Kabini, Pachyderm Palaces

Kabini is the place famous for the greatest elephant shows in Asia. This is an arena where you have 200 or 250 elephants doing the star run in just one evening. It has the existence of a mind-blowing 60 sq km of static water inside the forest precincts, the result of a dam build across the river at Beechanahalli. The water bifurcates the national parks of Nagarhole and Bandipur, but unites a spectacular on its shore. Kabini have all types of animals like mouse deer, chital, spottable tigers, and bear however then again Kabini is all about elephants and more elephants. And according to Project Elephant reports there are 5,500 to 6,000 of them in the contiguous stretches of forests comprising Nagarhole, Bandipur, Mudumalai and Biligirirangana sanctuaries.
To go on a safari in a jeep through the roads of Nagarhole we reach at the edge of the thick bamboo jungle and drive through a gargantuan collection of pachyderms, which according to me was one of the greatest wildlife experiences in Asia.

The jungles around have a primeval touch to them. Tall trees, huge bamboo brakes, remote ponds, hillocks and above all the backwaters. We hoped a jeep early morning the next day. We were able to see the jungle walking up, the leaves and shrubbery washed clean with dew. We were lucky to see the peacocks, the grey langur having their breakfast high up on the branches. Large herds of the chital were hanging around by the side of the game road. And in the evening the sun was busy playing a round of hide and seek from within the cluster of the trees. The elephants started to assemble by the backwaters including other animals also.

After that marvelous view we went to see the water source in the Sunkadakatte area named Tiger Tank for the frequent sightings. The beautiful Bisalwadi Kere Lake with its watchtower was another good point to spot both the spotted and striped varieties of big cats.
We also did a boat ride along the river with the thick jungles all around us, we were able to come close to various herbs of animals on the shores. We also drove over to the Sunkadakatte forest and ride at the top of an elephant.

We stayed at Sunkadakatte Guest House while there are other options also like Kabini River Lodge and Water woods.

Bordi, Chilling out in chikoo country

Bordi has suffered from an identity crisis long ago. There was heavy rush of tourist at Dahanu, Daman and Umergoan near to it. Bordi is famous for its chikoo shake. People used to stop at Bordi to drink its chikoo milkshake on their way to Daman. However now Bordi is famous for its lean white beaches, the quite response and the calm beauty of the place. It is still a self-contained big village that became a town. It has a long stretch of nice beach scattering of Parsis who have floated downstream from Sanjan and Udvada and lush orchards of juicy chikoos.

There is only one place to visit in Bordi, which is the beach. The 17 km of virtually unspoilt beach is Bordi’s mainstay and the reason tourists come here. Most of the beach is canopied by casuarinas trees and on the other side of the road behind the beach; chikoo orchards make a scenic backdrop. Here you can safely lie on your towel and turn the pages of your novel without a balloon seller or a candyfloss man in sight. There are no lifeguards but the stretch is relatively safe and accidents are extremely rare.

Asavli Check Dam, has formed a green lake surrounded by mountains and on other side, near the spillway are fields. It was manually built much in the manner of the Great Pyramids of Egypt. It is also a great place to picnic. There are mountains that contain Bahrot caves. Then we drove down to Depchari Dam and reservoir, which is a tranquil lake, much bigger than the lake at Asavli. It was also peaceful and quite with no soul around as Asavli.
We also visited the Kalpataru Botanical Gardens in Umergoan, which is 10 km from Bordi. The famous Vrindavan studios are also in Umergoan, where much of the TV epic Ramayana was shot.

After sight seeing we went for exploring its markets. We buyed fresh vegetables and chikoo as it grows some of the best chikoos in Maharashtra. We also picked up chikoo products such as chips, vadis, chikoo powder and pickle from there.

Bordi has few places to stay like Tapovan Retreat, Anand Resort, and Gool Khush Reosrt, which are near to beach and many more.

We visited Bordi post monsoons so we were able to get some seafood. The surmai was the best, the also had pomfret and Bombay duck washed down with cold sol kadi.

