Kanha National Park

We chose the worst week of the year to land up in Kanha National Park. The whole world was there, or so it seemed, to see the tigers. With 150 Jeeps criss crossing the reserve, not to speak of the racket that their occupants were causing, it wasn't hard to understand how the poor animals must have felt. They decided to do a no-show! Disappointing as that was, the trip was otherwise great. Kanha is 2000 plus square kms of dense forest in the heart of India. Magnificent in its sweep and mysterious in its silence, the forest beckons all true seekers. We stayed at this wonderful forest retreat called 'The Baagh', on the periphery of the national park. The quality of the accomodation, excellent home like food and above all, the outstanding hospitality, made our stay truly memorable. The more I see of this great country the greater the yearning to see more of it. India is truly incredible. We made a brief stop in Jabalpur to take in the Marble Rocks as well. Here are a few pictures from the trip.


Barasingha or Swamp deer



White-throated Kingfisher



Stonechat



Greater Coucal



Sunrise at Kanha National park



Chilly winter morning, Gudma village, MP



Indian Roller or Bluejay



Hanuman Langur



Magnificent Male Sambar



Majestic Indian Bison



Dhuandhar, near Jabalpur- Narmada's splendour



Marble Rocks,Bhedaghat,MP

Caught Red Handed or should I say Red mouthed??

Black and orange flycatcher- Isn't she beautiful?

MIRAGE

And so the day wore on
And slowly evening turned to night
The rain added to the gloom
As he sank deeper into the depths
The past seemed a distant dream
The future a thin mirage

There had been friends
They had come and gone
Like the western wind
They had blown but awhile
The past grew dimmer in the mind’s eye
The future, an elusive streak in the sky

Time was when he aimed for the heavens
Time was when he reached for the stars
But the times, they passed on
And he settled for lesser heights
The past is lost in the mists of time
The future…………. ………….

The many moods of Mother Ganga

Return to Mother Ganga

Serene, ethereal, awe-inspiring, she descends majestically from her home in the magnificent Himalayas, the abode of Shiva, the playground of the gods. The sun glints off her as she wends her way past river bank settlements and centuries old temples that dot the landscape in what the natives call 'Dev Bhoomi'- The land of the gods. Her facets are many. Somewhere a gentle, soothing giver of life, elsewhere a playful, gurgling child; a raging torrent who brooks no stopping, an angry mother who has been wronged. And how she gives voice to her many moods. From the gentle murmur as she glides along, to her rippling laughter in the rapids or her husky rumble as she skims the rocks and her mighty roar as she thunders down deep gorges. And what of her timeless beauty, her life sustaining benevolence or the eternal joy she bestows on all who seek her? As I lie with my head on her lap, at this darkest of hours for India, I wonder what must be going through her mind. On the surface she seems all calm, but she must grieve that this blessed land has been drenched by the blood of her innocent children, yet again. She must grieve that her brave sons gave their lives fighting to protect their motherland. She must grieve that the giants of intellect and righteousness who ruled this once proud land have given way to mere men of straw. As she changes from aquamarine green to a murky brown and then to a brooding grey, I can sense her sorrow, the unspeakable grief of a mother who has nurtured life from the beginning of time, a mother who has seen thousands of her valiant children die on distant battlefields, only for their mortal remains to be brought back to her. She grieves as only a mother can. And yet, she must carry on. For she is the eternal giver of life, the timeless symbol of hope. She alone can wash away the blood stains from our hearts and souls; she alone can wipe away the tears of a grieving nation. Mother Ganga, she flows ever on.

The Beat Goes On

The snows melt to welcome the spring

Blossoms dance and robins sing

Here someone is dying, there a child is born

And so the beat goes on………….

Childhood’s dreams give way to youth

Yesterday’s lies are today’s truths

Here it is dusk, there it is dawn

And so the beat goes on……………

Autumn’s leaves are on the ground

The trees are bare and the birds are gone

Here the gloom is settling, there the mist is rising

And so the beat goes on…………

And thus life trudges drearily on

The eyes are weary and the heart forlorn

Somewhere someone is crying, somewhere someone is laughing

And so the beat………………