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Monday, December 21, 2020

Nondescript destinations of Kumaon – Bhimal

Nondescript destinations of Kumaon – Bhimal

View of Bhimtal lake and township during sunset

Bhimtal is the biggest lake in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.  This lake has been in existence since ancient times, being a gateway to the plains below for people moving in from present day Pithoragarh and Tibet etc. for trade during historic times.  It was discovered by the British only in 1841 and developed to some extent by them.  Folklore of the region say that the Pandavas had visited the place and Draupadi was thirsty, so Bhima struck the ground and water flowed forth in this place that formed a lake and since then the water continues of replenish the lake perennially, thus, the lake is named after him as Bhimtal.  An ancient Shiva temple, known as ‘Bhimeshwara Mahadev’ temple is also located in Bhimtal, which as per folklore is touted to have been built by Bhima and has been standing there since centuries.  The present temple was renovated in the 17th Century A.D by Kumaon King Baz Bahadur of Chand dynasty.

Bird's eye view of Bhimtal - all buildings cramping up the place

Panoramic view of Bhimtal lake
                 
As the clouds envelope Bhimtal lake during monsoon

Another view of Bhimtal lake during monsoon
        Geographically, Bhimtal is located about 22 Kms. from Nainital and about 20 Kms. from the last railhead Kathgodam.  It is perched at an altitude of 1370 meters and enjoys a salubrious climate the year round.   Bhimtal is situated at the base of Karkotaka mountain, named after the famed mythological Snake.  At present Bhimtal has become a hub of housing activity all across this mountain, with several individual and apartments coming up in the region.  The tourists get to enjoy boat ride in the lake and also angling facility.  During the recent past the adventure of para gliding has also been added in the list of activities that the tourists can enjoy.  The STD Code for Bhimtal is – 05942 and the Pin Code of Bhimtal is – 263136.

 Here is a short video of the destination

© S Roy Biswas

 

 

 

 


Friday, November 20, 2020

Nondescript destination of Kumaon – Bhowali

Nondescript destination of Kumaon – Bhowali

Bhowali main junction - the road from top side leads to Nainital

Bhowali can be called the nerve centre of Kumaon, as in order to proceed towards a majority of destinations in Kumaon, one has to pass through this nondescript little village town, which is also known as the fruit market of the region.  Situated at a distance of about 34 kms. from the railhead of Kathgodam, one can approach Bhowali either from Nainital side through Jeolikote or from Bhimtal side, which is a wee bit shorter road.  If one approaches from the Nainital side, one will have to cross this destination even for visiting the Champawat side.  However, if one is traversing from Bhimtal side, the road towards Champawat bi-furcates mid-way.  For visiting Mukteshwar, Almora or Ranikhet and beyond, one has to cross this nondescript township and hence I call it the nerve centre of Kumaon, specifically as the all arterial roads lead through this destination.

Panoramic view of Bhowali village

 Perched at an altitude of about 1650 meters, the township enjoys a salubrious climate all year round.  Being an old market, it has been the outlet for sale of stone fruits like plum, pear, apple et al that grow around it in Nainital, Ramgarh etc.  and available during summers and early monsoon.  During the fall season, other fruits like walnuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts etc. make an appearance in the market and is a main attraction for the tourists passing by, who enjoy these mountain fruits, as per the season and this at times creates a traffic jam in the region, as not enough space is available for parking of the vehicles.  Apart from fruits, I personally while traversing through this market, especially on my way back to Delhi, source fresh vegetables, be it cabbages, peas, cauliflowers (during summers also) or various kinds of other local green leafy vegetables (known as ‘saag’ in Hindi), as I find them to be more tasty and fresh, than from what we get here in Delhi. 

