hoping to make profit from the harvest. Although the family suffered heavy losses and my father's and his siblings' lives bordered on poverty, they got a fair understanding of different varities of mangoes. Our extended family got educated and left mango business (and poverty) behind for greener pastures in US and Middle East by the time I came into this world. But as a child, every summer I would still hear stories from my father of how he had relished his childhood summers with mangoes. How he would get to eat the occassional 'shaakh' / 'shaaqh' - a word in Deccani/ Dakkani dialect* for a mangoe that ripens naturally on the tree, unharmed by elements and fruit eating birds (*A coarse Urdu dialect spoken in the Old Mysore region, similar to Hyderabadi). He would remember the rare variety of mangoes he would get to eat once in a while while helping my grandfather sell the produce at different markets in times gone by. But he always rated mangoes from Uttar Pradesh (UP) state in north India as the tastiest.

Mango nation

Moving to Delhi in April last year (2009), the first thing I did after renting a place to live was to look out for wholesale vegetable markets to stock mangoes at home. I had to replenish my body that was still critically low on mangoes due to the mango drought I endured in Canada. My search took me to Okhla Mandi in south Delhi and Asia's largest vegetable market the Azadpur mandi in North Delhi. Beyond these, my official trips to Sundarbans Delta and Siliguri in West Bengal gave me my first taste of Hemsagar and Malda varieties of mangoes. Some of these were lucky to fly back with me to Delhi : )

Mangoes of UP begin to arrive in Delhi's market in early June. The earliest of these are the untasty Safedas. These are followed by Dushheris. There are the usual Dushheris that are grown in the Saharanpur - Rampur - Moradabad belt of Uttar Pradesh. The ones grown in the Mallihabad belt near Lucknow strike your taste buds like nothing else before. Together with Alphonso these are probably the tastiest mangoes on earth! In July you have the langras (Lang 'da) and the very tasty Chausa hitting the streets. By the month end these disappear. I saw Golu variety in first couple of weeks of August this year and the mango season ended there.

Mangoes this year
With my previous year's knowledge of the mango season and mango markets of Delhi, I didn't waste much time in getting my acts better this year. My mango adventures started early this year.

I had my quota, from the mangoes bought for the family by my dad, flown to Delhi with a family friend in April. The share of Malghobas, Baeganpalli and Badami (Alphonso) I received, accompanied me and made the picturesque drive up to Dhanaulti hill station near Mussorrie in the foothills of the Himalayas tasty as well. The drive back to Delhi was equally tasty as we had the first taste of season’s Dushheri along the roads besides the mango orchards surrounding Sahranpur village.

The next drive to UP and into Uttarakhand was on official purpose to Chuna Kham forest center near Ramnagar town / Corbett Tiger Reserve in mid-June. During the drive back to Delhi we first stopped by at a mango orchard south of Ramnagar Territorial Forests along the Ramnagar – Kaladhungi road. I picked up Dushheris, got the season’s first Chausas and Langras plucked from trees, got some of a desi (local variety) which were a little bigger than apricots, apart from Kalia, which I was eating for the first time ever.

We pulled off the Moradabad – New Delhi highway further up, just after Brijgad village, along the banks of River Ganga. I got to see the Saroli and Zafran varieties for the first time ever at the fruit stall of Mr. Salim Ahmed. Mr. Ahmed said he sourced the mangoes from the orchards of one Khan Sahib of the royal family of Hasanpur near Amroha town in Uttar Pradesh. Apparently Khan Sahib was found of experimenting new varieties of mangoes and the Zafran variety was his contribution this year. This particular mango was very tasty, nothing like I had ever tasted before. Mr Ahmed said he had bought two harvests this season from an orchard measuring 120 bighas for 1.2 million.

During this drive alone, I got to see seven different varieties of mangoes - four for the first time ever. This is a reflection of the diversity in India’s horticulture, something that is hardly found in other countries. With our economy booming and industrialisation as well as development at greater odds than ever against our farm land, we need to protect this diversity for our future years as well as generations.

Farm fresh mangoes being sold at an orchard along Ramnagar - Kaladhungi road in Uttarakhand state

A 'desi' local variety mango a little bigger in size than an apricot

Mangoes being plucked for us

Mr. Saleem Ahmed with his fruit stall near Brijgad along Moradabad - New Delhi national highway

The delicious 'Zafran' variety of mangoes

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Birding (and wildlifing) with a spotting-scope

2010-07-01T15:29:00.010+05:30

There are many amateur birders who use binoculars to pursue birding. Some of you might have also seen serious birders watching birds with spotting scopes.

