Kaziranga and Majuli, Assam

A young Rhino

We have got much used to travel that it is very difficult to participate in routine chores  We get all excited Planning, Packing, Transporting, Flying, Resort/Hotel staying, Sight-seeing, Dining and the what-have-you's

And then the joy of recording it, digitally, for posterity...

This time the travel bug bit a couple of friends who shared our perception for visiting places.We decided on visiting the North-east and my story starts in Kaziranga.

Day 1-2 , Kaziranga

We flew to Gauhati, so much easier to spell, on the morning of 9th April. Reached Kolkata early helped by tail winds and touched down at destination with temperature reading 23C. I thought it was cabin crew error. But she was right. It was Cooool. Rains come early here.

We loaded up on a Mahindra Scorpio and were on our way, a fairly long journey was in store, interrupted only by a visit to a gas station where we also had the opportunity of grabbing some Jhal Muri, made famous by the neighboring WB, and a cuppa at a Dhaba later on. Hunger was overcome with some delicious Puri bhaji, courtesy one of the ladies of the group.

As dusk gave in to darkness and with no street lights,the glaring headlights of the approaching vehicles made life tense and we had no idea how long we were to continue traveling that road which alternated between hills and valleys along the Brahmaputra. Our driver had brazenly confessed that he had not driven in a while in those parts and was certainly feeling his way around.We had to handle him with kid gloves most part of the trip

A unit of the resort

Wild Grass Resort. We got it right after a couple of tries. groping in the dark. It is a rustic property tucked away from the main road. In fact, there is no signboard (unlike all the others in the vicinity whose hoardings were bigger than the resort itself). When I queried Manju Barua, the owner, he said he omitted the sign board purposely, so that it would be a point of discussion. The middle aged Manju with his flowing beard and baggy trousers held up by braces, appeared to be re-living the colonial times. Or was it appropriate to please and guide many of his foreign guests who flock his Resort? He was certainly most forthcoming and courteous, a quality that has been imbibed by his staff who took good care of us and treated us to some delicious Assamese cuisine.

Wild grass is very cozy with a wonderful sit- out next to the dining room as we found out the next morning. Here you can sip your Assam tea or enjoy a drink of Beer looking at the abundant nature all around. The Tudor styled dining hall is very spacious with hand crafted furniture and decor. 
Kaziranga National Park, the oldest in Assam covers an area of 430 Sq.Km!! It is home to the Great Indian one horned rhinoceros. Kaziranga has been declared as National Park in 1974.

Jeep safari-Next morning after breakfast we trooped into the Resort jeep along with a Guide for a ride through the national park. We passed tea estates and tea retail outlets on our way and some were already eager to buy the Assam leaf. However,we carried on towards the park to complete our business first. 
 
The morning was balmy and we could spot the Rhinos, wild buffaloes, large lizards, fowls, deers and so on.


Plenty of birds and then …look ,look,look the driver said stopping the vehicle suddenly and pointing to a large cylindrical block of wood as if a large branch was lying by the side of the tree. A Python!!, he  cried and as I trained the binoculars on the inert form not believing all that they said, I could see the serpent slithering back ever so slowly into a hole from where it had emerged to gather a prey or two. That was the WOW moment of the morning ride which culminated with a great view from a high point across a fresh water lake. Also one could not fail to notice the blackened trunks of trees and charred grass all along. This was the effect of grassland management.

This important aspect of management in Kaziranga is to maintain the grassland and preventing invasion of “tree forest”. This is achieved primarily through annual burning of grasslands so as to discourage the growth of tree sapling. The operation also helps in enhancing the nutritional value of coarse grasses by facilitating growth of new shoots, which attract the herbivores. The burning also improves visibility and facilitates anti-poaching surveillance.

We were told that a Rhino census was completed just the previous day and they recorded a growth! There are now about 2500 of them in Kaziranga. That was another A-Ha moment.