One of the hotels in Bhowali - on road towards Almora

During monsoons this hotel is full of Begonia flowers (tuberos variety) - a close up of the same

Bhowali township is almost as old as Nainital, as because of its salubrious climes it housed a Sanatorium for Tuberculosis patients that was built way back in 1912.  The place is named after a small village that is placed about  3 Kms. from the main road that runs from just below the Sanatorium gate and goes by the same name i.e. Bhowali.  Bhowali, apart from the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam managed Tourist Rest House (TRH),  now has quite a few homestays just beyond the municipal limits on way of Mukheshwar and Almora, hence can be easily be used as a base point for day visits to places like – a) The famous Ghora Khal temple dedicated to Golu Devta (a local and reverend God of justice); b)  Ramgarh & Mukteshwar; c) Kainchi Dham (only eight Kms. Away) and on other side d) Bhimtal; e) Sattal etc., many such nondescript little destinations are also placed within the Bhowali Tehsil.   It would be a good idea to stay in such a location, being cheaper but with all amenities during travel.  The STD code for the destination is – 5492 and PIN Code is – 263132.

 Here is a short video of the destination


 © S Roy Biswas

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Nondescript destinations of Kumaon – Khairna

Nondescript destinations of Kumaon – Khairna

Panoramic view of Kosi River meeting Khairna River at Khairna

            Having described Tarikhet in my previous blog, as I reiterate my steps back towards Kathgodam from my village Badankhet in Tarikhet Block in Ranikhet Tehsil of Almora District in Uttarakhad in Kumaon region of the State, one passes through the junction of Ganiadholi, wherefrom the road bifurcates towards Ranikhet and Tarikhet.  Thereafter, as one heads away from Ranikhet, one comes across villages like Pilkholi, known to the travellers where one can buy traditional Kumaoni sweets like Choclate (a milk based product), Bal Mithai and Singhori (remaining ones too be milk based sweets).  Thereafter, across the twenty three kilometres journey from Tarikhet to Khairna one passes by many other villages perched by the roadside in the following sequence - Bajol – Bhujan – Majhera.  Thereafter, one crosses the bridge across Kosi River and turn right towards Kharina and the other road from here, towards the left hand side,  heads towards Almora.  Thus, Khairna (PIN Code – 263135/STD Code – 05942) is also basically a junction point, wherefrom the road bifurcates towards Ranikhet and Almora.
Ganiadholi - wherefrom road bifurcates towards Ranikhet & Tarikhet
A panoramic view of villages perched on the road from Ranikhet to Khairna

            Khairna is also a market township that caters to the needs of the villages all around it that are situated on the road towards Betalghat and other villages of Naintial district around it.  Earlier, the two destinations of Khairna and thereafter, Garam Pani were distinct and separate, but over the years, with the spread of the market area along the highway, the distinction has all but faded.  There is a Petrol pump situated in this quaint village town, being bang on the National Highway 109.  Khairna is situated on the confluence of the Kosi and Khairna Rivers, the first one flowing from Almora side and the second one from Nainital side.  Khairna is thus, placed in the valley perched in between mountains at an altitude of 913.34 meters i.e. about 2996.51 feet above mean sea level (MSL).  Therefore, during the day time in summers it is considerably hot and heat is modest during the nights.  However, during winters it is quite cold but not totally unpleasant. 

Khairna by night - shot taken from KMVN, Khairna
A Crested Kingfisher in Kosi River - early morning shot

View of TRH at Khairna managed by KMVN - sourced from internet

            There are no distinct travel landmarks in Khairna, but can be used as a transit point while travelling to distant destinations in the Kumaon region.  Although fishing is prohibited, but one can enjoy feeding the fishes by going down the stairs of the KMVN managed Tourist Rest House in Khairna, which also offers a restaurant as well as rooms to stay for the tourists/visitors.  The freshly cooked food in this restaurant has always been my favourite and whenever, I traverse through this part, especially when travelling by train upto Kathgodam, I stop here for either lunch or snacks and never had any complaint regarding the quality of food.  Various aquatic birds can also be spotted in this region, especially early in the mornings and hence a short stopover for birders is also advisable.  So next time you are in Kumaon, remember this quaint nondescript destination.