The amount of light reflected by a subject to the eye, through the lenses of a scope, is far greater than the regular birding binoculars of, say, 8x40 dimension. This translates to far better visibility of a bird when seen through a scope, under comparable lighting. I personally feel seeing a bird with a spotting scope is the next level of experience in birding. I would never see a bird through binoculars, if I can see the same through my scope.

With improved technology and production on a bigger scale,
a) the prices of optics like spotting scopes have gone south.
b) modern day spotting scopes are far lighter (mine weighs less than 2 kilos).
c) many recent scopes allow one to fix a pocket digital camera (or even DSLRs) to the scope's eye-piece. This converts the scope into a fixed focal length, long-range tele-lens. Although the quality of images might be nowhere near prime tele-lenses, the images are good for IDing birds, publishing them on blogs/ website or even using them for your or your kids' projects. The technique is referred to by many as 'digiscoping'.

Some of my own digiscoped images are on this page. All were taken by simply inserting my Canon A95 (5mp) camera's lens hand-held) into the scope eye-piece (fixed on a tripod).

There are many different types of binocs and scopes to suit you. Scopes start around US $200 with products from manufacturers like Celestron being among the least priced. As you go up there are others like Kowa, Bushnell and others at the lower end. I personally have been using the Celestron Ultima 80. Please see
http://www.astronomics.com/main/product.asp/catalog_name/Christophers/category_name/6KBA9F8JS8L88PS948KSF174T4/product_id/CU80

I paid a little more than Rs. 10,000 to buy this in Canada, a couple of years ago. It is light weight and easily accompanies me as my cabin baggage during my travel to the field, on work.

You might want to use the following sites as reference on pricing and greater details:

For scopes:

http://www.escience.ca/telescopes/RENDER/5/1023/1040/W1040.html
For bonocs: http://www.escience.ca/telescopes/RENDER/5/1020/1033/W1033.html

I would suggest those of you:

1) who are into serious birding.

2) who can afford to raise at least INR 10k (plus a couple of thousand for a tripod).

3) ideally have some one visiting you from US/ Canada...to go for one.

Birding is fun for many of us. Doing so with a scope takes the fun to the next level.

Disclaimer: The products and manufacturers/ companies mentioned above are for reference purpose only. I DO NOT in any way vouch for the quality or price of any product or manufacturer. Please do your own research carefully before investing your hard earned money in any product.

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Experiencing Kanha's first monsoon showers

2010-06-20T08:25:00.003+05:30

The first monsoons are always special, more so if they happen in a wilderness. I experienced this year's first while travelling to Kanha National Park and Tiger Reserve, in mid-June. It so happened that we were the last to enter the park and all of the tourists we encountered were scurrying back to their resorts and leaving the park in a hurry to beat the rains. But we were there to enjoy the rains and it was a soul-stirring feeling. The dark monsoon clouds changed the shades of the skies and the earth from light to dark grey. The parched earth laughed with joy as it welcomed the rain drops. The animals looked undisturbed by the frequent lightening around. And only we were there to witness this and no one else around us for miles...

Below are some images (with captions) of this visit of mine, particularly of the first rains...

A date with rural Kathmandu

2010-06-18T20:01:00.005+05:30

I visited Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, for the first time ever in early June, to attend a WWF workshop. We stayed at Godavari resort in rural Kathmandu. There were interesting things learnt at the workshop and experiences shared by fellow WWF folks from India, Nepal and Bhutan. The bonus was the sights and scenery of Himalayas from the resort, post the early monsoon rains while we were there.

I particularly composed the following on the evening the workshop ended.

"Workshop done. Sitting in the patio overlooking a small fertile valley. Looking at the farmer women and men making using of the monsoon rains. Gently sloping Himalayan foothills on the three sides. An old Nepali man in conversation with his wife to the backdrop of slow, soothing old Nepali and Hindi songs. Alternatively working on the notebook and sipping chai. Birds singing all around and cool air caressing face. The sun slowly travelling to another part of the world. Wish she was here too...Enjoying an evening a Saturday evening at Godavari village near Kathmandu : ) "

Sharing some images...

