Day -2; 3rd March
Kaziranga is a world Heritage site in Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam. After long years of teaching about India's forest wealth, the name Kaziranga brings the image of the great one-horned Rhinoceros and God! I was mighty thrilled. Then I came to know, it has the highest density of tigers in the world and thus it has been declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006.
Kaziranga was cool and pleasant; reached after stretches of bumpy roads by around 8 pm;
After some basic food, we were ready to crash. The place was Assam govt tourist resort but with minimum of comforts. All in the game.
We duly reported for breakfast by 7.30 am but there was a delay of 15 to 20 minutes. It was a slow service and I guess the people are not used to serving 27 people at the same time. Our Jeep Safari took off only by 9.30 am. Climbing onto the jeep was like scaling high mountain peak for many of us. But we did!
Then started our ride into the forest. Kaziranga is mostly flat expanses of fertile flood-plains interspersed with flood formed lakes called 'Beels' locally.
On the way to the Park, I saw continuous human settlements - there were so many villages. As we enter the reserved area of the forest there are no such settlements.
The vast open space with trees, bushes and creepers welcoming a new morning and looking up to the Sun was so invigorating.
I experienced such contradictions - great tall trees, short blades of grass, huge elephants swaying their trunks and munching away their breakfast, small ants on their disciplined walk on the ground and up the tree trunks , monitor lizard just flat on the dusty brown soil as though on some serious meditation ... all sizes and shapes make their home here. The silent yet noise filled forest filled me with such music. The silence of the forest with the distant backdrop of the wind' s conversation with all kinds of leaves soothed and slowed my inner rhythm to resonate with the outside.
We were desperate to see at least one rhino but that proved a tough challenge. We did see one far away that we could not capture in the cameras. I however was in total peace with the environment. The trees standing there for more than a human lifespan - aren't they more constant than the transient human life?
We did see plenty of birds - herds of swamp deer, water buffaloes, small reptiles like monitor lizards and even fresh water turtles(tortoises?). Tigers were elusive! High above us, hawks/eagles were moving and we could sight horn bills, storks and herons.
Ah... finally, we managed to glimpse two one
horned rhinos! Still they were at a distance
So on our way back, the rhinos must have felt our wish to see them, in the air. We had to be satisfied with what we could see and headed back to our hotel. A group of school kids stopped us as we were to cross the forest gates. This day is observed as World wildlife day and the children had gone on a short trip inside and brought out their impressions as beautiful pencil sketch and colourful painting . They wanted to present those to us with a message for conserving wildlife. One pretty young girl shyly presented one to me and I felt thrilled.
Then started another long journey to Shillong, Meghalaya.
For quite sometime, the trip itself was doubtful with protests and curfews. They said, ' things have abated' and we came to this point. Now, We know there is problem in Shillong and curfew has been imposed. With prayers, we started - hoping to reach Shillong by at least 7 pm. People in the group were keen to visit Chirapunchi but the situation there was a cause of concern for the tour organiser at the local level.
In the meanwhile we were moving left towards the cloud engulfed Kasi hills and Meghalaya. On and off there was a sudden clap of thunder and immediate downpour - drenching our luggage on top of our van.
Again all in the game, I suppose! Some adventure. Now starts another road trip but would be more beautiful, I hope. We cross district head quarters - Nagaon, Jorabat, Umling and many tongue-twisting names which slipped out of memory soon.
The lunch on the highway (NH 37; district Morigaon) - in a restaurant called ni-4 was very good. Out of all the places, here, we got such quick and efficient service. But our demand for curd - be it cool night or rainy afternoon with biting wind from the hills around - must have looked very strange to them!
Pot after pot of curd would disappear within minutes of being served! I know, how it can bring down the fiery hot taste or enhance a dull fare to tease the taste buds - particularly for us, south Indians!
However, I was only an observer as curd is simply a"no-no" in Ayurvedic diet. (Not that, I was not tempted and it took lot of will power to turn away from the temptation!)
Then we turned left on to the road leading to Meghalaya. On the highway we had travelled more than half the distance to Guwahati and then on to left to climb to Shillong. All along this road, were small fruit shops managed by women and the the mere sight of display of bananas, pine apples and other fruits was mouth-watering!
As dusk slowly set in, the mountains on one side appeared taller and bigger, silhouetted against the sky. With night approaching, I could not understand the beauty of the name - 'Meghalaya' (abode of clouds). We reached our boarding place by around 8 pm and 'Brr, it was really COLD!
with a moniker, 'Polar bear', I love the crisp, biting cold that prickles my earlobes, tickle the tip of my nose and sits tight on my cheek bones! So the heart says "yes, I love it!" but my creaky joints give a red alert signal to my brain!
i wish I can bottle up this cold to take away for the Chennai summer!