 Here is a short video of the destination


 © S Roy Biswas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Nondescript destinations of Kumaon – Tarikhet

Nondescript destinations of Kumaon – Tarikhet

A panoramic view of main road & market of Tarikhet

          Tarikhet is a big hamlet, which is the Block headquarters that goes by the same name and comprises of 134 village Panchayats.  The STD code of the destination is – 05966 and PIN code is – 263663.  It is at a lower elevation of about 1500 odd meters above mean sea level and apart from the Block Development Office, it houses banks, ATMs, a Primary Health Centre, Govt. Inter College et al.  With Indian independence struggle movement in its credit, Tarikhet is a charming, verdant and beautiful cute village nearby Ranikhet on the way to I have been away from writing blogs for a long time and as I am struck down because of the pandemic, while searching for smaller destinations in the region of the internet, I could find only some scanty and scattered information.  Accordingly, I decided to gather information and put them on the internet in form of blogs for the readers and hence starting this series as ‘Nondescript destinations of Kumaon’.  In this series, I am starting with Tarikhet being the nearest township from my village.

A panoramic view of Tarikhet from Gandhi Kutir

 Tarikhet is a charming, verdant and beautiful cute hamlet nearby Ranikhet on the way to Ramnagar. It is a rather big hamlet, which is the Block headquarters that goes by the same name and comprises of 134 village Panchayats.   It is perched at a lower elevation of about 1500 odd meters above mean sea level, but has salubrious climate the year round.  Being the block headquarters, apart from housing the Block Development Office, it also has two banks and their ATMs, a Primary Health Centre, many private run as well as Government run schools, Govt. Inter College et al.  The STD code of the destination is – 05966 and PIN code is – 263663.

Outside view of the Gandhi Kutir
Close up of the pillar commemorating visit by Gandhi ji
A plaque indicating the Gandhi kutir

Tarikhet is well known for its association with the Indian independence struggle movement in its credit.  The recognition of Tarikhet and its association with freedom struggle is attributable to the famous ‘Gandhi Kutiya', a small hut where Mahatma Gandhi stayed for three days in June, 1929. Tarikhet was the nerve center for all the activities related to the freedom struggle. This is a must place to be visited to get the feeling of the history of India and its independence.  This prime attraction is now in a rather neglected state here, which is the small hut known as Gandhi Kuti, where Mahatma Gandhi, the great symbol of peace and tranquility and Father of our Nation, stayed once during the freedom movement. This place is thus, a symbol of India’s freedom struggle against the British Raj.  However, as you approach this venerated place, the government apathy is palpable & noticeable straight away.  The condition of the approach road is atrocious, with no maintenance whatsoever.  Even more so is the actual Kutir, which is ceremonially spruced and decked up during the Gandhi Jayanti etc., as informed by the local residents, or else in case when some local leaders troop in and make tall claims, only to disappear later.  The staircase is in bad shape, the place where Gandhiji stayed was converted into a school but the same is now in a state of total disrepair and the locals have even removed the doors & windows from the building, that sans any kind of security or periphery wall whatsoever.  The statute of Ghandhiji that was placed inside the Kutir and was on verge of being vandalized, has been kept in safe custody by the Principal of the local school of Prem Vidyalaya, Tarikhet. 

The statue of Gandhi ji kept in Prem Vidyalaya in Tarkhet

 The place bristles with activities all round the year, with people moving to and fro in the market or visiting Government offices for their works.  The market is spread across both sides of the State Highway that connects Ranikhet with Ramnagar and is the main market for local villagers for sourcing their requirements, be it clothes or other day to day sundry requirements.  It houses some quaint little sweetmeat shops and a few restaurants that cater mainly to local cuisine.  There is a small hotel or rather a home stay that goes by the name of ‘Pine grove Hotel’ and is situated in the outer vicinity of the township.  The place also offers an opportunity to visit a temple housing the famed Golu Devta, the reverend deity of the region and also is home to a small temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman inside the temple complex. 