Dhanaulti - A quaint, enchanting hill station in the Himalayan foothills

2010-06-01T17:07:00.005+05:30

The bamboo cottages at Dhanaulti, amidst dense pine forests of Mussoorie forest division, Uttarakhand state, Himalayas

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May, 2010: Delhi has been terribly hot of late, as it usually does in summer. This mid-May there were a couple of days where the temperature crossed 48 degrees centigrade. I could find no better reasons to drive my wife and her siblings who were visiting us from Bangalore, up the Himalayas.

I had many options. Among the thoughts was to take a week off from work and drive up to Khardung La pass from Kulu-Manali and then into Ladakh. But work load and the fear of snow blocking the passes into Ladakh made me change my mind and hence the thought of driving up some where more near.

I had a long time desire and invitation to visit my friend Santhosh Gubbi, an IFS officer at Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, beyond which lies Mussorie. When asked, my colleague Samir Sinha, an upright and experienced IFS officer of Uttarakhand cadre advised me to visit Dhanaulti as it was more serene than places like Mussoorie which get very crowded in summer.

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A view from the cottage of the forest covered foot hills of Himalayas

I took Mr. Sinha's advice and started off early in the morning to Meerut from our residence in Dwarka. A few traffic blocks in the cities and we reached Dehradun late in the afternoon. We didn't waste much time as we drove up to Mussoorie stopping there for a while to see the Mall Road. Looking at the crowd in Mussoorie we didn't regret the fact that our destination was Dhanaulti. It was late in the evening as we reached Dhanaulti as the forest staff was waiting for us to hand over the keys to two well-maintained forest department bamboo huts, where we planned to halt for a couple of nights.

The temperature was just perfect during our stay, neither too cold nor too warm. On the first night the moon was full as we saw clouds gather overhead. It was a bit humid as we retired into our cabins. Past mid-night we were woken up to thunders and lightening with hailstones lashing the roof incessantly - there was a hail storm outside. The roof was well sealed so was the rest of the cabin as we tucked ourselves inside the well maintained blankets provided.

It was a full moon night and the setting was perfect for a great holiday

The lightnings frequently lit the dark night skies and the accompanying hail storm created a ruckus

Early next morning we were greeted by melodious calls of birds as we were served hot coffee and tea, that we had with biscuits that we had carried from Delhi. While the rain of hail stones left more than a few small dents in the bonnet as well as the top of my compact car, it also brought the temperatures down. These small 'ice cubes' lay strewn in the shade of the pine trees in front of our bamboo cottage even late into the morning.

A view of the bamboo huts early morning

Relaxing amidst nature in the morning

Dhanaulti is a small hamlet whose economy relies heavily on tourists. The ambience of the place is very good. It is less crowded as there are few tourists, probably due to the lack of good connectivity by public transport. The pace of life is extremely relaxed with nature being the main attraction. There is a well maintained eco-park where the DFO, Mussoorie has done a good job putting up hoardings depicting various birds and setting up a bird trail, apart from wooden trail signs that carry quotes from various sources on conserving environment.

The proverbs on the sign posts along the different trails are inspiring

This is a great place for birding. There is a birding trail set up by the forest department with hoardings to help new birders.

The eco-park has many saplings with tree-guards naming the planters. Here, a Mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus) perches on one such tree guard.

A view from one of the many view points in the eco-park

I have attempted to answer some FAQs based on the emails I have received from the people who have seen my pics online.

>How was your experience of staying there? It's a government's accommodation hence we were unsure of selecting the same place for stay.

- We found the place neat and well maintained. It's worth a stay.

>Can you please guide us for selecting an accommodation? Was bamboo hut's location good as per your judgement?

- The bamboo huts' location is excellent. It is amidst a natural forest and just a couple of minutes walk from the road, which sees less traffic. As per the website of the Uttarakhand Forest Department* there are 4 bamboo huts as well as 2 suites in the Forest Rest House. To book them please contact:

Divisional Forest Officer - Mussoorie,
Office of DFO Mussoorie
Mussoorie Town
District Dehradun
Uttarakhand.
Phone No: 0135-2632335, TeleFax 0135-2631765
*http://www.uttarakhandforest.org/Data/SC_Destinations.pdf

We also saw a few hotels while driving up to Dhanaulti village, where other tourists were staying. They looked decent from outside but honestly I wouldn't know how they are inside.

>What about food and warm cloths provision?

- We were provided clean blankets that were enough to let us have a comfortable sleep. Food is made to order from one of the restaurants above the bamboo huts. On request, the care takers supplied the same to our room as well.

