Photologue...

The Organic Lands of Rajasthan

2023-08-07T04:22:00.017-07:00

Rajasthan,The land of diversity

Every place has some images etched in the mind of a traveler, some iconic figures that we have constantly spoken about, heard about, and imagined. These are the images that come to mind first when we think about a place. Some places keep these images intact, some turn them upside down, and some take us to a larger canvases with them.

The image of Rajasthan that is etched in our minds is that of a socio-cultural landscape that is a confluence of history, the grandeur of ancient ruins, the solitude of the Thar Desert, the spiritual paths of Ajmer, and the ascetic demeanor of the darwishes. Rajasthan is for us a land of desert, ancient land, and spiritual land. But beyond all this, Rajasthan is also a land of biodiversity.Rajasthan is a land of contrasts. It is home to the Thar Desert, one of the largest deserts in the world, as well as dense forests that are so thick that the sun's rays cannot penetrate them. The state is also home to the Aravalli Mountains, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, and Mount Abu, its highest peak.

Rajasthan is a land of discovery. There are many hidden gems to be found in the state, from wildlife sanctuaries to natural wonders. Travelers who are willing to explore off the beaten path will be rewarded with unforgettable experiences. Rajasthan is the largest state in India, and it is a microcosm of India's diversity. "Unity in diversity" is a phrase that is often used to describe India, and it is perfectly illustrated in Rajasthan.The state is home to a variety of cultures and ethnic groups. It has a rich history and culture, which is reflected in its architecture, cuisine, and customs.Rajasthan's diversity is also evident in its geography. The state has deserts, mountains, and valleys. Its biodiversity is also reflected in its flora and fauna.Rajasthan's diversity attracts visitors from all over the world. People come to experience the state's beauty, culture, and diversity.Rajasthan's diversity is a source of pride for India. It is a place where people from all walks of life can come together and celebrate their differences. Rajasthan is a land of rich culture and biodiversity. It is a destination for all kinds of travelers, from history buffs to art lovers to spiritual seekers.Art lovers will appreciate the unique arts and folk music of Rajasthan's villages. Spiritual seekers will find a sense of peace and tranquility in the streets of Ajmer.People seeking biodiversity and wilderness will walk through different land formations, including Ranthambore, Bharatpur, Sariska, Keoladeo National Park and Desert National Park.

After a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I am finally planning to resume my trip to explore Indian landscapes and biodiversity .I will be visiting Rajasthan for 10 days in the first week of December. My main destinations are the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur and the Jhalana Leopard Reserve in Jaipur.

Keoladeo National Park

Keoladeo National Park is one of the most important bird sanctuaries in the world, and it is home to millions of birds throughout the year. Jhalana Leopard Reserve is a significant leopard habitat, and it is possible to spot a few leopards here.Both these places have amazing natural landscapes and diverse biodiversity. I was looking forward to experiencing all of these things in my trip.

Bharatpur landscape

Ever since wildlife photography became a passion of mine, my travels have turned to the wilderness and biodiversity hotspots. Now my travels are expeditions in search of my non-human companions, turning the camera lens towards their nimble and curious ways of life. Rajasthan is a hub of amazing biodiversity. From the Aravalli to the Thar desert, the state boasts a wide range of geomorphology, 5 premier national parks, including a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 3 tiger conservation reserves, and numerous biodiversity hotspots like Jhalana Tal Chhapar, and Jorbeer. And above all, the rare Desert National Park.

Bharatpur is known for its Keoladeo National Park, also known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. The park is a 29-square-kilometer wetland, and is home to over 370 species of birds.Like many wildlife sanctuaries in India, Bharatpur was once a hunting ground. In the pre-independence era, hunting was a major pastime for Indian kings, princes, and other nobles. The wetland was once a hunting ground for the Maharaja of Bharatpur. It was later declared a bird sanctuary. It is said that Lord Linlithgow, the British Viceroy of India, hunted over 1,000 ducks in a single day here.In general, if we look at the picture of the Indian environmental scene, we can see a shift from hunting to environmental conservation. It is interesting to note that Kenneth Anderson, Jim Corbett, and Salim Ali, who guided the Indian environmental conservation field, were all excellent hunters.

The Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, also known as Keoladeo National Park, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The park was created in the 18th century by Maharaja Surajmal of Bharatpur, who enclosed the temple of Keoladeo Mahadev and the surrounding wetlands. The park was declared a bird sanctuary in 1976, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 1981, and a national park in 1982. The park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.The Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is one of the most important bird sanctuaries in the world. It is home to over 370 species of birds, including pelicans, flamingos, and cranes. The park is also an important stopover for migratory birds, which use the wetlands as a staging ground during their annual migrations. The park provides a home for a wide variety of birds, and it also helps to protect the local environment.

Morning mood

After a 35-hour train journey, the train arrived at Bharatpur in a cold morning. It was 10 o'clock, but the cold was still biting. Bharatpur is an old station, and the railway station reminded me of an ancient building . However, there are signs of modernity. As soon as I got out, I was greeted by a group of rickshaw drivers. They took my bags and luggage and put them in the rickshaw. When I gave them the address of the hotel I had booked, they said something in Hindi that sounded like "I'll fix it now" and drove off. I started on my bird watching trip in Bharatpur.

The rickshaw and its amiable men

Bicycle rickshaws and bicycles are the safari vehicles in Bharatpur, as a precaution to avoid polluting the park's clean atmosphere. Fueled vehicles are not allowed inside the park, except for a few official vehicles which are granted exemptions. You can explore the park on foot, by bicycle or by rickshaw. Rickshaw pullers will welcome you at the park's gate. Rickshaw pullers are also excellent guides. They know about the diversity of birds in the park. If you need more specifics, expert guides are also available. Sher Singh was our lucky draw.Sher Singh is a Sikh who has been driving a rickshaw in the park for over 30 years. He proudly said that his parents migrated from Pakistan during the Partition of India. Sher Singh is a talkative and friendly person. He talked about the park and the birds in Hindi and excellent English during the journey. A bridge of friendship was built with Sher Singh in a short time. The conversation then turned to family, country, and culture. Every journey and every person you meet teaches you that the basic patterns and waves of human life are the same wherever you are in the world. This may be the concept of universal humanity that I read somewhere in the past. This is the same universal humanity that Tagore and others carried in their thoughts and dreams.

Bharatpur railway station


With Sher Singh and his brother

Bird heaven

In the next few days, Sher Singh's brother joined us. The park is like their own home to both of them, and they have been leading tourists to bird paradises here for over 30 years. We realized that they have taken very few days off during this period. They may have lived in this park more than in their home.With the spotted owlets, the colony of painted storks, , the flight of eagles , the flocks of wild ducks, the fishing of the darter, the night jar, the , the kite, and the family of Sarus cranes, the three days in Bharatpur felt like we had reached one of the heavens on earth.

Night Jar

Darter ..Fishing mood

Spotted owlet

Spotted Owlet

Greylag goose

Sarus;The stars

Sarus cranes are the stars of the park. Although there are many species of birds in the park, the ultimate goal of most visitors is to see the three pairs of Sarus cranes that live there. We were also eager to see these majestic birds, which are critically endangered. There are only about 15,000 to 20,000 Sarus cranes left in the world, and most of them live in India. Sarus cranes are the tallest flying birds in the world, with a height of up to 5 feet. They are also known for their long, graceful necks and their beautiful red crowns.Sarus cranes are fascinating creatures. They are monogamous, meaning they mate for life. After the death of one partner, the other partner may die of grief. The behavior of Sarus cranes is a reminder that animals are not as simple as we may think. They are capable of complex emotions such as love, grief, and loss. We still have much to learn about the emotional lives of animals.

Sarus Family

Sarus crane with chick

The more we learn about animals, the more we realize that they are not as different from us as we once thought. They are capable of the same range of emotions that we are, and they deserve our respect and compassion.Sarus cranes are highly revered in Indian culture. Our myths say that it was the grief of a kraunja bird couple, one of which was shot dead by a hunter named Ratnakaran, that inspired Valmiki to write the Ramayana and turned the hunter into a poet. It is said that the descendants of the kraunja that was shot dead that day are the Sarus cranes of today.It is interesting that myths are often formed from the biological

environment, especially in Indian conditions.

Plight of the big birds

However, it is sad that these birds, who have been the owners of the earth since ancient times, are struggling for survival today. The number of Sarus cranes has been declining in recent years, and there are a number of reasons for this. One reason is that Sarus cranes need large, open areas to live, and these areas are becoming increasingly scarce due to human development. Another reason is that Sarus cranes are habitat destruction . Finally, Sarus cranes are also threatened by pollution and habitat destruction.There are a number of things that can be done to help save the Sarus crane. One thing is to create more protected areas for Sarus cranes to live. Another thing is to educate people about the importance of Sarus cranes and the threats they face. Finally, we can all do our part to reduce pollution and protect the environment.We all have a responsibility to protect the Sarus crane. If we all work together, we can help ensure that this beautiful bird survives for future generations.

