India Travel Diary

Panna Tiger Reserve - a photo journey

2025-02-22T19:21:00.000+05:30

यदि वन नहीं होता है, तो बाघ मारा जाता है;

यदि बाघ नहीं होता है, तो वन नष्ट हो जाता है|

अतः, बाघ वन की रक्षा करता है एवं वन बाघ की रक्षा करता है|

-महाभारत – उद्योग पर्व : ५.२९.५७

Emerald, or Panna (पन्ना) in Hindi, a gemstone from the Beryl family, is highly valued in Indian Astrology for its association with Mercury, the planet believed to influence creative and intellectual endeavors. Reflecting this spirit of creativity, a bunch photographers, participating in the Wild Click Season-9, from all over India gathered at the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) with a shared goal: to capture and narrate the essence of Panna through the unique perspectives of their camera lenses. This convergence not only celebrates the pursuit of artistic excellence but also highlights the rich tapestry of Panna's natural heritage.

The verdant forests of Panna are reminiscent of the deep green hue of the gemstone 'Panna' (पन्ना). However, it is not emeralds that lie concealed within the hills, forests, and rivers of Panna, but rather diamonds (हीरा) nestled in its fissures. Established in 1971-72, the Majhgawan-Panna initiative stands as India's sole officially sanctioned diamond mining operation of industrial magnitude.

Carving a path through this diverse landscape spanning over 542.67 km² (209.53 sq mi), the Ken River, which rises in Katni, MP, traverses the Bijawar-Panna hills. It forms a dramatic 60 km long and 150-180 m deep gorge within the confines of the national park before merging with the Yamuna River at Banda, UP. Along its course, numerous streams converge with the Ken, creating a series of enchanting waterfalls that enhance the park's scenic beauty.

Tragically, Panna Tiger Reserve, established in 1994 as the 22^nd Tiger Reserve of India, witnessed the complete loss of its tiger population around 2009 due to unchecked poaching. The notorious poacher Sansar Chand, with the complicity of the Pardhi hunting tribe and the negligence of the forest department, orchestrated this loss. The outcry over the decimation at Panna, paralleled by a similar fate at Sariska, catalyzed the inception of the 'Save Our Tigers' initiative. The subsequent reintroduction of tigers from other reserves in Madhya Pradesh has been a remarkable success, with Panna now home to over 50 tigers. This resurgence has not only restored the park's natural splendor but has also revitalized tourism and, consequently, the livelihoods of the local community. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Khajuraho is just 40 kms away.

Panna : a photo story

Tucked away in the heart of the Bundelkhand Plateau lies the enchanting region of Panna, a place where the majestic tiger roams, indigenous cultures thrive, and the earth yields sparkling diamonds. This landscape is steeped in history, as evidenced by the ancient rock carvings within the national park, which serve as a timeless testament to the intertwined narratives of humans and animals. These carvings not only add to the park's allure but also offer a window into the past, preserving the legacy of the region's rich biodiversity and cultural heritage.

Panna is not only about tigers and national parks; it is also home to spirituality. The Pranami or Dhami sect, established by Sri Prananthji, exemplifies communal harmony. Sri Prananthji emphasized the fundamental unity of all religions, especially between Hindus and Muslims. The beautifully sculpted Prananthji Temple stands as a testament to the union of arts, spirituality, and devotion. It is said the buildings have its own unique architectural style. The activities during the evening aarti are a sight to behold. As we waited, happily clicking around, the Shankhnaad resounded, and the entire campus sprang to life with a surging crowd. The place was a photographer’s delight.

The proximity to the famous Khajuraho temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site just 35 km away, holds immense potential for tourism in Panna. It can be projected as a captivating tourist circuit. The Khajuraho temples, with their exquisite art and sculpture, stand as a testament to ancient craftsmanship. Being situated so close to the unique central Indian wilderness of Panna, the Khajuraho temple complex also hosts several smaller wildlife species. A stroll in the garden got me excited with plethora of macro subjects from robber fly, spiders, cicada an uncommon rock agama (Psammophilus blanfordanus). The following images celebrate this rich wildlife against the backdrop of the Khajuraho temples.

The revival of tigers of Panna has generated livelihood opportunities for locals in terms of tourism. Visits to national parks and tiger reserves in India are centered around tigers. Tourists choose parks that offer better tiger sightings during safaris. Thus, it is not only the tigers that need humans for protection; humans also rely on tigers for survival. The poignant message of ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’ at a remote forest check post beautifully conveys this symbiotic relationship.

The park offers a night safari in experience in buffer areas. Though not very exciting from sighting point of view, this night safari gives an idea of possible human animal conflict flashpoints. There were good movement of vehicles through the forest even in the darkness and open herding of cattle in the villages. Many villagers have shifted out accepting government resettlement, but not all. They have been living here for generations and dependent on the forest for livelihood. There is a difference between one time compensation and proving a regular alternate form of livelihood.

Ek Duje Ke Liye Kuch Karna Hai. Humans have done a bit for repentance. तस्माद्व्याघ्रो वनं रक्षेद्वयं व्याघ्रं च पालयेत् ॥ The rejuvenation of Panna has breathed new life into the park, leading to the flourishing of all forms of wildlife. Notably, vultures—a species that nearly faced extinction in India—are now thriving in Panna. Image below captures a sweeping shot of a vulture gracefully soaring through the gorge at the renowned vulture point within the tiger reserve.

The revival of tigers is achieved through a concerted effort that involves local communities. Conservation is a conundrum that can be cracked only with active participation of locals. Creating alternative livelihoods for residents is crucial to reduce their dependence on forest resources and wildlife. The Pashoo Paksheee center has played a pivotal role in this endeavor by integrating the Pardhi tribes—once infamous as hunters—into the mainstream. By providing employment opportunities, especially to Pardhi women, the center contributes to changing lives. A portion of the center’s profits is dedicated to uplifting the Pardhi community.

However, discussions about livelihood generation from tourism remain incomplete without the inspiring stories of the Roshnis and Chandnis within the park. These local tribal girls, employed as tourist guides, lead visitors on tiger trails during safaris and serve as role models in their communities. Their infectious enthusiasm and deep knowledge of the park enhance the overall experience. The following images celebrates the remarkable journey of the Roshnis and Chandnis in Panna. The juxtaposition of the tourist in the frame highlights the contrasting lives and struggles of these girls with those of urbanites.

Despite all these efforts, the future of forests and wildlife does not appear buoyant. Rampant exploitation of natural resources and forest destruction in the name of development paints a gloomy picture. Panna has risen from the ashes once before, but now, are the tigers and wildlife stepping into an uncertain future?

Let’s hope for a better future for tigers and wildlife of Panna. Let both the humans and animals live together and flourish.

Island of the Dragons

2024-04-13T15:03:00.002+05:30

The Myth of the monster

Dragons conjure up only one image – a fire breathing monster. They have been object of fantasy, folklore and mythology since time immortal. The word ‘dragon’, first entered the English language in the 13th century, derived from the Latin ‘dracōnis’ and the Greek ‘drakōns’.

My tryst with Komodo Dragon

But in real world, it does not spit fire, but a deadly cocktail of bacteria. When sailors saw this massive lizard like creature in some remote part of the world, they thought them to be real dragons. Around 1910, a specimen was captured and taken to lab for study. Scientists identified it as a unique species that most likely evolved in Australia, from a dinosaur called Megalania. It was named as Varanus Komodoensis. For hoi polloi, the fabled dragon got a name- Komodo Dragon.

Komodo dragons are endemic to eastern Indonesia and are currently only found on the northern coast of Flores on the nearby islands of Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang and Nusa Kode.

Distribution of Komodo Dragons

The long travel

We have grown up seeing images of the Komodo Dragon in Nat Geo and Discovery. I knew that they exist in some remote island in Indonesia. Therefore, when I was taking my family to Bali for vacation, and to compensate for a missed annual trip to Corbett Tiger Reserve, I started exploring possibilities of how to see a dragon in Indonesia. The search led me to island of Labuan Bajo in the Flores region. It was about an hour and half flight from Denpasar Airport, Bali to the island’s airport, aptly named as Komodo Airport. I had booked ticket on Batik Air, directly on their site, as it was giving me decent baggage allowance. Hotel was booked through Agoda. A 12-hour flight from New Delhi to Bali via Singapore; immigration, and overnight halt at Bali, and then another 1 ½ hour domestic flight next morning brought us to Labuan Bajo in the Flores Region of Indonesia. The shortest travel to Bali from India is either via Singapore, or Malaysia or Vietnam. The travel time varies from 12 to 17 hours depending on layovers on the way. For me Singapore Airlines offered the shortest layover, and spending few hours in Changi Airport is never boring.

Ketut Mustika, my guide cum cab guy at Bali put me to his friend Frendo who run a travel agency at Labuan Bajo. The trip itinerary was planned over WhatsApp.

At Rengko Cave - a tranquil beach

Batu Cermin and Rangko Caves

On my arrival at Komodo Airport, we found a smiling Frendo waiting for us airport. As I had half a day to spare, he arranged a post lunch trip to Batu Cermin Caves and Rangko Caves. We had a free afternoon and, therefore it was a good option to utilize the time rather than dozing off at hotel after a long travel. Batu Cermin Cave, also known as Mirror Stone Cave is a series of limestone tunnels that rose from sea bed during volcanic eruptions over centuries. The formation was unique where we saw several fossils on the walls, including that of a turtle. The minerals on the walls of the caves shines when you throw torchlight on them. Getting to explore the entire area took some effort in that perspiring heat.

We than travel through hilly terrains passing several remote settlements, and finally arrived at a small fishing village. We were taken to Rengko Caves by a private boat. The boat left after dropping us off with a promise to return after an hour. On arrival, we found that the beautiful white sand beach to our own. There were not any other tourists. We spent some quality time on the beach as waited for the boat to arrive. Each of these scenic locations without any tourists offered us unforgettable experiences.

In the evening, we were taken to a restaurant named Taman Laut for dinner. The restaurant overlooking the bay and harbor, providing an awesome sunset view, was one of the best places to have dinner. We returned to this place for dinner on the second evening as well.

Taman Laut, Labuan Bajo views

Cruise to the dragon land

Next morning we were picked up from hotel at the crack of dawn for onward transportation to harbor where our speed boat Red Whale-II was waiting for onward travel to Komodo National Park- a UNESCO world heritage site, created in 1980 to protect the sacred lizards.

After an hour of cruising, our boat arrived at the first stop - Padar Island. This island is understood to have few individuals, and hence is not considered for tracking the dragon. One is required to climb few steps up the hill to get awesome views of the surroundings. Just to remind you that the view Cabo de Rama in South Gao offers is almost equally stunning. India is also a beautiful country if you explore it the right way.

Post photo sessions, and souvenir hunting, the boat set off. Next stop was Komodo Island.

Image source: www.komodo.indonesia.tourism.com

Tracking the dragon

On our arrival at the Komodo National Park, two forest rangers were assigned to our small group. Safety protocols were conveyed. It would be tracking of the dragon on foot. There was no guarantee of sighting as they are wild animal. We were to stick together as group with one ranger at front and another at back. Rangers were armed with a historic weapon – a tree branch with a fork at one end to protect us from any untoward attack by a dragon.

Following the rangers command, we set out on a jungle trail in search of the dragon. As the trail progressed, my daughter Swathi said that it was giving a feel of Bijrani in Corbett sans Tiger. But excitement of encountering a predator was same. The added feel of Jurassic Park was thrilling.

