Our trek- route to MUTHODI--
Valley of Bamboos.....
.wateristherootoflife.
This is a brief anecdote of my thrilling experience at the Bhadra national park- the haunt of the Maharajah of the forest- the Tiger.All of us seem to under- estimate the beauty and power of nature..NEVER do that again!! A forest is just like an enchanting garden...god` s own courtyard.
We reached the place somewhere around two in the afternoon..and took our keys. Our room was a simple looking, but beautiful cottage just opposite the yound Bhadra river, as a little brook. It was a BEAUTIFUL scene...the brook sparkled as it made the netted sunbeam dance...the sound it made as it flowed over the rocks w
as..chitter, chatter....something like that.
The sweet water gratified out thirst. Then we had a gratifying lunch- rice, sambar, beans curry....but there was no curd...quite peculiar- because in a forest area, curd is almost a luxury, due to the tough living conditions.
We climbed onto the safari jeep, expecting a great surprise that evening at five....but not much was cooking in the woods....no tiger...only some noisy Giant Squirrels (not bad!), a few Muntjac- Barking deer, some Sambar (not the food item!!) stags & some cheetal (spotted deer). It was a bumpy ride....we spotted elephant tracks that evening.
Despite the safari being fruitless, we were happy with the deer.
That night, we left for Seegekhan. It is a beautiful place- with another trek route of its own-- it goes deep into the Bamboo forests and into the dense canopies of Teak & Nanda trees that flourish there....a remarkable place indeed!!!
HERE COMES THE FUN!!!!!
!!nighttimeismyfavouritetime!!
The very next day we set out back to base
camp- to Muthodi at sharp 5:00 am....Why? For another fruitless safari ride through the forest. We spotted the same animals-
except a beautiful peacock..he took a glare at us and then made a dash for it- frightened & cross at being disturbed by athe annoying sound of a safari vehicle. I was just lucky to get his shot. The road was bumpy...but with full four wheel drive- we felt like on cushions!! The road could` ve done some SERIOUS damage to an ordinary carlike the WAGON R we had with us!
The guide showed us a giant teak tree- the oldest in all of the Muthodi wildlife reserve. We reached our base camp (by the chattery river) and the guide told us to have breakfast quickly...why?? Because we were about to have the adventure of a lifetime!! We quickly had Breakfast. We were about to set out on a Spine chilling walk through the forest.
Our journey began at a small opening near the bushes, where the forest guards had built their homes- a tough life I must say!! The backyards of these makeshift homes have always been the haunt of several animals- tigers, deer, wild boar, peacocks, giant squirrels, wild dogs, gaur and elephants...the elephants had caused quite a ruckus the night before, at Seegekhan-- they had uprooted trees and hurled them onto the sides of the road. Back to our trek..it was quite exciting... the ringals or hill bamboos creaked above our heads.
Every single dry leaf under our feet cruched crispily as we made our way in. The first animals we spotted were- SPOTTED DEER!!!! How boring! They have become a cliche' in my story. When we closed in, the animals were startled by the sound of crunching leaves..they made a sprint for it- squeaking and grunting weakly. A few paces away, we saw fresh tiger scat (droppings)... The only other sound I heard other than the crunching of the leaves under my feet was the thumping of my heart..
We then reached yet another river..there was a beautiful bridge....a natural bridge- it was a large tree..i wish you could see it! We crossed the river by the means of that bridge. Then we did some detective work- there was wet soil on the banks of the river....and the tracks of a very large animal indeed!! The tracks belonged to the forest giant- the Elephant!!!
We then found the fresh scat of an Elephant..followed the tracks further into the forests-- the guard actually said that one survival tip in the woods if you have no food is to search for seed- like lumps in the scat of an elephant...and EAT it!! Disgusting, but far better than starvation! We then saw lots of gooseberries or amla, as we call it lying on the ground, below a tree of the same. then we enjoyed shaking and stoning down Amlas from the canopy of the tree...and eating them! It was so much fun! I noticed that the Bark was scrapped and was still Moist!! The guard said that this was the job of a bull elephant.
We continued on our stroll- the air was pure...the dew was still on the leaves and the flowers- it was as pure and clean as a child` s mind. The forest was a beauty to behold!! The birds from above seemed to call us from the green canopies- Come..join us! The forest is a second wonderland!! If Alice were here, she would be Spellbound by the Beauty and Charm of the wilderness.
