Chasing tigers again... Panna National park, Madhya Pradesh..

After spending a few hours at Khajuraho, we headed towards Panna National park.. Time for more tigers, atleast hoping to sight a few!! :D Checked into the Panna Tiger Resort, which is located right next to river Ken [original name is Karnavati, which the British changed to Ken].. It is a beautiful property, with tents and rooms beyond the reception area. They have a restaurant on the top floor and a canopy area to chill in the evening, that faces the river. We switched rooms [moved to a much bigger room for the same rate, as we were three & needed an extra bed plus some space to walk around], to one that had a view of the river as we stepped out and settled in as our safari was only in the evening 3pm.. 

Soon, we had changed into safari gear [T-shirt, pants, cap/hat for the head, shawl for the neck and sweater/shrug to keep us warm].. Even though it was afternoon, it was cool and there were strong winds ... We reached the safari gate entrance and waited for the formalities to be completed and a guide to be assigned. And soon we were inside.. 

What is unique about Panna is that few years ago all the tigers here had been wiped out, thanks to poaching.. In 2009, a Tiger [T1] was brought here from Bandhavgarh..and then one more.. all this initiated by Field officer Sreenivasamurthy.. They then brought a male from pench.. but he ran away from here [nearly 450 KMs away]... The hunt began, and finally heard of a cow killed .  The tiger must have run 60-80kms a night. He was brought back and kept in enclosure and now lives in Panna. Of the 40 odd tigers at Panna today, about 12 have collars, so the officials can track their movements and ensure they are protected. There is T141 [a tigress who has cubs], T152, and few others... The numbers have been assigned in this format, if the code name is T111- The tiger is from another park[translocated], first tiger first litter first born [Mom number, litter number, baby order number] 

Each park is different - the landscape, the layout, and of course the way animals are tracked. Here too we did quite a bit of birding, while listening for calls and watching out for signs to tell us there were tigers around. But alas, that evening we saw none other than deer and the usual monkeys... We did spot quite a few exotic specie of Vultures, I even spotted few Indian grey hornbill and other birds which made it worthwhile.. The terrain here is very different from Corbett- some parts are open and dry, some with tall brown grass, while others are thick with trees and then some parts are green all over... 

We decided to do a night safari, a very spur of the moment decision. Had about an hour to refresh before heading back on the road. This time though the area we drove into was different from the morning one. We were 3 of us plus a guide, another forest safari official and the driver.. It was pitch dark, jeep headlights and powerful torch was all we had and we scouted around for anything that flashed and was red [ animal's eyes].. Spotted quite a few Wild boar, Jungle hare, 2 Civets but nothing more.. It was exciting, and there were moments when we stopped the jeep, turned off all alights and just sat still. The sky above was gorgeous, lit up with stars, it was like a carpet with little drops of silver... 

Wow, what an experience it was... 

The next morning we were again out and ready for the Safari, and that morning proved quite lucky. Within minutes of entering the park we saw an animal hop across, knew it wasnt a hare/rabbit, and well, it was a Jungle cat.. Such a cutie, did not scurry away...We managed to stop and click a few shots of it drinking water and sitting around waiting for something to snack on...  After about an hour inside, we heard from the tracking guys that there was a Tigress out on the prowl within a 3-5km radius... And then we saw a jeep drive ahead and stop. Pausing near them, we spotted the Tigress walking in the tall grass, she was well camouflaged and we could see her through the binocs. There was some movement in the grass indicating that she was walking along towards the thick portion of the forest. We watched her go and soon she disappeared into the thicket. It was then that the guide suggested we go see near the watering hole , as we drove along we saw fresh paw prints and heard animal calls as well. We waited for quite a well, until it was almost time to head out to the exit. As we drove down towards the exit gate, there was a open piece of land from where we got a full view of the water body below. We spotted another jeep and the guide called us over saying there was a tiger below. 

Woah, it was an amazing sight to see- the Tiger stood near the water and within a few yards from her stood a Nilgai, both absolutely still. After a few minutes, the tiger began drinking water and the Nilgai slowly moved away, inching literally. We stood there staring at them for a while, but had to make a move as it was time to exit the Park. The parks are all fairly strict about timings and if you default, it might not reflect well on the guide or the driver... 