To have the vantage position, I was with the leader of the track Habib. Where are you from, he asked. I said - Mumbai, India. “Oh! Sharukh Khan. Have you seen him. I am a fan of him.” – replied an elated Habib. Hindi films and songs are quite poplar in Indonesia. He started singing a SRK song, which stopped abruptly with a hand gesture to stop. I looked up to see some melee in the group in front of us. A scared Komodo Dragon ran suddenly creating chaos of horrified tourists. We rushed to the spot only to see a glimpse of Komodo Dragon that ran away into bushes. It was like a poor tiger sighting that just ran across the road.

With the hope of a better sighting, we kept tracking ahead. After few minutes we came across a waterhole where a dragon had come to quench its thirst. Habib told that being a hot day, this dragon will spend some time at the waterhole. This was a mid-sized guy about 7-8 feet in size. It gave us ample opportunities to photograph before lazily disappearing into the forest. As few other groups had also arrived, the rangers were managing crowd professionally. Getting to see a Komodo Dragon in wild from such close quarter is going to remain etched in our memory for life. The possibility of coming back so far so see it again is near non-existent. I had one more thing to do ticked off my bucket list. Few more are yet to be ticked off. The journey continues.

Me and wifey for the customary photo with Komodo

On our way back to boat, we saw another small fellow resting under a tree. This one looked more of our regular monitor lizard.

The Komodo island is home to some 500 households who shares it with 1700 odd Komodos for centuries. The people of the area, known as the Ata Modo, believe that Komodo dragons are their siblings, born from the same spiritual mother. In the Komodo language, the dragons are called sebae (twins). Conservation efforts have resulted in displacement of the locals. Proliferation of tourism and ban on fishing has affected their livelihoods. Most locals survive on selling souvenirs to tourists which is not a booming business. I too bought a pair of miniature wooden Komodo fridge magnets. Tourists typically come here on a fully paid trip that includes meals onboard. Therefore, most locals are not earning too much from tourism. Ata Modo wants to live peacefully with dragons’ sans too much tourism. Conservation is always a paradox.

Snorkeling at Pink Beach

The trip continued for another stop at Pink Beach. The pink colored sand of the beach was another natural marvel. This exceptional beach gets its striking color from microscopic animals called Foraminifera, which produces a red pigment on the coral reefs. Snorkeling gear was provided by the boat. The water was crystal clear with excellent visibility.

My cuties ready to snorkel at Pink Beach

Swimming with Manta Ray

The final stop of the trip was for Manta Ray watching. Seeing the itinerary, I saw it probably is a gimmick. However, I found that several boats were actually trying to locate Manta Rays in deep sea. Once the boats located two huge Manta Rays; it was literally swimming with Manta Rays for those who dared to jump off. I could not overcome the mental block of jumping into deepwater, and continued watching them from the boat in Cystal clear waters. My daughter and wife who enjoyed the swim kept teasing of what I missed by not getting into the sea.

Manta Ray as seen from boat

Postlude

This part of Indonesia located to east of the Wallce Line, itself is a natural wonder. The imaginary Wallce Line is a faunal boundary line drawn in 1859 by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and named by the English biologist T.H. Huxley that separates the biogeographical realms of Asia and 'Wallacea', a transitional zone between Asia and Australia. You find tigers and elephants to the west of Wallace line, and Komodo Dragon east of the Wallace Line. No one stopped them to cross the line by swimming across the sea during evolution.

Packed lunch was offered onboard on our way back. The pain of coming this far was worth every penny spent. 99% of tourists to Indonesia crowds Bali, leaving only 1% coming this far. The nature, environment and beauty are therefore preserved and are still pristine. Give it a thought if have at least 3 spare days and willing to spend a few more bucks.

Our Transport - the Red Whale-II in cystal clear waters

How to reach:

From Delhi I had used Singapore Airlines flight to Denpasar Airport, Bali, with stopover at Singapore. This was the shortest flight of 12 hours. Other options available on Malayasian Airlines and Viet Jet. No direct flights. Price varies from INR 55k to 60K INR. And travel time varies from 12-18 hours. I bokked on cleartrip.com after checking all sites.

From Denpasar, Bali to Komodo Airport, Labuan Bajo was booked directly on Batik Air site. Batik and Lion are sister airlines. This is a domestic flight. Return tickets to Bali costs around INR 14-15K. Pl understand that Indonesian currency IDR is very confusing as everything is quoted in thousands, like 500 Thousands. So if they say 100, then you need to understand it is 100000. Easy conversion is that INR 500 is approximately IDR 100000.

Your tour operator at Labuan Bajo will arrange for all transport and sightseeing. I paid IDR 750000 per person to Frendo that included airport pick up & drop, local half day sightiseeing and full day trip to Komodo Island by speedbaot with meals.

Where to Stay :

I had booked hotels through Agoda. I had stayed at Luwansa Beach Resort. It is bit far from city centre, but has access to a private beach and pool. There was no time to use the pool. Even the beach was
accessed only once during out 2 night stay. It has an in-house restaurant, but we had dinner at Taman Laut. Frendo arranged for drop at restaurant for dinner at our convennience which was great service. You can look to stay at city center.

Lovely ambience of Luwansa Beach Resort at Labuan Bajo

Holi Tiger

2024-04-05T23:42:00.010+05:30

तस्माद्व्याघ्रो वनं रक्षेद्वयं व्याघ्रं च पालयेत् ॥

Majestic: a king in his kingdom

John Doe were looking eagerly in the direction where the forest rangers were trying to locate a collared tiger sleeping inside bushes. Suddenly, one gypsy driver shouted- पीछे देखो….बाघ पीछे से आ रहा है (Look back..tiger is coming from the other side). It was another tiger who came looking for her mating partner lying in the bushes. Holy cow! We just had our first tiger sighting at the most unlikely place – Sariska Tiger Reserve, a place that became infamous for wiping out its entire tiger population just few years back.

Holi : the spirit of celebration

As the cold winter breezes transforms into warm dusty gusts heralding onset of Falguna, the transient period before arrival of spring, the whole of India gets ready for a season of festivals like Teej and Mahashivratri. It also is the time for Holi. Harivansh Rai Bachhan saab had eulogized the spirit of the festival of colors in these beautiful lines:

होली है तो आज अपरिचित से परिचय कर लो,

होली है तो आज मित्र को पलकों में धर लो,

भूल शूल से भरे वर्ष के वैर-विरोधों को,

होली है तो आज शत्रु को बाहों में भर लो !

(On this Holi, let’s forget the differences and, let’s give a warm hug not only to friends, but also to foes)

With time, the way we celebrate holi had transformed so much that it makes one scream - नहीं ये है गुलाल-ए-सुर्ख़ उड़ता हर जगह प्यारे । Silver and golden humanoids, laced with myriad of industrial dyes, moving around reminds one of the notoriety of holi in Delhi. It has become obvious to look for escape routes when holi is around. शत्रुओं को भूल जाओ, मित्रों से भी दूर भागो।

When the holi of 2011 came knocking, we were looking to get away from Delhi. Getting a booking on short notice was not that tough those days. We set out for Sariska, roughly about 200 km from Delhi.

Sariska : the hunting ground

The former hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Alwar, was notified as a Wildlife Reserve in 1955, then a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1958, and finally a Tiger Reserve in 1979. Maharajahs gone, but hunting continued. Notorious poacher Sansar Chand had systematically exterminated all 25+ tigers from the park in collusion with some villagers settled within periphery of the park. By year 2005, only the name remained as Sariska Tiger Reserve, sans any tiger. The furor that Sariska wipe out created led to the first tiger census of India with latest technique in 2006 that pegged the number of remaining tigers at a shocking 1411.

In a renewed conservation effort to revive a prime tiger habitat, the forest authorities decided to reintroduce tigers at Sariska by relocating 5 tigers (2 males and 3 females) from Ranthambhore. The country's first tiger reintroduction programme using an Indian Air Force MI-17 helicopter in 2008 is well documented by Subiah Nallamuthu ji in Tiger Queen. Tigers were named ST (Sariska Tiger) – 1 to 5. Later, one the five relocated tigers, a male ST-1, was also killed.

Despite the dire situations, the nexus was ugly and apathy was unimaginable. Probably a well thought out plan for relocation of villages and livelihood of displaced villagers was missing to reduce human-animal conflict. Creating a balance has been a paradox. A report of Indian Express found 12 marble mines operating inside core areas of the tiger reserve even in 2014. This was due to disagreement between forest and mining departments. Money over tigers’ survival! Remember, it was the Forest department's denial mode of extermination of all tigers in the park by 2004-05, and they conituned to show tigers on paper, before the lid was blown off.

Ghost of a chance

A Ghost of a Chance points to the near nil possibility scenario. In probability theory, Kolmogorov's zero–one law, specifies that a certain type of event, namely a tail event, that will either almost surely happen or almost surely not happen; that is, the probability of such an event occurring is zero or one.

The above theorem was a true depiction of the probability of getting to see a tiger in Sariska in 2011. Four relocated tigers were roaming in an 800+ sq km of forest. Map below gives an idea of how erratic the movements of tigers in the park can be. Therefore our trip was not to see a tiger, but to spend some time in the lap of nature rather than getting laced with industrial dyes. Yet, to utilize the available time, we hopped onto a safari gypsy and set out for an afternoon safari in the park. Safaris were easily available as there were hardly any tourist those days.

Movement map of the 4 reintroduced tigers of Sariska in 2011
Source: Wilflife Institute of India

Holy Tiger

Icarus tigris, also known as The Spirit Tiger, or the Holy Tiger, is an elegant, ethereal and mysterious animal in the legendary comics graphic novel Kingdom Kong. This mystery, coupled with power and grace attached with the tiger makes it so special. And getting to see one in the wild roaming majestically get etched in your memory forever. Even after seeing 30+ wild tigers in these years, I can still recall each and every encounters.

the Holy Tiger

As the safari progressed, we could easily comprehend that finding one of the four tigers in an 800+ sq park is like finding a needle in haystack. It indeed was a tail event of probability theory. Forget tiger, even finding other animals was a tough task. We saw remnants of few settlement and free cattle grazing inside park that was a reminder of the hazard to wildlife of the park. A carpeted road passed through the park where private vehicles were allowed.

The forest was set ablaze by blooming of the Palash or the Flame of the Forest with its orange flame-like flowers set against dried trees and fallen leaves. As we watched our vestige of hopes going up in the dust trails behind our gyspsy, our smart driver noticed a speeding gypsy with forest officials holding up a tracking antennae. All four relocated tigers were collared. There were some so called VIP guest in the gyspsy for whom tiger is being tracked. Our driver immediately understood that the forest officials had found some signal. He turned around to follow them. But the speeding forest car had quickly disappeared in the jungle. It was a cat and mouse chase for us looking for sign of dust cloud left by the forest vehicle, which reminded me of a Hindi movie scene. After few minutes of searching, we could locate the forest gypsy. It was trying to get close to a tiger hidden inside bushes. We lesser mortals, the mango people, could just wait and expect the tiger to come out on road. The news of spotting had spread, and all safari gypsys had arrived at the spot.

Suddenly, one gypsy driver shouted- पीछे देखो….बाघ पीछे से आ रहा है ( look back..tiger is coming from the other side).

The tiger that was sleeping in the bushes was male ST-4. And the tiger, now majestically walking towards us was female ST-2. Within few minutes both tigers were out in the open.