>Can you suggest anything else? What about about the activities in Dhanulti? I have read that theres an eco-park and a temple to visit...

We found this place far less crowded than some of the known hill stations like Nainital or Mussoorie. It meant us enjoying our stay without worrying much about privacy. One of the positives was the absence of touts. Occasionally, we would be invited to buy tea or take a horse ride, but they were non-pushy, humble 'pahari' folks wanting to serve you and earn their bread in the process. There are some hiking and horse riding trails. The eco-park is worth a visit and is across the road from the bamboo huts. We didn't get to see any temple.

Below are some important links from the Uttarakhand Forest Department to help you plan your travel in the wilderness areas of Uttarakhand state:
Ecotourism Destinations: http://www.uttarakhandforest.org/Data/SC_Destinations.pdf

Forest Rest Houses' descriptions with images:
http://www.uttarakhandforest.org/Data/SC_ForestRestHouse.pdf

Forest Rest Houses' rates with list of facilities and tarrifs:
http://www.uttarakhandforest.org/hindi/downloads/ForestresthouseUK.pdf Also please see this link for revised/ new rates (Dec '09) http://www.uttarakhandforest.org/Data/SC_REVISEDTARIF_FRH.pdf

Introduction to Wildlife & Eco-tourism destinations in Uttarakhand:
http://www.uttarakhandforest.org/Data/SC_WildlifeEco-tourism.pdf &
http://www.uttarakhandforest.org/Data/SC_Eco-tourismatglance.pdf

Trekking, Angling & Rafting in Uttarakhand:
http://www.uttarakhandforest.org/Data/SC_Adventureactivity.pdf

Home-stays and Community-Based Tourism in Uttarakhand:
http://www.uttarakhandforest.org/Data/SC_CommunityBasedTourism.pdf

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Amaranth Yatra: The spectacular views en route

2010-05-02T01:04:00.010+05:30

The Amarnath Yatra (pilgrimage) is an important event for Hindus. The annual event, usually held in July, draws in thousands of people every year from all over India.

There are two approaches to yatra venue - the Amarnath cave. One is from the town of Pahalgam in the south, while the other is from north from Srinagar via Baltal. The yatra approach from Baltal is a few km off the Srinagar - Leh National Highway No: 1D. The route passes through some spectacular landscapes of Kashmir Valley. After the picturesque Sonamarg hill resort, we drove straight on the National Highway. Splitting from the yatra route at Baltal, we ascended the Zojilla pass and drove to Drass town and ahead to Kargil town. The sprawling yatra premises is visible very well as one climbs the mountains towards the Zojilla Pass.

Meadows in a valley beyond Sonamarg hill resort.

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The peaks get taller as one moves away from Sonamarg.

One of the many glaciers that we came across on the drive.

There are no human habitations beyond Sonamarg, as the road to this hill resort is cut off from the state's capital Srinagar, every winter, due to snow.

The view as one deviates from the yatra route at Baltal and drives up to Zojilla Pass towards Kargil.

The welcoming mountains and skies.

In the heart of the valley is the setup for the yatra piligrims.

A closer look at the huge congegration.

The tents fade from view as one ascends the Himalaya mountains.

Green cover one side and denuded part on another side of the same mountain

A bird's eye view of the piligrim tents and the route that leads to the Amarnath cave.

One last view of the yatra gathering before we disappear into the mountain passes.

The narrow mountain path leading to Zojilla pass.

The road is barely wide for two vehicles at most places.

To continue along this journey, please click here
.

Sonmarg from Srinagar: Drive through the 'golden meadow'

2010-04-21T13:44:00.004+05:30

Of the many famous 'marg's (meadows) of Kashmir valley, Sonamarg (or Sonmarg) is among the best known. 'Sona' refers to gold. Since we were here in July much of the grass was still green and was yet to turn golden. But the place still provided a 'being in heaven' feeling.

You can feel the tall mountains getting closer and surrounding you as you near Sonmarg.

Fresh crystal clear streams gush out through the mountain passages.

The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Government tourism boards remind me of the neat, clear and boldly printed boards for tourists, in the western countries.

The air was clean and pure. The place neat and clean. No rubbish or garbage strewn. The feel was truly heavenly.

A view from the hotel opposite the Thajiwas glacier.

The inviting meadows...straight out of a school book illustration of a fairyland.

The meadows on the way to the glacier are popular with tourists who want to ride horses.

