Ulhas Valley Trek...Khandala........All about TIMING..

Have you ever wondered why sometimes our world seems a lot smaller than we think? A lot of things fall into place, a series of events happen in such a manner as if GOD wrote the perfect script for you. The sequence of these events make you think they are so meant to be. You start linking them with one another. And you feel it couldn’t have been better than this.

Something similar happened to me, which I realised on a Sunday morning When I was watching the opening episode of the season seven of the popular series ‘How I met your Mother’ on my laptop. As I waited for the video stream to buffer, I got a like notification on one of my photos on facebook.  I checked the photo which was from a trek that I went in June 2012. My mind got so muddled with the memories of the trek that, I started flipping through the photos with the episode playing in parallel.

 It took me back to May 2012 when I was discussing with one of my friends Tarun, about a trek that we were planning. It was a tough task and by no means could we convince anyone to come out for a trek in May when one can easily loose a litre of sweat just by standing in the sun for 15 minutes. But we took our chance with the Sunday of 10^th June 2012 backing ourselves, based on the forecasts of mild showers on 5^th ,6^th  and 7^th June. Moreover the destination that we planned for was Ulhas Valley at Khandala that had a history of having tender waterfalls even in March, so little did we care even if it wouldn’t rain. We decided on the date and Tarun who was the organizer was left with the task of calling our other friends. Interestingly, he managed to convince 16 other people to come for the trek and got me so excited when he informed me about it over the phone.

“That’s chemistry” said the character of Lily…..Maybe it was the chemistry.

The chemistry of our group, when it comes to trekking….that even without knowing or being sure about any chances of rains around, people were ready and enthusiastic about the trek. But having said that I have to give due credit to the marketer Tarun, who obviously must have lied a lot to the people...to make up their minds.
It was the onset of monsoon 2012 and the weather had gone through a miraculous change from 5 to 6 days and as forecasted there were small showers around early June 2012.  Many times we crib about the forecasts being wrong but this time I have to give full marks to the Regional Meteorological Centre of Mumbai.

The day arrived and for me it started at 4.30 am when I woke up to see the wet streets from the window of my bedroom with cool breeze coming from the outside dark. The initial list of 18 was now down to 12 after a few last minute drop-outs, still a good number. I was with my friend Suman and her cousins Bhagyashree and Shubhangi who were on their first trek. I thought of giving some gyan for the first timers , but I had little chance to do that as I myself was late by half an hour.We took the train at Dombivli Station, which took us to Dadar Railway Station where we had decided to gather on the East side near Swaminarayan Mandir. From a distance we caught sight of Mihir & Tony with warm smiles to welcome us. Amar seemed a little worried maybe he thought we were all getting late. Meeta was as usual in between a conversation with Tarun, who was actually on the phone coordinating with another friend Chanda who was on her way. Zohan stood in his fullest gear of Fashionable and Light slippers that he uses for treks. We had all met after a long time so took out time meeting each other. Meanwhile as Chanda would make her way, I and Tarun went at the Dadar TT to take a sumo, which we booked for a negotiated sum of 2000 Rs. for a one way ride which seemed pretty fair for 12 people. But getting 11 people plus the Driver in a sumo was a herculean task which we somehow managed to do, after spending a good 10 minutes or so on permutations and combinations and finally getting a hard talk from the driver, most of us are MBAs you see.  Only one member Rohit was to board at Panvel, but we didn’t have the slightest of the clue, how would he do so.

The journey began at about 8.00 am and the weather was helping our cause as it was overcast. We tried to console the couple of new members Shubhangi & Bhagyashree, that we travel better than this normally. Both of them said they were ok but their faces carried a look full of disbelief. The devil in us was now thinking of asking Rohit not to come as there was no space in the vehicle, but he had reached the spot on time where we were to pick him up. So there was another round of discussions and we again wrapped ourselves into the sumo. As we passed by, many other peaks near Panvel caught our sight and we started re-living and sharing memories of those treks, apart from Meeta ’s non-stop chat inside the sumo. It started raining pretty heavily and got cooler, much needed inside the packed sumo.Within no time we reached the food court where we waited for a little break. A further journey of about an hour came to an end at the Khandala exit where we got down and paid the driver the money.

The Ulhas Valley View from the Top, Khandala  (Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla)

We started walking towards the St. Mary School which has the approach road to the Ulhas Valley. It has huge flat ground which gives a good sighting of the valleys and nearby express way with vehicles in good numbers.

  The Bungalows on the Hills around the Ulhas Valley, Khandala.  (Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla)

On the hills are the series of fat bungalows which enjoy the scenic views of this beauty of nature. At this place we celebrated the birthday of Tarun, thanks to Meeta who had brought a sweet and yummy chocolate cake for him.

Birthday Celebrations (Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla)

We ourselves got into such a bad shape after the travel and how could we expect the cake to be. It was all melted and screwed but was good enough to be cut into pieces and with the sweet sweet taste retained.

It was around 10.00 am and we thought of starting the trek by taking the ritual picture pointing towards the target. Interestingly this was different from all our previous treks as it was to start with the descend first. So we pointed downwards.

