The Grasslands of Kaziranga



The Census Report - needed updation



Known more as the home to the One Horned Rhino, the grasslands of Assam also offer refuge to other animals such as the Water Buffalo, Hog Deer, Tiger and the occasional Monkey. The grassland was at one time under threat due to major afforestation. Prized for its Horn, Poachers offered another threat to the Rhino. All this has been set aside now with the Government taking the initiative for its conservation and their numbers have swelled well over a 1000. Our visit here was absolutely uneventful. Starting at 6am in the morning as we were told is the best time to spot them, come noon and they become a bit aggressive.

The Elephant ride cost us Rs 500/ per head. There was a struggle here, a large group of Senior Citizens from Mumbai had come over for a visit and we had to sit it out for close to a couple of hours before finally getting the ride. Each Elephant carries around 8 people on its back and the Mahout. You may also have a rifle toting guard sitting next to you just to be on the safer side. The Rhinos are pretty aggressive and have known to even charge an Elephant, so a Rifle shot in the air is good enough to deter them. An occasional Machan is sighted in the middle of the park, probably meant for more adventurous kind of tourists

 

The Lone Rhino

The Sly Devil - reminds me of a Bollywood villian

Sighting a Rhino is pretty easy, you may site at least half a dozen before your hour long tour concludes. Typically shy, getting close to one for a good photo shot was a challenge but we finally managed one. And we were in luck as we also sighted a small herd of Hog Deer at a distance as well as a lone Water Buffalo. Considering the abundance of Water, the grassland is also known to be a refuge for some Known and Unknown Bird species.   

 Given a National park status in 1974, and a World Heritage site in 1985, Asia's premier Rhino sanctuary has now become a rocking success for his future.

Enroute Kaziranga

The landscape changes as you move from the highlands of Meghalaya to the grasslands of Assam. You encounter paddy fields and banana plantations frequently which was a rarity in Meghalaya. The distance from Shillong to Kaziranga is close to 285km and we covered this in our hired Indica in well over 5 hours. Our driver Jamal, mild mannered and uncommunicative as a Cow, had to be frequently coaxed to share with us his knowhow of the land. He does not know English, he use his mother tongue which is a hybrid of Urdu and Bengali and for us Mumbaiites it is very difficult to comprehend and interpret. So we continued to communicate within ourselves

The road is smooth like butter. It offers many beautiful sights – kids playing in the open, men and women toiling in the fields, people idling around their houses. The Houses are typically made of Straw and Mud, investing in infrastructure is a big risk here as the Brahmaputra in full fury washes away scores of households every year. So water was never a scarcity in Assam, every house may well have its own pond and you may see an occasional farmer offering his surplus Fish stock for sale.

It is avoidable to travel by night here as you have a high probability of encountering some wild beast crossing the road and becoming your road kill. Some of the more frequent sights you can observe from your moving car are the Tea Gardens and the Beasts in the grasslands. The grassland view is endless; there are no fences or high walls to obstruct your vision so an occasional Rhino is very easily spotted, its dark thick skin stands out in the green grass. If you are in luck you may also sight the Swamp Deer and a herd of Bison.

The Resort we had booked for our stay – BonHabi was a welcome relief after this long journey; a no frill stay with spacious rooms.   The corridor used to be infested with Beetles at night and we had to tread our way carefully to reach the restaurant. Food is rather cheap and of good quality

The Wood Carver – had set up a small shop near to the Sanctuary. His house was located just behind the shop. The small makeshift gallery had a vast variety of idols, from animals to political figurines and also some Gods and Goddesses. He had visited Bombay for an exhibition some time back and also featured in some newspapers – some cuttings displayed in a Rack were a reminder to this.  A small Wooden Rhino is available for Rs 150/ - bigger Idols cost more. The neatly polished gleaming idol can be a good memento to carry back home