Voila! We just had our first tiger sighting of life, that too in Sariska. And two out of the four living tigers of a park larger than 800 sq km were walking in front of us. We could not believe our luck. The escape from Holi was made truly colorful by Tiger. In the map above, the movement pattern of ST-2 is shown in RED and ST-4 in BLUE colours. This will give an idea of how the Ghost of a Chance theorem worked in our favour that evening.

This Holi Tiger played an important role in my becoming a nature and wildlife photographer. I had a Canon 350D those days with a 70-200 F4L lens. In those falling light of that evening, I got tiger ST-2 crossing road in front of my gypsy without any background clutter. I kept clicking. Later I found that only one photograph came sharp. I understood that wildlife photography in variable and low light is a different ballgame from the constant studio lighting for which I was trained. Time to expand learning. Next stop was the Canon India workshop at Bandhavgarh and Kanha with lessons by Shivang Mehta and Uday Shringi. Rest is history.

(Images : The one on Top is my tiger image of ST-2 as a novice in 2011. The one on bottom is a tiger from Ranthambhore clicked in much worse light than that of ST-2 in 2011, but with professional knowledge and gear. Now I also see the awkward angle of ST-2 as I shoot standing high)

Tyger Tyger burning bright, In the forests of the night…..

Relocation of tigers to Sariska has been a success story of conservation efforts. The ST-4 and ST-2 mating we witnessed had produced offspring that propelled next generation. ST-3 and ST-5 died without producing any cubs. Later more tigers were relocated from Ranthambore as that park can hold about 30 tigers only as against 40 of Sariska. Tigers were moving away from Ranthmbhore in search of territory due to over populations. The population started growing at Sariska. A report of 2023, hold the tiger count of Sariska as 30. Each one counts. Humans need to let them flourish. The wisdom from Mahabharata says:

निर्वनो वध्यते व्याघ्रो निर्व्याघ्रं छिद्यते वनम्।

तस्माद्व्याघ्रो वनं रक्षेद्वयं व्याघ्रं च पालयेत् ॥

-महाभारत – उद्योग पर्व : ५.२९.५७

Meaning in English:

If there is no forest, then the tiger gets killed; if there is no tiger, then the forest gets destroyed. Hence, the tiger protects the forest and the forest guards the tiger!

-Mahabharat– Udyoga Parva: 5.29.57

अतः, यदि वन सुरक्षित रखने हैं, तो बाघों को संरक्षित करना होगा। Let’s do our bits to save the tiger and save forests. And do keep playing Holi…with safe and natural colours.

Too much talent

2024-02-11T15:07:00.009+05:30

लोभमूलानि पापानि संकटानि तथैव च।
लोभात्प्रवर्तते वैरं अतिलोभात्विनश्यति ॥

अर्थात् , लोभ और पाप सभी संकटों का मूल कारण है, लोभ शत्रुता में वृद्धि करता है, अधिक लोभ करने वाला विनाश को प्राप्त होता है ।

Year 2018.

The weather was moody. Chemistry was being put into practice. As the yeast converted sugar syrup was getting into the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors of our brains, the discussions wandered into college days. Someone blabbered, ‘Have you heard about Iftikhar?’ I said, ‘No’. My friend replied, ‘He is now a fugitive wanted by FBI‘. What??

Image courtesy : Department of Chemistry FB page

Year 1987.

Old Student Gallery, Department of Chemistry, Cotton College, Guwahati, Assam

First trimester exam of class XI batch of 1987-1989. It was thrust upon us even before we could understand that we had come to college to study, and not to enjoy the new found freedom of classes without boundary walls, with choice of attending or lurk around hotspots. Passing mark was 20 out of 30. While handing over the papers of Shivashish, who was a rank holder in Xth board, the professor sermon him a piece of his mind. He scored just above the passing mark 20 but was expected to perform better. As we waited with bated breath, my roll no 311 was announced. I went down the gallery to collect my paper. The professor nonchalantly handed over the paper without a word and simply dismissed my presence. Wow. While going up the gallery to my seat, I saw my mark as 17. Failed circled in red. Excitement evaporated as quickly as they had surfaced. To the professor, we were just run of the mill students who by mistake got into Cotton College that are destined to spoil the reputation of the nearly 100 year old institute. Little did he knew that coming from a vernacular medium school of state board without hearing about Chemistry hitherto, we were struggling to get in terms with Carbon Monoxides and Dioxides in English. The pride of getting into the premier institution of Assam / North East was just put to dust.

Later in the day, over a smoking session, we came to know that one Iftikhar Ali Ahmed, who was the 2nd rank holder in Xth board, had scored 27 out of 30. That trend continued. While we continued to struggle, Iftikhar kept scoring above 80%, and eventually went onto top our XII board in 1989. But one thing was certain - we enjoyed the freedom of college life more - from learning to smoke to bunking classes to first crush to those morning English movies at Apsara. Life was carefree for us without any burden to top the class. Iftikhar and his clan stayed away from us not to get spoiled.

Eventually the two years in college passed in a jiffy. Iftikhar was the only one who qualified for both Roorkee Engg College and IIT-JEE. Those days, qualifying for Roorkee was considered tougher than IIT. He eventually went to IIT- Mumbai. Meanwhile, we lesser mortals managed to make it to regular Engineering Colleges. Without any coaching, the IIT-JEE exam was a big conundrum for us to crack. Iftikhar was actually a brilliant student, way above the hoi polloi. We all parted ways in 1989. Life went on - both for Iftikhar and our clan.

Year 2018. Party continues…

Chemistery is no more that esoteric. Instead, Chemistry was being put into practice.

The blurt got registered deep even in that subliminally intoxicated mind. Iftikhar is now a fugitive wanted by FBI. What??

Back home, as the effects of dopamine subsided, I started Googling. Soon I found that Iftikhar, now described as a Greenwich conman, has been indicted by a Boston Court for $54 million embezzlement from a private equity firm where he worked. He used that money to buy a $9.6 million house in Greenwich and another $8.6 million condominium in New York. The swindling story was a la fiction material. Jeffry Archer could have written a sequel to Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less.

Year 2024.

Just completed watching season II of Scam - the Telgi Story. It was uncontrolled greed and arrogance that led to downfall of Telgi. In the process he lost his family, friends and all ill-gotten wealth. His wife even applied to government to take back ill-gotten wealth. Abdul Kareem Telgi was talented. So was Iftikhar Ali Ahmed.

We lesser mortals not endowed with such extraordinary brilliance are living a peaceful life. God almighty has endowed most of us enough wealth and success to enjoy life. At 50+, we keep bonding and reliving those moments of 90s in get together.

Meanwhile, Iftikhar, with all those God gifted brilliance, is on the run, with FBI on his trail, and may be living a nondescript life in some corner of the world.

हुनर तो सब में होता है, बस फर्क इतना है, कोई चमक जाता है, कोई बर्बाद हो जाता हैं !

Lothal - the ancient town from Indus Valley Civilisation

2022-02-12T16:02:00.001+05:30

I was out on 550 km drive to Somnath, a long drive after many years. While travelling by SH1 in Gujarat, around 12 noon, I suddenly saw a board indicating Lothal - 4Km, pointing to a narrow road alongside through farm land. I read and went ahead. Had read about Lothal and Dholavira as ancient sites dating back to Harappan times of Indus Valley Civilization. Google map was showing still about 7 hours to destination. Few things were going through my mind. Tough call to invest additional 30-40 minutes. Stopped after about a kilometer of driving, and discussed about it with my travel partner, my wife. Eventually decided that we should see this. Never seen a Harappan site, and in possibility we will not come back to this remote place just to see Lothal. Took a U turn, and hit the narrow single road through farm fields.

The archaeological site is located a bit inside from the main road. But a a proper road sign to guide visitors was missing. After driving for about 4KM, we found only a Thank You for visit board of Gujarat Tourism. At that point, Goggle was pointing to a near non-existent dirt track covered with kikkar bushes. No one was there to ask for direction. The site has to be there somewhere. As I waited, I saw another guy driving a KA registered car coming back from the opposite direction. He also got confused, and drove ahead only to be reminded by Google to come back. Both of us talked and decided to take the dirt track as Goggle was pointing dots to it. Few meters into the track, we found a sign board indicating Lothal, which is not visible from main road. After about 100 meters of further driving, we actually had reached the place with a board indicating as Lothal. The lone private security guard at gate told us not to get onto the walls or structures. No entry ticket. I found around 4 cars of visitors while I was there. It shows that only a fistful of people visits this place.

There is a roadsign few meters into the dirt track

First thing that stuck me – how come some one (Prof S R Rao) found this site in such a barren and remote area, and excavated it between 1955-62. This Harappan town from Indus Valley Civilisation dated back to 2500-1900 BC. If you read the descriptions at site, the brick structures are actually of that time. Bricks, yes real bricks were used to build this Harappan town. The structures are so well planned and laid out that you will be forced to think if is it really an ancient site. It is an entire small-town setup complete with a water pond. I ended up giving more than planned 40 minutes visiting various parts of the site. The museum is closed permanently. The artefacts from the site are probably too precious to be kept at such a remote place. You can use the toilet there though. I found few more security guard and safai worker there.

It was an overwhelming experience being there. And definitely, one of the most unforgettable chance visits.

Capturing the spirit of street-life

2018-12-04T21:22:00.002+05:30

Wildlife photography is my preferred genre and will continue to be so in near future. However, like many of my fellow photographers, the visual storytelling side of street photography also has a special appeal to me. This appeal is powerful enough to push me into venturing out 4-5 times during last one year to explore the streets of Delhi, specially the older Delhi. Called the Purani Dilli (Old Delhi), its streets are special. There is a treasure lying to be captured in the busy, over corroded, packed and often dimly lit alleys of Old Delhi. I wish I could go out often.

Staged or As Is:

Street photography is a large term. It actually has many sub-genre. The most common and popular on the social media is the staged street photography. They at time s look awesome. You find the perfect setting, find some actors who will gel with the scene, often pay them in cash or kind, and shoot. You get a near perfect shot for social media. But the form that appeals to me is the shoot as is format. You go out on the street and shoot a scene as it is with real people garnishing it with your creative framing and technical skills, and then present it to your audience with your editing skills. This way you capture moments. While the staged genre will continue to flourish, the moments genre will also hold its special place.

Concept:

It is always good to have a concept in mind to shoot before you step out. If you do not have a concept, then you may find the scene too chaotic. I have seen participants in these walks often trying to shoot what others are shooting. If someone is shooting an old man puffin a bidi, let me shoot that too. And when you see the shots shared later in walk group, you find majority of them crap as they were shoot without any plan or concept. Even if it is not staged, you need a plan and concept to shoot. You will have to find beauty and interest in clutter. You make or create an Image by seeing and capturing differently. Technicalities often takes back seat as you have to shoot fast. Given the general lighting, and your understanding of light and your camera requirement, you set out with a set of basic setting. If a scene appeals to you, aim and shoot framing it the best possible way. 

I had tried to create a series of images with a concept of ‘Life In Between’. The images of this series do not require me to connect with the subject. I will come to the topic of connecting to the subject later.

Some bread earned

A Fistful of colours

Pondering

Poles apart....Life of two child

Equipment:

A mirrorless is the best equipment for street photography. This is true for India, at least Old Delhi.