 The ritual pic pointing towards the Lakshya - Downwards  

The Path formed by Weathered Rocks (Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla)

The path into the valley is full of rocks weathered by the streams of the falling water. It helps a trekker as many of the rock have patches to hold on to and one can a get a good grip on those.It was quite easy for us at the start of the trail where we moved swiftly for half an hour or so. At this point we met the first real rocky patch which was 15 ft high and we started devising various ways to make through it. It was a good test of our technique as well as the ability to control our bodies. Each one of us here had to stretch our muscles to achieve just that extra bit needed here. I had not carried the rope which I usually do in treks and was feeling the pinch of it.

A 15 Ft. high rock patch

Nevertheless, it’s a human ingenuity to cope with situations where we are limited by options and we did just that. Now although the weather was on our side, but after that effort we needed a bit of energy and recharged ourselves with water at that point. After a few minutes further down, we met a couple other such rock patches each of those tested ourselves in peculiar ways. 

A narrow passage through the rocks

We also passed through a small cavity below a rock which was our path almost like a filter and the flexibility of our bodies was put to test. 

All along the path there were many crabs, some dead, some alive, an option of food in case we get lost or stuck here, is what we thought and joked about. I am sure Bear Grylls would have easily gulped in a few by the walk, if he were here.

A healthy Alive crab

By now the view of the bottom streams was becoming clearer and we knew we were close as the continuous sound of the waterfall started hitting our ears in the silence. Slowly it had got overcast and we could see darker clouds above us. The express way with all vehicles was now quite a distance above us. Suddenly just as we passed the final rocky patch it started raining. Before some of us could get our wind cheaters out we had got substantially wet. It was practically the first real rain this monsoon for most of us so we didn’t bother. But it was only a passing shower which lasted only for a minute or too, and as it got over we moved further down. Another 15 minutes of descend and we were at the bottom of the valley. All of us were so eager to feel the waters that we took our shoes off to wet our feet. But the next thing that happened was beyond everybody’s imagination.

 “When you have chemistry then you need only one thing, its timing”, said the     character of Robin.

A Cool Moment in the water streams

And Boy it was SHEER TIMING. Just as we had finished the descend with tired bones and muscles, the Rain Gods welcomed us with a pouring shower. It was so heavy and quick that we only somehow managed to get our mobiles and wallets in the bags under a small cave inside a rock thanks to Tarun for discovering the same. Boy he is so much made for this habitat. Having done that, it was time to go wild into the nature and I moved into the stream to find a place to lie down. It was a moment worth the effort. The cold water flowing along your body and the rain from above adding to it. It was June, yeah it was. All the body drain in the heat of the summer was over.  It was the natural Jacuzzi for reliving all the stress of your body. It was Fortune at the Bottom of not exactly a pyramid, but a Hill you can say.

Crossing the Water Stream (Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla)

After enjoying there for a few minutes we decided to move further towards the water fall. As we got out of the water we started feeling freezing cold. I came up with the idea of laughing to generate heat in my body and Tony & Mihir joined me. We seemed like total idiots but it worked big time. The intensity of the shower had now reduced a little bit. The path towards the waterfall was along a small pond formed due to water which had slowed down a bit. It was very slippery and we helped each other out in the whole exercise. We further moved to a spot where one can get a good view of the waterfall which appeared a bit frightening to start with. So we were in a dilemma whether to approach its base or not.

The Pond at the base which leads to the Waterfall (Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla)

After checking out watches we decided that we had enough time so a few of us proceeded towards the base of the waterfall. The water was quite muddy maybe because of the first real rains. It was also mushy and there was a froth formed at the base which made us realize it wasn’t good to get wet into that and we moved back to our spot. Interestingly by now the rain had stopped and all of us were re-gathering ourselves after the eventful past couple of hours, sitting on the cold rocks, breathing in the fresh air, feeling ever so close to nature.

A  Moment of Solace at the Base of the Valley (Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla)

We decided to find a place to have lunch and got our bags out of the caves where we had kept the bags dry, well almost dry. It was an interesting exercise where we formed a chain and passed the bags along it.

The Bag Passing exercise (Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla)

Our power packed lunch was a great variety of multicultural cuisine with sandwiches, alu parathas, fried rice, theplas and chutneys, pickles and what not thanks to all the Moms for such a great effort as early as 4.00 am and that too on a Sunday morning. That’s why Moms rock, totally.  After such a filling lunch it was time for a little nap for 15 minutes as we had decided to start the climb at 3.00 p.m.

Just Before lunch

While most of us were asleep Tarun and Meeta discovered a little snake in the water where we had spent our last hour. At first I thought it was a sort of prank and neglected it. But later I lost the 500 bucks bet with Tarun when I actually saw the head of the small snake just above the water level dwindling as we approached closer. It was a weird feeling at the start as it appeared totally harmless. But the realization that there was a snake in the pond where we were sauntering for last hour or so was enough to send a tremor through our spine. But as Amar quoted “laziness overcomes fear” and it was the case with some members the likes of Chanda who did not take the snake part all that seriously.Moreover, the beautiful view of the water streams was worth spending the time just looking at it and relaxing.

A Beautiful View created by the Water streams in the Valley (Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla)

Finally at about 3.00 p.m. we set ourselves for the ascend, something new in this particular trek. Climbing up is usually easier than going down maybe because it happens first and also because you don’t look into the valley while climbing up. But with reasonably tired limbs and rocks that were slippery due to the rains, it made our climb a little harder than expected.