             Thus, this destination known as Tarikhet, although may not be a destination of great tourist attraction, but is definitely a quaint and tranquil little destination, where the nature lover traveler can spend a few days in solitude.

Here is a link to a short video of the destination





 

Saturday, May 9, 2020

An enjoyable visit to Assan Barrage – a bird watcher’s delight


An enjoyable visit to Assan Barrage – a bird watcher’s delight
(A photo essay)
 
A panoramic view of the Assan Barrage or Dhalipur lake
         Having visited Rajaji National Park, we headed towards Dehradun, as we also intended to visit the famed Assan Barrage Bird Sanctuary, which is situated about 40 odd Kms. from Dehradun.  We started from Chilla at around 9.30 A.M and headed along the Chilla Dam road, as it was the shortest route to the destination i.e. about 97 Kms. via Rishikeh-Raiwala-Doiwala on the Dehradun Ambala National Highway and as we encountered some blocked roads and heavy traffic in Dehradun, thus it took us around six hours to reach the destination, albeit with quite a few stoppages in between.  While loitering around the barrage looking for a few birds to photograph during the previous day evening, an elderly gentleman had approached me and he introduced himself to be a photographer as well as a guide.  During the course of discussion he had pointed two birding spots to me, the first one was beyond the cut on the road towards the lane leading to village Ganga Bhogpur on the Chilla dam road itself, which was part of Rajaji Wild trail and could be accessed by a small dirt road that digressed from the main road, whereas the other was near ‘Bhumi Devta’ temple and at quite some distance.  So we decided to explore the region of Rajaji Wild trail on our way to Dehradun, since this destination sat right on our path.

