THE BOAT RIDE...

The earthy waters of the mighty Beas,

Cradled my rugged boat that day,

I hated the ghirring of the motor engine,

For it downed the lullaby the river crooned for me,

The afternoon sun played hide and seek,

For a change,

Not with the clouds in the sky,

But with the waves around me,

The den and the hiders remained busy,

Oblivious to the millions of sparkling diamonds

Floating around,

For they knew,

That these could only be stolen in memories,

That could fill many a sack and rack,

That could be cherished without any fear,

Today, tomorrow and forever!

The pair of pied kingfishers,

Frolicked in front of my boat,

And then settled on that delicate reed just across,

Swinging wildly at intervals,

Deliberately wetting their tails,

Every time the reed bent down into the waters below!

The engine suddenly grumbled and stopped,

Indicating that we were now in shallow waters,

And the silt was eager to get ashore,

By clinging on to their friendly boat,

I smiled at my luck,

As the oars made their way into the chilly waters,

Like little children,

Shivering fearfully before taking their baths,

On those winter mornings!

The gulls and the coots swarmed around,

The large egrets too craned their necks,

For the familiar sound of the engine,

Had been replaced by the rasping sound of the wooden oars,

Slapping the waters around and below,

A flock of crows cawed in the skies above,

Eager to get home after a hard day away,

 I wondered why I was in no hurry at all,

Was it because those diamonds had already been stolen,

As the evening had fallen,

But then I had my pockets full,

Of memories of their uncountable numbers jostling around,

May be because I knew,

That I had still many riches to gather,

For the moon and the stars were still to appear,

May be another day,

Another evening I said to myself,

As my boat sailed ashore,

Away from the loving cradle of the mighty Beas!

(Pratima Srivastava)

My trip to Corbett National Park

A trip to Corbett National Park last weekend gave me an opportunity to unwind in nature’s lap, far away from the maddening city life and a perfect getaway for a person like me, for whom nature is the best and the ultimate teacher. It has the knack of teaching the most complicated of things in the most subtlest of ways, leaving an imprint that stays long, sometimes for a lifetime. The journey from Chandigarh to Ramnagar, though a bit long and tedious, via Dehradun and Haridwar, was spread over 2 days and was quite enjoyable as I thrive to prefect the art of enjoying the journey instead of focussing only on the destination. The Nahan-Paonta Sahib route continues to charm me, even after my umpteen number of visits on the same, as it always throws up a new corner of the forest with a flowering tree, at its brilliant best, or a view rendered anew by the cloud and foliage combination of multiple hues, diverse species, zonation and the difference created by the sun facing and the sheltered slopes of the hillside.

Haridwar’s  religious importance not withstanding, there is something in the city which touches every  soul, how the ice cold waters of the mighty Ganga flowing at tremendous speed retain the chillness even after its long journey from the distant Gangotri glacier amazes me no end and all my knowledge of science fails me surprisingly, but I don’t mind at all, for some things need to be mystical in order to retain their charm! The mellifluous sound of the evening arti at the Har ki Paidi, didn’t allow me to remain inside my room in the rest house and I felt drawn by an invisible force and before I could realise, I stood on the ghat, watching the reflections of the uncountable arti lamps shimmer in the holy river in the fast current, coupled with the myriad leaf boats full of vibrant marigolds and the perfumed roses, and  diyas, floating on the waves, carrying the wishes of the pilgrims to their desired deities. A majestic break preceding the journey ahead.

The next day, the 200 odd km road journey to Ramnagar, though was not as beautiful in terms of the route, with the highway passing through the small towns  and villages  big and small, but  was interesting no doubt as my fellow road users ensured that there was not a moment of dullness in the travel. Sometimes a bus honking behind continuosly forcing the tyres of my vehicle, to glide to the katcha pavement for obvious safety, sometimes a motorbike rider deciding to become our unwanted escort zooming straight out of the side road to inches ahead of the bonnet, at times a bicyclewala, indulging in a tyre salsa tantalisingly close to the wheels, not to speak of the innumerable privately constructed invisible speed-breakers jolting the occupants of the rear seat from their blissful slumbers! The landscape too varied with patches of barren lands interspersed with those full of sugarcane culms swaying in the searing heat, with fields being readied for the paddy transplantation, monsoon willing; vast expanses of yellow blossom of the ladyfinger and the cucurbits.....and the occasional stretches laden with the undefinable smell emanating from a not too distant sugar mill led us to Ramnagar.

Our first stop, the Ramnagar office of the Corbett Tiger Reserve, was filled with curious tourists, rushing from window to window, collecting their passes and permits to enable them to enter the Core zone of the reserve, the Mecca of nature lovers...Dhikala! An olive green open gypsy became our companion, vowing to be with us for the next 3 days in our adventure in the wild, with the harried driver sounding the first alarm, we were soon to get in the home of the animal kingdom, and the privileged right of way was entirely theirs, and everyone had to behave accordingly, to rule out any chance of offending them or inviting their ire. The 20 km drive or the ride to the Dhangari gate in the afternoon sun, with the sun God in a totally unrelenting mood had us busy in discovering innovative methods of protecting our heads and bodies, with only the trees providing a few welcome seconds of respite intermittently.