I was able to see two of the three pairs of Sarus cranes in Bharatpur National Park, including a pair with chicks, during my three-day stay. The park is a birdwatcher's paradise, and there are so many birds to see that it would take a lifetime to see them all. I was able to take some pictures of the birds, but I know that I only saw a small fraction of what the park has to offer.

Frames of Bharatpur

The changing seasons will paint the canvas of Bharatpur, and the birds, both visitors and locals, will change the rhythm of their jungle band and the melody of life accordingly. The shape and appearance of the ecosystem will change according to the nature of the seasons, and the animals will adjust their life rhythms accordingly. The living art that the animals perform to survive in harmony with their surroundings is what makes the surrounding biological world so beautiful and colorful.

Spotted eagle waiting for prey

Pond heron

Blue bull with sarus

Birdscape...Mornings

Bharatpur morning


Spotted deer

After three days in Bharatpur, we said goodbye to Sher Singh and his team. We had developed a close bond with them, and it was a little emotional to say goodbye. We were on our way to Jaipur to see the leopards in Jhalana leopard reserve. Sher Singh arranged for a taxi for us, and we thanked him for his hospitality.

Rana..the leopard

Jhalana ;The Urban Jungle

Jhalana is India's first leopard reserve. It is located 10 kilometers from Jaipur city. The 22 square kilometer forest area was declared a leopard reserve in 2017. There are currently 35 leopards and five cubs in the area. Apart from this, animals such as spotted deer, blue bull, striped hyena and sambar deer are also found here.

Jhalana National Park is a mysterious place. It is surrounded by rugged cliffs and filled with hidden secrets. Visitors can expect to see amazing and surprising sights at any time. A leopard may suddenly dart out of the bushes, or it may be perched in a tree, watching us, or it may be soaring above the forest from the top of a cliff. Leopards are generally mysterious creatures. They can disappear in an instant, hide in the leaves of a nearby tree, and then dart out like lightning. They are masters of survival, and they have evolved to overcome the challenges of survival. However, they live in the shadow of tigers and lead a second-rate life. If philosophically speaking,leopards are a symbol of identity crisis to me."

Leopards; the art of Survival

Leopards are able to survive in almost any climate, which is why they can be found in a variety of habitats on all continents except Antarctica. They have a high degree of adaptability, which allows them to live in a wide range of environments, from dense rain forests to arid deserts. Leopards are also very successful hunters, and they can take down prey much larger than themselves.Tigers are often seen as a sign of a healthy forest ecosystem, as they require a large area of undisturbed habitat. Leopards, on the other hand, are able to survive in a wide range of conditions, including urban areas. This is due to their relatively small size and flexible body structure, which allow them to move quickly and hide easily. Leopards also have a long tail, which helps them maintain balance.I have been fortunate enough to see many tigers in my years of wildlife photography, but I have only rarely seen leopards. They are very shy animals, and they are often difficult to spot.

Leopards are fascinating creatures, and I am always impressed by their ability to survive in such a variety of environments. They are a reminder that even in the most urbanized areas, there is still a wild world out there.

Leopards are able to survive in any climate. That is why they can be found in almost all ecosystems and different parts of the world. Their ability to adapt to any conditions is what allows them to be present in almost all biomes on Earth. Leopards can be found in the rain forests of Parambikulam and Wayanad, the grasslands of Africa, the snowy mountains of Siberia and the Himalayas, and the deserts of the Middle East.Tigers are a sign of a well-functioning forest ecosystem, meaning they are indicators of the health of the forest. Tigers need a well-functioning forest ecosystem to survive.Leopards, on the other hand, are a sign of the art of survival. They are able to adapt to any ecosystem, or to change their lifestyle according to the ecosystem. We can expect to see them in the depths of the dense forests and even in the city of Mumbai .Their relatively light body and flexible body structure allow them to move quickly and hide skillfully. The long tail also gives them good body balance. Such anatomical factors help leopards to bite and climb to the top of large trees, even heavier than themselves.

Over the years of wild safaris, I have been able to see and photograph many tigers, from the forests of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and finally Kerala. But all the time, leopards hid like their innate habit. Leopards were averse to cameras, except for the rare occasion when the temple leopard in Kabini came in front of the camera.Leopards are a common sight in the Jhalna forest. Hemant's claim that there would be leopard sightings on every safari was proved to be true on the in the first safari itself, a cub leopard was hiding in the bushes. In the following days, the hero of Jhalna forest, Rana, a male leopard, appeared in front of the camera in many places on every safari. Hemant said that Rana is the most daring leopard in Jhalna. He walks with confidence and does not hesitate to walk in front of safari vehicles, like a tiger. His instinct to run away from humans has slowly started to disappear. Rana was seen with another leopard, but the presence of safari vehicles made it difficult to take pictures.Jhalana forest is a small forest, so safari vehicles can be seen everywhere. Drivers try to show visitors leopards, so they often come very close. This puts pressure on the leopard, and the sound of the vehicles can interfere with their hunting ability.

However, the forest guards in Jhalna are working to protect the forest. They plant trees and create artificial water sources to ensure water availability. If these efforts are successful, Jhalna will become a great wildlife habitat.I believe that such small urban wildlife habitats will help to maintain the ecological balance of our planet in the future.

Blue bull pair

Blue bull a portrait

I took a walk around Jaipur city before spending a few days in Jhalna. I walked through the ancient streets and saw the lives of the people on the streets. I also tasted the food there. In the future, I should prioritize Rajasthan in my travel plans. There are so many different sights to see. Travels do not end, do they? When I get a chance to take a break from the hustle and bustle of life, I should come back to these places. I should blend in with the green paths of biodiversity, the streets of cultural diversity, and the meditation paths of spiritual quest. When life ends one day, I should go to another world with self-satisfaction.

The Wild Ways of Masinagudi

2019-05-03T04:13:00.000-07:00

The Philosophy of Travel

The urge for travel might be a genetic trait of human beings .The history of human journeys are as old as the origin of the human civilizations .Inspired by the various instincts, Human beings used to travel from the very beginning of ancient ages.The Great human migration,which began from African continent, crosses the country and continent borders and spread all over the globe, then ,by the ages , the human beings aimed the extra terrestrial world and began their journeys to the unknown planets of the universe.The human journeys were motivated by various instincts , some of then were the painful dispersals,some of them were migrations to the lands of promises in search of better prospects , some of them were sacred pilgrimages in search of holy blessings , Yet some journeys had nothing to do with declared goals, they were just the wanderings without any pre determined itinerary .They are the journeys inspired by the curiosity to see the unknown world , to enjoy the beauty of nature , to know the lives of the outside world and to decode the secrets of some

mysteries of the universe .These humans spent their entire life for travel or dedicated their life for travel , to them life is to travel , they gained knowledge and attained wisdom through their journeys . They revealed the unknown parts of the globe to us , and amused the entire civilization with the tales and fables of unexplored world, they spread the myths and culture of our land to farthest of the globe and ignited our genetical urge to travel with the travelogues of their adventure journeys .They strongly believed that the various cultures of the world should be fused together in order to form a huge liberal world civilization that will treat the entire human civilization as the strings of a same garland . They dreamt of such a world and spread the message global humanity around the globe .

Huyan tsang, Fahiyan , Magellan,Ibn batuta, Lawrence, Muhammed Asad etc are the historical personalities, who led the world travel culture and paved the way for the crazy travelers .Of course, the urge for travel is the genetical trait of human beings , and this genus contributed a lot to the great idea of universal humanity .The human civilization still pursue their travels to the new destinations , they keep traveling together even though the goal varies .

Travel Trance

Some journeys are to go only once in life , such itinerary meant just to have a look and return back and the curiosity of such places will vanish with a first look itself .Every traveler might have such offbeat destinations in his nomadic life, which the traveler wouldn't like to visit again.Yet some trips are to go back again and again , such place will seduce the traveler with fresh visuals and ethereal feelings, one cannot depart the place for ever, each returns of the traveler becomes an interval for another visit .The travels ,which seems like a pilgrimage might be spiritual wanderings of the traveler .Most probably , a traveler finds such destinations accidentally or in an unexpected manner , often a step in wrong direction from the route or the result of a purposeful deviation in search of a resting place .

I turned up in Masinagudi, a Tamil forest village , in such an unexpected way of travel.Years before, inspired by wildlife photography , my travel to bandipur ended up in masinagudi.The lorry driver who offered a lift from gudallur , told me about masinagudi and detailed how to get there.He added that the possibility of sighting animals will be high at Masinagudi and one can have an economic stay there.Its a place the so called tourists rarely visiting and for a jungle traveler , it would be the an ideal place.After getting down at theppakkadu tri junction, took a deviation in to the right direction and started my repeated travel to masinagudi.That,later, proved to be one of the right moment in my travel life.

