Bhagsu Nag - More than just the temple

“Aapko mandir nahi jaana? Theek hai, mat jaiye. Par waterfall dekhne to jaiye! (You don’t want to go to the temple? that’s ok, but at least go to see the waterfall)” insisted our driver as he dropped us off at the parking lot of the Bhagsu Nag Temple. The three of us walked slowly along the narrow path, paying more attention to the stalls that lined it, Samhith grumbling that we had just started our trip, and were already breaking rule no. 1. “No Temples”.

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A Glimpse into our Dharamsala Experience in 20 photos

From the jungles of Tadoba in Nagpur, Maharashtra, our Summer Trip next took us to the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. We spent a little over three days in Dharamsala, driving around, exploring the region, with just one caveat – no temples; at least, not big, popular, crowded ones. That was a promise we had made to Samhith, since this was part of his birthday trip! Much as I enjoy visiting temples, this was one decision we did not regret, since there was so much more to see! 

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The Tadoba Experience

- Some Thoughts and Information

You have read about all the animals and birds we saw at Tadoba, and our trysts with the tigers. Most of you have been asking for information about booking of safaris and accommodation. I chose to keep the earlier posts free of information, and just about my experiences, so here is one final, detailed post before I end the Tadoba series, with a few of my thoughts and some information which may help you plan your own trip. So, Read on..... 

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Birds of Tadoba - A Photo Post

Criss-crossing the jungle in search of the tiger, it was birds that we most often came across. I have already written about some of the birds we saw, but there were so many more, that I decided that a photo-post was in order, to show you just how many there are! And these are just the few I managed to capture on camera... there were many, many more, that I didn't. 

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Our Trysts with the Tigers at Tadoba - Part 2

Our first encounter with the Tiger at Tadoba came after a long wait, but it was a memorable one. Read all about it here before you read on.

Our hopes were high the next day, but the clouds continued to hover, and the tigers remained hidden. Once again, we alternately rushed through different parts of the jungle, and waited at water holes and ponds. No tiger appeared. Drivers we passed had suggestions, but none had sighted one yet. Our guide decided to make a second round of the water holes, and at one, we found a crowd. A tiger had appeared, but it had remained within the grass, and was fast asleep.

We wondered at the sense and logic of simply waiting for the tiger to awake, and probably disturbing it with all the noise that would be the inevitable result of multiple jeeploads of people waiting. But our driver and guide were hopeful. We should wait, they insisted, and we obeyed. The flies were especially irksome, and I found myself wondering if the tiger was indeed still hidden within the grass, or if it had moved away stealthily. Our guide borrowed my camera, and, zooming in, showed me what appeared to be a slight glimpse of orange amidst the yellow and green of the grass. The tiger was still here, he insisted, and we settled down to wait.

Camouflage.. Can you see the tiger hidden in the grass? 

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Our Trysts with the Tigers at Tadoba - Part 1

“We saw a male tiger crossing the path!” “We saw a female with her cubs!” Such were the exclamations which greeted us on our arrival at Tadoba, by fellow guests who had just returned from their morning safari. From what we heard, it appeared to be their 5^th or 6^th safari, all within the core zone, and, each time, they seemed to have had amazing sightings of that elusive animal – the Tiger. Ours was a short trip, barely 3 safaris in the core zone, and wondered if we would be as lucky. “Don’t worry, Madam, sightings have been good” assured our driver as well as our guide, as we set out on our first foray into the forest.

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In Search of the Tiger, at Tadoba

“There are 65 Tigers in this forest” was how every guide began his introduction to the forests of Tadoba, or to give it its full name - the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. They knew most of the Tigers/ Tigresses by name, and were relatively sure of which ones could be seen, in which portions of the forest. We heard all about the amazing sights they had seen, of tigers of course, and the great deeds done by the heroes of the jungles; yes, tigers again. It was evident that the other animals were only secondary. This was, after all, a tiger reserve, and people came here to see tigers; us included. This focus on tigers, and the single minded dedication to spot them, led to some amusing, as well as some not-so-amusing moments during our three day stay at Tadoba… but I am getting ahead of the story, so join me as I re-live our jaunts through the jungle, in search of the tiger!

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