 Once inside the gate, the magic of Corbett took over; the dense canopy of the trees ensured that the ensuing two hour journey was pleasant....the herds of cheetals hiding behind the bushes, the beautiful sambars looking rather perplexed at the sight of aliens staring at them from close quarters, the monkeys jumping from one branch to the next, and the occasional barking deer scampering into the bushes. The winding road, the uneven terrain and the quietness associated with the afternoon forest, kept us totally engaged and we reached the Dhikala tourist complex, to be greeted by a stunning yellow amaltash (Cassia fistula) in full bloom near the entry gate! Surprisingly the 250 odd km journey had not tired anyone and the evening safari had all excited and eager passengers ready before time, armed with caps, the cameras, the water bottles and the binoculars; the kids ready for their first real lessons in the wild. And what a safari it turned out to be, just at a stones throw from the complex, an elephant herd crossed our track, and it was quite a task suppressing the children’s  superexcited states to levels of hushed whispers! The safari continued well into the twilight with sightings of many more elephant groups, feathered beauties in abundant shapes, sizes and colours, spotted deer and barking deer groups in a state of perpetual preparedness for escape. The journey back to the complex showed the the brilliant colours of  the pristine forest at dusk with the fading light giving each corner a totally different hue. As the night fell and darkness engulfed the area, the silence of the woods manifested magnificently leaving those having the  intent lending their ears to the singing cicadas and other creatures. The view of the river bank at night from the window of my room,too was spectacular with the white sand shimmering in the soft moonlight and the sweet sound of silence pervading the hot and sultry night.

Early morning and evening safaris the next day too were equally rewarding; sightings of the deer groups with their fawns, the barking deer alerting its friends with continuous animated and impatient calls, the eager wait at strategic points to catch a glimpse of the king of Corbett, the beautiful birds giving constant company all along particularly the emerald doves and the paradise fly catchers justifying the park’s billing as the bird watcher’s paradise!! The blue waters of the park’s lifeline, the Ramganga, too presented a few unforgettable moments of absolute delight, as they let us enjoy the sights of animals quenching their thirsts,  in a state of alertness, fearing an ambush by their predator any minute.

As all good things come to an end, so our trip too had to, but the thrill, the absolute joy and the moments of super-excitement it provided have been deeply etched in our memories. The journey back to Ramnagar too was filled with many sightings but the one image which stands apart is the sight of the lone tusker standing on the banks of the river playfully frollicking  in its crystal clear water, sometimes drinking sometimes splashing it all around !

Diversity on the roads - buses

A fairly long road journey undertaken a few days back in the searing heat was driving me mad, so, I decided to cheat the neuromotor service  to that part of the brain which deals with the heat perception by concentrating on my fellow road users and the vehicles, mainly the buses. First come the outright khataras....those with broken windows, delicately and innovatively plastered shattered glasses, anatomy revealing seats, leaking roofs and with tangled and mangled exterior speaking volumes of the ill treatment meted out to them by the owners , next come those which are on the brink of attaining khatarahood....with doors and windows dangling dangerously on the passersby and the travellers, the seats though externally intact, internally down to the last suspension of spring and jute, and also the exterior architecture generated by a few pukish passengers, just beneath the windows telling tales of the low levels of hygiene consciousness of the driver and cleaners...next in line are the deluxe ones with polished and chic exteriors but the curtains hanging from the windows proclaim loudly that a visit to the laundry is long overdue, the reclining seats become totally obstinate and non-obedient when it comes to obeying the command of the tired traveller hurriedly trying to catch a few winks....the AC coaches come next having the services offered displayed in bold, the cold water, the individual lights, the music, but to partake the luxury even of cold water from the water cooler perched precariously atop the wooden stool in front involves a walk down the aisle which would put many in the catwalk world to shame!. and the AC obeys only the telepathic commands sent secretly only by the driver keeping in view his mileage and the ever galloping cost of petrol........then come the swanky new breed of the Mercedes benz buses zipping past you, without even a traveller peeping through the window...wonder if the comfortable interior and the lullabys rock everyone to sleep immediately after boarding it, …the snobbish driver threatens to take off every now and then and keeps on the road only because the conductor is around, and if there is a split second delay in giving it the privileged right of way, the stare of the drivers itself can make a few kills....if the big wheels are generous  enough to let the lesser mortals alive...

Summer : My Impressions

With the summer slowly heading towards its peak, and our artificial luxury sources sometimes taking a rest in the form of breakdowns, the only solace I seek is a refreshing walk outside where I get to gaze at some of natures unique and ethereal creations....as I step out, I am greeted by the enflaming crimson gulmohar, which seems to have gone mad,  the greater the heat, the more the bloom , it seems to say, pushing the green foliage down to minimal and only on the fringes; the stunning yellow cassia with its eye-catching pendulous spikes, without even a  tinge of green,.... can a soul passby it  without experiencing a few moments of absolute bliss....the jacaranda too with its purple cringed flowers though not so, bold and beautiful, meets my eye, just enough to, leave an impression .....that will not be as easy to brush away. A few yards ahead, the mango and the litchi trees laden with fruits still to ripen, attract a motley crowd of street urchins and the privileged, competing with each other, in collecting the maximum number, using , sticks and stones, with the more daring ones  risking a hurried climb onto the trunk too. The lonely jamun, full of sweet scented lemon yellow blossom stands in the company of the straggling mulberry, which is now totally bereft of the juicy fruits borne on the branches nearer to the ground, and which were within reach of one and all, is now catering only to the appetite of its feathered friends, resting and roosting on its upper branches..Further ahead, inside the park, kids and adults of all ages vie for the verdant spaces,....a few younger ones staring and blinking from their cosy little moving abodes , the prams...the slightly older ones smile from ear to ear as they slide down those colourful installations in the centre...the giggle of the kindergarten ones too echoes around spreading joy and laughter on an otherwise  warm and sultry evening...and imbibing the good cheer and the spirit, are the old and not so old walking, jogging and strolling at their own paces, looking to carry the positive vibes home..helping them get over their problems big and small...