The Climb

In addition to that the spots of rock patches where we had a little exercise coming down had now turned into micro-waterfalls with small streams of water. Our climb at each of these three spots began with a team talk and strategy devised most times by Tarun who was leading the way upwards. The last of these patches was the toughest one that created many anxious moments for each one of us. But one by one guiding each other we managed to cross that hurdle, kudos to 'A HELLUVA TEAM EFFORT.' 

The toughest Slippery Rock patch (Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla)

That’s the best thing about treks; every path seems tough, every step seems rough but you are with your buddies fighting it out for you and suddenly you get that energy from within to fight. To fight against the fear, to conquer it, to move forward, forward together as a team. It takes you through a total grind of your body as well as your mind and you come out stronger every single time.

About two and half hours, and we finally reached the top of the hill where we had started in the morning. The ground was now with wet soil and we could see many people for an evening stroll at the ground which is a scenic spot.

Flat Ground on the Top of the Hill, Near St. Mary School ,Khandala

Soon we made our way out at the highway where we bought water and took a rickshaw to lonavala Market place near the ST stand where some of us shopped the fudges and chikkis, ate some vada pavs. I discovered that both of my phones were not working due to water that had entered my bag, which had my wallet full of watery notes and cards. I was anything but handicapped without my phones.

 Our next task was fetching for our return travel options. I along with Amar & Tarun went to the ST stand to book a private vehicle. We met one guy who offered an option of cars for 300 rupee seat to Mumbai, which on a normal course of a day would actually take 170 Rupees. Even after 20 minutes of negotiating, the person stayed adamant and we had no option but to book the cars. So the 8 members from our group staying at the western suburbs moved away in the cars. Remaining four of us had to reach the central suburb of Dombivli so we decided to take a train from Lonavala railway station to kalyan and a local train would get us further to Dombivli. We had turned down the option of hiring a car for a sum of 1400 Rs. for 4 people which by no means was anywhere near reasonable, especially after enquiring about the railway tickets which would cost a sum of 150 Rs, a little over one-tenth of the car fare. The railway station is separated by the ST Bus Stand by a road which has minimum lights and never can you get an idea whether the station exists, as it is all surrounded by the trees. We thought there would be a local train till Kalyan, but it wasn’t the case when we learned that it’s a Pune – Jodhpur express train and we had to travel through the general compartment. As there were 3 girls with me we started looking for the ladies coach for them and stood our ground as we waited for the train to arrive. The train arrived, but the general compartment had no space for thin air, forget about people getting into it. The scene in the ladies coach was more terrible, as the ladies all sat and occupied the floor of the coach with doors close from inside. All this happened in a matter of seconds when I was helplessly trying to make a move into the general coach. Soon I heard Suman calling out my name that she and the other two girls were not able to make it into the ladies coach, so the next thing we do…….we rushed to the reservation coach…..and in the last few steps ...the very moment we got inside, the train moved….

‘That’s timing again ……’

Our next task was to manage to be accommodated in the compartment, full of individual travelers as well as families. Like the other people travelling with the general ticket we waited outside the coach cabin at first, believing that we could escape the Ticket Checker. But the next thing that happened was that we meet the TC who asked for the tickets. Suman showed him the 1 ticket of 2 people, we had bought which after looking at, and he said, “330 Rs. Per person, the fine you have to pay Ma’am”,

‘Perhaps that’s timing again…..’

Suman in a very earnest voice said, “We will get down at the next station...then please”. It was such a good move by her that TC asked us to go to the next coach, without even noticing me. While I was calculating 330 x 4 Suman was quite composed and stubborn not to give even a single penny to the TC and we moved to the next coach. Here we luckily got a place to seat and the train had now reached Khandala railway Station. The timetable on the coach wall told us that we were only 90 minutes away from Kalyan. But for some reason the train couldn’t start even after 15 minutes. Most of the people in the train were restless and unaware of what the actual problem was. I bet a few of them were as tired as we were. I made my way out of the train on to the station and learned that it was an engine failure and may take an hour more for the train to re-start. What do I do now? Should I tell the truth to my already down fellow mates or should I say nothing. But I told them the truth. And as we were getting delayed to reach Kalyan, our options of further trains were diminishing. The situation was such that panic had set in and that compelled us for re-thinking the car option again. So we called Tarun, who took the number from car-owner with whom he was travelling to Mumbai, and asked him to pick us up at Khandala. The already adamant car-owner now demanded 1500 Rs. and toll extra and we agreed. So what do we do now, should we get down at the station? That was the call that we had to take. I went out again to check at the Khandala station which was only lit by just a couple or more lights on the platform where our train stood. Outside the station was all dark with deafening silence and one could here only the people in the train speak. The road outside the station, which I assumed to be somewhere, was without much vehicular movement. It was a scary scenario and fear had begun to loom in my mind. There was no way I was going out there with the three girls especially when none of us had been there before. So we decided to stay in the train which seemed a far safer place, till the car actually arrives. But what if the train starts and we get stuck further? In that case we wouldn’t be even able to get down and get the car. So with a strong heart we decided to get down from the train. We moved to the door together and as fate had it in for us, the train started moving. 

‘Oh..! Timing again?’