Durshet, Tale of two beauties

Durshet, a part of a forest full of mahua trees, falls within the enclosure of Nature Trails forest Lodge and the Amba River flows right past. There’s not a soul in sight as you dip in the river or take a romantic walk through the forest. It is between two holy Ashtavinayakas, by the Amba River near Khopoli on the old Mumbai- Pune Highway. At Kalote, Lake Placid Retreat is on the shores of the extensive Lake Kalote, which unlike the Amba River doesn’t lose much of its water in the winter.

We stayed at the Nature Trails Forest Lodge and from there we went to the temples, the rivers, the lakes and towards the ghats for trekking. We stroll through the extensive plantations of fruit trees, casuarinas and acacias within the forested expanse of Nature Trails Lodge. There were wild boar, barking deer and monkeys.

The best time to visit this place would be when its raining as the river is full and the huge natural waterfalls within the forest are their best. You can trek to those falls through the mahua, mango and teak tree. There are many species of birds available here as the calls of drongos, doves, parakeets, shrikes, bulbuls and warblers fill the air. At the cultivated lands adjoining the resort was very good place where we found lapwings nests. Within the resort’s flower garden, we saw number of butterflies getting drunk on nectar or laying eggs on their favorite plants. We recognize some of them like Mormon and plain tiger butterflies. There were a range of activities for which we were not able to spare time like rock climbing, rappelling and river crossing.

For staying at Durshet there are only two options the one is the Nature Trail Lodge where we stayed and the second one is the Deccan Retreat, which is on the highway.

Sariska National Park, ancient tiger lands.

Sariska wildlife sanctuary is green, serene and was the hunting preserve of the Alwar royals, and its palace has been privy to many of these shoots. There is the sight of first hill burnished with the rust leaves of dhok, as one crosses over the hill into Kalighati Valley. There is a leaf – fringed avenue of dhok that greets the visitor at the old gate leading to Kankwari, overgrown on both sides with old trees of guler and pilkhan. Then there is a site of an explosion of blue- breasted quail, of the deep pools of the Siliberi Nala flowing down from Pandupol and of Pallas fishing edges watching for prey from nearby evergreen trees. I still treasure these memories from my numerous visits to Sariska.

My last tiger sighting at Sariska, one hot April was in the grassland just beyond Kalighati. Sariska was established as a Tiger Reserve in 1978. Before independence, the reserve was part of the erstwhile Alwar state. There are 16 revenue villages and associated cattle camps inside its boundaries. Almost all of the Sariska is hilly terrain dominated by the Aravallis, which run north- south along the park. Two vast plateaus Kanwari and Keraska top the Aravalli. There are three large lakes within the boundary of the park: Mangalsar, Sillserh and Somasagar.

Early morning and evening are the best times to make trips into Sariska National Park, though chances of spotting the cat are few and far between. That’s just not on the account of the diminishing tiger population, but more on account of the terrain like the undulating low hills, wide valleys and hill plateaus are hardly ideal for tiger spotting.

You would be easily able to view the nilgai, chital, langur cavorting through the tree cover. And by luck you might also view the tigers, leopard, jackal, with dogs and hyena. However birdwatchers can spot the white- breasted kingfisher, serpent eagle, great Indian horned owl and other avian species quite easily.

The most enjoyable part is the drive through the park where paths are dip down into the valleys and sinister shadows cross the jungle. If you want to do a cross-country jungle safari, then book one of the authorized forest jeeps well in advance at one of the two hotels Tiger Den and Sariska Palace.

When you are done with the animals, drive down into the Sariska forests to the ruined fortress atop a solitary hillock at Kankwari. Here emperor Aurangzeb imprisoned his elder brother widely held to be the legitimate successor to the throne of Delhi. From Kankwari move on to Neelkanth, a temple town near Tehla builds by the Gurjar Partiharas. Neelkanth was mysteriously submerged under a deluge of sand and rocks centuries ago, and nobody around knows what made the town suffer such a fate. The Naldehwar shrine nearby attracts hordes of pilgrims and picnickers- the former to the natural shivaling formed within an old tree trunk in the higher reaches of the forest, the latter to the little brook and seasonal waterfall at the base of 364 steps you have to climb to reach the lingam.