The locals are very helpful and mindful of tourists.

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Glimpses of Kashmir valley's beauty

2010-04-18T00:05:00.007+05:30

Life rarely gets more beautiful than this...

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One of the biggest advantages of visiting a tourist destination high up the mountains is the clean air and the minimal presence of dust. The tall mountains with streams flowing down in the valleys between them add to the beauty. Throw in near clean skies in the back drop, paste the slopes green with hundreds of thousands of trees, crown the mountain peaks with pure white snow, dot the entire landscape with pretty little villages and prettier people...you end up having the vale of Kashmir.

The beauty of Kashmir valley elevates photography to another level. I had my share of indulgence when I flew into Srinagar and drove to Sonmarg hill station on the way to Kargil town via Zo Jilla pass. This was in June last year (2009) when I was there to witness WWF-India's Snow Leopard work. Fortunately I took time off on the weekend to process some of the images. Below are the ones of my drive from Srinagar to Sonmarg, which is a part of the Srinagar - Leh national highway. Some of these images were taken from the moving four wheeler including the fornt wind-shield.

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A community amidst paddy fields

One of the many streams found along the drive

The human population decreases mid-way, from Srinagar to Sonmarg

A road being repaired besides a stream

Picturesque houses dot the hill slopes

Crossing pine forests and approaching glaciers

A 'picture perfect' village

There's snow even in peak summer

It seems even the rivers are smiling...

A glacier fed stream and a village below it

The mountain passes welcome as if with open arms as one nears Sonmarg

The gushing waters besides the highway

One of the many mountain stream islands

Above: The boys seem to be asking 'Only pictures? No money?'

(Below): The Border Roads Organisation takes great pains to maintain the roads. And they do a decent job in ensuring the tourists have good roads to drive on.

From Jog falls to the 'green seas' of south-east Asia

2010-04-02T17:17:00.007+05:30

I fell in love with rain-forests the first time I saw them on the drive to Jog Falls in Western Ghats. This was in early 1983, with my immediate family. These continue to awe me. The most recent being in south-east Asia.

First impression, always the best
It was spring (early-April) of 1983. I guess I was in Grade 3 or 3rd Standard as we call it in Karnataka. I was visiting North Karnataka in a hired Ambi (Hindustan's Ambassador brand car) with my parents, my extremely naughty elder bro and kid sis. I had an aunt living with her Doc hubby and kids in Hubli, Dharwar District. We drove to Hubli, from hometown Tumkur, on the Bangalore - Mumbai National Highway 4. Those were the days when we crossed more trees than trucks through the drive. I still remember the neatly lined, fruit-bearing avenue trees. There were Jamun trees till near Kalambella village before the erstwhile Mughal provincial headquarters of Sira Town. From there on tamarind trees bordered the highway all along till Hubli. We ate our packed breakfast and lunch below these tamarind trees. There were many flower bearing trees - I remember Gulmohar and Jacaranda, inter-spread amidst the above two species. Oh yes, the landscape was sprinkled with banyan trees too. But they were few, mainly in the water fed troughs in the gentle valleys below the many 'keres' or 'talaabs' - man-made wetlands as they are known in the regional language Kannada and Deccani Urdu dialect respectively. The Bangalore - Hubli railway line cut through the highway at many points and made us wait at the manned-level crossings. But the trees were always there to give us the shade.

From Hubli, my father decided to drive us back to Tumkur through the beautiful jungles of Dharwad, Uttara Kannada and Shimoga...
We left Hubli early in the morning and I got my first birding lessons when Abba (father) showed us the occasional 'Junglee murgee'(in Deccani Urdu) or Grey Jungle Fowl feeding on the forest edges besides the road and scurrying back below the canopy on being approached. Jog Falls is not as pretty a sight in the summer as it is during the monsoons. But the nearly 1,000 feet steep drop left a lasting impression on my mind. Back towards Tumkur, from Sagar town, it was then a little bigger than a village, we drove on the cemented road. I had heard that this road was laid around independence when these districts were a part of the old Mysore state.

Getting hooked big time

I visited Jog Falls again with family, in early August of 1989, when the monsoons had converted the region into magical green. But as compared to 1983, I found more humans around, so was the agriculture - at the cost of forests.

