Sunday, April 18, 2021

The two mango trees




 The mango season is here. Nearly twenty five years back we had planted two mango saplings in front of our gate. Except giving water there was not much attention that they needed. Down the road they grew along with my children. When the children were in school and College they would climb it and be so excited collecting the mangoes which could number in thousands. Today, the birds have flown the nest and the children have left the home and the son who is with us, is, very busy in his work and does not think it exciting to collect the mangoes. So except the few which are reachable most of the mangoes are eaten by birds and parrots. There is a regular chirping of birds in the garden, thanks to Suresh spending so much time in it and keeping water and grains on a regular basis for the birds. When, I see these beautiful trees, it is but natural to become very philosophical and admire nature forgiving us so much and asking nothing in return. The trees teach me that no matter how big you grow one has to be rooted on the ground.








The Cold temperature Jungle safari

 We left for the jungle safari in an open jeep at six in the morning when the temperature was at six degrees. It was bone chilling cold and dark. However as we neared the park around quarter to seven it became light. The total park has an area of 1300km.of forest area with 488 species of trees. One can see hill locks, marshy lands, rivers and thick forest areas. The forest is divided into three areas. The first is a buffer area ehenere villages are established the the people in these areas use the products of the forests. Next to this is the touristic zone where one can travel only with a Government permit in a forest jeep and with a forest guide. After this is the core area where the public is not allowed. The whole park is divided into various areas such as Dhikala, Bijrani, Hhirna, Durg Devi. We got the pass to go to the Hhirna area. Only thirty jeeps are allowed in a n area at one time. We were not lucky enough to spot a tiger but saw plenty of deers, Antelope, elephants and deers. I have been to many safaris in Africa and seen many wild animals from close quarters. However those forests are very different from the Uttarakhand forests. The pollution free air, the sounds and sights of the forests are a treat.







The resorts in Jim Corbett National Park, in Nainital District of Uttarakhand are a new addition to the landscape. This park is one of the oldest wild life park in India. Established in 1936, to protect the endangered Bengal tiger it was earlier called the Hailey Park. As a child when I visited this area many times in 1962 or 1963, visiting relatives in Dhikala, Bailpadao, Ramnagar, I remember only huge forests covering the area. I have some memories of visiting a very well to do uncle who was a big landlord of the area and had big orchards of mangoes and licchis around the area. Their house had a lot of tusks of wild animals kept in the drawing room and through a child's eye, this room fascinated me and also created some fear of the wild. They were known to enjoy hunting as a pass time. Except their huge mansion like house, I only remember villages and small hamlets surrounding the area. The forests were not open to the public but I am not sure about this, for it was never a turistic place and I never heard of others except friends invited to hunting parties visiting the forest area. Today, the forests are an open space and open to public. This has resulted in the area being dotted with beautiful resorts. They provide modern amenities in a wild landscape. The resort where we are staying has a swimming pool, a huge dinning room and lots of open spaces. There are various cottages surrounding the pool and we are in one of the cottages. The rooms are very ethnically decorated with cane furniture, where the beds, sofas, chairs, tables, mirror frames are all made of cane. I am very happy to see the development of this region and the various tourists coming to this place. Uttarakhand has a lot of scope for tourism. Till now the emphasis has only been on pilgrimage tourism. Wild life tourism can be explored and what better place than Jim Corbett Park.

Jim Corbett Park

 Jim Corbett park in Uttrakhand is a treat . We started our tour with first visiting the  Jim Corbett Falls. On the road from Nainital to Ramnagar at Kaladhungi Road is the Jim Corbett falls. Amidst a lush green forest one has to walk about two kilometres . One can admire the jungle and enjoy the teak forest as we walk and suddenly behind a big rock a natural waterfall emerges. When we reached here the whole area was deserted with out any tourists. The walkways looked almost like they were abroad. Slowly as we wound our way up the hill, we could see tourist buses coming and many tourists getting down.