‘But Timings a Bitch’, said Robin again….

It certainly was a bitch, aleast for the last part …….

Luckily the train moved at a consistent speed from there to take us at Kalyan at about 12:40 a.m. where the local train got us to our destination… and at 1.00 am in the morning I felt totally relaxed to see the three girls reach home, especially Bhagyashree and Shubhangi who were on their first trek which I am sure was made memorable by the journey both ways…...

Ranthambore Tiger Safari and Fort Visit

DAY 1- THE JOURNEY

All of a sudden the thunderous sound inside the train had woken me. I was lying on the upper berth constantly moved by the force of the train. I reached for my mobile which I had kept near my pillow to find that it was 5.00 in the morning.  We were just about an hour away from the halt at the station we were destined to. I looked at my friends down below asleep on their berths and made my way out at the exit door of the coach to freshen myself up. The way to the door was a narrow passage of the air conditioned coach through a series of arms and legs extensions. Well thanks to the air conditioner, because the outside air was much cooler and so was the water which I realized when I splashed a bit of it on my face. I wanted to stay at the door but it was locked. From inside the closed door through the glass window I could see a dim view of green fields in the dark. For a moment I lost myself a bit and my mind got cluttered with the memories of what had brought me there.

‘An idea. Highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain, it’s almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed, fully understood, that sticks. Right in there somewhere.’ A conversation in the famous and my most favorite movie ‘Inception’.

Something similar had happened to me a couple of months back on a Saturday afternoon in October 2011 when I was watching a film on National Geographic on the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. It was an amazing film which presented a look into the eventful proceedings of the jungle.  It was the story of the wild featuring a tiger family and their daily routine which by any means wasn’t really routine at all. The ferocious hunting by the animal, the walk full of awe in its established territory and the pampering of its cubs at the same time depicted an inexhaustible story of the Tiger.  Moreover, these experts and their cameras had reached to such a great extent into the lives of those animals that they managed to portray the story of the jungle in a pleasingly dramatic way. I wondered, if watching this on a television is so much fun then imagine the thrill of it, if I were actually there. That was the idea that bit me like a stinging bee. It got stuck in my mind and I got sort of addicted to the idea of visiting the Jungle to see the Royal Bengal Tiger which I had never seen in my life in person or in tiger should I say.  

So the next thing I did was that I started searching on the internet about Tiger Safaris   based on the probability of spotting the animal. There were a few in Madhya Pradesh and the famous Jim Corbett Park in Delhi, but my mind was affiliated to Ranthambore, primarily due to the film I saw and hence along with three of my school friends Jayendranath, Mandar & Sarvesh, I decided to visit the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, which is in Ranthambore, in one of the Great states of India viz. Rajasthan.  

“Where are we?” Asked one of my friends Sarvesh, who had also come at the door.

“We are very near. I think we are on time.” I replied.

Soon we discovered a poster on the coach near the door which had the helpline number to track the train position. We knew the train number and got the status and found that it was on time and we were only 5 minutes away from the Sawai Madhopur station. We soon went to our couple other friends and got ourselves ready with the baggage to get down at the station.  

Sawai Madhopur Railway Station

It was a morning in February as expected it was mighty cold outside the train. Apart from the tourists even most locals had covered themselves with jackets and mufflers which was a sign of how cold it actually was. The first thing we did was that we took a hot cup of tea at the station. The tea wasn’t all that tasty nowhere near the cutting of Mumbai, but the only reason we could finish it was the fact that it was hot and we needed that. As we had learned that the resort was only 4 km away from the station so we took an auto rickshaw to the hotel for a sum of 200 Rs. which I felt was unjustified considering the short distance, but we had little option. The auto rickshaw moved away from the station and within a minute we were on a road surrounded by all sorts of resorts bearing a common name of either tiger or Ranthambore. Another thing common was that, these resorts were all surrounded by the army dark green colored gypsies and the canters, which were the vehicles that take people to the jungle. This was enough to set a bit of excitement as we knew that we were very close to the jungle. 

Landscape Garden , Vinayak Resort, Ranthambore

Within no time our rickshaw dropped us at the resort which had a beautiful landscape garden at its entrance and abundant space for vehicle movement.We had reached about 3 hrs before our check in time and tried to see whether we could get a room or too to freshen up or relax as we were a bit tired due to the journey. 

The manager at the hotel suggested us in a surprisingly instructive way to visit the nearby Ranthambore fort in those three hours as it would be a good utilization of our time instead of waiting in the reception for the rooms to be emptied. He had a valid point alright, but his tone was more dictating rather than convincing, which made us feel a bit crossed. 

But after giving it a thought we decided to take the option of visiting the fort and asked the manager to call for the Gypsy. Till the time the Gypsy would arrive we had a good solid breakfast and prepared ourselves for the Fort visit.

At about 8.00 am our gypsy had arrived. The gypsy is one of the sexiest vehicles you would ever get into too. The manner in which one has to get into it and that too for a Jungle ride …..Mannn that was exciting. We asked the driver to capture this rare moment in our cameras.

Gypsy Ride to Ranthambore Fort

We took the ride on the road towards the Jungle and learned that the Fort is also inside the Tiger Reserve. As we moved closer to the hilly area of the Jungle the breeze started becoming cooler and cooler. Soon we reached the forest area entry point marked by a small pond and a pillar gateway which reflected architecture of ancient times. The board at the pond read ‘Depth of the pond is high do not enter. Crocodiles inside the Pond’.