Sighted a Mountain Hawk Eagle - on the way
A Rufous Treepie in Rajaji Wildlife trail
A Small Minivet in Rajaji Wildlife trail
        It was easy for us to trace the location we intended to visit and having parked the vehicle under the shade of a tree, the driver preferring to have a cup of piping hot tea at the road side tea stall while enjoying the morning Sun, I proceeded towards the place, which was actually a dirt trail leading upto banks of holy River Ganga and on its banks it bifurcated towards the opposite directions, running parallel to the River banks.  It was a wooded place with shrubs covering most of the forest floor.  However, even before we could reach the site we had to make a stop on the road, having spotted a handsome bird of the Eagle family, whose photograph and identity I have placed in the blog.  This destination too appears to have a great potential for bird watchers, as apart from water birds, I could hear a cacophony of birds chirping in the undergrowth and I could even spot a Red billed Leothrix also commonly called the ‘Liksptick bird’ because of its red coloured bill, but could not capture it in the camera, as I was a bit casual in approach.  Even this short visit showed immense potential and it is advisable for the bird watchers to have a look at this place, next time you visit Chilla.
Entry gate of Tourist Rest House at Assan Barrage run by GMVN ltd.
A group of Bramhiny ducks in the Assan Barrage waters
An Eagle flying in the sky above
We proceeded further and were relying on the Google Map for directions, albeit that I was also continuously back checking from locals also, as there have had been instances where this web based application leads persons to such places wherefrom it becomes very difficult to proceed further.  I had faced this malady earlier too and this time around also having gone past the Rishikesh Railway station, the application led us to a dirt road that seemed to end next to a huge bridge under construction.  We were flummoxed and after approaching some locals, we were told that if we continued along the dirt track that was totally on undulating terrain, we would be able to reach the road and join the traffic just after where the bridge construction ends.  We followed advice, as we did not have many more options and after many a tortuous moments, we were finally able to land of the Ambala-Dehradun Highway.  The Highway was well kept and we made it to Dehradun in good time, but once inside the city we were just pommelled to almost a standstill due to huge traffic snarls, especially in the market region and we lost much time during this part of the journey.  Having gone past the market area, we drove past the Dehradun Airport and thereafter, the traffic was smooth again.  But we were late and I was a bit famished by now, so when I saw some people selling fresh Orange juice along the highway, we stopped and had some quality fresh juice that immediately rejuvenated our flagging spirits.
Bramhiny ducks in flight
Another group of Bramhiny ducks in flight
A Watercock (female) in the lake
A group of Common Coot in the lake waters
        It was almost late afternoon when we reached the Assan Barrage site and as we had pre-booked the Tourist Rest House accommodation managed by the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, we headed directly for the destination.  But being holidays, the entire place was choked and teeming with people.  I somehow made it to the Managers office and found that every staff had been deployed to serve food and beverages to the customers.  I showed him my booking and he directed some staff member to lead us to our rooms, but due to very heavy rush we had to do the honours of transferring our luggage to our rooms.  Further, due to shortage of staff and coupled with heavy rush on that day, despite placing order for some snacks etc., as we were already a famished lot, I had to remind them for food for quite a few number of times, before the same was delivered. 
A pond heron in the lake
A large conglomeration of water birds away from prying eyes of humans - on distant side of the lake
A pair of Red crested Pochard along with other water birds in the lake
A Ferruginious Pochard in flight over the lake
As the evening sets in - the Bramhiny ducks seek a resting place
A group of Pochard's also doze off as the evening sets in
            Having had the snacks and a cup of tea/coffee as per individual choice, we decided to drive towards the other side of the Assan Barrage or Dhalipur Lake.  This place comprises of a man-made lake that resulted from construction of a barrage across the Asan River and a discharge channel from Yamuna River that draws water to the Dhalipur Power station in the year 1967.  The lake with semi-marshy conditions prevailing in some parts, spread over an area of over four square kilometres.  The altitude is merely 389.4 meters over mean sea level and is a perennial lake i.e. it has water all the year round.  As per the records, the lake has about 53 species of water birds, of which 19 are winter migrants from Europe and Asia. During this period a record of 90% of the water birds population comprises the following 11 (Eleven) migratory species, namely Brahminy Duck, Pintail, Red Crested Pochard, Gadwall, Common Pochard, Mallard, Coot, Wigeon, Common Teal, Tufted Duck, and Shoveller.  We drove across the barrage and headed left towards the village side to watch the birds and were glad that we did so, as many of the birds preferred the isolated region, away from the hustle and bustle of the barrage area, which has a constant flow of traffic.  We spent some quality time watching and photographing the birds and as the evening set in, we headed back to the Tourist Rest House (TRH).
A group of Red crested Pochards at Assang Barrage TRH
A Grey Hornbill at the Assan Barrage TRH
Some Greater Scaup(s) resting in Hathni Kund Barrage
Another view around Hathni Kund Barrage
         By the time we arrived back at the TRH, the visiting hours were well over and the humongous crowd that had gathered during the day the quietly dispersed.  We had the complex all to ourselves and ordered a fresh round of snacks & beverages that not only arrived promptly, but was prepared in much better manner.  We had our dinner at the lakeside enclosure, enjoying the food as well as the starlit night sky and calling of the water birds, comforting each other.  Thereafter, we retired for the night and the next morning was glorious with full view of the lake and birds, I photographed a few birds in the complex itself and also made a video that I have shared below.  Then having B’fast at around 9.00 A.M we headed back towards Delhi via Yamuna Nagar and Karnal.  On the way we stopped over for a few minutes at the Hathni Kund Barrage to check out for migratory birds.  However, as we approached these heavily industrialized zones, the fog that envelopes the plains during winters made an appearance and we were literally crawling at places due to very dense fog and at times traffic.  We reached Delhi late in the evening and thus ended our winter sojourn for the year.
Here is the link to the video for the destination