We took the first tour in the jungle to, Sitabani Forest Reserve. This naturally enclosed place at Amgarhi is nestled in the foothills in inner Terai some 18 Km from Kosi Barrage, Ramnagar in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. This beautiful dense Sal (stronger than Teak Timber) forest is opposite to Jim Corbett National Park and is an extended part of the park. It is home to Royal Bengal tiger, Deer, Elephants, wild bore, Sambhar, and several species of birds. We entered through the main gate, Bhandarpani. Enjoying and experiencing the picturesque clean and green drive, that criss crossed magnificent landscapes, with natural springs, small pure water rivers, crystal clear blue sky, wild jamun grooves, several berries, vast Grasslands, and occasional frightening calls of barking deer, monkeys and langoors, signalling the presence of Big Cats in their neighborhood, we reached at the ANCIENT TEMPLE OF SITA. Perhaps this is the only temple or one of the few temples dedicated to Sita the Goddess and Warrior wife of Lord Ram. According to legends at Sitabani she gave birth to her twin sons Luv and Kush. The temple and site is protected by archeological department of India. This is the most enchanting and peaceful scenic place. Though we could not locate the Big cat, but the landscape captured our soul with an invitation come again. Finally our generous and knowledgeable driver cum guide Mr. Mohan detour the return and we passed through the famous village Pawalgarh (Bachelor of Pavalgarh by Jim Corbett), and the exit post of Pavalgarh and Kiyari. This is one of the must tour for nature and landscape lovers.

We undertook another  safari to Sitabani forest reserve. As the other forests in the Jim Corbett National Park, can accommodate only thirty jeeps in a day for a safari and these require reservations much in advance for the Government permit is required to enter the forest many prefer to go to Sitabani where about one hundred and thirty jeeps can enter the area in a day and permits are easily granted. However, the forest is so big that it does not look crowded. Sitabani is a forest reserve that is referred to as landscape forest. This is in the buffer zone. For a long time people in the villages near this area did agriculture by slash and burn cultivation and the land in the nearby region was eroded. Now about seventy kilometer of land has been preserved as Sitabani and a beautiful forest of teak, Sal trees, Jamun trees and many other variety oftrees has come up. Though it does not have many tigers one can sight a lot of elephants and a variety of birds. This beautiful forest area has three entrances, Bhandargarh, Kayari and Pawal garh. As we stopped at Pawal garh, I could not help but remember Jin Corbett's book, Man eater of Kumaon that has the famous story of Bachelor of Pawal garh. We could see a lot of Termite Ant hills that are so artistically built. It is a an amazing regenerative power of nature that the termite hill never grows on a healthy tree but in a destroyed or degenerative tree. In the middle of the forest is an ancient temple of Sita, from which the forest derives its name. It is believed that Sita gave birth to Lav and Kush in the spot where the temple is built. This is a monument that is a protected monument by the Archeological survey of India. As we left the peace quiet and the pollution free environment of the jungle we could see the sun setting and the scene was indeed one that will stay with me for ever, along with the silence of the forest.










The National Museum, Janpath

Both Suresh and I spent an amazing day exploring the National museum at Janpath. These artifacts were sent to the Royal academy of arts in London in 1947-48.These were brought back after independence and stationed at the Rashtrapati Bhawan known as Governor house then. It was housed in the present house in 1960.The first few rooms are arranged chronologically with Harappan, Mauryan, Sungha, Kushan and Gupta artifacts. After this the rooms are arranged theme wise. They also have a room related to North East and the various musical instruments of modern day. It was a treat to see the original dancing girl of the Indus Valley civilization, the various beautiful sculptures, the various miniature paintings. As usual I was fascinated with the sculptures of different periods and especailly the Shiv images and the intricacies of the sculpture.Right at the entrance there is s huge Ashokan inscription.The museum lists the services of various persons who act as guides and they do this voluntarily. We met Neel Dogra who was a banker and now after retirement acts as a guide. His love and passion for history impressed me a lot and he lovelingly took us around the museum with an indepth knowledge about the artifacts.



