Some History of Masinagudi

Masinagudi got its name from the name of goddess masiniyamma.This place believed to be, once, the capital city of Wayanad kingdom. The myths about this place is that , several communities were migrated to this place in order to find an asylum during the attack of Tipu sultan.These communities included the Okkiliyars, who were farmers; the Vokkaligas, a warrior community; the Kannadiya Naickers of Lingayath origin, which comprised of mainly infantry; the Siviars, mainly palanquin bearers; the Besthavars, which included fishermen, palanquin bearers, lime burners and kiln workers; the Kurumbars, who were mainly shepherds; and the Rauths, that made up the cavalry. The people brought their family deities along with them. Legend has it that when the army closed in on them, these many different communities prayed to “Masiniamman” to keep them safe. After the people crossed the Moyaar River, it flooded, hence preventing the army from effectively pursuing them. This happened around the present town of Masinagudi. To show their gratitude, the people constructed a temple and consecrated the deities of “Masiniamman”, who continues to be the family deity of these communities in the area.

Wilderness

Masinagudi is an ecological sensitive area, It has of paramount importance in the ecological balancing process of our earth .This is an area ,where human beings and wildlife having a peaceful co existence .This area is the buffer zone of Mudumala Tiger Reserve and the border area of Bandipur National Park .The Moyar river,which is a tributary of bhavani river ,separates masinagudi and Bandipur .The Masinagudi is an integral part of 778.8 sqkm Segur plateau .Segur plateau is an important wildlife corridor which combines the Western ghat and Eastern ghat .This is home for more than 6000 elephants and holds the number one position in nation in number of elephants and tigers.The Segur Plateau is the most important part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the first biosphere reserve in India, incorporated in the UNESCO's Man and Biosphere (MAB) project. So masinagudi is a geologically and ecologically important place in the region. It is not surprising that this region, which is a hot spot of Indian wildlife, has become a dream place of wildlife lovers and photographers.

The jeep safari through the masinagudi moyar road is the highlight of Masinagudi trip .The 10 km long road ends in Moyar Dam area, then separated into smaller roads and entering moyar's suburbs.The dry forest ecosystem of this area turned this place as a haven for wildlife. Just because the geographical proximity to the Sathyamangalam forest and eastern ghat, this area is one of the most important elephant corridor in the nation and that is why elephant herds are a common sighting here , moreover,one can expect the sighting of tiger,leopard,sloth bear,wild dog,and black bucks here .Masinagudi is rich in bird diversity .Including the Red headed vulture and white rumped vulture, which are under the threat of extinction , this area hosts 260 species of birds .There has been reports of breeding sites of those vultures. This place has some reported sightings of very rare Egyptian vulture also .In masinagudi, one might have a chance to sight stripped hyena, if luck is there, and this is the only spot in south India,where one can expect the sighting of stripped hyenas .The hyena population in nilgiri area now fallen heavily and the population shrinked in to some pockets of masinagudi.

The surrounding hamlets like singara,bokkapura,vazhathottam are the other attractions of the traveller and masinagudi really an entrance to that hamlets, it opens the door to some heavenly places. E.R.C Davidar, the jungle man of India,set up his dream jungle home named chital walk at Bokkapura, where he lived in complete harmony with wild animals . In this same place Mark davidar, son of E.R.C Davidar , lived with the company of wild elephants , Mark named the elephants after Brazilian football stars and his favorite was the giant Rivaldo.His was the story of unusual bonhomie of man animal co existence .

The Murugan Temple at Murugan Hill is another attraction of Bokkappura, a light trek leads you to a another world of scenic beauty .The aerial view of forests in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu can be enjoyed here. In spite of all its unique beauty, people rarely visiting this place , just because , one need to have a trek to get this place

Masinagudi, now on the verge of a major turning point and facing a crucial moment in its history .A section of people in Masinagudi are worried about the decision to take over the private land in the forest related to the Tamil Nadu forest department's elephant development project. Though the government has agreed to the demand for rehabilitation of homes, they fear that this step will destroy Masinagudi's main source of income, as well as the resort and hotel business. The local people sharing their apprehension over after effects of such actions on the economy of masinagudi.But there are other sections which believe that the wildlife and environment of the Masinagudi, which have been destroyed by illegal resorts, home stays and tourism, will be preserved through it and ultimately it will strengthen the region's survival. Authorities say that there is only some restriction of tourism and they do not want to prohibit it. They have to retain the ecosystem of masinagudi , that has been collapsed due to the lack of some restrictions

2018-09-25T04:30:00.000-07:00

Tiger Trails in the land of Jim Corbett

Shikar was one of the most popular recreational activities during pre independence age of India.From kings , princes, and to the British Indian rulers were proud of the size and nature of the hunted beast. The remains of their hunting legacy can be still found on the walls of ancient bungalows in the form of stuffed animal heads. Most of the kings and noblemen used to shoot at the animals without adequate knowledge and understanding about the jungle or its methods, guided by then experts, only to fire bullets. But in those times, existed men , who used to wander through the forest all alone and dared to shoot the dangerous animals from their bases.They understood every nook and corner of the forest and animals as their own hands and they later turned in to environmentalists and animal lovers. Kenneth Anderson and Jim Corbett are the big names among such jungle heroes . Both of them were very good writers and their books still inspire all the generations

Their adventures and enthusiasm in hunting was also well captured in their writings. Their writings drew a picture of the forest of that era in the mind canvas of the reader. Moreover, both were renowned writers, their writings had an impact on the forest conservation activities during that period

Jim Edward Corbett (photo courtesy Wikipedia)

The dreams that I've been chasing for many years was to walk through the forests of Himalayan valley that Jim Corbett's stories told and to hunt tigers with my camera. My dream finally saw light when I landed at Jim Corbett national park.The park is about 13 km away from the town of Ramnagar to reach the main entrance of Dhikala zone of Jim Corbett National Park from where you have to travel about 35 km to the guest house of Dhikala. From the main road as we enter Dhikala, Jim Corbett welcomes you with his smiling face in the form of a statue and it will remind you of the flesh eating cannibals of Rudraprayaga and Kumayoon. We may hear sudden gun shots and animal roars barging the silence of the jungle,after all we are moving through Jim's land.The land once ruled by him...

To be at the Jim Corbett's soil, is a dream come true for a forest adventurer. Earlier booked gypsy picked me up from Ramnagar in the early morning. Within half an hour, we reached the main entrance of the Dhikala and took another half an hour for checking .At seven thirty the trip in Dhikala started .Our next four days will be in Dhikala. The driver Sajid Shah is a good driver and tracker .He has a good idea of the biodiversity in the forest and also a good photographer friendly safari driver. Sajid gave us a brief account on the river Ram Ganga and why it is favorite to the Corbett National Park.

Whether land or forest ,it’s survival is based on rivers and that is why rivers are known as the cradles of civilization .Even Corbett depends on certain rivers .Corbett 's lifeline is river Ganga, and it’s tributary Ram Ganga. In 1936, India's first national park, Haily National Park came into existence .It was named as Ram Ganga National Park in honor of Ram Ganga in the 1954 -55 period, and it clearly shows the dependence of Corbett on Ram Ganga. The park was renamed as Jim Corbett National Park after the death of Jim Corbett. Apart from Ram Ganga, there are other two rivers also irrigate Corbett. Kozi River is another lifeline, which is active only during rainy seasons.

Sona river is another lifeline, it is named as Sona river Wildlife Sanctuary after this river. The Sona river Wildlife Sanctuary is an important part of the Corbett Tiger Reserve which is an integral part of the Corbett National Park. Apart from this, tributaries of Ram Ganga, like Mandal and Palaine, have maintained the biodiversity of Corbett. The rare species of Masheer Fish, the Gharials, the otter, various kinds of tortoises, crocodiles, are also living along these rivers.

Elephants in Ram Ganga river

According to the IUCN(International Union For Conservation Of Nature) Gharials are Critically Endangered species and are considered to have a total number of survivors in the world below 250 and many of them are having their homes in these rivers. The wildness of corbett opens up hopes and expectations as we move forward to explore much more .Elephants are the symbols of Dhikala. Elephants grazing in the vast grass fields of Dhikala, Sal trees in arch form , intertwining twigs c and elephants walking under them was a framed dream. But the dreams were beyond this ,and it was to see the tigers in the land of Corbett, to see the descendants of heroes and heroines of the so called shikar stories . Sajid testified that Corbett had not been having cannibals there for some years.

