The First Bird Watching Tale....

Its been a little over a year that I have taken liking to this new activity called bird-watching. Quite different from what it used to be in school days - this one takes you away from the urban centers into the less treaded paths – however, the excitement still remains the same. While one may argue how boring it is to be excited looking at birds rather than ‘chicks’, I’d say lets leave that discussion for a private meeting (after all my wife is usually the first one to read my blog!!).

Well, lets get back to the new hobby then. So, our (whats more fun than finding a company to bird-watch with!!) quest to watch the international beauties took us all the way up to the border of Rajasthan to a place called Bharatpur. Bharatpur is located on the Eastern border of Rajasthan, and lies between the Agra and Jaipur (although Agra is much closer, click here to veiw a map). In Bharatpur rests a less-known sanctuary called the Keoladeo National Park, commonly known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (click here to view map).

The Keoladeo Temple at the heart of the park.

A World Heritage Site, the Keoladeo National Park is more than 200 years old, although it was recognized as a national park only in the latter half of the nineteenth century. For about hundred years prior to the recognition, this place was owned by the Maharajas of Bharatpur and was a famous hunting ground for them and the Brits. (As per official records, in one of the hunting expeditions, a British Governor hunted over 4000 birds in a single day - hard to believe, especially with the kind of rifles that had in those days!!). The park derives its name from the ancient Keoladeo Temple, devoted to lord Shiva, residing at the heart of the park.

Stairway to heaven..a photographic narrative..

Times have changed (and they have been changing ever since). Economies are opening up and globalisation has become the latest economic buzz-word. Level of education has gone up and so has earning power. The consequences: longer working hours, stressful lifestyles and therefore an increased need to 'unwind' frequently. Since I belong to this fast moving globalised economy, I cannot really stay away from the need to unwind - and so I have taken up to traveling.

Keeping in mind the shortage of time and money (there are other ways of unwinding which also need attention and money), a lot of my unwinding excursions have been to a place called Sanjay Gandhi National Park, also known as Borivali National Park (BNP). While from the outside the place might look like just another picnic spot, the deeper you venture into this stretch of green land extending from Borivali to Thane, the more you'll find yourself falling in love with the place.

About a three-four kilometer drive into the park would bring you to the staircase (pictured above) leading to Canheri caves. About a 100 odd ancient caves greet you at the entrance of this natural abode. Beautiful carvings, lush green valley, monkeys with red face (and bottom) and a huge waterfall add to the beauty of the place. And as you move past these semi-natural::semi-man made structures, what you experience is an absolute treat for any nature lover. Colorful wild flowers, thick rain-forests, a huge lake, variety of bees, spiders & crabs, huge rocks and the dwarfed city at the horizon add to the beauty of the place. Further eep

into the jungle are hidden huge waterfalls, not so difficult to trace if you have sharp ears and strong feet. Other attracions of the place include a Lion and Tiger safari ride and a plethora of cliffs for rock climbing and rappelling.

All in all it’s a wonderful getaway for the adventurous as well as the nature enthusiasts. Truly a small little heaven within the claustrophobic city of Bombay.








P.S. For more photos on the place check out my picasa albums placed on the right-hand panel.