So why a mirrorless for street? I currently own two full frame Canon bodies. For the street outings, I have used the smaller Canon 6D Mark II body with Canon 17-40 F4 lens. Smaller is a relative term. Even the 6D2+17-40 combination looks fairly large as compared to the mirrorless combos. I had found that Canon 6D2 fails you when the light is low and scene has predominantly darker tones. You will come across many such scene once you are inside the labyrinth of narrow alleys of Chandni Chowk like the Kinari Bazar where only natural light you find are wafting through narrow openings. Either you need a F2.8 or better lens and definitely a better body in such places. A cropped body with 18-55 kind of lens is a disaster for those narrow alleys. The other option therefore is the mid-level mirrorless targeted at the prosumer photographers. As they are targeted at prosumer segment, the output is tweaked to be quite good. They boast of an exciting array of lenses. In the last walk, I found that Fuji 18-55 kit lens is a 2.8 at wide angle. This comes a s kit with XT-20 body. The combined size and weight of a cropped body mirrorless is much lesser than my Canon 6D2+17-40. You can easily put them into your bag and carry everywhere. These cameras being small in size, the average people on street will ignore you as a novice, amateur or tourist having fun. The bigger SLR often attracts unwanted attention. These makes you a bigger photographer trying to make money of images of poor people on street.

As I am currently exploring Sony and Fujifilm series for making my next acquisition, I will come back and update this space soon.

Technicalities:

Once out on the street, the technical aspect of camera setting will be least on your mind. Your eyes will be scanning for interesting scene. Rarely you get a second chance. Therefore you have to set your parameters before you start walking. Read the lighting scene and set your Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. Reading the available light scene will come from experience. As you will be shooting handheld, you need a minimum shutter speed of 1/60 to get decent frames. Once you have basic settings right, review first couple of shots. Change settings if required. Of course, you will fiddle with settings later as you shoot, but no point changing it after losing a moment. So, get it your initial setting as right as possible. This is true for wildlife also. You need to read the lighting scene and get your first setting as correct as possible.

Ethics:

One important aspect of street photography is to connect with subject. If you are shooting people close up, then you must talk and connect to get the best result. If the subject refuse then simply walk away. But more often than not, the subject is likely to cooperate. Keep in mind that do not try to create a scene of trying to make money of someone’s misery. Sometimes they may ask you for money or help after posing. These are poor people trying to make a living on street. The call is yours. Listen to your conscience. If you ask me, I had done it couple of times by buying a cup of tea or biscuit. I am presenting here few images where we had connected with the subject. Compare these with earlier series of ‘Life In Between’.

When you connect with your subject

Special mentions:

This exploration of city had made me venture out to different old Delhi with various people during last one year. These are Nizamuddin West with Hazrat Nizamuddin dargah and walled city from Turqman Gate to Chawri Bazaar with Asif Khan Dehlvi of Delhi Karavan. These were story telling non-photo walks. As Asif hold the group together with his story telling, I kept exploring with my camera. This continued with exploring the famed Chandni Chowk area from Parantha wali Galli to Dariba Kalan, and Khari Baoli to Sadar Bazar with Sundeep Bali and Fujifilm team. Sundeep is a brand ambassador of Fujifilm who had done a lot of work in old Delhi areas. It was a great experience learning with him.

And finally, this series of images were viewtifully edited on the ViewSonic VP2468 monitor specially designed for photographers.

Note: The author is ColorPro partner for ViewSonic. His and other ColorPro professionals' work can be seen at ColorPro Partners of ViewSonic. The latest series of ViewSonic monitors for Photographers can found at ViewSonic

#ColorPro #ViewSonic #VP2468 #FujiFilmXIndia #Street_Photography #Delhi6 #LifeInBetween  

Jungfraujoch Switzerland

2018-08-18T10:46:00.001+05:30

First video log of Europr trip 2018. Presenting the piciuresque journey to mountain top at Jungfraujoch. A train journey throug snow and tunnel takes you to 11333 feet. The train route itself is an engineering marvel. We experienced snowfall and even blizzard at top.

Getting true color in editing images

2017-12-16T22:43:00.003+05:30

It has been three months since I received my ViewSonic VP2468 monitor designed especially for photographers like me. It has now become permanent part of my editing process. I used to edit a lot on my laptops which provides the flexibility of editing during spare time on my travels. These editing were mostly for social media posting, and hence used to be in small resolutions, typically around 1200px on longer side at 100dpi. Small sizes allow you to get away with many flaws. But whenever the images were to be sent for printing, or to some competition in large sizes, then the flaws of laptop editing became obvious. Believe me, when you blow up, the colours that looked OK in your FB or Instagram post, may look terrible. Colour is one of the factors that can make or kill your image.

A typical LED monitor we use in desktop generally produces about 60-70% of sRGB colour space. Laptops fares worse. This means, despite shooting in Adobe RGB, we were losing 30-40% of colours in editing, which is substantial for quality print. As a nature photographer, the variations in shades of green and greys are very important in my images. If you are not able to see the grade variations, then at time you lose on impact the image could have made. In my next upgrade, I wanted a monitor that can match my output requirement, preferably one made for photographer.

On exploring market, most of the monitors targeted at photographers were found to be exorbitantly priced. Often as a photographer you feel like spending that kind of money on things like upgrading your on accessories or save for your next lens. The monitor, despite being of such importance is forced to take a back seat. We tend to forget that monitor is that key link that is going to reproduce what one had seen and captured in camera. Once you understand the gravity of this, you are bound to go for a photographer’s monitor. And there sits the ViewSonic VP2468. A very affordable monitor meant for photographers that produces nearly 100% of sRGB colour space, and comes factory colour calibrated along with test reports.

When I got the opportunity to work on the ViewSonic VP2468 monitor, my first reaction was wow. Images were just popping up. Colours are so vibrant as if it enthuses a new life into images. My immediate reaction was to reopen some of my earlier edited images. I started hating some of them as colours were way off. I started re-editing them on the VP2468. Here is an example.

Difference in colours editing in ViewSonic VP2468 vs Laptop

The VP2468 has many functionalities which I am yet to explore. The basic controls are enough for me as a photographer. Let the monitor take away many of my worries and concentrate on getting that perfect moment. VP2468 comes with a host of ports on its back. I have connected it to my Dell workstation with a HDMI cable. Another outstanding feature is the Auto Pivot where you can rotate the monitor to view vertical frames in full screen. There is an auto pilot software to facilitate this rotation. Despite some great feature, few ergonomics are missing in the design. You can expect small flaws at this price point. If I am missing something as of now is an inbuilt speaker. But it does what it is meant to deliver – true colour. The VP2468 is going to stay put in my table for a long time.

IRCTC Tiger Express

2016-06-12T12:32:00.002+05:30

Here is an article with sneak preview intot the IRCTC Tiger Express Train service between Delhi and Kanha

IRCTC Tiger Express

Direct bus service between Delhi and Leh

2016-06-11T18:10:00.001+05:30

Himachal road transport has annoucned re-introduction of a direct bus service between Delhi and Leh via Manali wef 6th June, 2016. This 33 hours, almost 3 days journey of almost 1050 is sure to make many heads spin. One way fare is Rs.1365/-. When I saw this Delhi-Leh bus at the Leh bus stand during my visit in 2011, I could not digest as to how one can travel non-stop in such an ordinary bus from Delhi. Or how can one drive a bus like a truck driver do. We were told it is one service, but two buses. Now it is confirmed that there is a change of bus, and hence crew at Keylong. However this is an ordinary bus service without any inclusion. There also is a Non-AC delux bus service between Manali and Leh that costs Rs.2700/- one way that includes one night stay, dinner and breakfast en-route. This service will start from July 1.

You can find more info at following links -

Delhi - Leh bus news (Hindustan Times)

HPTDC / HRTC bus services

Wild Escapades - Corbett Tiger Reserve

2016-05-18T22:30:00.001+05:30

This is small package chronicling wildlife viewings from my last trip to the land of roar and trumpet - the Corbett Tiger Reserve. Hope you will like it.

'Tiger Express' to Bandhavgarh and Kanha

2016-05-15T12:59:00.000+05:30

Indian Railways is planning to hit the popular tiger circuit of Bandhavgarh and Kanha in Madhya Pradesh with launch of its special train 'Tiger Express'. The services of the semi-luxury train will commence from June 5, the World Environment Day, at Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station. This service is a collaboration between the Railways and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). Packages are available though IRCTC.

This is the first time that Indian Railways will operate a tour package on the wildlife circuit. Apart from luxury trains like Maharaja’s Express, the IRCTC also offers tours packages on the desert circuit, Buddhist circuit, Bharat Darshan , etc.

The five-night-six-day tour will cover Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks in Madhya Pradesh, apart from Dhuadhar Falls of Bhedaghat, Jabalpur. The “Tiger Express” will only have first and second AC accommodations, with fare starting from Rs.38,500. The parks in MP currently have the highset charges for safaris in the country. The fare includes train ticket, local AC transport, accommodation and food. “The tour will include two tiger safaris at Kanha national park and one at Bandhavgarh, apart from accommodation at three-star hotels. Our prices are affordable keeping in mind the services provided and there are no hidden charges,” said IRCTC spokesperson Sandip Dutta.

IRCTC Tiger Express package

Wildlife capital of India

2016-05-01T12:23:00.003+05:30

Why Assam Is India's wildlife capital

TNN | Apr 30, 2016, 12.10 PM IST

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Why-Assam-Is-Indias-wildlife-capital/articleshow/52051670.cms

Malaysia launched e-Visa for Indian tourists

2016-04-28T20:27:00.001+05:30

Indian tourists travelling to Malaysia can now avail the e-visa. The e-visa system was launched on April 15, 2016. The visa will be processed between 24-48 hours. The processing fee is $25 (approximately Rs 1660) with visa fee of Rs 1000 and transaction fee of Rs 50 online. The total estimated cost is Rs 2710, the payment for which can only be made online. The visa however will be single entry and valid for 30 days. This may be a problem for tourists going to Malaysia and Singapore together using Air Asia services. It should be noted that Kualalumpur is the hub of Air Aisa and hence if you are to change aircraft at KL, then you will have to go through immigration. Therefore you may need multiple entry visa. During my trip to Singapore, KL and Langkawi using Air Asia services from Delhi via KL, I needed multiple entry to Malaysia. I had obtained paper visa for around 1500 rupees. The paper visa was multiple entry with same 30 day validity.

Malaysia received as many as 722,141 tourists from India last year, making the country the 6th largest contributor in terms of tourist arrivals. More information can be gathered from http://www.imi.gov.my.

Sterling Holidays, Mussorie : From Pine Hill to Dancing leaves

2016-04-20T20:38:00.001+05:30

Soon after acquiring a Sterling Holidays membership in 2014, I set out to explore its resorts in and around Delhi. While the experience of its leased resorts at Corbett and Sariska was mixed, we liked the Sterling owned facility at Mussorie. It was then named as Pine Hill, located 2.5 km off the mall road, along a pleasantly walkable road with a gentle slope. The 94 room resort is laid on a hill face with a stunning view of the Doon valley, specially at night. A lot of construction was going on at the site during our visit. Half of the resort was under renovation. Thomas Cook had acquired Sterling couple of months back prior to pur visit in 2014. The money being invested by the new owners to upgrade this facility was on display. We expected that Mussorie was probably on a path to be classified as a Gold Class resort. We had stayed for 3 nights in a spanking new room that year. There was something special about Pine Hill, exuding a kind of lazy charm to give you feel of home in the hills. We had planned to return here for a longer stay.

Sunrise view from Sterling Dancing Leaves, Mussorie

We did return to Mussorie in 2015 for a longer period of stay on the long weekend of Dusserah. Renovation is now about 90% complete. The renovated facility has got a new name. It is now called the Dancing Leaves. The view from refurbished restaurant is stunning. A new gym and spa is in place. A lift to cut the flight of 200 plus steps from reception to the bottom most level cottage by half was under testing. A swimming pool is also planned, though I doubt how many will use the pool at coolness of 6500 feet.