He remembered the last man-eating tiger was shot in 2012. A few pictures of Khaleej Fesant ,a bird of the poultry category, was seen while crossing the river .On the way a gypsy driver gave some signal ,and when reached closer the two drivers spoked something The gypsy leaped in first gear, and Saajid told in between that Paru was spotted at the river side. Paru aka Parvathy is the most famous tigress in Corbett. There are eight tigers in the Dhikala Zone.

Parvathi is the most famous in the Dakala Zone. After some time we saw the parked gypsy and together a few more of them. I couldn’t control my enthusiasm so I asked the first person I saw about Paru. The enthusiastic explanation from them that she passed the river with a bleeding face was a shock to my excitement. The scene must have been of aftermath of a hunt . Felt disappointment, a visual treat had been missed in a matter of few minutes.It was a close call

Be at the right time at the right place or wait for the right time to happen is the law of the forest. Sightings in the ghat are like that, especially tiger sightings. Previous experiences always testify the same. My past jungle trails have shown me that tiger either walks one step ahead or one step behind me.The tiger always showed its presence only through its pugmarks and fresh scats. Between all these our paths crossed in the wilds of Karnataka and Tamilnadu .But it took quite a few trips. It is not easy for someone like me to get to Corbett which is far away from Kerala. Will you disappoint me Jim’s tigers?

Saajid knew I was disappointed ,so he told me ”We will see Paru today evening itself , and we will see all the eight tigers in the zone within next four days," .Sajid's words seemed to be formal words of comfort, but that still gave me relief and this was the only choice I had. Next Safari is at 2.30 in the noon till 6.30in the evening.We are now the inmates of Dhikala. We were ready at 2.00 pm itself and came near the gypsy. This is also the time when dust can be a serious problem here. Masks and caps were there t to protect ourselves. Other preventive measure were also adopted to protect the gears .Sajid started the car with a temptating question” want to see Paru”?

This time the guide named Dhyani joined the team. Dhyani’s love for the wild made him leave his job in a private firm in Delhi and presently pursuing his work as a guide here . Dhyani assured us about the sighting of Paru today .We wandered through savannah and river side to get some shots of elephant herds .Sajid told that we have go to the swimming pool at about four .When summer comes Ram Ganga becomes thinner. Separated from the flow of the river, some pits will be filled with water. Tigers and some other small animals used to quench their thirst from here .The largest of such places is known as the swimming pool, "If we don’t go now we won’t get a good parking place to get a good view,” Sajid reminded us

We reached there by 4.30pm and there were other vehicles too. Sajid parked Gypsy in a vantage point to get the best possible vantage point to get photographs that could capture the beauty of the area. I realised that this was the best position to capture with my single focal length prime lens that is unable to further zooming in or zooming out . Continuous contact with visiting photographers, and thanks to his keen observation skill,sajid knew the requirements of the photographers. It has been 45 minutes, and there were no hopeful movements. The camera was focused to the birds in the nearby trees to get rid of the boredom. "It will happen in half an hour, Dhyan and Sajid combined with their explanations, Paru had crossed the river in the morning,and will be returning to the pool for her drink and bath".

My imagination was running wild of excitement and I had already started seeing the tiger having bath in the water lit by the golden rays of setting sun and another 15 minutes had passed. Suddenly there was a commotion from deep inside the forest,the cries of monkeys and deers, it is an alarm call by the animals when they feel presence of tiger. I could see my dream come closer to me Sajid cautioned me to keep my camera rolling. Next few minutes, I could see many fingers from nearly vehicles pointed towards a tunnel that opened in to the pool.I suppose Paru is here, all but us had seen her , we are not in a position too see her vividly from the angle I was standing ,the atmosphere was suddenly filled with the sounds camera shutters that continuously working in high speed mode .

Tigers in woods are, according to the availability of water and food for a day,may have to wande for miles.The male tigers are strict in keeping territories , but when the food is abundant at times, a little exception is done. Many experts believe that tigers lead a solitary life ,but India’s Tiger Man Valmik Thapar in his book ‘Secret Life of Tigers’ has made many observations and testimonies of the family life led by them.

On the other hand Paru enters with a style , sat on a rock for about two minutes and started licking water in a meditative mood , then stood up to cool off herself. I captured the dream moments in the camera. My old 60D camera with 400mm 5.6 couldn’t compete with the latest lenses. But it did not reduce my enthusiasm of witnessing the imaginary frames which had crossed realms of my mind and was happening right in front of me. After staying in water for a while with just head and tail above the surface for a minute she then swam gradually to the other side, and she did not care about the men in the vehicles watching her and cameras tracking her. The cameras keep tracking until she walked slowly and hid in the grass.

It was a good start to me with Paru . Next day in the morning we were glad to witness another female tiger at the at the grassland, busy in hunting her breakfast. She was crouching behind the bushes targeting the deers in the open field.After a tiring try she gave up and moved to another side. After how many attempts does the tiger succeed in hunting ? Tigers are generally silent creatures, especially while catching the prey, and the tigers do not frighten them with loud noise as they are usually portrayed in some movies. The tigers are very much a silent animal.Once they locked their prey,the hunting method is to crawl over to their preys silently and jump on them.

Tigers make calls, probably the very loud calls, in the breeding period inorder to communicate with its mate.The loud courtship call of male tigers attract female tigers. Sajid and Dhyani were both happy,it was already the second tiger in the morning session itself. After the tiger sighting in the grassland ,Sajid had an intution to go to the pond area and just if were to find a thirsty tiger, as the pond is a potential drinking spot of tigers in the area, we agreed with him with a big yes when he shared his thought . The result was an unbelievable sight ,there the gentle male tiger of Corbett ,one of the two males in dhikala area. He was returning after drinking session . I took as many sudden shots as possible and in between he turned around and gave a pose for a few seconds ,as if knew he is being photographed, and walked away in his gentle style. It was really unbelievable for me, I had saw three tigers in two days ,the most magnificent sightings I could ever have..

Sajid fixed our next target in the morning itself ,it was 'Bachawala Tiger',a mother tiger with two cubs. Both Sajid and Dhyani were making plans. This safari made us witness the tiger tracking expertise of both of them. We spent a one and half hour with the elephants, as the morning sun gradually warms up, the possibility of mother and cubs coming out of its hiding place is really high .We photographed the elephants crossing the Ramganga river in the morning and started pursued our tiger trails.We carefully observed all sounds and signs and moved very slowly. Sajid stopped the car and pointed to the footprints that were carved in the dusty soil, big and small .

The foot prints were seen along the edge of the path for a short distance and then vanished. Roads are sidelined with tall bushes. And so we guessed that the tigers must have gone beyond the bushes to the pond and we felt there are chances to see the mother and cubs were high. Gypsy speeded up to the pond and it took 15 minutes to reach there. Another safari vehicle was parked there in front of us and they signaled us to reduce the volume of our vehicle and to keep silence,someone from the vehicle pointed to the left of the road .As we looked closer we could see golden colour and black stripes moving in the bushes and Sajid whispered ”Bachevaala” They are trying to cross the road.

I realised that I couldn’t capture anything with my 400mm prime lens as they were very close. I suddenly replaced the lens with Tamaron 150-600 mm zoom lens and put the maximum wide angle .That time was enough for me to prepare for the shot. The mother, looked at both sides of the road and made sure it’s safe and entered the road alone,keeping the cubs safe behind the bushes . We were ready tocapture a family photo of mother and two cubs together and planned for such a shot ,but the mother was playing a safe game,she had different plans.

She kept moving through the middle of the road with confident steps, the proud mother of corbett national park ,she walked ahead of us and took a deviation towards the pond at the opposite side of the road from a point very near to us .The tigers are in the top position of food chain and thus doesn’t have enemies in the wild , they only have the role of hunters. Their ecological importance is to control the number of herbivores in the forest to maintain an ecological balance of the ecosystem.

Tigers have the confidence in their strength and have a clear undrstanding that they have no enemies in their kingdom,that they used to stroll in jungle in open tracks without any fear. Now it was the turn for cubs, the first cub crossed the road without giving enough chance to us, the second cub took a sudden move without giving much time to get a good shot,it crossed the road hurrily, “it’s a girl she is a bit shy “said Sajid. Three of them by now reached the other side and will be there in the pond at anytime.As the bushes around was very long ,more than a man’s height we couldn’t see the moves of the tigers. All eyes were in the pond and in the next few minutes the mother tiger emerged from bushes.

She watched the surroundings very carefully and then moved towards the pond , she gazed into her reflection on the water for a few minutes like a mirror image.She then started drinking in her own royal way and then returned back to the path she had came from.The little one, as if it was waiting for its turn,arrived then and started drinking. Sajid and Dhyani are sure that it’s a boy., they both observed that the cub is developing the body language of a male tiger in his behaviour.