Sariska has only two choices to stay, a heritage hotel and Rajasthan tourism property Sariska Palace and Tiger Den. There are no options to dine apart from your hotel. However a visit to one of Alwar’s most popular eateries, the Prem Pavitra Restaurant is a must.

Chowki Dhani

Chowki Dhani is a well-recreated Rajasthani village. "Chowki Dhaani" means a small village in the local language. They have done a great job of recreating the Rajasthani village feel. So much so, that at the entrance, an old man with a spinning wheel yells out something incomprehensible at you. For a Rs. 200 admission fee, you get an evening's entertainment and rich traditional dinner. It's money well spent. You'll have to take an auto to it, since it's 20km south of the city, so be sure to negotiate the price before you get in.

You can view Rajasthani dances, potters, cooks, go on animal rides, and visit palm readers. Some of these require a small fee of there own, namely the last two.

I have never lived in a village but somehow that felt very authentic. The highlight of Chokhi Dhaani is the dinner. Seated on small stools on the floor, you are served by traditionally dressed waiters. And again, true to Indian tradition of hospitality, they insist that you gorge on the food. In fact you can't say no to them. The waiters are really friendly and two of them placed their turbans on Manish and my heads. A couple of foreigners sitting across the room from us seemed amused. But they didn't eat much. Dinner is delicious and excessive. I had so much food on my plate. I'm a fan of the red garlic chutney with Bhajree ki roti.
The place is happening in the evening because it's one of the few activities at night. Middle- to upper-middle class families and groups of 20-something friends frequent it.

Halebid, Carved in stone

Halebid is one of Karnataka’s open secrets. I have met people who have actually been to Halebid. It was the capital of the Hoysala Empire, which flourished in the 12th and the 13th centuries, and in its olden days it used to be called as Hale Bidu and Dwarasamudra, gateway to the sea. It is a town where one can walk, however it is one of those deserted places that unexpectedly comes upon you round a bend in the road, and surprises you with its charm. It is surrounded by fields which now cover the area of what used to be a large tank providing irrigation to the surroundings areas. On clear days from the road you can see the Gomateswara statue at Sravanabelgola looming in the distance.

In Halebid you can walk around the temples, admire the carvings and breathe deeply. The main attraction is the Hoysaleswara Temple, which comprises of two temples joined by a single platform. The second temple is the Shantaleshwara Temple. They took more than 100 years to build and are still incomplete. This temple is set in a pristine lawn and the restoration work done on the temple gives one an impression of impeccability.

The best part of Halebid is its finely executed carved sculptures. Along with Khajuraho and Konark, Halebid is one of those temples with ornate carvings, which are precisely done. The temple although incomplete resembles a finely engraved casket. Some of the sculptures are actually hollow, rather than being simply carved onto the walls. Vastu shastra has been followed to make the temple extremely comfortable even in hot weather. One wall, for instance, is completely solid to block out the afternoon sun, whereas the other has numerous perforations to allow air and light to enter without increasing the temperature inside. The resultant inner space is cool, dim and lovely.

The Kedaerswara Temple is equally ornate but large portions of the temple have collapsed. It has star- shaped pillars and carved ceilings. Basadi Halli, a group of Jain temples famous for its pillar, which is so highly, polished that they resemble mirrors. Although this complex consists of three temples, the famous is the Parswanathaswamy Temple, which has a 14 ft high figure made of black stone. The temples are open all day long and there is no entry fee. A guide would take Rs. 125 – 250 depending on the size of the group.

In Halebid you can stay at Mayura Shanthala, Tourist cottages. Also try Malnad food in Hassan, the ragi balls with mutton or vegetable stew are quite different from the Keralite versions of the same dishes.