Beyond Jog, I got my taste of the less disturbed rain-forests of Dakshina Kannada and Hassan district when I crossed the Ghats on my trips to Dakshina Kannada district in the south-west monsoon (July) of 1994 ('less' meaning no dams). In the same year, entering a professional course meant a less spying middle-class father, who was half done with his share of raising a male kid in this traditional part of South Asia (the other half is when the boy gets a good job to settle down in life, marry etc). It meant taking more freedom to sneak back into these green seas, some thing that was to become an addiction soon. The giant trees inside overshadowed and humbled me every time I stood before them. There were miles and miles of these in front of my eyes, more disappearing than appearing in the monsoon clouds. I began roaming the length and breadth of the ghats extending far south to Shendurney wildlife sanctuary in Kerala, through the Bisle-Pushpagiri belt, Talakaveri-Sampaji stretch, Mukurti - Silent valley, Anamalai and Idukki-Periyar. I did so - paying homage to these at Makutta Reserve Forest (above picture) between Brahmagiri and Talakaveri sanctuaries, even a couple of weeks before immigrating to Canada in Oct 2002.

From south Asia to south-east Asia
The rain-forests of south-east Asia have fascinated me for long. I had read about them in books and seen pictures of them. Cable television images of the Borneo rain-forests, particularly the devastating forest fires that ravaged the region in 1998-99, increased my curiosity. I wondered how extensive these forests might be, as fires in them - something that we see so often in India's forests every summer, sent entire countries in prayers for rains.

I got a chance to see a glimpse of these when I visited Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur (KL) to attend a meeting with my communication colleagues in WWF's tiger network, in Nov 2009. I stayed at Eastin Hotel in Petaling Jaya a few km from down town KL. KL is a beautiful city. It is clean and green, just like my previous home city Toronto in Canada. The view from the hotel was very interesting and showed the city's green cover.

My return flight was late in the evening on Sunday, 14 Nov. Ms. Shuba from WWF-Malaysia was kind enough to drive me to FRIM (Forest Research Institute of Malaysia). Located about 15 km from the city centre of Kepong, FRIM is a 600 hectare forested campus that has numerous trails for nature walks and birding. It was late in the morning as we entered the campus. We were very keen on one thing - walking on the the rain-forest canopy walkway, among the prime attractions here. The walkway was a vigorous 20 minute ascent through a nature trail amidst the rainforest. It was not the best of times for birding, but I followed a similar sounding sound to track a Rackettailed Drongo on one of the branches along the path. The walk reminded me of the trek from Beedhalli hamlet (at the eastern entrance of Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary) to Kumaradhara/ Pushpagiri peaks. The ever green trees were similarly tall and their girth as well as shape was similar too.

At the entrance of the walkway, there were many school kids ahead of us and we had to wait for our turn. Suspended 30 meters above the ground, on a hill slope, the walkway offered an excellent feel of the rain-forest canopy in which it is located. This, apart from panoramic views of the rain-forests around, as well as the distant tree covered neighbourhoods of KL.

Having a similar one in India, particularly in the Western Ghats, will attract many nature lovers to see the secrets of these 'green seas'. This will also inspire an entire generation to protect our last remaining rainforests.

Of unforgettable and the forgotten wonders

2010-03-20T23:47:00.006+05:30

India is a land of immense creativity. From the pre-Islamic India temples of Khajuraho (Central India) to the last of Mughal era structures of Safdarjung tomb (Delhi), through ages, even a small period of peace in a kingdom/ region resulted in architectural master pieces. Even the British invested considerable resources in building the Viceroy's House - the present day Rashtrapati Bhavan (President of India's house).

Above: The Hoysala period temple at Mosale village, near Hassan City, west of Hassan - Mysore state highway in Karnataka.

But there are so many architectural and geological wonders in India that...
it is simply impossible for the Governments (state and central/ federal) alone to maintain these. While the Governments use their meagre resources to take care of the famous ones, the less fortunate ones remain hidden, at the mercy of time and often, vandals.

Click on image above to read details on it.

While in Canada , we went on a trip to study 'Bleasdell' boulder. For some one who doesn't have knowledge of rocks or geology, this might seem another rock. But the locals have put enormous efforts to protect this rock and highlight its importance - the largest Glacial erratic of Ontario and among the largest in North America. Also it is highlighted as among the oldest rocks in Canada , with an age of 2.3 billion years. But guess what? In India the rocks belonging to Archean gneisses (gneiss is pronounced 'nice') are equally old.

