A stream runs through it

-
It was a morning well spent at the gorgeous Sanjay Gandhi National Park with the Puff Throated Babblers issuing their piercingly violent warning of 'I will beat you', the Magpie Robins continuing their run of being at the top of the 'songster' of the year list, the Coucals calling across the hills in their deep hooping call, and the Barbets coppersmithing their morning away. In other words, a full orchestra!

However there was a sharp dip in our happiness and excitement as we approached the forest river, which could be heard gurgling and gushing and welcoming us from afar during our previous visits; only, this time it was eerily quiet and on reaching the river all we saw were a few puddles of water, a river which was a mere shadow of itself. No gurgling music this time. Is this because of us ? Have we done this? Is this what climate change looks like ? I don't know, but whatever it was, it sure didn't look okay. The river, it didn't look well.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dandeli - A Foray Into Bagheera’s Domain

-
Image
The beautiful Dandeli landscape  “The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton Beautifully put. A foray into unknown lands is always special; however, for me, a foray into the deep wilderness of those unknown lands is what makes it truly worthwhile. An impromptu plan with decisions made as quickly as three phone calls and five e-mails (on the same day mind you; for someone as indecisive as me that is quite an achievement!) we headed into the deliciously dense jungles of Karnataka.  With limited knowledge of the flora and fauna of these havens of Southern India, all we knew was that these forests housed one of the most elusive of beasts, the shadow of the forest, the phantom of the teak plantations, the magnificent Bagheera, the Indian Black Panther. Our first stop was Dandeli, a forest full of Teak, Red Sanders, Rosewood, Jamun, Nandi etc. It fully lives up to its reputation of being a magnificent forest and a b
Read more

A tiger above the rest - A tribute to the Big Bam of the Central Highlands

-
Image
The Big Bam in his prime I first heard of a tiger named Bamera in the summer of 2010, while we were doing a survey in the buffer villages of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. At the time, he had gained notoreity for lifting cattle and had planted a certain degree of fear in the mind of the villagers. "Bahut bada hai sahab, itna bada tiger humne aaj tak nahi dekha" spluttered a villager, a resident of the same village where Bamera got his name from. Located in a beautiful region known as Panpatha, with a huge dam and an ever reaching green landscape, Bamera was as beautiful a tiger and as extravagant as his namesake village.  Very quickly, Bamera made an entry into Bandhavgarh as it's dominant male, overthrowing his ageing father - B2. Slated to be the biggest tiger Bandhavgarh had seen for a few years, Bamera coaxed everyones imagination into becoming a stuff of legends among the drivers and guides of the park. "Aree, gadi ke bonnet jitna bada hai" some claimed
Read more

Divine vehicles (Part 2)

-
Image
In continuation to the deities and their spectacular 'vahan's worshipped in India. The Blackbuck, 'vahan' of the wind god or 'vayu'. The Blackbuck is probably associated with the wind god owing to it's speed and agility. The buck looks like it's flying through the air when in motion, thereby posing as the 'vahan' for 'vayu.' The Ram, 'vahan' of the fire god or 'agni'. A powerful god in Hindu mythology, agni is considered to be as powerful as Indra some texts even pronounce him to be Indras' twin. A messenger of gods, agni is usually a symbol of  important rituals be it a wedding, a havan or a normal religious ceremony in a Hindu household. Considered to be the mouth of the Indian gods and goddesses, a lot is given to agni for well being and new beginnings also known as a sacrificial fire. It is probably due to the sacrificial nature of agni that the Ram is associated with him as it is considered the ultimate a
Read more