Kitchen

Then came lunch and while the ladies rested afterward, I roamed the property clicking away…the different structures that stood there. Here a kitchen-painted in vivid colors and patterns, there an outhouse, then the two main living quarters for guests with wooden stairways, banister and large corridors exemplifying early 20^th century builds. It was all so haphazard yet with the tree and tall grass cover it was idyllic.
 It was now time for the elephant safari. We were conveyed to the starting point accompanied by the Guide who organized the elephant and mahout. One amongst us was squeamish and was not very happy initially, but as the large herbivore got on its way, trampling the tall elephant grass, rugged reeds, marshes & shallow pools, the rocking motion and excitement thereof got all of us in the mood, hopeful that we shall soon be amidst Rhinos…the fun part was the Baby elephant that followed us all the way. Whose baby? Who had abandoned it? We don’t know. But every now and then it would trumpet loudly and wait for its mother who was elusive.

If I may prevaricate, I remember this guy in Eden Gardens, Kolkata who would blow his trumpet every time play went drab due to the bowling of one Mr. Bapu Nadkarni who must have gone into Guinness for bowling the maximum number of maiden overs in test cricket. Nowadays ICC and IPL are using the trumpet for promoting their carnival. I hope they are paying royalty to the promoter in Kolkata.

We were 8-10 elephants in the convoy each with passenger strength of 3-4 and the mahouts were busy directing the animals onward as we were goading him to show us Rhinos in close quarter. Various promises were made as one would to appease the Gods and very soon he brought us in the close vicinity of Rhinos, medium and small, grazing quietly in the wild.

 Everybody on the elephants got busy with their cameras, some were lucky to get good frontals or sides while others got the large backs with the tiny tail. The Rhinos kept peace with us until we dispersed and made our way back for disembarkation. And there, we were happy to see the baby elephant rejoining her mother at the finishing post. All is well that ends well…an old jungle saying?

The Indian single horn Rhino found in Assam is the largest of Asian Rhinos. It is also considered to be the most amphibious rhino in the world. It is an excellent swimmer and can run at a speed of 55 km/hr. A full grown male Rhino can have an average head and body length of 12.0-12.5 feet and weigh 2000 kilogram. Females are little smaller than the males and can be 1500 kg in weight. Rhinos have very strong smelling and hearing power but are weak in the eye. The single horn can be 8-12 inches in length and is present in both males and females, but not on newborn young. The black horn, like human fingernails, is pure Keratin and starts to show after about 6 years.

A Big Fella

 Tea and snacks followed upon our return to Wild Grass and some serious planning was afoot for our outing the next morning. The motley crowd at the resort were treated to an Assamese tribal dance with many guests joining in and trying their hand at the local cymbals and drums or holding hands and dancing. It was great fun….Kaziranga

Vasu, Krishna and Shoba

Day 3,Majuli

We got up early, picked up our basket of breakfast and rushed 75 Kms towards the north of Kaziranga,to Nimati ghat,Jorhat,and to where the river Brahmaputra forms the largest riverine island of the world, MAJULI, spreading over 924.6 sq. Km. with its population being threatened by constant erosion by this mighty, unstable river.

 A riverine island is a specific type of island resembling a river such as the many islands formed in Bangladesh near the mouth of the Brahmaputra. There may be countless many of them whereas a river island is just a permanent island in the regular section of a river. A riverine isle is more open ended in its interpretation and is highly vulnerable for erosion.

Having reached the slushy ghat/jetty in time, we got into the ferry crammed with people, motor cycles and four wheelers making their daily trips, and began our journey across the Brahmaputra. The ferry takes a long time, slowly chugging its way towards Majuli. We had nothing to do except stare at other passengers and to guess what tribe he belonged to… Meshing, Ahom or Kachari. The view from the very narrow window of the ferry was restricted and we were packed like sardines in a can.

On the other side the slush and mud was even more and there was a mad rush to get to Terra firma. A Scorpio picked us up and we were escorted by a Meshing who spoke good Hindi. Our first stop after traveling through slushy and bad roads was a mask maker who creates wonderful masks for performances and stage plays during the Krishna related celebrations the island is known for. We spent time listening to this guy  who posed for us happily wearing the different masks on display there. We indulged in some fun by trying out the masks and lived in the make believe world for a while.    

 

From here we took a long drive back through the one-horse town to a resort which would be our home for the night. The resort is made up of a series of bamboo homes …. 

No.54

The house with the bamboo door,

bamboo roof and bamboo walls,

it’s even got a bamboo floor…

in the house of bamboo!!