(Here are the pictures that the school children had sketched and painted.)
Kaziranga is a world Heritage site in Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam. After long years of teaching about India's forest wealth, the name Kaziranga brings the image of the great one-horned Rhinoceros and God! I was mighty thrilled. Then I came to know, it has the highest density of tigers in the world and thus it has been declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006.
Kaziranga was cool and pleasant; reached after stretches of bumpy roads by around 8 pm;
After some basic food, we were ready to crash. The place was Assam govt tourist resort but with minimum of comforts. All in the game.
We duly reported for breakfast by 7.30 am but there was a delay of 15 to 20 minutes. It was a slow service and I guess the people are not used to serving 27 people at the same time. Our Jeep Safari took off only by 9.30 am. Climbing onto the jeep was like scaling high mountain peak for many of us. But we did!
Then started our ride into the forest. Kaziranga is mostly flat expanses of fertile flood-plains interspersed with flood formed lakes called 'Beels' locally.
On the way to the Park, I saw continuous human settlements - there were so many villages. As we enter the reserved area of the forest there are no such settlements.
The vast open space with trees, bushes and creepers welcoming a new morning and looking up to the Sun was so invigorating.
I experienced such contradictions - great tall trees, short blades of grass, huge elephants swaying their trunks and munching away their breakfast, small ants on their disciplined walk on the ground and up the tree trunks , monitor lizard just flat on the dusty brown soil as though on some serious meditation ... all sizes and shapes make their home here. The silent yet noise filled forest filled me with such music. The silence of the forest with the distant backdrop of the wind' s conversation with all kinds of leaves soothed and slowed my inner rhythm to resonate with the outside.We were desperate to see at least one rhino but that proved a tough challenge. We did see one far away that we could not capture in the cameras. I however was in total peace with the environment. The trees standing there for more than a human lifespan - aren't they more constant than the transient human life?
We did see plenty of birds - herds of swamp deer, water buffaloes, small reptiles like monitor lizards and even fresh water turtles(tortoises?). Tigers were elusive! High above us, hawks/eagles were moving and we could sight horn bills, storks and herons.Ah... finally, we managed to glimpse two one
horned rhinos! Still they were at a distance
For quite sometime, the trip itself was doubtful with protests and curfews. They said, ' things have abated' and we came to this point. Now, We know there is problem in Shillong and curfew has been imposed. With prayers, we started - hoping to reach Shillong by at least 7 pm. People in the group were keen to visit Chirapunchi but the situation there was a cause of concern for the tour organiser at the local level.
In the meanwhile we were moving left towards the cloud engulfed Kasi hills and Meghalaya. On and off there was a sudden clap of thunder and immediate downpour - drenching our luggage on top of our van.
Again all in the game, I suppose! Some adventure. Now starts another road trip but would be more beautiful, I hope. We cross district head quarters - Nagaon, Jorabat, Umling and many tongue-twisting names which slipped out of memory soon.
The lunch on the highway (NH 37; district Morigaon) - in a restaurant called ni-4 was very good. Out of all the places, here, we got such quick and efficient service. But our demand for curd - be it cool night or rainy afternoon with biting wind from the hills around - must have looked very strange to them!
Pot after pot of curd would disappear within minutes of being served! I know, how it can bring down the fiery hot taste or enhance a dull fare to tease the taste buds - particularly for us, south Indians!
However, I was only an observer as curd is simply a"no-no" in Ayurvedic diet. (Not that, I was not tempted and it took lot of will power to turn away from the temptation!)
Then we turned left on to the road leading to Meghalaya. On the highway we had travelled more than half the distance to Guwahati and then on to left to climb to Shillong. All along this road, were small fruit shops managed by women and the the mere sight of display of bananas, pine apples and other fruits was mouth-watering!
As dusk slowly set in, the mountains on one side appeared taller and bigger, silhouetted against the sky. With night approaching, I could not understand the beauty of the name - 'Meghalaya' (abode of clouds). We reached our boarding place by around 8 pm and 'Brr, it was really COLD!
with a moniker, 'Polar bear', I love the crisp, biting cold that prickles my earlobes, tickle the tip of my nose and sits tight on my cheek bones! So the heart says "yes, I love it!" but my creaky joints give a red alert signal to my brain!
i wish I can bottle up this cold to take away for the Chennai summer!
(Here are the pictures that the school children had sketched and painted.)
1 கருத்து:
Thanks Chitra. The paitings and sketches of the school children are beautiful. Kaziranga is on my bucket list for a long time. Your blog inspires me to do it soon :)
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