©S. Roy Biswas

Thursday, April 9, 2020

A short visit to Rajaji National Park – Chilla range

A short visit to Rajaji National Park – Chilla range
A Golden backed woodpecker inside the TRH Chilla
             We were struck up and could not undertake any short trips due to certain difficulties in my home front.  However, we got a short window of about a few days and I had to plan for a destination that could be reached overnight or across a day and after visiting the destination for a day, return back the next day.  After much research, I zeroed in on Chilla range of Rajaji National Park.  It is situated in Haridwar District of Uttarakhand and is about 220 odd kilometres from Delhi and further lies about 8 Kms. from the Hardwar Railway Station.  The distance was doable within about five hours and in case of any exigency I could rush back at home quickly.   Being a reserve forest, it was an ideal location for us, to be away from the hustle and bustle of city life for some time.   For the trip to fructify, the foremost requirement was to identify a suitable place to stay at the location and also to find out if any accommodation was still available.  There are only two good boarding & lodging arrangement within the precincts as well as periphery of the Park vicinity i.e. the Forest Rest House and the other one is the Tourist Rest House run by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GMVN for short).  By luck I could source a family room in the GMVN run facility, as the Forest Rest house was fully booked.

A map showing location of Rajaji National Park, Chilla (sourced from net)
The outer gate of TRH, Chilla
Inside wide-angle view of TRH, Chilla
View of water canal formed by the barrage behind TRH, Chilla
A Cormorant looking for fish in the canal behind TRH, Chilla
           We started in the morning at around 7.30 A.M, which was quite late by our standards, considering the fact that whenever I visit my summer pad in Ranikhet, we usually start at around 6.00 A.M sharp.  But as the distance was about more than a 100 Kms. less and coupled with the fact that the present drive did not require any hill driving, we were quite comfortably placed.  The road from Delhi to Meerut was excellent, being newly constructed, by using the bye-pass we were able to make quick progress upto Meerut.  Thereafter, the road was again congested and the journey, time consuming.  Around 10.00 A.M we reached Muzzafar Nagar and had our first break for B’fast at Bikanerwala, which is very conveniently placed, right on the highway, with ample parking space.  The restaurant offers great food and there is a wide variety to choose from and the public utilities are well maintained and is a most suitable spot to drop in for a short break.  Having, had our fill we proceeded further and reached Haridwar after negotiating another bottleneck at Roorkee.  Having reached Haridwar, we overshot the cut which led to the destination and instead manoeuvred our car towards the barrage entry and were rightly guided back to take the cut from road that leads towards Chandi Devi temple and we finally reached Chilla at around 3.00 P.M.  Thereafter, having made ourselves comfortable in our rooms, we ordered some snacks and really enjoyed them, the food per se was quite delicious in the GMVN run Tourist Rest House.  Having had our tea and snacks, it was time to call up Viru Negi to check out about the next day’s safari booking for visiting Rajaji National Park.  Late in the evening he turned up in his Jeep and after dropping his guests for the day, we had tete a’ tete and I sought the afternoon safari for the next day.  During the period that I waited for Viru Negi ji to make an appearance, I strolled along the canal formed due to barrage across the Ganga River and could spot quite a few birds around the TRH complex itself and shot photographs using my camera and am sharing with you all in my blog.
A Buzzard flying by at the birding spot near Chilla
Some Cormorants flying across in the sky avboe
Bahminy Shelduck in Ganga in the birding spot near Chilla
A Common Kingfisher in the birding spot near Chilla
            New day morning while I was strolling with my camera along the side of TRH, another local bird enthusiast approached me and gave me some information about another birding spot in the locality and we drove up to the destination and shot a few birds with my camera, accompanied by my Son and daughter.  Thereafter, we returned back to have lunch around 1.30 P.M and were thereafter, picked up by Viru Negi ji for our afternoon safari at around 2.30 P.M, since the safari began at 3.00 P.M.  The Rajaji National Park is situated along the hills and foothills of Shiwalik ranges in the Himalayan foothills within the Shivalik biosphere.  Historically speaking, there used to be three separate wildlife sanctuaries namely – Rajaji Wildlife Sanctuary established in 1948; Moticur Wildlife Sanctuary established in 1964; and Chilla Wildlife Sanctuary established in 1977.  