 After a simple veg lunch we set out to witness a dance program conducted by the members of one of the Satras. There were nine in the group who entertained us with a very good song and dance performance called Sattriya Nritya.

Entrance to a Satra

Some background ....

Majuli has been the principal place of pilgrimage of Vaishnavites. There are several Satras (socio-religious institutions), established first in the 16^th century by the revered Assamese saint Sankaradeva. They resemble medieval monasteries and are headed by Satradhikars preaching and teaching Vaishnavism. At present there are 22 Satras in Majuli. These Satras are the treasure house of song and dance.

Sattriya Nritya is an artistic way of presenting mythological teachings to the people in an accessible and enjoyable manner. Traditionally, it is performed only by male monks in monasteries as a part of their daily rituals or to mark special festivals. It is accompanied by devotional musical compositions and instruments such as the drums, cymbals and the flute. 

 


 The men danced,playing the drums and displaying various emotion on their faces
 





 
 
 After the dance program we visited another Satra,their museum and temple.



We came back to the resort and watched the lovely sunset before getting ready for a social visit. 
Upon the insistence of the Mishing guide we visited his Bamboo abode nearby and enjoyed a drink of rice beer and some boiled potato for starters cum entrée. A display of some locally crafted shawls etc was met with mute disregard thanks to the dim light prevailing. 

Enjoying Rice beer

A tribal dance show followed, organized primarily for the benefit of a British tour operator. After the show it was dinner as usual and we retired to our Bamboo home for the night.

Best time to visit Majuli is from October to March. Most of the dance, music and drama performances are organised during this period. If possible coincide your holiday with a Krishna-related festival when week-long celebrations are held.

Keep looking for more.....

Mysore,Coorg and.....Cauvery

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.”

Day 1…We travel to Mysore

our vehicle was speeding along NH 17 that connects Bangalore with Mysore when we spotted Kamat Lokaruchi that was to be our breakfast stop that Monday morning after we had basked in the warmth afforded by my friends in Bangalore over the w-e there.

 After a sumptuous meal topped with some excellent coffee we continued…passing Ramnagara, the silk town…also made famous by its granite outcrop used for shooting famous movies such as David Lean’s Passage to India and our own path breaker Sholay. Then it was Chennapatna, the wooden-toy town, with the many rocking horses adorning shop fronts.  Mandya, the sugar and rice granary of Karnataka,came next ,and we got down to serious business… sightseeing.

Entering the threshold of Srirangapatna I remembered Moonstone a novel by Wilkie Collins of the Victorian era and acknowledged as the greatest of English detective novels by T.S.Eliot. It narrates events about how a British officer came upon and stole a sacred Hindu diamond during the siege of S. A series of deaths connected to the theft lends a sense of bad luck and cursedness to the mystery of the stone which is finally traced by three Hindu Brahmins and restored to the Hindu Idol. A fascinating read!

Srirangapatna became the de facto capital of Mysore under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, Tipu having finally dispensed with the charade of deference to the legitimate Wodeyar Maharaja who was actually his captive, and proclaimed the State under his own kingship. In the short lived but heady period, Srirangapatna flourished and is today a historical town dotted with the decaying legacy of a glorious era.

  You cannot miss seeing the celebrated Sriranganathswami Temple which dominates the town, making Srirangapatna one of the most important centers of pilgrimage in south. The temple was built in the 9th century; the structure was strengthened and improved upon architecturally some three centuries later. It is a medley of the Hoysala and Vijayanagar styles. There is a huge image of Lord Vishnu in slumber made of black stone. The five-story Gopuram is also a feature of the temple. Different incarnations of Vishnu are depicted inside. 

 

The decorated, well sculptured chariot in front of the temple was donated by Hyder Ali. The presence of the river Cauvery, which bifurcates here to make Srirangapatna an island town, is considered auspicious and sanctifying as evidenced by the folks who had gathered at its bank.It was coming on to Mid-day as we quenched our thirst with sugar-cane juice and resumed  our drive looking at sign posts indicating points of interest … the driver reminding us constantly “One full day required Saar!”… that we halted to view the next offering

Dariya Daulat Bag – Tipu’s famous summer retreat is a beautiful flower garden established in 1784 in Persian style. The Palace inside is elegant, though small. The pillared corridor that runs round the palace is covered with cane curtains and I wondered,not for long;they must act as sun shade  for the collage of paintings running all around the inner wall of the corridor. Though faded out, the frescoes on French-British-Mysore war remind us of history. On the western wall, frescoes of Tipu and Hyder Ali, engaged in the battle of 1779 against British; on the eastern wall, Tipu as a host to the kings of neighboring states, are notable. ASI should set about restoring these paintings, if we have to continue to showcase the era of Tipu…the only king of South India to have thwarted the attempts of the British time after time.