Somewhere in the front, there was a potentially dangeroous beast...we heard a faint rustle and then a cracking noise--like that of breaking wood...the guard grew cautious and pulled us back- it was a Bull Elephant- king of the forests of Muthodi..he had seen the guard & was extremely agitated. He welcomed us with an angry groan....and then a trumpet. We were taken by extreme shock and surprise. He was only a few metres away-definitely not pleased! He had made up his mind- we were not welcome there. We were armed with no gun...only a Samsung Digimax Camera. Luckily for us, there had been a thick cover of vegetation, so we could hide. We slowly walked backwards, in a way not to make His Majesty anxious....We dared not to take a photograph. All that we could see now was a broken tree and His trunk strecthing out to destroy another. He then disappeared in the green beyond, grunting with satisfaction..that gave us a good reason to disappear too! With Him gone, what else would we do there?!!
We went to another river after departing from the king. That river too had a great challenge to us..a little beast with no proper body design- I HATE him for the fact that he is so annoying...no one but the famous INDIAN LEECH!!! I was the first to get bitten, but I managed to get him off me.
Then we went back to base camp...I would have a WONDERFUL story to tell all my friends...of my very own wonderland- and how I lost myself in it..(not literally)...and how it snatched away my mind.
This is the picture of the dense forest at Seegekhan. Darkened due to two reasons- due to the onset of the evening and the dense canopy above the floor.
- Our place of dwelling during these few days was the Inspection Bungalow at Seegekhan. It was a beautiful place to behold.. we rose early to witness the golden rays of the Sun sweep the earth. The sunrise was the best part there.
- In the nights, eerie sounds made by residents of the forests could be heard: Tigers calling, Sambar stags belling, Leopards groaning and moaning in sheer, desperate attempts to repel strangers or to save their kills....and not to forget......the enormous Elephants commuting....we were in the midst of an elephant corridor. It was then the month of December- quite a dry month. In South India, we never have winter, due to the fact that we are on a peninsula, not far from the ocean. The ocean has a moderating effect. But still, the nights are very cold and the day temperature changes drastically- days are extremely hot, and the nights are chill..Entering the jungle at this time is a risk you` d never wish to take.
This is the Inspection Bungalow where we had stayed for Three days.
In the mornings, it is never shocking to find a tree, which was steady and strong the previous day, uprooted and thrown on the ground, as I have mentioned earlier- Muthodi is an elephant corridor. While we were asleep, the Jumbos had destroyed atlest a dozen trees that we had known for the past two days, even one which was a few hundred yards away from the Bungalow. The eerie sounds that we heard the previous day were those made by the elephants, indeed!!
We trekked in the wilderness at Seegekhan. We had only Thrill....not a single beast...not even much of a deer! I collected Specimen of certain Fruits and leaves indigenous to the area- for they possessed certain medical qualities. That would give me a good reason for research!! The woods began with a thick Ringal (hill bamboo) forest. After a mile or two, it gradually developed into a rainforest- type. The ringal forests are hideouts of tigers and leopards, but no luck today! The last time we saw a Wild Tiger was on a rainy day in the neighbouring hills of Kemmanagundi...when we never expected even a rat to show up on the road!! Now, when we had expected a tiger, not even one beast bothered to show himself to us!
We saw a beautiful spring at the end of our trek route- I relished the sweet taste it possessed. Fresh and young, this spring would increase in girth as it rushes down the slopes....ultimately quenching the thirst of not only the flora and fauna of Muthodi, but also hundreds of people who make their homes here.
It was growing darker. We turned back. On returning to the Inspection Bungalow, we went through the pictures and videos we had clicked- at Seegekhan we had trekked for atleast 18 km, without the least trace of exhaustion- this fact is what distinguishes a walk in the forest from a walk in the city...had it been in the city, one would have lost all energy that he had..
Having witnessed the sights and sounds of the routines of a few animals in the forest, we were geared up to move on to our next destination- The nearby hills of Kemmanagundi. We packed our bags and moved on. The hill- folk who assisted us during our three- day stay bade farewell to us...we went on to Mallandoor- it was Christmas day- December the twenty fifth, 2008!
Other than the Several LORES OF THE JUNGLE, we have a lot to learn from the simple, sturdy hill- folk here. Despite living in tough conditions, without the basic facilities such a medicine, they have learned to live peacefully in the Jungle with a sense of satisfaction that their venture to save the multitude of Flora & fauna of the woods have been fruitful. They live on with the hope that their children and grandchildren do the same....provide the country with a greener tomorrow.
a b c d e f g h i j k l m
