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 !