Now its the turn of next cub(Most probably the girl) she came into the pond as fast as possible and rushed back. It was all on a sudden ,as if drinking for the sake drinking. It seemed like she was scared of us. My wish was to capture the picture of the whole tiger family drinking water together, but we are not the ones who frames the laws of forest.It was just our third day in Corbett and we already saw six of the tigers,both Sajid and Dhyani looked at us with pride .In the Dhikhala zone,according to statistics, there are a total of 8 tigers including two kids. Everybody was happy as we completed the third day of our trip successfully. On the final day last safari we were to have was only in the morning session as we will be saying goodbye to Jim Corbett National Park and leaving to Ramnagar in the afternoon.

As we are strictly directed to arriveat the main gate before five ,things may not go as planned ,safari will be like a farewell .But I don’t have any regrets ,Corbett had given me much more than I expected.The ambience of the last day was just usual, sightings of elephants and some birds transformed mood to another level.

Afternoon is the return journey from dhikkala, we were all in a mood to say farewell. I realised gone are the days,the days of lifetime memories,magical sightings and minblowing experiences .The tiger trails in the land of Jim corbett, the elephant scapes in the savannas of dhikala some rare birds that gave me a glimpse to my camera. Even so , I have to go, I must to go just to come back again. When we crossed about half the distance ,the alarm calls again, chitals, monkeys and birds made their chorus ,the entire forest is echoed with the wild orchestra,and the is moving inside the forest area parallel to our road,giving us a clear indication that tiger is moving inside parallel to our way . During the journey Sajid told us that this was the territory area of another male tiger.

Chances are there to pursue our tiger trails again. On the way saw a hornbill, as it was not expected in Corbett I tried to take some pictures but was in vain. I couldn’t get a clear image as it was hiding behind the branches of the trees.Left the place and moved on, within another kilometer we saw a vehicle parked on the way, the men in the vehicle told us that a big huge male tiger appeared on the road and and moved to bushes just a second ago and they have been waiting him to reappear.A just miss sighting, the hornbill made it to miss.We have no time to wait. Rest of the views in Corbett has to be kept for the next trip, there forest is a never ending shore of views. As we go deeper and deeper in this magical world,we will discover much more and all the discoveries will tempt us more towards the jungle….A traveller will keep all his travels for the forest….

In search of Big Cats..

2015-03-30T05:14:00.000-07:00

" At home you see cats, at jungle you see big cats "

The spotted and striped big cats are always my fascination, and it is always my temptation to leave home for jungle, and of course meeting these noble animals in jungle will always be a matter of luck .My first meet with a leopard was two year back,that was from Parambikkulam in the 2012 summer, It was jut a glance, We just made an eye contact with each other and he/she ran away without giving me even a chance for a camera click.My first photographic meet was one year back, in 2013 summer from kabani, that was a late evening sighting, I was jut managed to take some decent record shots,even though the light was very low. she was in the laziness of her pregnancy .That was a special day to our team just because we sighted both two big cats, the striped one and the spotted one, on the same day. Every jungle trip started with a silent prayer to the almighty to bless me to meet big cats.

My first shot of a leopard, from kabani...

The Migration starts...

During the mid days of February, the summer reaching its peek in the Nilgiri biosphere area and the hot is everywhere, the water becoming a rare in bandipur, mudumalai national parks, and this time the migration of animals started. The herbivorous, such as elephants gaurs,deers etc started their travel in search of oasis, heading towards the Kabani reservoir area, where the abundance of water and greenery still remaining.Starting from Masinagudi-Mudumalai, a well connected western ghat complex passes through theBandipur,Wayanad,Nagerhole and reached at Kabani.
The predators also joins this migration, to ensure the food and water.This is a chance for the supreme predators, the big cats, to get the prey animals, all in a relatively smaller area.The nature just want to keep the ecological balance and the carnivorous will be in action in this area.The nature continue its magic in jungles. That will be a great chance for jungle lovers, who want to witness and photograph, the amazing world of wilderness.

               Considering these conditions , we have been,usually, setting up our trips to Kabani area during these times.Moreover these facts, the other attraction of this route was the jungle and wildlife, we are travelling an area which is a haven for wildlife,swivelling around the thamarassery churam, passing mananthavady and kaattikkulam you are entering to tholpetty area, where the head quarters of the wayanad wildlife sanctuary is situated, then we had our stay at thirunelly in a beautiful farm house of one of our friend Anil.That is really a wonderful place, where, if you are enough lucky, there is a chance for sighting animals, may be the big cats too...
It was 10 in the morning when we reach at tholpetty and the time for safari was over, we decided to take break at thirunelly, at anil's farm house, the travel to thirunelly from tholpetty will be very interesting, because we can expect animals from any time this area, this is an area, where an active elephant corridor is operating, so elephants are a common sighting in this area, but we desperately want to see the big cats..

   Our already booked safari at kabani only on next day, that too in the evening, so we had full day ahead, a full afternoon today, and a fore noon tomorrow, that we want to explore more....our plan was to move to Nagerhole National Park and have an evening safari there..the way to the nagerhole was another temptation,the possibility of cat sighting is high in that area. The 2 hour long evening safari ended without any special sightings, only the usual scenes of deers and sambars, but the signs of active cat movements are there, one tiger kill, and of course droppings and pug marks.On or return, a family in a vehicle came opposite and stopped to told us that , a tiger has just been crossed the road with a close range in front of their vehicle. The cats always travelled just ahead of us.

                         We want to utilise the day maximum, and dont want to waste even a second in the day light hour. So,next day, we got up at an early morning and started at an early time of 5.30 am , we just want the early bird advantage, anil told us usually Tiger has been making its appearance in
thirunelli tholpetty route at an early morning time, and if we were lucky enough we would meet him, always the passion for big cats lead us.Nothing happens till we reach us tholpetty,only the chitals and langurs make their appearance, but still it was nice to see the cute chitals in the early morning fog, no scenes in jungle will be monotonous , jungle is always fascinating.Our plan was to have a morning safari at tholpetty, the wayanad wildlife sanctuary.
   We got the first safari, the expectations were high, just because we were the first group in that day and it is only 7 am,the light is perfect, and the climate is good.Just about 300 meters passed, we were welcomed by a fresh pug mark of a giant Tiger, the pug mark was as fresh as a daisy, and very clear in the dust, the tiger passed just a minute before us, the air is filled with mixed responses of disappointment and expectations throughout the whole 2 hour safari.To sighting a fresh pug mark has very much importance when you are in search of the big cats, we can get so many vital information from the pug marks of the predators, just like the time after the pug mark left, the size, the gender,age and of course some experts will predict even the health condition of the animal. I remembered the words of Billy Arjun Singh, the tiger man of India, how his pug mark trails lead him to wonderful moments.
                                   The safari ended with nothing except the usual gaurs and chitals, the disappointment is on every face, " Get trained in the art of disappointment " the words of a famous wildlife photographer, in his advice to the novice, remembered to get rid of the situation.The time is only 9.30 and had enough time, We only need to reach kabani on 3 pm and need only one hour drive from here.After having our breakfast , we decided to just have a drive in to nagerhole.It was 10.30 am, when we reach at entrance of Nagerhole National park, after a consultation with forester in charge, we permitted to go forward. They just want to check whether we are genuine or not.

We were on a keen watch, in spite of all disappointments, we were still confident, we are all know Passion, Patience,and Perseverance, the 3 P s in wildlife photography has of very much importance. A cute malabar giant squirrel gave us a good pose, he is not at all disturbed by our presence and we were in hurry to capture his mood.A jeep came in and stopped, and a gentle face an officer emerged, with a mild but in a firm tone, He told us to leave the scene. You are not all allowed to park your vehicle anywhere in the national park area.Of course we know, it is for the safety of animals and humans to avoid all possibilities of human animal conflict. You can watch them, when they gave you a chance, but in a safer way. It is the intolerable activities of some fraudulent people, that compelled the officers to maintain the law strictly, that is another side of the matter.
   We kept moving, curiously looking and praying for a miracle to happen, nothing happens for an hour watchful move and we decided to give up and return back. On our return the jeep with that same gentle officer again appeared and signalled us to stop our vehicle.We stopped with a little worry, asking ourself the question in mind "what went wrong with us ?, the officer, in a hurry, asked us "whether you saw a leopard ?". The " No Sir " reply was in a sudden and in a chorus,then he told us to follow his vehicle and that done in a hurry. We followed the officer's jeep about a kilo meter and stopped when we signalled us to do so, the officer lead us to the forest towards a big tree and pointed out to a branch of a big tree, there laid our dream, a big gentle spotted big cat, the beautiful leopard in his deep slumber, before getting rid of the bewilderment, the officer pointed out to another branch of another huge tree, and there is another gentle man in his slumber. The confusion,ecstasy,joy and we were confused, we are between two leopards , the officer told us to shoot them just because they want their photographs and 5 cameras bursted out, the only sound was shutter sounds. That was half an hour shoot,they are not at all aware about our presence, after a while the one got up relaxed his jaw(sadly, I missed that shot ) and just had a stare at my camera, got up just to change his position and resumed his sleep, the other one, not at all even ready move a bit, with his paw under his head, gave me a dream pose.