Looking at my past with a coloured lens

Looking back at my past with a coloured lens. Yesterday my eldest son Sankalp gave me a wonderful gift on his birthday. He spent time and made some of my black and white pictures into colour and sent them to me. It reminded me of the film Mughle Azam being made from black and white into colour. Most of these photographs go back to more than forty years. My favourite photograph is from 1974 when I was given a gold medal and first prize by Mother Teresa at a function orgnised by Gandhi Bhawan in Allahabad University. I travelled with her for few days and had a long heart to heart conversations. Those days there were no mobiles and cameras were not easily accessible . It was later on that two photographs were published by a News paper and the gentleman was kind enough to send me a copy. These are my prized possessions today. In the first picture Mother Teresa is admiring my watch strap. Keeping with the fashion, God knows which one, I had got a black leather or raxine, most probably raxine piece and put my watch and it's tiny strap into this on my own and with this broad strap, I thought this was very fashionable. Mother Teresa was fascinated and wanted to know how I had made the strap. When she was asking various questions every one walking around was very fascinated. When I got married in 1979,those were the days of black and white photographs. Again another photograph of the late 1970's,is with my friend Anita Gopesh,, who is now a very well know writer of Hindi and a Professor of Zoology, if I am not mistaken at Allahabad University. Her father Prof. Gopesh taught us Russian and we were all mesmerised with his teaching, stories, anecdotes and his friendly behaviour.Oh, what fun his class would be. He was a real idol and one to whom we looked up. I do not have any picture with him but one with his daughter of those days. Thanks a lot Bittu. Indeed a wonderful gift and this will be my prized possessions. You made my day. Have a blessed birthday.










Saturday, April 17, 2021

Scotland

 In Scotland Gretna green is the first town that one comes across while coming via road from London. I have been to Scotland twice earlier via Air and this is my third visit and one via road. My advise to a travellers here is please avoid air travel if possible and go via road for the beauty of Scotland can be seen in its immense green panorama. The huge green mountains, the mountains filled with rodendran forests, the streams, the lakes, the Fir tree Jungles can never be seen via air. It is good to have a journey come to an end but it is the Journey that matters in the end and this is true as you travel across Scotland. In 17th cen there was a law in England that stated that one could not marry with out one's parents permission and had to be of a certain age for marriage and hence many couples eloped to Gertna Green in Scotland to marry. A blacksmith who was in the business of making horse shoes found an opportunity in this and converted a portion of his workshop into a hall to commemorate marriages and the Shed stas here with a museum and its history. Today also thousands of marriages take place here every month and it is a favourite destination for taking the vow. One can see building with Boards 1751, 1753 as the year of establishment.Krikstone Pass and Ullswater lake: While we were still carrying the enchanting serenity of the lake district and Windermere, we headed for another mesmerising creations of nature the Krikstone Pass. After an hour of road ride on the banks of Ullswater lake, it started raining, that set the perfect English weather and we were at the mouth of the famous Krikstone Pass. It's silence and the greatest spread of green meadows miles together amongst undulating hills, dotted with wooly sheeps, brooks and fragile rocks are simply enchanting. Driving on the banks of Ullswater lake and stopping at the wide opening of the serpentine road with hair pin bands in it self is an adventure. The panoramic view is unmatchable and a life time experience.
















Loch and Glen's of Scotland. As teenagers when I had read English poetry two words that often occurred were Loch and Glen. Today the second day in Scotland in Glasgow saw us visit many Loches and Glen's. Loch is the Scottish word for a piece of sea or a water body that is land locked and Glen is the deep valleys amidst mountains. Today we saw many of these. As we moved towards the Highlands with many Scottish mountains and the green panorama the first stop was at Loch Lomond.