Small Gateway towards the Tiger Reserve

We were now moving to an amazing world in the forest which had different shades of brown and green color spread across nicely decorated by numerous multicolored birds chirping in the pleasingly silent atmosphere of the cold morning.

There were peacocks with that alluring color and peahens wandering in the jungle freely and in good numbers too.

Peacocks Wandering in the Jungle

We were nearer to a huge hill on which the fort was located and soon we reached the base of the Fort which had a huge Banyan tree full of black faced langur to welcome us.

Banyan Tree with Black Faced Langur

DAY 1 - THE RANTHAMBORE FORT VISIT

It takes over a couple of hours for seeing the fort so we took a guide available at the base camp for 200 Rs. and started our fort visit at the entrance marked by the numerous steps and the view of a minar at the top.

Ranthambore Fort View from the Base

 In a typical Rajasthani accent our guide started telling us about the fort which gave us an idea of its rich history. Moreover the excerpts on the several walls built by the Archaeological Survey of India helped us get a glimpse into the lifestyle of the 12^th and the 13^th Century kings that prevailed and ruled the fort for most part of its history.

Minar- Watch Post

The fort is said to be constructed the by the Maharaja Jayantha in the 5^th Century A.D. ruled by the Yadavas till the 12^th century who were expelled by Prithviraj Chauhan. Hammir Deo was the most powerful ruler for the fort who ruled in the 13^th century and patronized art and literature.

The fort has seven gateways, a mosque, a Jain Mandir and a few Hindu temples. The important structures were the Dulha Mahal, Rani Palace and few other places which we were going to visit. 

One of the Seven Gateways of the Fort

The Ganesha Temple is the most visited shrine inside the fort. Along the road to the top there were many other significant places. The fort is right inside the jungle and you can spot many monkey groups, different types of birds chirping in the morning. We also spotted a mongoose couple from a distance which was very shy and the not so shy Black faced Langur Monkey.

Several Birds and animals around the Fort

Although we were very much amazed by the fort’s infrastructure, our trip was centred on the jungle safari and the fact that fort itself was in the jungle was helping our cause. With every step higher and higher we started getting a picturesque view of the jungle separating the fort by a lake which was at prime solitude.

A beautiful view of the Lake and the Forest from the Ranthambore Fort

Lake view from King's Private Room

At a point in our ascent our guide showed us antelopes and deer from that distance. I tried to get a glimpse of it on my binoculars and managed to see a few deers at the lakeside for a morning stroll for some water.Soon we moved to one of the important places on the fort called the Dulha Mahal meant for the dancers and celebrations. Below the Dulha Mahal, there were steps that took us down to the king’s private room. 

According to our guide the kings used to spend their very private time with the queens and the performers at this very place. The room was marked by the flow of cool breeze coming from the lake from the windows which offered a scenic view.

Khamba Chattri - 32 pillared umbrella structure

Another structure that took our attention was a 32 pillar building called 32 Khamba Chattri which means 32 pillared umbrella built by King’s Son as a tribute to this father who ruled for 32 years at the fort. 

It was remarkably built above a temple of lord Shiva which has a Shiv-linga in the dark. We took the help of our mobile batteries to make it to the Shiv-linga which had a tunnel shaped entrance and astoundingly cold rock. 

Incomplete 32 pillared umbrella structure

Alongside this structure there was another 32 pillar structure which was started by the queen but which remained unfinished. Very near to this place, there was a garden and a storage building of the fort. But as it was under maintenance we could not visit it.

Every time we looked at the jungle our excitement got higher and we wanted to hear more about it, about the Tiger.

“Doesn’t the tiger come here?” asked Mandar to the Guide.

Very casually he replied, “Yes, In fact quite often in the evening, not so much on the fort but many times at the base.”

 “So they attack humans?” went Jayendranath.

“No they don’t”, said the Guide.

 “They don’t? We asked again.

“No they don’t” he replied quite firmly. “The Animal here doesn’t attack humans. Fortunately there is enough food in the jungle for it the deers, sambhars, Blue Bulls. At the fort many people have spotted the leopard especially on the hilly portion near the lake and during night time."  That was enough for another wave through our bodies, the sensation of that fear of being around these wild cats.

The Rani lake - Princess Lake

We moved further to a beautiful lake on the inner side of the fort all covered by red colored leaves on it called the Rani Lake. The significance of this lake was that it was used by the princess for bathing. It also read a board with a precaution about the depth of the lake.Further we came across a temple of Lord Hanuman built with rocks with a dome adding to the chill of the atmosphere there. The monkeys were all in readiness to get the Prasad which was offered in the temple. We offered them a bit of it as it was a better deal than giving away our cameras or shoes or caps.

Arrangement of Stones as wishful strong houses by devotees

On the way towards the temple we saw a lot of small structures made from stones arranged one above the other in the shape of a house. I couldn’t help but asked the guide about these structures. He said that those were representing the wishful houses of the devotees who wished a house as strong as the fort.

