Kundalika Water Rafting and Tamhini Ghats

We are known for planning at the end and making it work! The magic is created by my friends whom I accompany every time. This time we planned rafting at Kundalika followed by a drive to Tamhini. After chit chatting till 3 in the morning, we are set in the morning 5 for our drive. We hire a cab from Thane and set off to a drive of about 3 hours through lush green fields, hills and clouds.

The drive is to Kolad which is a small village nestled between the western ghats. There are numerous operators for rafting, but during monsoons it’s good to have a pre booking done. 

Kundalika. Photo courtesy: SJ

River water rafting at Kundalika is early mornings and evenings when the water is released from the dam. The gush of the water makes it an apt place for rafting. The guides brief us on safety and security during rafting. After the 45 minutes talk we are allowed to jump into our rafts! Our guides welcome us onboard with a splash of water shouting “good morning”. Well dude! What a morning indeed. The good morning game is one of the numerous games we play along the way which continues till the end! The guides are friendly and have war cries ready for “waring” the raft. It is just wow!

Photo courtesy: One of our guides

The Johnyy Walker  and Laughing Buddha just shake us off from our lazy bones . The 12km stretch is marked by small and big rapids, fun filled fames by our guides and lush green fields and hills. The rafting experience ends with an area where you can swim in the water, just laze around. We floated on water watching the clouds go by.

River water rafting is fun for all ages. The guides sometimes have a dry bag for you to keep your valuables. Or else, you can also ask your driver to stock your things for you! For bookings to Kundalika river water rafting, you can book directly with an agent- that’s what we did! Or google up other contacts online!

Rafting has to be followed by sumptuous lunch. We had carried our dabba and just delved into it. 

Fun time after rafting. Photo courtesy: SJ

We then head towards the Tamhini Ghats which is on the way to Pune. The ghats have waterfalls at almost every turn and are they gorgeous. One can see nature at its purest form here with deep ghats on one end and the falls on the other. After a drive for about ½ hour we run to the nearest waterfall. We were lucky to get a waterfall which had a huge rock crafted like a seat right under the water flow. The icy cold water hit us and we divulged in ecstasy.  Amidst nature all one can do was to surrendered to the speed and flow there, to feel the bliss.

After about an hour at the fall and lot of photography we headed back to our car. Another lovely weekend comes to an end. It’s a must visit during monsoons!

Dint want to get out this water fall. Photo courtesy: SJ

Just a few basics:

1. Kundalika and Tamhini Ghats are around 180 km from Mumbai

2. Its best to go in a group and hire a cab- saves time and efforts

3. Carrying your own lunch/ snacks is preferred. (you never know about hygiene levels in monsoons)

The Jungle an Addiction: Tadoba Wildlife Reserve

Green Rustic Exciting TADOBA

This is what I felt when I first entered “The Real Land of Tigers” as the gate at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) describes it.  About 180 kms from Nagpur via Chandrapur, this wildlife sanctuary is a well known reserve for tigers and other wildlife species.

On this trip to Tadoba in the monsoon, I was accompanied by Shalik and Manisha. The journey from Nagpur to Mohurli was marked by flooded fields and broken bridges and Shalik’s tales of the jungle. When he accidentally spotted a tiger; when sometimes his instincts would push him in the direction of the royal animal or when he saw wild dogs going for a kill of Sambar fawn.  Exciting!

After a four hour drive, we checked in at the MTDC hotel which is easy on the pocket with decent rooms. A pre- booking for safari and hotel is a must.

The next day, we were the first ones to enter the park. The jungle as always is beautiful. It is lush, alive and bright. We were greeted by thick vegetation and trees on both sides of the road and the cold fresh breeze. Manisha christened the little streams on the road as “baithe hue jharne” or sitting streams. We remembered the owlets who greeted us at a particular tree at Kanha National Park. And I longed to see owlets even here (which I happened to see the same night just outside our room).