In the year 1983 all these three reserves were all combined to create one body named as the Rajaji National Park and in the year 2015 it received the status of a Tiger Reserve.  It is named after Sri C Rajagopalachari – the first Governor General of free India.  Spread across more than 800 Sq. Km., with altitude spanning from 330 to 1350 meters, it is a fairly large park that is adjacent to the holy cities of Hardwar, Rishikesh and Dehradun in Uttarakhand.  Chilla Reserve is situated next to the hydropower plant.  So one can see a branch of Ganga flowing here, with many seasonal rivers merging into it.   In fact, the GMVN guest house is located on a narrow strip of land where one such seasonal stream meets the Ganga.
A Golden backed woodpecker inside Chilla range
Terai like grasslands inside the Chilla range
Huge Sal trees and other trees inside the forest in Chilla range
A Back shouldered Kite inside the Chilla range
A Siberian stonechat inside Chilla range
A male Chital or Spotted deer inside Chilla range
        A small portion of the holy River Ganga flows for about 24 km within the park precincts. Other small seasonal rivers or rivulets join it at various places within the reserve forest.  However, we could only see some dry River beds across the reserve, through which our jeeps drove through during the safari.  The area is covered with diverse forest types ranging from semi-evergreen to deciduous and from mixed broad-leaved to terai like grassland and has been classified as Indus-Ganges Monsoon Forest type. Lofty strands of Sal dominate in many parts of this forest range giving it a surreal feeling, as the evenings set in. 
Pug mark of both Elephant and a leopard inside Chilla range
A watch tower inside the Chilla range
A Mountain Hawk Eagle inside the Chilla range
A juvenile Sambar male inside the Chilla range
A Sambar female inside Chilla range
           Rajaji is home to a plethora of avian species, which are found in forested foothills and in open grassland.   The location of this reserve forest being in a transition zone between temperate western Himalaya and central Himalaya enhances the species diversity and consequently the viewing prospects of a large number of birds that inhabit this broad spectrum. As per the official website, the Rajaji's checklist has about 400 bird species and includes good birds like Greater Scaup, White-naped Woodpecker, Great Hornbill, Black-bellied Tern, Pallas's Fish Eagle, Northern Goshawk, Black-necked Stork, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Scaly Thrush, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Rusty-flanked Tree-creepers, Pale-footed Bush Warbler, Tytler's Leaf Warbler, Green Avadavat and Reed Bunting.  Apart from this, the National park is best known for is its elephants. I had always heard about herds of elephants roaming freely in the region that one can come across while driving through the forest, but it was not to be in our case. In fact, this is the identified North Western end of Elephant corridor in India. If you travel further North or West from here, you would not find any wild elephants.
A male Peacock inside Chilla range
A female Red Jungle fowl inside Chilla range
A White breasted Kingfisher inside Chilla range
A Woolly necked Stork inside Chilla range
Sambhar deer - both male & female inside Chilla range
        The safari charges are quite reasonable with a Jeep Safari of two and half hours duration costing around Rs.3,500/- with guide, but may vary from season to season.  As the winters had yet to pass and the weather was not very clear and being quite cold early in the morning, I preferred an afternoon safari.  The afternoon safari starts at about 3.00 P.M and ends at about 5.30 P.M and one can book it in advance or get one at the entry gate itself, if the rush is less.  I, on the other hand, was able to establish contact with one of the well-known guides operating in the Rajaji National Park and is quite well acquainted with all the portions of the park.  I had contacted him over phone and he was courteous enough to arrange for the entire safari for us and his name is Viru Negi (Mobile No.+91-9917606031).  He is a very nice person and anyone interested can contact him directly on this mobile.  The safari itself is better than that of Corbett in respect of time and distance covered, albeit there are fewer Tiger sightings in the region.  We got to see a lots of deer, birds including Jungle fowls and by the time as the evening set in, we could hear alarm calls of Langurs and Sambars, but could not sight any Tiger nor any Elephants to speak of.  By the time we were returning back, it had become literally cold and we were also famished, as the Park authorities do not allow any packed food items inside the park and rightly so.  The photographs shall speak for themselves about the trip and a short video of the safari inside the park for my viewers –
 © S. Roy Biswas