We then moved further where our guide made us understand the origin of the name of the fort. The Jungle on the other side of the lake is ‘THE RAN’ which means the battlefield in Hindi, where the Great Warriors fought the wars, the pillars of the fort creating a strong fortification meant ‘THAM’, and the lake that separated the two places meant ‘BHORE’. 

Hence the name RANTHAMBORE.

The Crux of the Name RAN-THAM-BORE meaning 'The Battlefield-Fortification-Lake' respectively

Finally we reached the temple of Lord Ganesha where there was the vermilion dabbed idol of my most favorite deity. We spend some moments in the temple and gave away some money to the person who took care of our foot wear from the monkeys and moved to the base where our gypsy was waiting for us. We moved through the jungle again which was brighter as the sun had come out and it was less cool now. At the resort our rooms were ready and we got ourselves fresh to prepare for the afternoon safari. Now there were two safaris that we had booked, the afternoon safari which was to start at 14:30 hrs and go for three hours up to 17:30 hrs and the next morning one which was to start at 7:00 hrs and go up to 10.00 hrs. We had booked the safaris online but were to submit the Indemnity bond at the Ranthambore Interpretation Centre, which was done by our hotel staff. We had our lunch and waited for our vehicle at the resort.

DAY 1 -TIGER SAFARI 1 – AFTERNOON

If you are in Ranthambore as a tourist and you interact with people, everyone has a story to tell about the tiger and how they spotted it. We experienced that at the resort, right from the steward at the restaurant, the Manager at the reception, the housekeeping staff, just about everyone had seen the animal and talked about it so often. That helped us see through the waiting time and also to build up the excitement for what was going to be our First Tiger safari.

Canter pick up at the Resort for the Tiger Safari

Soon the canter arrived at our resort took a turn around the circle and stood at the gate. The person at the centre in the uniform confirmed four people and we got inside the vehicle which was full to its capacity of 15. We were probably the last as our resort was closer to the park and there was no space left in the vehicle which had a good mix of people from all across the globe. On our way till the park we had a little interaction and based on our observations we could make out that we were in the company of an Indian family, a group of women from Russia, a few Americans and Germans and a couple from London. All geared up with their cameras and binoculars, with one thing in common, the desire of sighting the Tiger in the wild.

Ranthambore National Park Gate

Soon we were at the gate of the Ranthambore Tiger Park where they checked our Identity proofs and video cameras as video cameras needed an extra ticket of 400 Rs. Having done that we kicked off our first tiger safari. The person at the centre in the Khakhi uniform was the guide who started getting us oriented about the Jungle and the ground rules of the safari. The jungle is spread in an area of around 400 sq km and only one third portion of it is open to tourists. It comprises 8 zones marked and identified as per tiger territories. According to the guide there were 35 tigers in the Jungle. He requested us to remain seated while the vehicle was in motion and also not to get out of it. 

Ground Rules for the Tiger Safari 

However we could ask him to stop if we wanted to take photos of any sighting. From inside the main gate we reached the interpretation centre where the canters and gypsies are allocated their individual zones. In a single zone for a particular safari only 4 canters and 2 gypsies were allowed. The guide got the permission to go to the zone 2 and we moved along in the Zone 2. Suddenly the single road got covered by a lot of vegetation on both sides and a few minutes down the line we were in the wild surrounded by many spotted deers and monkeys.

A group of Spotted Deers at the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve

We took a stop at a group of the spotted dears for some clicks of the beautiful animal blessed with a golden color skin decorated with strikingly attractive white colored spots, hence the name.

The Male Spotted deer with Graceful Horns

The male had the stylish horns which were very sharp but made a delicate sound in the amazing silent jungle, when hit against each other. While the female deer with its elegance and grace was the reason for the horns to get going. 

Female Spotted Deers

I had only heard about it and seen on television, but now I knew why Sita, the wife of Lord Rama was so enticed by and wanted the deer skin colored clothing in the great Epic ‘Ramanyana’. The color of it is so alluring and for the tiger the meat must be. After a few clicks our canter moved further into the Jungle.

Female Sambhars and Smaller ones

Our next stop was at a Sambhar Family. The Sambhar is another food of the tiger much bigger than the dear and stronger, with brown colored thick skin. There were males, females and the little ones. One family seemed utterly curious about our presence and were watching us for a good 5 minutes or so when our vehicle stood static in the woods.

We spotted a beautiful male Sambhar and could click a classic snap of the animal. 

Awesome Male Sambhar

The ride through the jungle is very pleasant. With the natural state of things it takes you back to the era where life is still what it was thousands and thousands of years ago. The beautiful array of lakes and ponds around most places in this jungle has given it the life it has. We were near a pond where a few Sambhars had come to drink water. The color of the lake was lit up by the evening sun showing a reflection of the animals with a glossy tinge.

Sambhars drinking water near the ponds

As we passed through, most of the animals acknowledged our presence, but the ones keenly 

A Curious Group of the Black Faced Langur  Monkeys

interested in us were our very own ancestors, the monkeys. Here you find the black faced langur monkeys, which kept flocking around us as we moved. The black face was one of the most expressive of all animals, seconded by the vivid sounds that they made. We see the different ones with the street-performers in Mumbai, but these ones in their natural environment were looking ever so friendly, beautiful and confident.