      The heart and memory card become almost filled but still we don’t want to resist the curiosity, we are happy because they are not at all disturbed, no sign or behaviour of dislike or discomfort from their side, the forest guard, whom the officer instructed to guide us, reminded us about the time and they want to go, our time is over and just want to return. Thanking to all the officer, the guard, Anilettan, our mentor and host, who wished us good luck for a special sighting we returned form the sight to our new destination, the magical Kabani, with a filled heart and camera with that gentle spotted cat...

Some Leopard facts.

   Leopards are actually a tree animal.He got a very flexible body to make it easy to climb up and down on huge trees.The leopard is very comfortable in trees, he can hauls his kills, even if it is larger than his weight,to the branches if the tree,where he can complete it without any disturbances. Tigers too capable of climbing up a tree, but it is uncommon. The major difference is that leopard can get down from even a huge tree with either his head or tail forward, but tiger can only do it with his tail forward. Leopards are usually a solitary animal, the male and female joins together during the mating period.Leopard is a clever hunter, with his sleek body and powerful legs, he can have sprint with a speed up to 57 km/hour.A leopard's tail is as long as its entire body, this makes him to take unexpected turn while hunting.

Aralam: The Green Cover of North Malabar

2014-11-28T04:05:00.000-08:00

To an average malayali, Aralam is a land of controversies. The political controversies related to the tribal land issues made this beautiful place a controversial one, and now this issue takes the form of an epic protest as 'Nilpu Samaram' by some tribal organizations But aralam has another face of beauty and fragility, to a crazy jungle traveller, this is a land of promise. A biodiversity hot spot in western ghat . With an area 55 km2 this is the northernmost wildlife sanctuary of Kerala.

The forest distribution of aralam consists of Evergreen and Dry deciduous forests and the highest peak here is Katti betta.

Aralam is famous for its birds and butterfly diversity, it is a butterfly and birdwatcher's delight, the birds like Malabar pied hornbill,Grey hornbill,Paradise flycatcher,Malabar trogon variety species of thrushes, flycatchers are a common sighting here.

The rare butterfly species like Papilio helenus, Papilio budha, Idea malabarica, Melanitis phedima, Mycalesis anaxias, Cyrestis thyodamas, Kallima were sighted here during the annual butterfly surveys.

Aralam has a very good habitat of slender loris, which IUCN Categorised as endangered

Every forests has its own river, they wet them ,fertilise them and hosting a variety of its species, the entire forest has a a deep bond with the river flowing through them. Aralam too has its own river, Cheenkannippuzha is the fertilizer and the guardian of aralam forest, a hanging bridge over the cheenkannippuzha connecting aralam with valayamchal area and thus to the more urbanised area of iritty and kannur.

A trek valayachal to ambalappara and bath in cheenkannippuzha will be a rejuvenating expereience to the traveller

Best Season: October - May

Emergency Details:
Wildlife Warden Valayanchal
Phone: 0490 2413160

For more information about KANNUR: [*00012960click here*]

Transport Terminals: Nearest City: Peravoor

Location: 35 km from Thalasserry and 60 km from Kannur town
One can reach the Aralam sanctuary by road from Thalasseri (45 kms) and Kannur (45kms).

How to Reach: Nearest Railway Station: Thalasserry, about 35 km
Nearest Airport: Karipur International Airport, Kozhikode about 71 km from Thalasserry town

A Photographic Expedition in the Banks of a River....

2013-09-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

             Rivers played an important role in the entire history of the world civilization. The Historians considered rivers and its banks as the cradle of civilizations.In its fertile soil, the human civilization took their first step and then make a big leap in to the new age of civilization.River Sindhu watered Harappa, Nile leads Egypt to prosperity and Yangtze fertilized China.Without the intervention of such rivers, the world might not be like this. From the banks of rivers the human race even dare to dreamt of moon and Mars.

     Bharathappuzha,the second largest river in Kerala, known in the variant names of Nila in the Western area of Palakkad district and Kankappuzha at Kumbidi,the Western most end of Palakkad district.Kankappuzha formed Kumbidi as Sindhu formed Harappa,Nile Egypt and Yangtze China.In its basin the river watered and cultured the civilization of the area. In its banks the epics and sagas of 'Parayipetta Panthirukulam' and Mamankam has been flourished and nourished, the river fed up its entire dependents, it may be humans,animals,insects,birds irrespective of the race,cast and species.

That was an early holiday morning,I packed up my camera bag and went straight to Kankappuzha,I just want to get rid of the boredom of not having any photographic trip for some days.My plan was just to have some random shots to ensure that my cam and lens works well,actually an exercise to my gadgets which kept unused for a long time. That was the beginning of an infatuation, the river in the morning was such a beauty and that was a feast to my camera,and of course you will be a bit confused to choose frames.Then it became a routine of my holiday mornings of the past one year and still continuing with the same passion,a love affair with the beauty,the Nila and then an a photographic expedition to her shore... the two like minded guys joined...Nisanth and Abhiash...

In spite of all the beautiful scenes...some dark matters too...the damages caused by us...the human beings..Here the visuals through my lens...and of course through my heart too...

Winged beauties of Nila

Most of my visits were at morning times between 7-10 am, that was the ideal time for bird watching because the birds will be more active with their morning routines.I had identified 44 species of birds including some wild birds like Oriental Honey Buzzard,Chestnut headed Bee Eater,Golden fronted Leaf bird etc.., among them 37 were photographed, some elusive birds gave me only a glimpse and flew away.

1.Small Green Bee Eater

Scientific name: Merops orientalis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Merops

2. Chestnut Headed Bee Eater

Scientific name: Merops leschenaulti

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Merops

3.Blue Tailed Bee Eater

Scientific name: Merops philippinus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Merops

4.Common Myna

Scientific name: Acridotheres tristis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Acridotheres

5.Ashy Prinia

Scientific name: Prinia socialis
Rank: Species

Higher classification: Prinia

6. Munia

Scientific name: Lonchura

Rank: Genus

Higher classification: Estrildid finch

Film music credits: Jailhouse Rock

Lower classifications: Streak-headed Mannikin, Mor

7.Rufous Backed Shrike

Scientific name: Lanius schach

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Lanius

8.Brahminy Kite

Scientific name: Haliastur indus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Haliastur

9.Black Rumped Flameback Woodpecker

10.Spotted Dove

Scientific name: Spilopelia chinensis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Streptopelia

11.Oriental Honey Buzzard

Scientific name: Pernis ptilorhynchus

12.Black Headed Ibis

Scientific name: Threskiornis melanocephalus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Threskiornis

13.Asian Open billed Stork

Scientific name: Anastomus oscitans

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Openbill stork

14.Woolly Necked Stork

Scientific name: Ciconia episcopus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Ciconia

15.Wood Sandpiper

Scientific name: Tringa glareola

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Tringa

16.Red wattled Lapwing

Scientific name: Vanellus indicus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Vanellus

17. Great Black-headed Gull / Pallas's Gull

Scientific name: Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Larus

18.Grey Heron

Scientific name: Ardea cinerea

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Ardea

19. Blossom Headed Parakeet

Scientific name: Psittacula roseata

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Psittacula

20.Vernal Hanging Parakeet

Scientific name: Loriculus vernalis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Hanging parrot

21.Small Blue Kingfisher/Common Kingfisher

Scientific name: Alcedo atthis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Alcedo

22.Pied Kingfisher

Scientific name: Ceryle rudis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Ceryle

23.White Breasted Kingfisher

Scientific name: Halcyon smyrnensis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Halcyon

24.Stork Billed Kingfisher

Scientific name: Pelargopsis capensis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Pelargopsis

25.Purple Sun Bird

Scientific name: Cinnyris asiaticus

26. Cormorants

Scientific name: Phalacrocoracidae

Rank: Family

Lower classifications: Phalacrocorax

Higher classification: Pelecaniformes

27.Egrets

Scientific name: Egretta garzetta

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Egretta

28.Brahminy Starling

Scientific name: Sturnia pagodarum

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Sturnus

29.Indian Pond Heron

Scientific name: Ardeola grayii

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Ardeola

30.Black Drongo

Scientific name: Dicrurus macrocercus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Dicrurus

31.Racket Tailed Drongo

Scientific name: Dicrurus paradiseus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Dicrurus

32.Whiskered Tern

Scientific name: Chlidonias hybridus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Marsh tern

33.Small Minivet

Scientific name: Pericrocotus cinnamomeus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Minivet

34.Red Whiskered Bulbul

Scientific name: Pycnonotus jocosus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Pycnonotus

35.Redvented Bulbul

Scientific name: Pycnonotus cafer

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Pycnonotus

36.Rufus Treepie

Scientific name: Dendrocitta vagabunda

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Dendrocitta

37.White Cheeked Barbet

Scientific name: Megalaima viridis

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Megalaima

38.Pied Bushchat

Scientific name: Saxicola caprata

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Saxicola

Above is the list of birds photographed during my visits,as mentioned earlier, some elusive birds gave me only a glimpse, they are:

39.Asian Paradise Flycatcher

40.Golden Fronted Leafbird

41.Orangeheaded Groundthrush

42.White breasted waterhen

43.Greater Coucal

44.Asian Koel

Birds are the major population among the inhabitants of the river basin and this is a breeding place for a good variety of species. A large flocks of migratory birds takes shelter in the river during their migration period.