These man-made and natural structures - temples, forts, mosques, geological relics, belong to the nation, to us. It is imperative of the successful people of our society - the businesses, the celebrities to come forward and contribute to saving these. It is important that locals living near these structures take care of them as the legacy left behind for them, by the ones who lived before them.

My fascination for Central India's forests

2009-11-18T14:19:00.007+05:30

As a high school student, in late 80s, I had a keen interest in geography, particularly the different states of India. One state that marvelled me, because of its size and the amount of forests it had, was Madhya Pradesh (MP). During one of those years, I accessed a full spread map of Madhya Pradesh tourism. I don't remember if it was of my father or I got it as a supplement in one of the national dialies. But, I remember going through it keenly and reading its notes on the state's different parks and sanctuaries.

A view of Central Indian forests from train, on the Delhi - Bangalore (Bengaluru) journey

In 1993-94, ...
I bought a TTK book-map on India's wildlife, one of the best ever produced, to date. The book map showed the location of various PAs (protected areas) in MP. The map increased my curiosity of the state further, particularly the cluster of PAs at the junction of south-eastern MP (now Chattisgarh), northern Andhra Pradesh and eastern Maharashtra. The eastern part of MP had some parks that were greater than 1000 Sq. KM (Indravati & Sanjay NPs). Despite the best of my efforts, for the next few years I could not travel to that beautiful part of India, due to lack of financial resources as a student.

In 1996, I made my first trip north of Hubli and Bellary of Karnataka. I travelled to Delhi to attend a one-day seminar on 25 January, on wildlife, organised by Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India. I could see the rich and beautiful forests of MP for the first time in my life, on the return train journey by the Bangalore-bound Karnataka express. I enjoyed these forests again, on my train journeys to Delhi in the next few years, in different seasons.

In April 2009, to report to my new job in WWF-India at Delhi, I drove from Bengaluru to Hyderabad and beyond to Nagpur. From Nagpur, I drove diagonally north-east to Bhopal. The journey was through the beautiful forests of the newly constituted Satpura Tiger Reserve. Beyond this, I drove through Narasinghad Sanctuary and up to Gwalior through Guna. But the lack of time meant I had to rush through these forests without breaking my journey (Read more here).

I made my first stop to actually see these forests when I visited Kanha National Park and Tiger Reserve to attend WWF-India's landscape coordinators meet in Oct 2009 (Read more here).

Though this completed me seeing much of Madhya Pradesh's forests, I still had not touched the present day Chattisgarh state. I did this, when I flew into Raipur with my colleagues from WWF-Netherlands on 7 Nov 2009. We drove, for three days, through Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (Read more here) and the corridors that connect Kanha Tiger Reserve to it. After that I drove from Kanha's Mukki gate to Kisli gate and then Khatia gate. From there I travelled south through Pench National Park (Madhya Pradesh) and then further south through Pench National Park (Maharashtra), on the drive from Seoni town to Nagpur City.

From the Delhi train-journey in Jan 1996 to the drive through Central India in Apr 2009 to this latest drive from Raipur to Achanakmar to Kanha and then to Nagpur, through the two Pench parks, is a long way for me. It completed my dream of seeing the beautiful forests of MP (well...almost, except for the Bastar and Bijapur districts of Chattisgarh and Panna park in north-east MP).

I thank God...I guess I am more learned now : )

Achanakmar: Beyond the tiger show - the hidden treasures of central Chattisgarh

2009-11-18T13:48:00.007+05:30

A quiet road running through Achanakmar Tiger Reserve in Central India's Chattisgarh state

The state of Chattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh a few years ago. The state is rich in forests and minerals. Though the state has been in news of late due to naxalism - organised political violence, the central and northern parts of the state still make for a safe destination for tourists. Inherting the tourist infrastructure of the Madhya Pradesh Government, Chattisgarh still has many pretty and picturesque rest houses amidst natural scenery.

The famous Kanha Tiger Reserve, in Madhya Pradesh, is not to be seen in isolation. For, it is connected with many other tiger reserves through forested corridors. These corridors are critical for the tigers of the whole of Central India's Satpura Maikal landscape (SML) as they allow the big cats to freely move and disperse to the more safe and prey-loaded parks. Among these tiger reserves is Achanakmar. The forests of Achanakmar and its corridors are pristine and mostly untouched by development...

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They accommodate the dispersing tigers of Kanha tiger reserve. WWF-India is doing some excellent work led by Shivaji Chavan, coordinator of WWF-India's Central Indian Satpuda - Maikal landscape (CISML).