The monkeys, deers and the sambhars are good friends. They keep giving each other the signals of the tiger by calling out and that was going to help us spot the tiger, especially the monkeys as they enjoy the larger view from the top of the trees.

A series of spotting the animals closer and closer than before went on until a point where everyone’s conscience was literally asking the guide, “Dude what about the Tiger?” Soon along our way we met fellow tourists on another canter whose guide told ours about an Antelope which was reportedly killed by the Tiger in the same zone which meant that there was a high probability that the animal would be around its food as it takes a tiger  over a couple of days to finish an adult antelope. Hence both canters reached the road which was at a short distance from the killed antelope. It was a black colored animal, yet called as ‘Blue Bull’ but couldn’t clearly make out as what we could see was only the leftover of it.

Half Remains of an Antelope Killed by a Tiger 

Based on the chances and taking different paths unfortunately we could not spot the tiger and were on our way return back as the guide had said, it was a matter of chance and there was no guarantee of spotting the animal. But there were so many takeaways of the safari, getting such a close look into the lives of these beautiful animals. The freshness in the air, the cool breeze even in the afternoon, the silence with only bird chirps were all enough to take my mind to a feeling of relief, to get lost in that very world. Moreover we had a morning safari left so we still had a chance of seeing the tiger.

DAY 2 - TIGER SAFARI 2-IN THE MORNING

Ranthambore National Partk Gate- Morning Safari

We were ready again geared up for the morning safari at 7.00 am when the canter arrived at our hotel to pick up. The morning was so cold that the gloves sellers could sell their gloves at 5 times its normal price at the Park Gate, where after the Identity check and camera check we moved into the office.

With a different guide this time we were also moving to a different zone. Zone 5 it was as the guide told us and started the primary introduction of the Jungle which we already knew. In this zone there was reportedly a movement of a female tiger spotted very early morning as per the guide. 

Huge Banyan Tree with Tiger & Leopard Nail Marks on the Branches 

The same series of events of spotting the deers, sambhars and monkeys went on. We could see that the excitement was much higher for the first timers, but we were thinking only Tigers. Soon we were at a huge banyan tree where the guide showed a several marks made by the sharps nails of the tigers and the leopards on the trees marking their presence.

Antelope or Blue Bull

We spotted an antelope, a living one this time and man...it was quite huge. It has the body of the bull but the neck resembled that of a horse. I wondered how the tiger could kill an animal of that size.This particular zone was marked by the presence of a big lake on one side, which was near  the chowky where the forest ranger was stationed. 

The Ranger approached us and confirmed about the pugmarks observed in the morning. Soon he was on board with us and accompanied us to the spot which was further down into the jungle. We could see the pugmarks, which as told by the guide were of a female tiger and were fresh which meant that the animal had just passed few hours ago. They were encircled for easy reference by the ranger.

Forest Ranger encircling Tiger Pugmarks at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve

Waiting in Anticipation for the Tiger

Soon our guide heard a monkey call and 3 canters in that vicinity moved to the spot where they heard the call. This was a less dense place with pale dry grass and not many trees for a distance of 30 ft. The stage was set for the King to arrive or Queen rather. All of us were set in readiness with our cameras and binoculars like in any press conference of a celebrity. The ranger’s and guide’s sharp eyes were glued to the slightest movements they could observe and sounds they could hear. 

A Couple of Crocodiles lying in the Lake under the morning Sun

The spur that they created added to the drama. In my life I had never anticipated anything as patiently as this. Those 60 seconds of holding the breath were startling to say the least. The guide told us soon we should here the monkey call again. But as luck would have it for us, we didn’t hear any call, which meant that the tiger, if there was any had moved away from us. So close, yet so far. 

But there was another little part of the safari which was the halt at the lake where the guide allowed us to get down for 5 minutes for photos, near the chowky where the Ranger was stationed. Soon at the nearby lake, somebody spotted a rock like structure at a distance which we learned after careful observation, was a couple of crocs and not rocks. The crocodiles were lying in the marshy part of the lake in the beating sun.

A Peacock

There was also a peacock near the lake almost posing for photographs. After a few minutes we got back on our canter. We had nearly reached the end of the safari and we knew that we would soon be returning without seeing the tiger yet again. We had only booked two safaris and couldn’t see the tiger, so we unanimously decided to take another chance. Soon we reached the resort and booked the afternoon safari that day.

DAY 2 - TIGER SAFARI 3 - IN THE AFTERNOON

Where are we going wrong? What are we doing wrong? Can we budge for a different zone? Or we change our luck? How do we do it? We need to change things or make them work.

Entering Zone 5 of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve

Superstitions help at such times. Whether it’s the color of our clothes, a favorite shoe or a key chain in the pocket. It all helps. Prepares you mentally. So did we, we changed our hats, I shaved and another friend of mine switched to multicolored clothing. Again in readiness for the third time now and pretty much used to the process we arrived at the gate of the reserve. Proceeding to the same reports of the morning pugmarks we yet again move to the zone 5. On learning that and following the disappointment in the morning we thought we were screwed.

A Baby Crocodile almost camouflaged as a rock.

The safari began and by now we were very much like seniors to the first timers with us. The guide began the introduction which was a part of every safari, but this man was more expressive, interactive and enthusiastic. 