Lush green islets decked with birds throughout the year… that's Ranganathittu bird sanctuary for you. The sanctuary is located a few miles away from Srirangapatna and is the breeding site for several bird species on their migratory route from the North; all located on the islets in the portion of river Cauvery that flows through. We took a leisurely walk along the river bank, watching the birds in motion and at rest, under cover of thick bamboo groves and huge trees including the Banyan, Eucalyptus and palm. It is a well maintained sanctuary with a Salim Ali center inside

We were now 6 hours on the road and were in a hurry to reach our hotel in Mysore some 15 km away, check in, finish a quick lunch and get on with it. Very soon we plunged into the cacophony of the city and threaded our way through the not so unruly traffic and around the well made circles and clock tower to our destination

Sanctuary of the Wodeyar dynasty – The Mysore Palace

 In the afternoon with a mild Sun bearing down we entered the precincts of the Mysore Palace.A brief history goes like this…Tipu destroys the old wooden palace and other buildings in Mysore to build his new capital. But he dies in 1799, leaving the Wodeyars to rebuild and renovate the old palace in wood and rule from there for almost 100 years when in 1897 fire consumes the structure. Maharani authorizes construction of a new palace at the very same site and Voila! the current palace comes up in 1912.

We tossed between an Audio-tape tour and a human guided tour and chose the latter. We were happy to be with a Guide who cared to disseminate as much as we wanted to know and then some, with all the nuances he could muster.

 Accents, Aroma and Attitude of people from around the world joined us in our tour of the spacious halls, gilded pillars, three dimensional pictorial entities of richly adorned royal families by Raja Ravi Verma and many architectural embellishments and stained glass that were on view. Murals depicting the famous Dussera celebrations were also seen.

 

The Palace is an aesthetic blend of Hindu (inside) and Mughal (outside) architecture. It has impressive gilded domes,the tallest climbing up to 145feet from ground.

Coming out of the guided tour we explored the spacious palace from outside and marveled at the architecture and layout. The many gates of different sizes and for a designated purpose and the innumerable temples and shrines for propitiating various Gods before an expedition by the King or for a family celebration...said it all.

 We spotted foreign tourists enjoying an Elephant ride and taking many pictures of the trained temple elephants …the animal which has served Indian royalty over many centuries… through war and peace.We quenched our thirst with very clean processed water that was available and proceeded to join our driver with the car outside, turning our neck back ever so often to gaze at the palace and its grandeur.      

I leave you with these pics of Palace when lit.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

St Philomena Cathedral
This beautiful Cathedral was built in 1956 and is one of the largest churches in the country. It has been built in the Gothic style with beautiful stain glass windows and lofty towers.The cathedral’s crypt houses a  statue, acquired from France, of Saint Philomena, a 3rd century saint from Greece. 

Our driver who was quite passive during the course of the afternoon suddenly became verbose and led us towards the state run silk emporium directly in front of the Church. He somehow caught the lady’s need for doing something different and managed to get us in to the shop. Soon we were in the vise like grip of the attendants there who brought the shop down for us to see and buy. Eventually we got out, but not before purchasing some merchandise.

After a cup of refreshing “special Tea” at the road side shop we braced ourselves for our ride towards Krishna Raja Sagara dam or KRS as it is affectionately called by the locals. The dam is erected on ….Cauvery, through the collaborative effort of Sir.M.Vishweshwariah and the presiding Wodeyar King in the 1930’s.It goes along with Brindavan gardens which we were eager to see that evening. After a cool 30 minute ride we were there along with busloads of visitors .The Botanical Park and the attendant fountains were a treat to watch. The sensuous combination fountains and colored lights was a soothing finale for our busy day.