Butterflies

A good number butterflies making their lives here,I think butterflies become more active when air become warm and hot, as my visits were mostly in morning, the number of species spotted were less in number, but it is observed that a chance of spotting more species is high when you observe the place at right time, may be after 10.Pm.The species spotted and photographed are

1.Crimson Rose

Scientific name: Atrophaneura hector

The abundance of a plant called Garudakkodi (Aristolochia indica or Indian Birthwort ) in the area makes this place a haven for Crimson Rose, as the species chose this plant to lay their eggs and then larva make its living by consuming the leaf of the plant

2.Common Mormon

Scientific name: Papilio polytes

3.Plain Tiger or African monarch

Scientific name: Danaus chrysippus

Rank: Species

Higher classification: Danaus

The Others

The Reptiles like Asiatic water snake,Rat snakes were spotted. The active burrows founded are the signs of presence of the variety of snake population. A good number of Oriental Garden Lizards were spotted and photographed.A large number of dragonflies,damselflies,beetles like Turpentine Beetles and other insects included at the lower strata of food chain forming healthy micro livings of the river.The birds in this area depends upon this micro ecology for their diet.

Threats and Opportunities

The sustenance of river facing some serious threats and in spite of such threats, the river still flowing by giving some opportunities

Threats

1. Human Intervention

The Major threat is human beings and their interventions.Human intervention is a serious global environmental issue of the present time.The entire world is now facing serious Injuries of such interventions in the name of development and progress, I am not yet convinced to what kind of progress, those so called developmentalists leading us by destroying our valuable ecological treasures ?.The Kankappuzha also not free from such injuries, the activities of some greedy human beings makes the river vulnerable.The major damages due to the human interventions are

1. Indiscriminate felling of trees


       Some years back the shore had a large number of trees,mainly consists of windmill palm trees and some other large forest trees, that formed a miniature forest and thus fertilized the soil by preventing soil erosion and organic process had been maintained, now the shore remains only a number trees that can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

2. Unscientific sand mining

      It is a fact that sand is an unavoidable mineral in construction field and it must be used wisely. The amount of the sand to mined should be fixed based on scientific studies.The sand mafia raising some serious social and environmental problems. In earlier days river had more than enough sand to meet the local needs, the indiscriminate mining and the emergence of sand mafia makes the things worst

3. Land encroachment
The another threat is Land mafia, the major portion of the shore is now behind the fence of private land owners, in each year the fence is growing by encroaching to shore. The last resurvey of Bharathappuzha conducted in 1968 ie 45 years back. A proper resurvey would reveal the fact

4. Anti social gatherings

     The place is now a main center for anti social gatherings and infamous hideouts for drunkards and gamblers, Such anti social gangs disturbing the calmness of the area

5.Conversion of Wetlands and Paddy Fields
               The large scale conversion of the paddy fields in the surroundings of river adversely affected the water level of the river, the paddy fields are the recharging sources of the river and playing a major role in maintaining the water level of the rivers.The result of such paddy field conversion was the drought of the yesteryear.

6. Waste and Garbage disposal

Most of the rivers in kerala facing the same issue more or less seriously. Some people considering rivers as a palce to dispose their garbage, some of them are not at all aware of the serious environmental issues like water contamination and others, but some anti socials deliberately throwing the industrial and bio wastes to the river water and make the river polluted. Serious actions should be taken to prevent this and also some social awareness measures needed to make people aware in this issue

Opportunities

Of course, the best opportunity the river offering is its rich water.The river watering and fertilizing its entire shore of 209 Kms from its origin from Anamalai Hills of Western Ghats and end at Arabian Sea at ponnani.

Tourism Potentials

The governments proposed so many tourism projects based on the heritage and cultural importance of the river, the recent one was the Nila Heritage Tourism Boat Service that starting from Kalpathi river and ends at the Ponnani estuary(the details yet unknown).A combined Cultural and eco tourism project that purely based on ecological and cultural importance of the river may attract the genuine tourists (not the so called freaks, to whom the eco tourism is meant to have alcohol in forests and other ecologically important areas).The Proposed Art Village Project is another announcement by the authority

Urgent Need for Conservation

In spite of all adverse conditions, the river still maintanining a healthy ecology in its banks, but the glory is fading soon. It is the time to be alert those who loves the river.The river desperately needs your helping hand. Some urgent measure to be taken, some of my suggestions.

1.Afforestation in the shore:

Afforestation is the best way to protect the river bank. The natural afforestation, which letting the plants and trees grow without any human intervention, is desirable, but in present condition the afforestation by planting of trees is the best option.The trees that has rapid growth and strong roots(the roots may penetrate in to soil and strengthen it ) and the plants that attract butterflies(different species of butterflies diffrent plants to lay eggs and to consume nectar) must be planned.The trees protect the shores from soil erosion and landslide.

2.Make people aware :

A societal awareness is needed to prevent anti social activities in the river. An intensive campaign needed to make people aware about the cultural and environmental importance of the river.A river protection group should be formed.

Conclusion

A new wave of environmental awareness and conservation activities all over in kerala giving a new hope to the nature lovers. Local people joining together to protect their rivers,hills and wetlands.The Kakkad River protection forum, Chalakudi River protection groups are some examples. No such attempts never occurred in the case of Nila, no such serious groups never created, the serious damages to the river never diagnosed.It is better late than never...we are already late... we have no time to hesitate...lets join hands together to save our river.

Destination Vagamon

2012-07-10T04:34:00.000-07:00

It was a holiday morning,i prefer to stay at my cottage. My wish was to keep sleeping as long as in the morning without any interruption. But my mobile phone opposed this, it ranged early in the morning to interrupt my sleep. It was vinod at the end, “I will be there soon, Let's have a trip today ,be get ready quick“ he told, I really woke up then from the laziness of sleep, just because i am always crazy with the trips, no matter which the destination is.

Then all on a sudden, i got ready just before vinod arrives with his Hero Honda CD100, the destination not yet decided, we just decided to go ahead.... While riding the bike without any aim, we held a talk together, our destination decided as Vagamon .We need to turn the bike as we were on the opposite direction to

Vagamon route.

We set the route through Ettumanur- Pala to raeach Erattupetta, from there deviate to Theekoy, where the hairpins just starting. The Old CD100 was still in a good condition, the curvy hairpins and steeps poses not a threat to him. While heading up to the hill, the climate is changing every moment, the mist is everywhere,the deep trench in one side of the road shows the fierce face of the beauty, we are not at all equipped to have a bike ride through such a kind of situation , we even dont have a sweater or a cap to defend the extreme climate condition, we both shivering with utter cold. We desperately need to have some hot tea to move on and eagerly looking sideways to find a tea shop,but in vain . The misty wind inching towards us from toe to head,the driving become a herculian task, but still keep going. To our solace, an old board is seen, inscribing “TEA SHOP” in an unattractive manner. The two glasses of hot tea and snacks was really a heavenly one to us, the shop keeper told it is the coldest and worst climate in recent times , he wondered about we are travelling in an old bike without any pre requirements.After gaining some energy we keep moving.

I was eager to see the famous green meadows , which came in to mind while thinking about vagamon, if you have a google image search under the term “vagamon” the most of the result will be the images of meadows. After a while the big hairpins were over, the climate slowly bettering , the meadows are now visible. The meadow is the trade mark of vagamon, it look like the famous microsoft windows meadow wallpaper.