In interacting with him we told him that we were on our third safari.The same sequence repeatedly followed with the sambhars, deers and monkey spotting. This time we could see a new member, a baby crocodile so difficult to spot, almost camouflaged as a rock. 

 We went along until, at a point where we were close to a fight between a couple of male deers. The sound of the horns hitting each other was clear as ever. The deers looked at  us cautiously seeking danger, but eventually realized that we were not there to harm and continued their fight. It was an amazing footage for wild life film makers. I could capture the video of the fight.

A couple of Male Deers Fight for Supremacy

Soon we proceeded further and were almost to reach half part of the safari. By now we had given all hopes as we had taken the same path in the morning in vain. We moved to a spot where there were more deers and three canters including ours stood  in line on the road.


Without any of the wildest of imagination and after the quest of over last 30 hrs moving around in the vicinity of the great animal of my country, we were close, which we realized when somebody shouted out loud in an impelling voice full of enthusiasm …………. 

“TIGER TIGER TIGER…………”

All the 120 eyeballs in a split second turned their focus to the direction the person who had shouted was showing. And in their retinas was the short glimpse of the royal Bengal Tiger with its black colored stripes creating an illusionary effect with the grass of the wild as it walked. That effect made a few of us miss the sight as it very silently disappeared in the woods. But from the direction of the movement of the animal and the experience of the guides, they  predicted that it was making it to the lake.  So all three canters were waiting in position to confirm the movement of the tiger to the lake.

The Tiger Reflection seen as it approaches the Lake

And the confirmation came from a call by the monkeys and off went the canters towards the lake almost like a military operation and stood at a nice spot awaiting the Big cat. This happened in seconds and we understood what role the guides and the drivers played when we soon saw the reflection of the animal approaching the lake side. The guide and the driver also had to keep people quiet as they were all excited and making noise would disturb the animal thereby affecting the sighting. But the buzz went around in the crowd with oohs and aas and whispering to fellow mates which whom they shared this great moment.

Tiger Walk along the lake at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve

For the first time in my life I was seeing the most graceful big wild cat right in front of my eyes in its very own jungle. In a walk full of awe not bothered at all by anybody’s presence the tiger moved along to the bank and made its way into the lake. The beautiful body, the remarkable movement in the wild and total control of every move was an exemplary sight indeed. It moved with its front legs bend to reach for the water to quench the thirst. As it started drinking water the reflection of the beast was clearly visible in the lake. That was a classic moment for all photographers and the cameras went bananas.  

Tiger Drinking water at the lake

After drinking the water, it turned around in composure and sat inside the water to cool itself.

 “It’s T-17 the female tiger”, said our guide. "THE LADY OF THE LAKE….”

The Tigress Identified as T-17 cooling in the Lake

At about 20 feet from our vehicle we were seeing the Royal Bengal Tiger in its very own habitat. I could hear my heart beating harder as there was a stunning silence in respect to the presence of the creature. We knew we were lucky to sight the animal and wanted to make most of it so for every moment we were glued to its acts and kept wondering what would be the next move.After a few minutes cooling down in the lake it started moving into the jungle and so moved our vehicles in a parallel path. More than capturing in the cameras, watching it with the naked eye was an experience running short of words to describe.  The Lady moved and we followed. Stopped at certain moments in between and approached a tree and stretched the front limbs and the back. The beauty Queen had plenty to choose and make her way anywhere she wanted in the jungle. Soon she moved up the hill as per the guide, as in the evening time the deers move uphill. 

At a position where we stood the monkey calls were absolutely clear. We were near a Sambhar which had spotted the tiger too and was giving alarms to the other fellow Sambhars by tapping its feet and making cautious calls. Suddenly the sambhars started running away. But the tiger had swiftly disappeared in the woods.

Tiger disappearing in the woods

For the last 20 minutes or so we were alongside the Queen of the Jungle playing paparazzi but interestingly not even a single moment she ever looked at us or took notice of us. All of us were now trying to get out of that momentary high and were finding it difficult to believe what they had seen. In fact our guide himself was so ecstatic. He told us that in his 7 years career as a naturalist, this was one of his best sightings of the tiger in winter season. He, by the name of Battilal, along with our driver who did a fabulous job of positioning the vehicle for an optimum sighting had by now become our celebrities. 

A moment with the Safari Driver and Guide

We could appreciate their effort with a tip of 200 Rs. at the end of the safari and bid goodbye and our thanks for their job.After a series of safaris we had changed our luck. I was over the moon as what I had wished for more than a couple of months back had happened.I lived the Idea which was stuck, in my mind of sighting a tiger in the wild with the naked eye. All the wait of 2 months and in the safaris was worth the experience. We were on a mission, and our mission was accomplished.

 When we reached the resort again, the people were the same, the stewards, the managers the housekeepers.But now all their stories started falling into place. Now I had started believing in all their stories. After all I was now, one of them.

 Now, Even I had a Story to tell….The Story of the Tiger …..The Story of the Wild…………

.….THE END ……

At a Glance :

Place: Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, Ranthambore, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan.

Nearest Railway Station: Sawai Madhopur 

Spots: Tiger Reserve and Ranthambore Fort.

Tiger Safari timings: Morning 6.30 to 9.30  am Afternoon 2.30 to 5.30 pm 

Fort : 2 Hours for Fort Seeing.