As I was familiar with the layout of the resort, we decided to take a room lower down the hill for an unhindered view of the valley. Some of the upper rooms, though easier to access, have almost no view. Though this involves climbing up and down the flight of steps many time, we took it as an opportunity to get ourselves some fitness. Once the lift becomes operational, commuting will be much easier.

Rooms are quite spacious and aesthetically done. A studio unit is meant for 3 adults. However the unit is large enough to accommodate a 4^th adult with an extra mattress. Kitchenette is well equipped with microwave, fridge and utensils. One of the attendant told me that rooms are better than the JW Marriot resort, where he had worked earlier. JW Marriot’s Walnut Grove is one of the prime property in Mussorie with charges of 15k plus per night. Being a Sterling member, per night cost for me was coming to about 2500 for 3 adults. This cost is calculated after taking into account my membership cost for 80 years and Annual Maintenance Charges. As I had already paid the one time part, I had to shell out only 850 rupees per night for my stay.

A dazzling Dehradun as seen from from my room in Sterling, Mussorie

Sounds wonderful. But I will also like to tell you about the flip side of it. My stay was on a long weekend of Dusserah and therefore I expected a rush. I had to plan well and book exactly 3 months in advance. I could do it because I have a premium / red season membership. For someone having lower season membership, it would have been near impossible. This is the problem with all timeshare holidays, be it Sterling or Club Mahindra. Don’t expect to holiday on short notice. These companies are selling memberships every day, but their room inventory expands at snail’s pace. So the demand for each unit of room is increasing every year. If there is 3 customer for a room today, it will soon become 5 or more. Though there is a worldwide norm for this, these Indian companies have not set in any upper limit.

I had wrote in detail in one of my earlier posts about pros and cons of Timeshare Holiday membership. One of my reasons to buy a timeshare is to spend few days in peace, cocooned in a remote place, devoid of constantly ringing telephone, incessant noise and pollution of cars. I have matured from a sightseeing tourist to a leisure traveller. Being a wildlife photographer, most of travel takes to me national parks, most of which has become noisy and crowded. Some of the jungles are peaceful, just because they are difficult to access. Most of these timeshare resorts are located away from town centres, and hence provides you that peaceful ambience where you can enjoy the silence and unwind. Dancing Leaves, Mussorie certainly provides that ambience, with the mall road just half an hour’s leisurely walk. Or just take a leisure walk by the resort along the curves of the hill every morning and evening. We certainly have returned fitter and rejuvenated from our five days stay. We are looking forward to our next holiday there.

eVisa effect : Jump in foreign tourist arrival in India

2016-03-12T20:14:00.000+05:30

1.17L tourists came on e-visa in Feb 2016 - a jump of 369% over same period last year:

As many as 1.17 lakh people arrived in India on online visa in February as compared to 24,985 during the same month last year, registering a growth of 369.1%. UK continues to occupy the top slot, followed by the US and France among the countries availing e-tourist visa facility, tourism ministry said in a statement on Friday .

With effect from February 26 this year, the e-tourist visa facility was extended for citizens of 37 more nations, taking the total to 150 countries. UK topped the list of countries availing e-tourist visa facilities in February this year with 27.86%, followed by US (13.85%), France (8.08%), Russia (6.21%), Germany (4.92%) and China (4.91%). The share of Canada was 4.21%, while that of Australia was 3.64%, Korea 2.15% and Ukraine 2%, it said.

(Source : TOI)
eVisa effect : Jump in foreign tourist arrival in India

Sarapduli FRH : A different night out at Corbett

2016-03-05T21:21:00.001+05:30

As the sun goes down behind the hills turning the landscape into a canvas of myriad shades of orange, jungle folk leisurely walks back to their cocoons for roosting. And then darkness descends to engulf the forest in a think black blanket, enthusing a new lease of life into the nocturnal fauna. The generally quiet jungle suddenly springs to life with a cacophony of calls and sounds. Predators who rules the night are out on the prowl. Many will not survive the night to see the light of tomorrow. Being out there in the dark is certainly a frightening proposition, but watching this drama unfold from inside an electric fence to fend off the predators is an altogether a different experience. Imagine yourself sitting right in the midst of all these actions, feeling the pulse of the jungle nightlife and soak in the unforgettable experience. Welcome to the Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, the land of roar and trumpet.

Asitic wild elephants

The evergreen dense forest of Corbett NP with patches of saal trees, grasslands, hills and rivers is the ideal habitat for two of the giants of Indian forests – the Royal Bengal Tiger and the Asiatic Wild Elephants. Corbett is one of those rare places in India that offers feel of real jungle night stay if you can manage to get accommodation in one of its Forest Rest Houses (FRH). These are tourist facilities run by the forest department of Uttaranchal and can be booked online through Corbett’s official site corbettonline.uk.gov.in. Of all the FRHs located across various ranges of the park, the Dhikala FRH is the most sought after, followed by Gairal and Bijrani. All of them are basic facilities, yet any true wild lifer will gleefully trade his luxurious hotel room for a night at these FRH. The Dhikala FRH is the biggest of all the facilities, located 31km inside forest on the bank of Rāmgangā reservoir, has good facilities for food, almost 24 hr electricity and next door access to the famed chaur or grasslands of Corbett. Therefore Dhikala FRH generally stays full with tourists, nature lovers and wildlife photographers. Other rest houses too are alluring, each of them in its unique way. The Gairal FRH and Bijrani FRH too have canteen facilities, but have limited choice of food. They do not have electricity, but are solar powered upto 10pm only. In my last visit this summer, I could not manage booking at either at Dhikala or Gairal. So when I was offered a choice of Sarapduli FRH during my last visit, I thought why not. A different kind of jungle stay was waiting to be experienced.

The Sarapduli FRH is located almost halfway to the Dhikala FRH from the Dhanagiri gate entry point on NH121. Travelling from the Dhanagiri gate, you first reach Sultan FRH. This two room FRH is the only one without any electric fencing and canteen. Hence you need to be super adventurous to plan a night stay here under a small solar lantern in the midst of prime tiger and elephant habitat. Travelling further through large patches of saal forests, after climbing up and down hills, crossing rivulets and, on almost reaching the plains of Dhikala, you reach the Sarapduli FRH. The facility is almost similar to Sultan, but here you have the comfort of an electric fencing.

A tiger in Dhikala zone of Corbett

Entering the Sarapduli FRH campus, we went pass couple of staff quarters lined on both side of the road. At the end of the 200 odd mtr road, which is the other end of the campus, facing a river is the tourist hutment. The building is an old British era heritage. It has two rooms with attached bath. One of the rooms is meant for tourist booking online, and the other for officials or someone who manages booking though connections. As the official room generally remains vacant, you are expected to spend the night alone in that house. The dining hall with a fire place is common to both the rooms. The guest room was smaller as compared to those in Dhikala or Gairal. However the toilet was almost the same size as the room itself. There also is a veranda facing the river, lined with many chairs, in case you find time to relax. You do not get river view though, because of overgrown bushes. About fifty feet away is a 3 bed dormitory in a separate building. Their common toilet is outside, making it scarier.

A modern time extension has been added to the old building, to serve as the kitchen. Cooking gas cylinder is available along with utensils. Charges for using these items are already included in the room rent for the night. Guests are required to carry raw materials for meals. You should be meticulous to carry everything, from salt to sugar to tea to turmeric to spices. You will not get anything there. You may either cook yourselves or else the caretaker will cook. Most guests generally goes out for safari at the crack of dawn, only to return to Sarapduli in the evening. Thus one is likely to have only dinner at Sarapduli. Or a cup of tea in the morning and evening.

Given the surroundings, we were excited at the prospect of spending the night at Sarapduli. It was almost dusk when we hit the campus after safari. Electric fencing were activated soon after we had entered. As we were the only guests for that night, we pulled out chairs in the open while the caretaker served us evening tea. The campus was dimly lit by few solar lights placed along the pathway. As the night fell, the staff quarters, though inside the campus, appeared too far away for comfort. The darkness and silence of the forest was overpowering. It started to engulf all of us, including the driver of my gypsy. He is a local guy, often goes to forest, yet he was scarred to sleep alone in the driver’s room. He cooked up haunting stories. Finally he managed to stay with the caretaker in his quarter. We too had become anxious. Despite being a regular to Corbett, being alone was unique experience. We had to make a polite query as to how far help is available if we call someone at night. I estimated the caretaker’s room was about 200 feet away. We could see a light in a room about 100 feet away. We were told that a staff sleeps in that room. We were assured somewhat but was not sure how will someone react if we really need help at night.

Discussions on tiger sightings and other incidences accompanied our tea. I always enjoy such discussions with men who spends most of their days and nights in the forest. A storm was building up. Flashes of lightning were illuminating the surroundings occasionally. A cool breeze started blowing bringing in some relief from the heat. As we were enjoying the moments, we felt a sudden commotion along the fence and then a panic call from a scarred Sambhar deer. The source of the call was so close that all of us stood up instinctively. The electric fencing on the side from where the call came is about 100 feet from where we were sitting. Call of Sambher deer is a certainty about presence of a tiger or leopard. It was almost certain that a tiger was walking by the fence, probably to to the adjoining riverbed. We pulled out torches to scan for any sign of animal close to the fence, but without any success. My family made anxious query about safety of the electric fencing. The caretaker did his bit to assure them that bigger animals cannot trespass. There has not been any incident of tiger or leopard straying into the campus. To me a tiger may be too big for the fencing hole, but a leopard can come climbing any of the tree, if it wants to do so.

The mystic Corbett mornings

It was a long day for us and lights were to go off at 10pm. So we went for an early dinner. While waiting for food to be served, my eyes spotted something under a chair in the dining hall. The chair was directly under the only light glowing in the room and hence insects were converging onto it. Smaller insects, that had died, fell to the floor under the chair. Among those dead insects, there was something longer than any insect. So I went to inspect. I got excited to see a small white scorpion about 3 inches long, feasting on the dead insects. What we should have worried is that this scorpion was inside the house, and barely couple of 4-5 feet from the door of the room where we were supposed to spend the night without any electricity. Scary, isn’t it. But this is the thrill of spending a night in a jungle. And where do one get to stay in such a place in these times where humans have not rarely left any space unoccupied. This is Corbett, the real jungle. And this is Sarapduli, providing much better feel of jungle than Dhikala. When I brought it to the notice of the caretaker, he immediately arranged to remove the scorpion. He informed that it is more poisonous than the black scorpion.

The night passed of well. We were provided a small solar lantern for use after lights went off. Though the cacophony of sound had stopped before we went to bed, few Nightjar birds, with its terrible high pitch calls, kept waking us up from time to time. Being peak of summer in May, it was quite hot to spend the night without a fan. We stayed at Sarapduli for one more night. Second night was better with bit of rain and cool breeze. We felt confident to keep the door between bedroom and dining hall open that night. It provided much needed cross ventilation. We slept peacefully that night. Rains kept the nightjars away. I have been to Corbett so many times, generally staying at Dhikala and Gairal. This first time stay at Sarapduli was unique in its own way. We will remember the events of those two nights for a long time. It was a true jungle night stay in all sense. If you are looking for adventure, then you should certainly give it a try. You are sure to be back with treasure trove of memories from these places.

How to reach there:

There are multitudes of options to travel from Delhi to Ramnagar. You can use the Ranikhet Express that leaves every night from Old Delhi. Buses are available from Anand Vihar ISBT. Always travel by Govt Buses in Delhi NCR for safety. We typically hire a cab which drops us and returns. The cab returns to pick us up on day of retun. By road it is about 240 km and takes 5 hours.