We flew into Raipur, the capital of Chattisgarh state on early morning of 7 Nov and drove through Bilaspur to the southern part of Achanakmar Tiger Reserve. We halted at Amarkantak village, surrounded by dense forests on all side.

Below are some pictures from the drive from Raipur to Amarkantak through Achanakmar Tiger Reserve.

A road block on the drive from Raipur city north to Bilaspur town. Chattisgarh is a new state and the infrastructure is being developed. The state's capital city Raipur doesn't reflect the hall marks of neighbouring state capitals like Bhopal. But with its rich minerals, it might well turn out to be a city with good infrastructure in the next couple of decades, provided there is political will.

A hoarding inside Achanakmar Tiger Reserve. In the background is a human settlement. There are many villages inside the tiger reserve that are being relocated. Although none in the corridor are being done so.

A hoarding inside the tiger reserve

Farmland and a settlement inside the tiger reserve. There are many villages inside the tiger reserve that are being relocated. Although none in the corridor are being done so.

A langur in the forest

Fewer tourists means less feeding hands for these langurs. Hence, they are well behaved than their cousins in the better known parks across India.

Kanha Tiger Reserve: When the jackals came calling in Kipling's Mowghli-land

2009-10-29T16:59:00.013+05:30

Souvenirs at a shop near a entrance gate of Kanha Tiger Reserve

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Rudyard Kipling is said to have written 'The Jungle Book' based on his stay in India and his imagination of the Central Indian forests. His story 'Hunting-Song of the Seeonee Pack' is based on the jungles around Seoni town, that include Pench Tiger Reserve.

I visited the well-known Kanha Tiger Reserve in Central India from the 19 to 24 of this month to attend a WWF-India meeting and also to see our work there. Flying in to Jabalpur from Delhi on Monday, we drove through the beautiful forests of Satpura - Maikal landscape. The forests are of teak as one drives from Jabalpur on the highway to Raipur City (Chattisgarh), through Jabalpur and Mandla territorial divisions. The teak slowly gives way to sal as one crosses the Narmada River at Mandla Town. About 40 km south-east of Mandla is Kanha Tiger Reserve...

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During the week we managed to get into
the park a couple of times. Tourism here is very visible unlike many of the parks down south like Dandeli or Mudumalai. There are hordes of Maruti Gypsy vehicles lined up at the entrance to the park, as early as 5 AM, waiting for their chance to enter the forest. All seems organised and well-oiled until you meet this guy driving a Gypsy towards you and says where they saw a tiger a few minutes ago. Your driver races down the dirt track and as you near the site where the tiger was sighted, you see tens of Gypsies lined up along the road to catch a glimpse of 'The King'. Hyper-excited kids, childish adults, awe-struck videshis...a wide spectrum of the audience awaits you, much of which is noisy.

As tourism is important to the economies of many small villages and towns around Kanha and since Kanha is one of 'The' places to see a wild tiger, the forest department is under tremendous pressure to cater to the needs of different sectors. Despite these factors, the forest department and the Government of Madhya Pradhes have done an excellent job in protecting Kanha and its wildlife. I guess some one up the chain needs to be firm and restrict the number of gypsies approaching a tiger. Till then it's literally a rat race, even in Kipling's Jungle Book country.

We drove back the same way to Mandla from Mocha village near Kanha park on Friday evening. On early Saturday morning we started the drive back to Jabalpur. The landscape was stunning with the early morning sun giving a golden hue to the yellow paddy fields and the forests behind them. The sun rays pierced through the early winter fog and the many different rivers and streams besides the highway glistened. There were few vehicles on the road and we saw a jackal near Ghughra water fall, in the forests of the Mandla Territorial Divison.

The Jabalpur Airport looked like a military aircraft runway converted to a civilian airport. Like many of the cities in Central India, Jabalpur is surrounded by forests. The airport is located about 15 km from the city centre and is situated amidst forest. Naseeb, my driver explained that one could see "all wildlife except tiger" in these forests. I didn't doubt him.

We boarded the small 40-seater aircraft and as it was speeding on the runway, the captain abandoned the take off. There was a surprise in store as he announced that he 'rejected' the first take-off as he saw 'jackals on the runway'. It was an exciting begining of the end to this journey of mine to Central India.

An Azerbaijani proverb says, 'the forest can't be without its jackals'. Surely there used to be a forest on where the runway stood today, not long ago. I guess the jackals were there to say that to us : )