The Tea Garden and Shop - Other than Kaziranga and its scenic beauty, if there is anything else making Assam popular, it is the Tea. A close competitor to Darjeeling and Munnar, Assam tea is just as popular in the Indian subcontinent as well as being exported to all parts of the world. The tea plantations are seen amongst the grasslands at low altitude unlike the hills of Darjeeling. Today, Assam produces more than half of the tea produced in India which is sold through the auction center in Guwahati.  Most of the tea gardens are situated in Jorhat which is called the 'Tea Capital of The World'. Forest have been cleared to make way for more than 850 tea estates and more than 2500 tea gardens in Assam that cover thousands of acres of land. For their scenic beauty, calm and peaceful environment, they have become a great tourist attraction  

Around Sikkim -- 2

Threesome again – A Train, a Zoo and an Institute

There could not be a better place to set up this institute than Darjeeling, considering the fact that it was home to Tenzing Norgay. Established in his honor, the foundation stone of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was laid by the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru on November 4th, 1954 and since then has become a Pilgrimage for all Climbing aspirants and enthusiasts. It has a set of courses for Climbers, both the expert and novice and considering it is one of the few such recognized institutes in the Country; you need to book your seat well in advance.  

At the entrance you are greeted by a sign “May You Climb From Peak To Peak” , the phrase could apply to your life journey as well.  The campus inside is huge with a Museum, Restaurant and Souvenir Shop as well as the College. You could well end up spending a few hours examining the mountaineering paraphernalia in the Museum which gives you an insight on the gear people used while climbing from early days to modern times. The display has various equipments such as ice axes, night apparels, boots, lamps, snow shovels, oxygen cylinders and compasses. It also has a collection of badges of various mountaineering clubs and associations.  The Souvenir shop is also well stocked and be sure to pick up one of their traditional Orange Caps or keychain with the HMI logo on it.

Just a stones throw away from here is the Darjeeling Zoo. India's former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi dedicated this zoo in memory of Padmaja Naidu, the ex Governor of West Bengal and the daughter of Sarojini Naidu.  And it has been known since as the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.  It has a decent collection of animals such as the Sambar Deer, Blue Sheep, Himalayan Tahr, Barking Deer, Goral and Musk Deer. But the main attraction is the Red Panda. Shy and elusive it took us a good measure of time to get close to it for a decent photograph. Other than the Panda you could also get friendly with a large Siberian Tiger who responds to your call every time you call him up. At one shout from our guide, he immediately approached close to the fence, allowing us a close up shot. This in all probability could be the highest altitude zoo in India if not the world and a must see.

Listed amongst the World Heritage sites, the narrow gauge train runs on a 78km stretch from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling. In many places the railway track and road are running at a hairs breadth away, often forcing the Train Driver to use his horn to warn people. The snow-capped Kanchenjunga, panoramic views of nature, with its waterfalls, forests, hills and valleys, everything is an experience when you sit in the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway  

In my childhood I could recollect vivid images of this train in the movie “Aradhana” with Rajesh Khanna on an open Jeep romancing Sharmila Tagore who is returning home while sitting in the same train. The song, with its lilting music composed by S D Burman, had used the Whistle Blast of this train very effectively as its soundtrack as it chugs along the Batasia loop and is recollected with Nostalgia even today in the hills. The lyrics have been inscribed lovingly on the Railway, a sight you can recollect as the highlight of the trip

Around Sikkim

Threesome - A Shrine, a Monastery and a Flower show

Sepoy Harbhajan Singh of the Punjab Regiment went missing while leading a pack of mules from his battalion close to 40 years back. A hunt was launched and they located his body 3 days later in a stream, the cause of his death was probably due to drowning. Soon after, soldiers reported that the Sepoy had appeared in their dreams; some even could see him patrolling the area every night in full uniform, including the enemy across the Border. The shrine, built in his honor, lies on the road to Nathula Pass and is visited by scores of people each day.  Each year in September Baba takes his annual leave and travels back to his hometown in Punjab.   A berth on a train is reserved in his name and a soldier accompanies him on this journey.  