Where to stay:

Forest Rest Houses (FRH) can be booked through forest department's website only, though some agents arranges for your booking for a hefty charge. But no one can arrange a trip for you on short notice. You need to plan in advance. Typically FRH booking use to open 45 days in advance. Rooms are limited and hence gets sold out within minutes of opening. Rules keep chnaging. Pl check the offcial site for recent guideleines at corbettonline.uk.gov.in and select Book Tickets --> Night Stay. There are hundreds of resorts outside the park. You can do day visit Jeep safari only if you stay outside. Even for day safaris, you need to book in adavnce. Else you will end of beeing fleeced by doing safari in buffer zone like Sitabani.

Scuba diving at Havelock : A beginners journey into the sea

2016-02-20T12:54:00.000+05:30

Jumping into a bottomless body of water, with nothing to cling onto, had been a dreadful thought for me. I am sure that I shared this feeling with many of you. It is said that the best way to overcome your fear is to face it. But, it is easier said than done. The longer you let the fear rule, the harder the resolution to overcome it becomes.

My abilities in swimming is limited to crossing the width of an average size swimming pool. Yet the thought of going scuba diving was toying in my mind. I had explored the wilderness of the hills through trekking to a maximum height of 16700 feet in Ladakah and Sikkim. But when it comes to water, I was stopped on my tracks by an unknown fear. I could not do it the first time I went to Andamans. Though couple of snorkelling trips boosted my confidence. It also stroked the desire to scale the next level – scuba diving. On my next island trip in Phi Phi Island, Thailand, I almost jumped into the sea, retracting the steps from the diving board of the boat.

Then came a second trip to Andaman early this year. Well before reaching the shores of Havelock, I was determined to dive this time. It was kind of now or never situation. I felt being guided by a strong inner voice. I was all set to explore the underwater world – both physically and mentally. After checking in at the resort, I called up my old contact Sanika and requested him to come over to discuss my plans for next couple of days.

Sanika had grown his business of renting cars and bikes in these intervening years. He is a full-fledged tour operator now. Knowing about my interest in diving, he took me to the office of Ocean Tribe, a dive centre next door and bargained a good price for me. The rate offered was lower than what was available on the net and my research. We were offered a product named Introductory Diving that would last about 45 min. I filled up the forms telling me about dangers and that I was aware of the risks etc. This is the point where 20-30% tourists drops out. Some drops out even after paying up. The fact that each one of us would have an individual instructor boasted my confidence.

Getting ready for the dive

Finally the day of reckoning arrived with lovely sunshine. We reported at the dive centre at our specified time. We slipped into the diving suit. Mr Farhan, our lead instructor led us to the boat that was to take us to the dive site. With few excited souls on board, the boat sped off tearing into the turquoise water of the Andaman Sea. When we reached the dive spot, we could see a few more boats already moored. The dive team helped us to wear the oxygen cylinder belts and weights. I realised that it is difficult to go under sea water without the weight belt and cylinder kit, forget about drowning. Another confidence booster realisation. With the kit belted to my body, the training of about 15 min started in shallow waters. The first thing asked by my dive instructor was whether I know swimming. I said a little bit. The instructor told me to forget that I know swimming, adding that I should not try to swim during the dive session. Whoa! I could not believe it. To prevent you from going astray, the instructor will control your movement and buoyancy. Hence you are not supposed to swim during the dive. All of us successfully cleared the training session. Excitement was at its zenith. Final equipment and breathing check was done. I signalled to indicate all OK. Next I found myself under the sea!

All OK....lets explore

The journey into the sea bed was like a game of computer. Level 1 of the entertainment. Max depth may be 15 feet. A magnificent world started unfolding before me. Colourful fishes was swimming across and over me. Corals of myriad colours were welcoming me to their world. After spending a few minutes, the instructor asked me whether I was comfortable and want to go further down. I signalled the OK sign and then thumb down to indicate that I was ready to go further down.

Level 2 was another 10 feet deeper. It was kind of cascading bowls of corals. From a bowl in level 1, you swim to a new bowl further down. Corals and fishes increased in number and variety with depth. They seem more beautiful and colourful here. I was enjoying every moment of it. So was my family, whom I could see occasionally. After spending few minutes at this level, the question of whether I was comfortable and want to go further down was thrown at me again. Except for the fact that the ever increasing pressure of seabed blocking my ears, I was not having any problem. We were taught how to clear the blocked feeling in ears during training. I signalled thumb down go further deep.

the world of fishes

Level 3 is the final frontier for introductory diving. It was another 10 feet or deeper into another bowl. It was more beautiful. I felt like a small fish swimming in a giant aquarium. There were colourful fishes and more colourful fishes. Occasionally a fellow diver would cross your path. We were under water for more than 30 minutes by now. Besides choking of ears, I had to encounter a new problem. The throat was drying up due to prolonged breathing through mouth. It was getting increasingly difficult to keep the throat wet. But the thrill of the moment kept me going. I thanked god for giving me courage and opportunity to explore this world.

Swathi observing the world of Nemo

We were awestruck even as we slowly emerged out of the sea. It was simply a wow experience. Those 45 minutes of life had been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life till date. I explored a new world – the underwater. I overcame a fear for life. A desire to explore it further waits.

Affordable foreign destinations

2015-12-26T20:36:00.000+05:30

Sharing an interseting read from the net. Want to get more value out of every rupee while travelling aborad? Then these are some destinations. Just beaware of the fact some these countries prefer to charge tourists in dollar rather than their own currency. I am aware of wildlife trips to Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Therfore my advise is to do further reserach before you take the bite.

17 Super Affordable Countries That Will Make Every Indian Feel Richer

Timeshare Holidays in India

2015-11-23T21:49:00.000+05:30

There always is a gap between how much you said and what finally appears. It was fun interacting with an editor of a leading national newspaper. Given the no of phone calls I receive from strangers based on the articles I had written on my blog, I seem to have become an expert on timeshare holidays smile emoticon . In fact the BS team contacted me after reading my blog.

Business Standard, Mumbai, 24 Aug, 2015

Brahmaputra river cruise

2015-09-06T18:00:00.000+05:30

Assam Tourism to introduce economical cruise of Brahmaputra for domestic tourists next year. This is a good intiative. There are few local circuit river cruise available around areas like Guwahati, Kaziranga and Dibru Saikhowa. Tourism in Assam has picked up reasonably well in last few years. People in general no more consider it as a troubled state. Living in Delhi, I had observed that more people had died in road accidents in Delhi in last one year itself then stray incidences of violence in Assam over last ten years. The areas from Guwahati to Kaziranga, Gibbon WLS and Dibru Saikhowa WLS are absolutely trouble free. I am happy to see many photographer friends making these circuits regularly in recent years. This intiative will promote untapped tourism.

Read the full article here:

Assam Tourism to introduce economical cruise of Brahmaputra

Ranthambhore diary

2015-07-25T14:02:00.000+05:30

Mismanagement, corruption and resulting crowd menace at Ranthambhore is increasing every year. It is no more a place where you can watch a tiger walking the forest in peace. After every visit, I said to myself that this is going to be the last time. But the tigers of Ranthambhore keep bringing me back. We had a sighting of T19’s cubs last year when they were just 3 months old. They were barely larger than a house cat last June (2014). Now they are sub adult cubs of one and half year. And they were treating tourists and photographers to some lifetime’s sighting. They were everywhere in FB – playing in water, chasing crocs, play fighting, suckling. The most magnificent creature in the entire world, the tiger is. - Jack Hanna. So I could not held me back. May be one last time to Ranthambhore before moving out of Delhi.

Summer is the best time for watching the tiger in the wild. Temperatures in Rajasthan during peak summers can soar to mind boggling degrees. It is not easy to travel in an open gypsy, specially the journey of 3-4km from your hotel till you enter the park, when scorching loo brush you at more than 40km an hour. Yet, more and more people are braving the sun to travel in summers, even to hot places like Ranthambhore. Demand for safari seats have gone up drastically over the years. @Rs.750 per seat or @Rs.4500 per gypsy, safaris do not come cheap. Most regulars to the park knows which zone to visit to get maximum value for their money. Booking a safari online in your desired zone is tough, in fact near impossible these days. The controversial online safari booking process has grown in notoriety this year. Supply is as short as just 3 gypsy in each zone as against a train full of crowd clamouring for it. There is sheer madness for online booking. Imagine a situation when you land there without any booking! You will have to shell out 1000-1500 per seat in gypsy depending on the day of the week. Or take a horrible ride in canter with a motley crowd of 20 others, that too at a hefty rate of about 600 per seat.

Tiger - Ranthambhore (High resolution image for professional use is available for sale at Getty Image)

The prime attraction this summer was T19 with her three sub adult cubs roaming in zone 3. So everyone who are familiar with Ranthambhore wants to be in zone 3. There were only 18 seats available for online booking in every safari session for zone 3 (or an equal no in each of the zones). Supply was so short that the demand for zone 3 was unimaginable. Thanks to a friend, I had to acquire special skill to beat it and manage booking for zone 3. This happened after failed attempt over 4 nights, with even money getting deducted on two occasion. Finally I got lucky on fifth night. Once I had managed zone 3 booking, planning the trip for other zone over 3 days was cakewalk. For all those unfamiliar with this zone business may refer some of earlier posts on Ranthambhore. Tiger dynamics changes every couple of years. Therefore, even after ticking all boxes right in your trip plan, sighting a tiger is a matter of luck.

This year’s trip to Rnathambhore was my longest till date, with 6 safaris spanning over 4 days. Ranthambhore was rocking this year. Baring the first safari on Sunday afternoon, which was actually booked to fill the spare time, we had ‘photographic’ tiger sighting. As a wildlife photographer, and someone who had seen many tigers in wild, a ‘photographic’ sighting is all that matters. Even one photographic sighting out of 4 or 5 I generally do in a trip, sooths the soul. Here we got super sighting in 5 out of 6 safaris this year.

However it did not start off that well. My first safari in zone 4 was actually more of an afterthought or ‘fill in’ kind of arrangement to utilise my spare time after arrival in Ranthambhore. Safari in Zone-4 is a bone rattling experience because of rocky roads. Though I had fond memories of zone-4, this time I had no hope and hence I did not even carry my camera expecting nothing to see. My only sighting of legendary Machli was in zone 4 and we had a close encounter with elusive T41. Sultan had also reportedly moved into zone 4. Even though jungle always throws up surprises, expecting to see any of the tigers was a farfetched hope. As expected it went blank. However as were exiting the park, a disappointing piece of news passed onto us was that T19 had moved with her cubs into adjoining zone previous day, and has not been seen since either in zone 2 or 3. They might have made a kill deep inside and hence were not coming out. It was enough to plan a seed of worry in my mind.

Day 2:

Next morning, leaving our can of worries behind in hotel, we set off our next safari in zone-3, touted as sure shot sighting zone. It took me 5 night’s attempt to get zone 3 booking. The bad news of previous evening was confirmed barely minutes into the safari. The T19 family had not returned to their lakeside palace. After checking the area around Padam talao for sign of T19 families return to the lake, our guide decided to explore upper areas where another tiger T64 is occasionally seen. We went up and down, but could not track down any tiger more than one hour into the safari. This was supposed to be sure sighting zone! Everyone was clamouring for it. I too had come only after getting zone-3 booking. It was rocking for last few months with 4-5 tiger regularly roaming the scene, and here, we are yet to find even a single tiger. I know that despite ticking all boxes right in your trip plan, sighting a tiger is a matter of luck. ‘Best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray’. That day, we were in zone-3 and the tigers were in adjoining zone-2. We would be going to zone-2 next day, and what if tigers return to zone-3 that night. The thought was frightening. The ghost of not sighting a tiger in any of the safaris in this trip started haunting me. Couple of my friend had this misfortune once. In that trip together I beat them by the barest margin of just a single tiger sighting in four safaris. You have to be extremely unlucky not to see a tiger in 4-5 safaris.