The weather is not ideal for photography, inspite of this, i managed to have some shots.The sight of green tiny hills covering with green grass carpets with small valleys was really an unforgettable one, the mist added a mystic feel to it. Just away, a newly wedded couples posing for their videographer, to make intimate love scenes for wedding video, they are hugging and smiling, and look in to each other's eyes (to add some spices to the romantic scenes) according to the instructions of the videographer, definitely meadow is an ideal place for such kind of shoots. There hears a shout with some abusive words, a group of youngsters having their celebration oblivious about other tourists and their comforts, definitely, they are fuelled with alcohol.It is the curse of our tourist destinations, someone beleives it is a place to have drinks in open space, they rush in to the tourist places with a vehicle full of liquor, consuming it in open spaces, then theit performance starts... who cares of others and their privacy ? Just have their own celebration at maximum.

We left the place to have just a glance of the other places, the time is 4 pm, now the call of stomach began to feel, definitely, hungry becomes a big truth, we hopefully drove to vagamon town, vagamon is a small town, unlike the other town adjoining to the tourist places, vagamon town never have the face of a tourist town, it may be due to the travellers never tend to visit or shop from the town , they just byepass the town as it takes a deviation from they road between meadow and pine forest. The kappa (tapioca) and fish curry was really a delicious one, refreshed by the food and a hot tea, I was in a mood to take some snaps of the street, an old man was peeping through the half door of his house attracted me, that was my chance for a close portrait, i take some shots without disturbing him.

The climate become worst again, now it is 5.30 pm, it is dangerous to drive back in such a condition, we needed to stay there, vinod have some relatives at elappara, after making a call to someone he told me that arrangements have been made for a one night stay at elappara and moved on. Next day, at an early morning we returned from elappara, on the way made a quick visit to pine forest, we need to attend our office,so we were in a hurry, it has been raining, but not strong enough, i feel it is very nice to drive through a snowy rainy morning. We were planning a come back on another day to have a detailed trip and an early morning photo shoot, i bid a temporary goodbye to the kerala switzerland and promised we will be back again soon ....(definitely we made another visit after a few month, this time prathap joseph, our mutual friend and freelance photographer accompanied us )

Exploring Periyar from Thekkady

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

It was 4.30 pm , when we board on a ksrtc bus to kumily from kottayam ksrtc bus station, conductor told us it will take more than 3.30 hrs to kumily and will reach on 8 pm , if things are going fine. I made a call to Mr.Rajesh, the forest guard, who promised to host us, and remind him about us. Me, with my friend,Prathap Joseph, a freelance photographer, were on our first trip to thekkady ,the anxiety leads us while the bus swirled in hairpins and vroomed in plains.

It was 8.30 pm , when we reached at kumily ksrtc station ,thekkady is just 4 kms away from here, we take an auto. Rajesh made all the arrangements , it was too cold and we take the advantage of a woollen sweater and slipped in to sleep as we need to wake up at early morning to have the advantage of early birds to catch the first worm.

We got up at 5 am , the rain added the intensity of cold and shivering, 2 glass of hot tea was a solace, having a bath in cold water was a really a hard thing. We got ready at 5.45 am , the vehicles filled with tourists made a long queue at the thekkady forest check post, the gate will only open at 6.30 am , we got permitted to enter before that,just because we were on foot and have the camera with us. The conditions were not in favour for photography, the light was too low , the heavy snow and rain make things too bad, yet this conditions has its own beauty. A 2 km walk (or drive if you have a vehicle) need to reach at the boat landing. Walking through the forest in a snowy morning was a good experience, there was a total silence,except the chirping of crickets and tweeting of some early birds, just feel it I was walking through the road of the heaven.

Breaking this surrealistic mood, the horn of the vehicles heard, the gate had just opened and vehicles were in a hurry to reach as early as possible in the boat landing to get ticket for the first boat. In thekkady, the tourist's only heaven is to have a one hour boating in periyar, no other things attract him. We promised to have a trip in a special boat arranged by one of my friend, and it will take us to the far end of periyar tiger reserve, it will only start after 11 am, so we need not to hurry.

It was the day of Diwali, the ticket counter for boating too crowded, 95 percent among them are North Indians, the chit chat in Hindi was everywhere, I thought I was in a North Indian Tourist Place. There is Two ticket counters there, run by Forest Department and KTDC both the counters are struggling to accommodate the crowd. The boats are equipped with necessary safety measures, the officials are vigilant not to repeat another disaster (thekkady boat disaster). The place is a haven for monkeys (Rhesus macaque), they are very familiar with humans and not at all afraid of us. They are fed up with the food items offered by tourists , the boards show that it is illegal to feed the monkeys ,but who cares of it ? The main diet of a monkey in thekkady consists packed foods and other fast food items offered by the tourists, if you are not ready to give it , the monkey will attack you to steal the food item, this is a menace to tourists as well as the monkeys as the changing lifestyle may badly affect their health.

We were in a hurry to shoot the moods and behaviour of our ancestral animal, while waiting for the boat to start, to our bad luck, we got informed that the boat has been cancelled due to some unexpected reasons and the trip is postponed to tomorrow. We spent that entire day by shooting monkeys, at the end of that day my 20 GB memory card and Prathap's 40 GB card filled the various ankles of the monkeys.

We decided to stay one more day, with the hope of getting a chance to exclusive boating trip wto the least explored areas of periyar river. Next day , to our luck, we get started at 11.30 am , we ensured our camera and accessories are in good condition to have our first wildlife experiment

We welcomed with an elephant herd consist of 8 big females and a calf , it was our first experience with wildlife, our camera become restless, we had as many as shots, but shooting from a moving boat was a difficult one, later I understand that this affect the quality of the image. That 5 hour boating was an unforgettable one, we blessed with the sighting of so many animal near the banks of periyar like a giant wild gaur, the antelope, spotted deer, wild boar and innumerable water birds etc.

Periyar preserves a large variety of biodiversity in its banks and the forest is a haven for huge number of wild animals, it is estimated that periyar forest have more than 1000 Tiger population according to a census, it is renowned for its wildlife and attracted the attention wildlife enthusiast worldwide. Unfortunately the this is the same river , the controversial Mullaperiyar water is flowing , how long the feeble dam will survive?if the dam collapsed, 75 lakh of human lives will be claimed, moreover this ,the periyar forest totally will disappear from the map , the countless wild animals including most endangered species will vanish, the life of the animals have equal importance as humanity’s , the right to live is theirs too, the world will only survive , if the humans, with animal co existed and the harmony is maintained. Dear Tamil brothers, this is not a political issue as your political leaders claimed.. this is the issue of our life... please let us live... as our Opposition leader VS says “Please don’t kill the people who have been providing water to you for 116 years “

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary;"Amazon of the Poor"

2011-12-01T05:44:00.000-08:00

Located on the banks of the Vembanad Lake, the bird sanctuary is spread across 14 acres. The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, an ornithologist's paradise is a favourite haunt of migratory birds like the siberian stork, egret, darter, heron etal...

This 14 acres of land is en forested with a vision to make this a miniature form of the “ amazon rain forest “ you will feel it when you exploring through the core areas of the sanctuary, the giant tree and vegetations around this trees and the water body maintained and flowing through the entire sanctuary reminds us about the great amazon.

A well maintained butterfly park welcomes you at the entrance of the sanctuary

The fauna and flora of this artificially made sanctuary reminds the visitor about the amazon rain forest ... "it is the amazon at the door step"

A well maintained water body makes this sanctuary wet and maintains air conditioned effect

The water body is haven for some water snakes like this one, an "asiatic water snake" on duty at the stream

The " Black Little Cormorant"and "herons" are a common bird sightings in the sanctuary

Best Time To Visit
The best time to bird watch is between June and August. To watch Migratory birds, November to February is the best time.

How to reach?

The nearest Airport is at Nedumbassery (72kms) and takes one and a half hours by road.
The nearest railway station is at Kottayam (16kms). Regular local and Express trains are available from here.
Kottayam is 16 kilometer from Kumarakom and both State highway and National Highway links it with the rest of the country.

Photologue...

The Organic Lands of Rajasthan

Rajasthan,The land of diversity

Keoladeo National Park

The rickshaw and its amiable men

Bird heaven

Sarus;The stars

Plight of the big birds

Frames of Bharatpur

Jhalana ;The Urban Jungle

Leopards; the art of Survival

The Wild Ways of Masinagudi

The Philosophy of Travel

Travel Trance

Some History of Masinagudi

Wilderness

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In search of Big Cats..

" At home you see cats, at jungle you see big cats "

The Migration starts...

Aralam: The Green Cover of North Malabar

A Photographic Expedition in the Banks of a River....

1.Small Green Bee Eater

Scientific name: Megalaima viridis

Above is the list of birds photographed during my visits,as mentioned earlier, some elusive birds gave me only a glimpse, they are:

Butterflies

1.Crimson Rose

Scientific name: Atrophaneura hector

3.Plain Tiger or African monarch

The Others

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

Opportunities

Urgent Need for Conservation

Destination Vagamon

Exploring Periyar from Thekkady

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary;"Amazon of the Poor"