Bison.Pic by Manisha.G

Being in the jungle gives me sense of freedom. I taste it when I stand on the jeep and feel the breeze across my face. At that moment there is no office or nagging colleagues; worried parents or a tensed me to pay rent. When I am in the jungle, I just am. Nothing exists before or after. It’s just is.

On our safaris we saw numerous birds and animals. A beautiful huge eagle welcomed us on almost all our safaris. The ‘Stork-billed Kingfisher’ greeted us thereafter. We were told it is a difficult site but well, as luck would have it, we caught it on camera FIVE TIMES on that day!

Picture by Shalik Jogwe

I wondered if it was for real, the jungle, rustle of the leaves, chirping birds and insects. It is so amazing that such beauty exists. We spotted a mongoose crossing the road and soon after a number of peahens. Manisha prayed to see a peacock and we saw one that day. She then prayed for a dancing peacock. But hello! When do all prayers get fulfilled! The treat of the day was the bunch of wild dogs we saw in the evening. 

Wild Dogs. Pic by Manisha.G

Villagers in Melghat call the wild dogs the real king of the jungle; a thought fiercely challenged by Shalik- a royal tiger lover.

During one of our safaris, the sky poured its heart out to us. The jeep splashed the water on us driving through the “baithe hua jarne”. We shivered against the wind and water. We got drenched. We just loved it. 

Even though Tadoba is known as the land of roaring tigers, we didn't spot any on this trip. But no regrets as the beauty of the jungle made up for it. Tadoba is rustic and beautiful. The villagers here have been employed as guides or drivers for the safaris. If you know the right people, you may be welcomed for homestays where you can experience the simple life of the village. We had the opportunity to visit Ganesh’s house, who was our driver.

We visited Tadoba to visit again. To organize your trip to Tadoba Wildlife Reserve get in touch with Shalik Jogwe, who organized this trip for us. His email is tadobatiger@gmail.com.

The Jungle an Addiction: Kanha Wildlife Sanctuary

It is said that Rudyard Kipling wrote the jungle book inspired by the beauty of Kanha. After reading the book and visiting Kanha myself, I felt that the beauty and serenity of the jungle can never be captured in words. Visit the jungle once and it becomes a part of ones existence. For me it is becoming an addiction.

On this trip, I was accompanied by Manisha. We would get up as early as 4.30 a.m. to be ready for the early morning safari.. Once out of bed, our first words would be, “will we get to see Munna today? And the other would respond with an affirmative “of course”. 

Munna is  a gorgeous tiger at Kanha famous for giving some amazing photography poses!

Kanha ka Munna:Pic by Shalik.J

The Kanha jungle is thick with sal trees, grass and bamboo. Some areas are also marked by meadows. Each and every road at Kanha has a story to it. Each and every part of the jungle is striking.

We saw numerous beautiful birds. by our third safari, we knew where they nested and caught them there almost on each each safari. We saw the knew we would find a kingfisher bird on a particular tree, the owlet on a banyan tree.

Owlet: Pic by Manisha.G

And yet each and every safari felt new. There were times when we would sit very quietly so the deer would be near our jeep or the egret would not fly away. 

The picturesque Kanha has numerous stories of tigers. It is a tiger reserve. But beyond the tiger reserve, the jungle itself is beautiful even in the harsh summer. There are water holes for animals at spots, the fire line to prevent fire. We are not allowed to get down from the jeep. They forest department tries to keep it “human free” as much as possible.

Like I said before, the jungle is known for its tigers. Each and every guide and driver is tuned to listen to the “calls”. That’s the way birds and animals communicate to be safe,, They make calls i.e a particular noise to communicate danger or to call for mating.

Manisha and I wondered what if human life was like the animals- eat, sleep and mate!! :P Our driver told us that it is not that simple for animals, including the tiger. Hunting for food, or protecting oneself from danger is a work for animals. The jungle has its own rules and animals follow a simple rule. “you don’t mess with me, and I won’t with you”.