A tiger amidst dust cloud at Ranthambhore. Image courtsey my daughter Swathi.

With an ever increasing bag of woes and the sun over our head getting hotter by minutes, we came back to Rajbagh area, expecting against hope for one of the T19 cubs to return. We had about two hours of safari time left with nothing to do but to wait in hope. “The miserable have no other medicine but hope.” Then came the moment which was change the course of our fate in next 48 hours. We saw a gypsy hurrying onto the dirt track we were standing. In one of them was the national award winning wildlife film maker S Nallamuthu. I know him for quite some time now. On seeing me, he informed that tiger is reported at a spot called platform. We too hit the dusty trail left behind by Nalla’s gypsy. And there he was. T64, the male cub from T19’s last litter was cooling off majestically in lake, with the Ranthambhore fort and Rajbagh hunting palace as backdrop. It was a dream backdrop for a Ranthambhore tiger frame. T64 took the opportunity of T19’s absence to visit the area where he grew up. We were looking for him up in the hills, but he was sleeping by the lake. T19, though his mother, no more tolerate T64 in lake area for the safety of her new litter. The sighting soothed our frayed nerves. Now we were relieved that we had a tiger sighting and the trip will not go blank. I cannot express this sense of relief in word.

More importantly, this was the moment that had changed our luck. In the afternoon safari, we caught up with T64 again, before he went up the hill to cross over to zone-4. My two safaris in zone-3 was in expectation of T19 and three cubs. But they were zone-2 that day. Now I have full day booked for zone-2 next day. What if T19 moves back to zone-3 that night? And, with T24 no more there to give a darshan, what if we do not get to see a tiger tomorrow. Many IFs remained unanswered that night.

Day 3:

Next morning we entered zone 2 with an air of uncertainty. Barely half kilometre into the park, there were they – the T19 family. Partly hidden behind tall grasses, they were lying by a dry nullah. We were informed that all 4 of the family were there. As cavalcade of gypsy’s started arriving one by one, T19, the mother of the cubs got up and started walking. Two of the cubs also got up and followed her. We did not find the third cub though. As the tigers started moving, the madness of vehicle started. Fortunately the mother and the cubs went different way. Therefore the drivers and guides of the vehicles were making choices on the tracks to hit.

As the commotion continued, the cubs sat down to became invisible, while T19 perched herself up in almost open. Few canters arrived by then and join the hordes of gypsys already there. Officially there is supposed to be only 5 gypsy. But there were too many. How and why is known to most regulars to Ranthambhore. We got caught up in traffic jam. I hate Ranthmbhore for this madness. If we give tigers more space, they will be more relaxed. What is required is an open view, not close view. Unfortunately most people do not have long lenses like photographers. Instead of enjoying the moment, they too would like to click with their PS or mobile or whatever they have, without realising the banality of it. If vehicles are parked sparsely, rather than crowding around the tiger, everyone will get a good view. I will love if one of the tiger of Ranthambhore turn charger. But then they may send him to zoo like Ustad.

T19 decided to excuse herself of the scene and went down a deep nullah. Meanwhile one of the cubs came out to a waterhole by the road. Vehicles started to converge there. One more cub joined in after some time. Despite of the crowd, I managed to get some pleasing frames. The overcast sky lent lovely diffused light for the scene. As I had only half the gypsy, it was not easy to manoeuvre my heavy 400mm lens. My daughter would not allow me to use her 70-200. I missed my old warhorse 100-400. In Corbett, I generally use to hire a full gypsy. But in Ranthambhore, it is very costly @ 4500/- per gypsy. That too when you are doing 5-6 safaris. I was happy with the frames, given the limitations of sharing the gypsy with 6 persons. After full three hours of tiger sighting, we returned to hotel, all sporting smug smiles.

The good news for the evening safari was that the cubs decided stay back where we had left them in the morning. Therefore, we had another round of super sighting, but in different light conditions in the afternoon safari. After spending about an hour with the cubs, cooling off in the waterhole, our guide opined that we should go up and explore other areas and look for other tigers. We had enough of the cubs for the day. Two gypsy were ahead of us as we hit the road winding up a hill. On turning a bend, we saw the two vehicle ahead of us reversing. Our guide immediately realised that a tiger is coming straight at us on the road. When a tiger comes your way, you are supposed to reverse and give way. But then the inevitable occurred.

Another gypsy came behind us and its driver was shouting at us. He was telling our driver that ‘tera tanki phut gaya’. Your petrol tank had ruptured. As the tiger was about hundred meter away, our driver checked and found petrol leaking through a big crack. We all felt the vehicle hitting a rock while crossing a stream some 50 mtrs downstream. It is quite usual in safari. What is unusual is a ruptured tank. ‘There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed.’ Driver had the means to stop the leak, but as the tiger was approaching us, he could not get down. Now he was worried that we might have no fuel left by the time tiger crosses us. As the vehicle ahead of us were shouting us to go back, our driver managed to bring the vehicle to a point where they could barely cross us. Then he positioned the vehicle in a downward position as the hole was towards the rear of the tank. Keeping it downward will drain the petrol slower.

Majestic T19

By now the tigress T19 had almost reached us. She was surprised that we have not moved back. She stopped about 15 feet from our gypsy. She looked at us and then stood up holding a tree by the road, picking up scent left by her kins. May be smell of petrol leaked was confusing her. Her behaviour was clearly indicating that she was expecting us to give way. But we were stuck. Could not tell her ‘tanki phut gaya’. Our gypsy was parked tightly by the hill, leaving barely 4-5 feet of space on the road. As we were not bulging, she explored the possibility of going down. But it was steep gorge on that side. Finally she decided to cross our gypsy, walking by almost the edge of the road. We were told to sit tight and not make any sound or movement. She should not feel threatened at all while crossing us. Trepidation in all six occupants of the gypsy were palpable. ‘Do not blame God for having created the tiger, but thank him for not having given it wings’. As she walked passed us, she kept an eye on our vehicle all the time.

As the tense moments passed, and the tiger had reached a safe distance, our driver to get down and managed to plug the leak with soap and cloth. However, almost all the fuel has drained by then. The driver and guide said that in their career spanning over 10-15 years, this is the first time that such an incident had occurred. What an experience for us too. We will never forget those minutes. I had couple of tyre punctures during safaris earlier. But never something like this. The driver decided that as we would be going mostly downhill, we would reach the Jhalra gate if we make a dash. There they could get some help or a replacement vehicle.

The driver managed to turn around in whatever space he had and then made a dash. Soon we faced the road block of vehicles still flocking the cubs by the waterhole. Our driver shouted at them to give way, else if he stops all might get blocked. We managed to wade our way through the crowd, and finally even out of the Sherpur gate. Thanks to very skilful driving by the driver. Even the last drop of fuel was consumed and the vehicle come to a halt. Our safari ended one hour earlier that day. But it was a safari we will never forget.

Day 4:

It has been an eventful trip till then. We were pretty happy with the sightings. Therefore we set out for our 6^th and the final safari to zone 3 on morning of day-4 without any expectations. And best things happens when you have no expectations. May be.

Within minutes of entering the gate, we noticed a couple of gypsy. The behaviour of the occupants clearly pointed to presence of a tiger. We reached the spot in no time. There she was, crouching behind a scrub, lying in wait for a herd of wild boar. One of the female cubs of T19 had moved into zone-3 overnight. The barren landscape provided a great viewing of the stalking. Due to her inexperience, the hunting attempt failed. The cubs are still learning. Then she went onto give us some wonderful sighting and photo opportunities that morning. She walked couple of kilometres around the Padam Talao, scent marking, chasing deer, before finally disappearing over the dhonk trees up in the hill. This female cub had grown very bold and have started to stay alone of late. She has the blood of Machli. May be another Machli is in the making.

With the lone tiger of zone-3 gone for the day, the activities had now shifted to Jhlara as news of other tigers attempting to cross over to zone-3 were pouring in. There is a nullah by choti chatri, where brethren from zone 2 and 3 exchange information. However we got to see only one more of the cubs before our time was over. A happy ending depends on where one decides to stop. It was time to end our journey this year, on happy note.

Closing report:

The controversy over Ustad aka T24 had not died down. T24 had gone to jail. With it went to dust the reputation of some well-known people or so called tiger ‘experts’. Everyone has an opinion in the matter. My 13 year old daughter also had her view against this jailing of T24. Keeping in mind the sensitivity of the issue, I told my family not to raise the topic to any driver or guide, as they may differ our point of view. However, each of the 12 different guides and drivers, I met in the 6 safaris, voluntarily offered their view, blaming these few people for the debacle. They were all against the shifting of Ustad. They were not scared to name these guys and shower few abuses on them. Even if I do not name those few people, all familiar with the issue knows who they are. We missed you Ustad, in this trip, and in all the trips to come.

Delhi-Sariska-Ranthambhore-Bharatpur-Delhi wildlife circuit

2015-07-01T21:46:00.002+05:30

Peak of summer in Rajasthan. An angry sun looking down in contempt for the scars human folks had etched on mother earth, letting the temperature soar above 45 degrees. The barren landscape, generally devoid of green, appears more desolate. I was on my annual pilgrimage to Ranthambhore, located near Sawai Madhopur, driving down almost 450 km in these conditions from Delhi. The searing heat will boil the tin box you are travelling into an oven. At times you will barely feel the existence of the air conditioner. One needs to get out of the car to feel that the AC is actually working. I had done this trail for last three years without fail. Every time I did it, I said to myself that this is the last time. But the tigers of Ranthambhore keep bringing me back.

Emergence : A tigress from zone 7 in Ranthambhore

Summer is the best time for watching tigers in the wild. More and more people are braving the sun to travel in summers, even to hot places like Ranthambhore. Demand for safari seats have gone up drastically over the years. Booking a safari online in your desired zone is tough, in fact near impossible these days. The controversial online safari booking process has grown in notoriety this year. Supply is as short as just 18 seats as against a train full of crowd clamoring for it. There is sheer madness for booking. Thanks to a friend’s coaching, I could acquire special skill to crack the booking conundrum and manage full days booking for zone 3 and 2. Therefore I am back in Ranthambhore again.

Despite the convenience of trains, I prefer driving down to Ranthambhore. Reason number one is that carrying my heavy camera gear is easier with car. Having a car at disposal also helps you get safari permits released by self or get a chilled beer from shop at half rate than your hotel. Of all the combinations of routes out of Delhi, the Gurgaon-Dharuhera-Bhiwadi-Alwar-Sikandara-Dausa-Sawai Madhopur is the shortest route from Delhi. From my residence close to East Delhi, the distance via this route is about 400km. Most part of this is tolled highway and hence drive is generally pleasant. However hold up is common on NH8. The perpetual road work on NH8 was seen creating long jams on opposite carriageway at two places. Fortunately it was not our carriageway and we were spared with a 15-20 min hold up at Manesar toll both.