 The Nathula pass is some distance away from here and needs a special permit if you want to visit and see the Red Army across the Border. The weather here is extremely cold and chilly, considering we are at a high altitude so we decided to give it a miss, though the Baba Mandir visit was well worth the time

Rumtek Monastery in Gangtok - The monastery is the largest by far in Sikkim. It is also the home to a multitude of Buddhist monks, the place where they perform sacred rituals and practices of their lineage. The Monastery houses several sacred objects within its complex, and the most magnificent is the Golden Stupa, which contains the precious relics of His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa. Opposite that building is a college for religious studies.  Inside, the spacious, intricately decorated Main Shrine Hall is supported by robust red pillars. Long, silk banners and ancient Thangka Paintings hang from these columns

Housed in the hall on either side of the main shrine is a large set of religious texts. Behind the south wall of the monastery a path leads to the consecrated stupa. At the beginning of the walkway is a steep footpath, lined with prayer flags whose colors symbolize the five elements: blue for iron; white, water; red, fire; yellow, earth; and green, wood. Some are printed with prayers for prosperity and well-being. The flags lend a festive air to the hill. At the top of the hill is the Tenkhar, a small home built for the dharma protectors and local deities.

  

Sikkim is home to around 5,000 species of flowering plants, including rare orchids, Primula & Rhododendrons It also grooms a variety of Bamboo species, Conifers, ferns and medicinal plants. The orchid Dendrobium nobile is the official flower of Sikkim, while the rhododendron is the state tree. International Flower shows are a regular occurrence, though the one we saw was of a much smaller proportion. The venue was near White Hall, not far from Gangtok. Some amazing species of Orchids were on display so also a variety of ferns.

    

More on Sikkim to follow in my next Blog.....

Around Kolkata

Enroute to Sikkim, we took a day long halt in the erstwhile British Capital City for a quick sightseeing.  Our hotel was located close to the river Hooghly in a dilapidated area, made me think that we were better off staying in the Airport waiting area instead. The train for Sikkim was scheduled for the night so we had an entire day at our disposal. We had already made a list of things to see – primarily the Banyan Tree, Victoria Memorial and the Dakshineshwar Temple

Kolkata is subject to a tropical wet-and-dry climate. Summers are hot and humid, and an occasional tourist may find it uncomfortable to move around during daytime in the stifling heat. Ambassador taxis are still in existence here and doing a thriving business, we hired one for the entire day   

Our first stop was the Banyan tree in the Botanical Gardens. The widest tree in the world looks more like a forest than an individual tree and is estimated to be about 200 to 250 years old. It finds mention in the Guinness Book of Records for this. It became diseased after it was struck by lightning, so the main trunk of the tree was pruned to keep it healthy; and it continues to grow day by day spreading its areal roots across the Botanical Gardens

Stop 2 – the Dakshineswar temple dedicated to goddess Kali. The temple, constructed in Navratna style, with 12 spires rises over 100 feet high. There are 12 other temples dedicated to Lord Shiva in the vicinity. The enormous courtyard was thronged by devotees and tourists, today being a weekend. The famed religious thinker Rama Krishna Paramahamsa achieved his spiritual vision here, it must have been indeed a hallowed precinct during his days with the Ganga (Hooghly) flowsing besides the temple. His room, located nearby is open to tourists. Another nearby attraction is the Belur Math which is the headquarters of the Ramkrishna Mission founded by Swami Vivekananda. The architecture of the Temple derives its influence from a number of religions, to convey the "universal faith" in which the movement believes. It has a good Book Store selling Philosophical literature; you may find loads of books on Yoga, Swami Vivekananda and his life and an extensive collection on the Upanishads  

Final destination - The Memorial constructed by Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, on the death of Queen Victoria, a stately, spacious, grand building with an exquisite garden. Sir William Emerson, President of the British Institute of Architects, designed this building, while the work of construction was entrusted to Messrs. Martin & Co. of Calcutta. King George V, the Prince of Wales, laid the foundation stone on January 4, 1906 and it was opened to the public in 1921. The visit proved eventful as we witnessed a Tollywood film being shot here. In Kolkata people idolize Uttam Kumar, but we sighted the other Star who is a Bengali and has gained more popularity in Bollywood instead - Mithun Chakarborty.