One of our guide said” the jungle is the territory of animals. And no human should ever forget that” if he/she has to survive here.” 

Shit

It is said that the character of a person can be judged by his shoes.. after an year’s experience of visiting various villages across the country, I believe the character of a village/city can be judged by its sanitation facilities.  Sanitation across villages in India is extremely poor. We still have millions of people who do not use toilets… where the narrow lanes are filled with garbage..  and all this leading to increased diseases. This is not to say that urban India is any better… I sometimes feel urban India is worse off. We have so many educated people littering the streets and the blaming the government. It brings me back to the question that where do we stand after more than 60 years of independence… the experience which I share today, were shared by Gandhi years before…  and we still have the balls to say that we are “developing” nation…  on the verge of development, when people here are yet to work on their shitting habits. ..

so much to do

There is so much to do and such little time.. its just been a month and I have visited a 6-7 villages across India.. it seems like a different world… a different reality..

Sometimes I felt that India was like the places I k now off.. yes ive studies.. read about illiteracy.. ive read about health issues.. subjugation women.. and so many more things… but seeing it happen in front of my own eyes… it just did not feel real..

People still believe that malaria is cured by putting egg in ears.. that its disrespectful to speak before elders..  that vaccination of infants is of no importance.. that its not important to make a girl study.. .

Most these people whom I met there do not dream.. that is what there is life is all about..  they do not want their kids to go through this.. but they feel they have no option..thats what life is for them..

Its been 60 years we’ve been independent.. our country has been through ups and downs.. .the governments time and again have come up with schemes etc..  but where has all of it gone.. why is it that people still are uneducated.. that infants still die because the mother does not know the value of nutritious diet.. why is it that in schools children are still malnourished and the family doesn’t even know about it.. why is it that I see so much scope of things to be done.. to achieve.. to work for.. and others just crib about having a country with no facilities..

Food.. education.. health.. are basics of ‘life’.. only life.. we don’t even that with us today..

Inheritance and the series

And Eragon is told that most of the battles are won by mental strength and not physical strength alone. So he learns to calm his mind to make himself stronger. He already knows hez physically fit. And is it not what we also require in our daily lives to fight our daily battles. It is said just think positive and things would fall into place. And yep.. it is so true.. Roran.. Eragon’s brother manages to defeat the a soldier without his wards, or magic... it wasn’t cheer luck.. he was driven by the fact that he had to save his wife and the unborn baby.

The book portrays Earagon and his like as very powerful, but alas, they are nothing if they are not supported by others. Earagon’s strength is his own and yet is’nt. He wins the battle but with the support of an army of lakh of men, the wisdom and power of other races, the animals…. He cannot attribute his victory to himself alone.

There are so many other things that the book speaks about…. listening and respecting others. Be it animals, or humans, or a different group altogether. It talks about growing on the wisdom old, not cling to them but share there experience for a better future. Change is inevitable, but one can make it more fruitful by drawing from there wisdom…

I was able to relate to each and every aspect of the book to my own life.. and the ones around me… I wonder… how people call it young fiction!

My final Exam

"Stop writing your exam in the mobile light! Its a final exam for Gods sake..."
The invigilators shouted.... scolded but to no avail....
And why the hell should we have listened... there was no freaking light!!Ha Ha!!!

This is how we gave one of our papers.. final exam!! A big joke!!!
I shouted to Trupti.. on one end.. and divya was calling me from another.. Rinu helped me with my points of an answer.. i'd forgotton a few.... It was crazy Fun.. Ramu kaka missed it!!

After half an hour of time Pass, we got huge torches to write our papers.... but our work was already done in the dark... even the invigilators laughed at the whole thing.. I mean... this incident has completely changed the definition of the final Exam!! Especially in this College....

My classmates would understand what I am talking abt..
Guys i want ur vaulable comments!!!