As my first safari was scheduled for a Sunday afternoon, I had a Saturday to spare. I decided to utilise it to take a small diversion en-route to Sariska. Besides sparing me the pain of driving down 400 plus km on a single day in this heat, this diversion would also allow me to explore the recently opened Sterling Tiger Heaven Resort. I have a Sterling Holidays membership, and Sariska at 200km is the nearest resort from Delhi. Thus on day 1, I drove around 200km to Sariska via Alwar and then next day, I covered about 250km from Sariska to Ranthambhore (via Sikandara). I had started from Sariska around 8am after breakfast, yet I had reached Sawai Madhpur well on time for my afternoon safari at 2pm. Road condition is mostly excellent, and at worst drivable. The drivable section referred to is the 38 km stretch of Alwar-Sariska road.

My three nights stay at Ranthambhore this year has been my longest till date. Ranthambhore was rocking this time of the year. Baring the first safari on Sunday afternoon, which was actually booked to fill the spare time, we had ‘photographic’ tiger sighting. As a wildlife photographer, and someone who had seen many tigers in wild, a ‘photographic’ sighting is all that matters. Even one photographic sighting out of 4 or 5safaris, which I generally do in a trip, sooths the soul. Here we got super sighting in 5 out of 6 safaris this year.

On the day of my return, I did morning safari that would end around 10am and hence was not expected to check out before 12am. This means that I would be reaching Gurgoan around 6pm and then would be meandering though peak office hour traffic all the way to Ghaziabad. That would be too much taxing after driving 350km for 5-6 hours. The perpetual road work on NH8 and possibility of jams was also a deterrent. So the idea of trying out a different route dawn on me. The alternate route is via Bharatpur-Mathura-Yamuna Expressway-Noida. This would complete the full cycle of Delhi-Sariska-Ranthambhore-Bharatpur-Delhi wildlife circuit. With this route, I would emerge at Noida, close to my residence in East Delhi, thereby avoiding traffic nightmare via Gurgaon.

Keeping the new route in mind, we started from Sawai Madhopur around 12 noon. In any case, we had to travel 150km to Sikandara before taking the call. The attendant at the Sikandara toll both on Jaipur-Agra NH11 estimated the distance to Bharatpur as 60km. I had done 150 already, plus 60 more, and Bharatpur to Delhi via Yamuna Expressway is about 200km. This comes about 410, almost the same as that of Alwar-Gugaon option. Therefore I decided to continue straight to Bharatpur, instead of turning left for Alwar. But the very next road sign I came across announced the distance to Bharatpur as 85km. This added 25km to the journey to make it almost 435km. I was already in a state of no return, and hence only option was to continue driving ahead. However the saving grace was the excellent road condition and very little traffic. Unlike NH8, which is always full of trucks, there were very few trucks on NH11. On reaching outskirt of Bharatpur, we exited NH11 and took the Mathura by-pass to avoid the town. This road is familiar to me as I have been to Bharatpur many times. Passing through Mathura, we reached Yamuna Expressway without any held up. Soon after crossing Jewar toll plaza, we took a break, the only one of the trip, after 5 hours of non-stop driving. Being a weekday, traffic on expressway was also low. We hit Noida almost on the stroke of evening. The drive of almost 400km upto Noida was very pleasant, mainly because of very low traffic en-route.

Finally we got stuck in office hour traffic at the Akshardham junction to NH24. But it was nothing as compared to what I would have to endure via Gurgaon at those hours. Thus the decision to return via Bharatpur turned out to be a prudent one. The extra 35km and additional Rs.120/- toll paid was worth it. In fact, if one is travelling from East Delhi / Ghaziabad / Noida, then I feel that this route should be preferred. Those living around South or West Delhi and Gurgaon, have only one option via Alwar. Total toll via Alwar route was Rs.280/- and via Bharatpur was Rs.400/- (including 240 paid for Expressway use).

With this trip, I had completed the full cycle of Delhi-Sariska-Ranthambhore-Bharatpur-Delhi wildlife circuit. Total distance covered was about 950km. I had now explored all possible routes to Ranthambhore viz. via Jaipur-Dausa, via Alwar-Sikandara-Dausa and via Bharatpur-Dausa. You can explore my blog for my earlier write up on these other route options.

Indian Railways : few interesting facts

2015-05-30T22:19:00.001+05:30

Sharing some interesting facts about Indian Railways (source: TOI)

Interesting Facts about Indian Railway (TOI)

Domestic travel insurance: what is covered and what is not

2015-05-24T10:30:00.001+05:30

I have been habitually purchasing insurance for domestic air travel with the expectation that I will be able to buy ticket for another flight on spot in case any flight gets cancelled and thereby, I hoped to prevent the entire trip getting jeopardised. I thank my stars that for all these years I never had to invoke my rights for an insurance claim, until my recent trip to Andaman in end January, 2015.

Traveling out of Delhi in peak winter season of end Dec to mid Jan, which unfortunately is also a peak tourist season, is always full of uncertainties due to fog. Both flight and train schedules go haywire as fog plays havoc across north India. To minimise possible impact of weather, I had planned my trip with return from Portblair on 17^th Jan, 2015. I had booked tickets with MakeMyTrip who were offering travel insurance by Apollo Munich. It cost me around 169 per person per ticket. While travelling abroad, I had purchased insurance for a period covering my travel. But somehow domestic travel insurance is linked to a ticket, not for a period.

Apollo Munich domestic travel insurance certificate

In last few years, there has not been serious fog issue after 15^th Jan. But when nature decides to play truant, you can only be mute spectator. Fog came late this year, and stayed late, well past 18^th Jan, 2015. Waiting in the lounge for a whole day at Portblair airport, with bright sunshine all around, we realised that the world is so interconnected that fog in Delhi is sending flight schedule go haywire across India, even at places as remote as Portblair which probably have never seen fog. The day I landed at Portbalir, the temp was 23 or so, as against 6 degree of Delhi.

There are 3 daily flights between Portblair and Delhi via Kolkata. My ticket was with Jet Airways. Against all odds, the flights that were least expected to arrive that day, Spicejet and Go Air did landed, though quite late, and returned to Delhi or Kolkata. But the Jet Airways flight, which was the only full fare carrier, and which was most likely to arrive did not come that day leaving us all stranded at Portblair. We came to know that due to fog the flight took off quite late from Delhi as against scheduled departure of 0930 hrs. By the time it had arrived at Kolkata for stopover, it was too late for them to attempt a trip to Portblair, which is a military airport and hence night landing or take off are not allowed. The last hours by which a flight has to depart was 1630 hrs. This means the flight from Kolkata has to take off latest by 1400 hrs so that it can land by 1600 hrs and return by 1630 hrs. Apparently both the Kolkata – Portblair and Portblair-Kolkata-Delhi flight were reasonably full, and hence Jet Airways did not cancelled and dumped all passengers. Rather than refunding fares or attempting a risky trip and then getting struck at Portblair for the night, Jet Airways had arranged for an unscheduled flight next morning. The airport staff had written on ticket that due to fog delay at Delhi, flight is cancelled and passengers to report tomorrow at 7am. They had a discussion with CISF at stamped the tickets so that passengers are allowed in next day. Now came the issue of accommodation. Full fare airline is supposed to provide accommodation in case of flight cancellation and Jet Airways is one of the few remaining full fare airlines. But the shock came in the form of their declaration that accommodation is not provided in case of fog delay. We all had argued in vain. I thought that my travel insurance will come in handy for the first time. I decided to call their helpline from airport itself to find what is admissible.

Call centre line was not busy. Responding to the customer care executive’s greeting of how he might help me, I announced about my policy details and said that my flight is cancelled. The voice over responded that flight cancellation is not covered. Note this first catch - flight cancellation is not covered. Thus my very first reason for purchasing travel insurance went up in smoke. You will not be able to buy an emergency ticket in case your flight gets cancelled. So what next? I changed track, and told him that even though my flight is cancelled for the day, it is rescheduled for next day. Then the executive read out to me certain clauses of insurance I had not access to earlier. He told me that flight delay has to be more than 6 hrs, and reason for delay is either due to bad weather or technical fault with aircraft. Strike by staff not covered. I will have to obtain a travel certificate from the carrier mentioning total delay and cause of delay. Further, I was advised to retain all bills and vouchers of expenses. The maximum amount reimbursable is Rs.2000/- per person. As I have 3 tickets for the family, the potential claim amount of Rs.6000/- would be enough for one night’s additional stay in a decent hotel at Portblair. At that point we were more worried about daughter missing her unit test at school scheduled for next morning.

We reported at Portblair airport next morning and were happy to see Jet Airways staff arriving. We were relieved to be informed that aircraft had departed from Kolkata. The Jet aircraft indeed came from Kolkata in an unscheduled flight. But it was now informed that the aircraft would now ply between Portbalir and Kolkata. The Jet staff at Kolkata will arrange to send passengers to Delhi at the earliest available flight. The other option was to wait till evening for that day’s regular Delhi bound flight to arrive. The manager of Jet Airways team opined that there is no point staying stuck at Portblair. Fog was reported from Delhi on that day’s morning as well and flight had been delayed. Hence one cannot be sure of when flights from Delhi will arrive. Once you reach mainland, there will be various options for further transit. There was merit in his comment. So we boarded the flight and reached Kolkata at 1130 hrs. It was another ordeal at Kolkata as all flights were full. Finally we were handed boarding pass for a Kolkata-Delhi flight at 1830. Therefore my total delay had actually crossed more than 24 hrs.

Travel certificate by Jet Airways

After reaching Delhi, I had downloaded forms and couple of other documents from Apollo Munich’s website. The claim is to be preferred within one month. I tediously filled up claim forms, separate forms for each one of us, claiming a total amount of Rs.6100/- as against admissibility of Rs.6000/- (@2000 per person). The travel certificate issued by Jet Airways, Portblair says that flight on 17^th Jan was cancelled and passengers were rebooked on flight on 18th Jan. This along with my boarding passes covered my total delay clause. The ticket also had Jet Airways’ stamped statement that due to fog delay flight is cancelled. This covered weather delay clause. I did not want to send original bills along with my claim, and hence sent photocopies. I wanted to ensure that my claim is acknowledged first before I part with my original bills.

After about a month of preferring the claim, I had received a letter from Apollo Munich saying that they are in receipt of my claim and have provided me a claim id. They requested to submit all bills in originals within 15 days. Assured that my claim has not been put into dustbin, I sent all original bills through reputed courier so that receipt can be verified.

In another month’s time, I had received a confirmation from Apollo Munich saying that my claim had been settled for Rs.4660/- with reasons for rejecting balance amount. They did not pay cost incurred in additional to and from trip to airport. This amount was good enough as I had recovered 90% of cost I had incurred.

If you closely examine Domestic travel insurance policies, it is not difficult to understand that it actually is a medical insurance with some elements of travels fitted in. It is offered by airline or travel portal in association with an insurance company. Therefore insurance certificates are mailed to you separately after tickets are booked. For any claims, you have to deal directly with the insurance company, not the travel portal. The policy issued shows elements covered and the max amount payable against each of the clauses. But it does not say anything about situations under which you are eligible for claim. Therefore, you should visit the insurance company website for detailed clauses. Here are relevant clauses from the detailed document of my policy.

Detailed clauses-1

FIner points of detailed clauses

Going through the detailed clauses will make you understand what is covered and what is not. I would suggest to call their helpline to understand fine points. Always keep their helpline no ready. You do not know when you may need it. Insurance is meant to cover uncertainties. And, uncertainties arrive without calling. This was a good lesson in travel for me. For me it ended on a happy note. I hope that my sharing of this experience will help you stay informed to travel smart.