 

An interesting aside… the garden was overcrowding as dusk fell approaching the time for “Lights on”  “Sound On” and  the photographers were busy clicking the ‘Groups’ and the “Honeymooners” and I saw everyone clutching a print of the just taken photo! WOW!! As I looked around I saw a small portable devise standing discretely behind a bush where a couple of guys were busy taking out prints for distribution. Such is the influence of digi tech.

 

Day 2…We travel to Chamundi Hills and to Coorg

Goddess Chamundi is the presiding deity of Mysore and the Maharajas and she is located at the outskirts of the city at 1000Metres above sea level. We exited the hotel before breakfast and drove to Chamundi Hills that also affords a panoramic view of the city.  

 There is a gigantic statue of demon Mahishasura, in vivid color, as also a black Nandi out there. We took in the view of the city quickly and returned unable to bear the growl of the stomach. Our driver said good Kamat like BF was one hour away and listening to our protest stopped at a quaint Mysore Iyengar restaurant soon.We hit pay dirt as Perry Mason would say.We feasted on yummy Mysore Dosas etc and coffee ooh…la…la. The Udupis of Mumbai and the Murugans of Chennai have much to learn.

The Mysore – Medikeri (Mercara) road is a good road to travel and we were  cruising at a good clip for the next 2 Hrs  looking at the flat country side, the sparse traffic having aided us in our pursuit to reach quickly the hillside and the coffee plantations beyond. As we approached the realm of Orange County Resort,the air was filled with Jasmine like fragrance of snow white coffee blossoms  which rushed past us,on that very narrow road.

 The Resort is set within a 300 acre working plantation …Coffee, pepper, cardamom etc, all tucked within the cool green hills of Coorg at an elevation of 800 meters and bordered by Cauvery on one side and forests on the other. 

We were ushered to our spacious suite adjoining a lake and the smart hostess attired in a Coorgi outfit walked us through the facilities within; plantation style cottage with terracotta floors, court yard baths, private pool and Jacuzzi and talked about the facilities, without ; activity center, three different dining options, Library with free coffee brewed in front of you as you browse through a coffee table book on Gen. Cariappa or read about ethnic Kodava dishes like Pandi Curry ( Pork Curry ) .

Library

A View of the Resort Cottages

To top it all every evening we were treated to a cultural show, showcasing talent of the communities nearby.  We were to witness the warmth and caring attitude in every one of the staff that served us and  made our stay pleasant.

 The resort is abundant with Nature; Tall Silver Oaks, Rose wood, Banyan and Bamboo coexist with innumerable bird variety that is truly an ornithologist’s delight. There is so much to explore for nature lovers away from the maddening din of humanity. And always a pleasing “Namaskara” rings out at you as you pass by a Resort staff on your stroll.

 Days 3 - 5 ...More of Coorg

There was no unnecessary relaxation for us at the Resort as we packed our days with activity under the able guidance of Ganesh, who with his in-depth knowledge of local history, botany, culture and unmatched enthusiasm to please the visitor, added flavor to our experience. He took us on walks around the resort, to the local village alongside Cauvery, on coffee plantation walk explaining all about the Origins of Coffee which in itself is a great story that I will recount at another time. 

coffee cherries ready for picking

village home

 

 

 

 

Misty Cauvery

On the penultimate morning we split, she having decided to go for a longish Nature walk while I drove up to Medikeri, nearby, to view the Raja’s seat which affords a panoramic view of the hills and where the erstwhile Rajas and their consort sat watching the Sun rise and set...singing

Sunrise, sunset ...Sunrise,sunset
Swiftly fly the years,
One season following another,

Laden with happiness, And tears                                                      

view from Raja's seat

I traveled another hour to Tala Cauvery the origin of the river which has been following us all through; a tank has been erected here on a hill side and near it is a small temple. The river originates as a spring feeding the tank. Water then flows underground to emerge as the river downhill a mile away. I felt much rejuvenated after taking a spoonful of water from the priest there, and thought about the great Dr. Livingstone who failed in his quest to locate the origin of River Nile sometime in the 19^tcentury.

She went on her Nature walk along with some folks and we  met later for a Coracle ride,a round and flat bottomed boat,on the river,our last act  for the day and for the trip.Our 4 day tryst with Coorg was coming to an end and we had enjoyed every activity that was available to explore amidst the cool green and pleasing environs.

Au Revoir...