Well, all in all I must say it was good run for me .. Two national parks, 4 tigers sighted apart from a zillion other birds and animals... As we left the park and made our way back to the room, the one thought on my mind was "I wonder what life must be like for these creatures, what they did all day and what they thought of us humans who came looking to spot them"... Oh well, it was time to pack and head to Orchcha...

 Serpent crested eagle

Palm Civet 

 Spot the tigress... there she goes.. ;o) 

The Grey Indian Hornbill

Vultures- Red headed,Himalayan & Long billed

Bear claw marks on a tree..

A Sambar deer duo crossing to the other side...

The jungle cat

The jungle cat

Spot the tiger- Standing on extreme left and then there is a Nilgai on the right side..

Nilgai standing to eat leaves..

 Online Booking for safaris - http://www.pannatigerreserve.in/

Skywatch Friday- Along the blue waters at Temple Bay

A little beep on my phone where it all began! A friend asked "How about we all go for a drive and a nice lunch on 12th jan, sunday?"  After a few debates on where else we can visit along the way, things we could do, time we leave the city it was decided! At 8.30 we were on our way to pick up 2 friends from Thiruvanmiyur and were on the ECR...  

After a leisurely stroll around Dakshin Chitra, we arrived at Radisson Temple Bay, Mahabalipuram and decided to dine at The Wharf, facing the ocean [only because the other 2 restaurants had only buffet and we dint think we could do justice to that] . Our table was just a few yards from the ocean, we could hear the waves and feel the breeze. Only thing left was to run to the water and have some fun!! 

The blue waters were chill and just perfect. We spent about half an hour soaking, laughing, taking pictures and having a great time when it dawned on us that we would have to leave, bid it all adieu!! 

But, we were not ready to say Bye yet! We went ahead, washed ourselves, dusted off as much sand as possible and sat near on the stone wall for a while, enjoying the silence and beauty of the place.

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday...Few steps below-- Agrasen ki Baoli or Ugrasen Ki Baoli, Delhi

I had been fascinated by the Step wells since I laid eyes on the very 1st one, in Karnata- Hulikere. Since then, I have been reading about these wells, the architecture and trying to visit one in the destination I hit. I spotted one in Hampi- the Pushkarni, inside the Royal Enclosures. And then, last December when i was in Delhi, I managed to convince mom and uncle to come with me as i went searching for the Agarsen or Ugrasen Ki Baoli near Connaught Place, a short walk from Jantar Mantar.   

We drove around a bit, and finally located Hailey Road where the Baoli was situated. Parked the car few streets away and began walking down. I was excited, mom was just tagging along and uncle was curious to see what this hidden treasure in his city was. On our left, the wall had a huge vibrant Ganesha mural, that led to a demon face, an angel or devil and a cross on rosary beads.... fascinating!! 

A few steps up and we spotted the traditional ASI board that said  Agrasen ki Baoli  or Ugrasen ki Baoli  is a 60-meter long and 15-meter wide historical step well.   Even though there are no records of who actually built this well, legend has it that it was King Agrasen who must have built this well during the Mahabharatha epic era. It was repaied and rebuilt in the 14th century by the Agarwal community which once again traces its origin to Maharaja Agrasen.

The first thing I noticed was a dilapidated tomb of sorts on the right side, there were a bunch of chairs piled up and a dog sleeping. And then as I turned left, I was left speechless.. 

It is one among the many in Delhi. During rainy season or the monsoons, nearly all the 103 steps are submerged in water. Since it was winter, we were able to see far below. There are three levels, and each level is lined with arched niches on both the sides.  The stone walls of the well are stark yet beautiful, forming a 60 x 15 meter rectangle structures.. The bricks are all in good shape, just that the place is now inhabited by pigeons. Situated in the midst of towering concrete structures, it sure was a visual treat. I dreamt of how the place must be filled with water and how the Kings & Queens used it back in the days. Hoping to visit the others during my subsequent trips to Delhi. 

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday