Genesis - soumya.org

Dajipur Bison Sanctuary

Ushered in the year 2010 with a solo drive to Dajipur Bison Sanctuary, which is approximately 450 km from Mumbai. Nestled in the midst of pristine forests at the intersection of the Kolhapur and Sindhudurg districts, Dajipur is a 5 shop village where time stands still on the banks of the magnificient Radhanagari lake. Spent a couple of days driving, trekking and finally a safari deep into the heart of the jungle to see the turf where the Indian Bison (Gaur) thunders and leopards and tigers leave their footprints. Here is a closer look at the magical haven of nature that is Dajipur...

A Run On The Raan

A really really long drive from Mumbai took the family to Zainabad in the Little Rann of Kutch, where we spent a couple of nights at Camp Desert Coursers. With helpful hints from Dhanraj Malik (the son of the ex nawab of Zainabad), we took jeep safari's into the barren rann to spot the wild asses (khur's) in their environment, spent quality time with thousands of pelicans and flamingos, got to glimpse the elusive chinkara gazelle and visit the first salt pans of the season. The outstanding hospitality of the camp led to new friends and spirited conversations over the challenges of the region, helping us understand better the unique ecosystem that is the Little Rann Of Kutch...

The Dangs Of Gujarat

A 750 km overnight weekend trip in the Dang tribal belt of Gujarat, took me through the Vansda and Purna National forests, Gira waterfalls, an overnight campsite at Killad, before emerging the next day in Maharashtra through the backroads of Mahal and Ahwa. Here are some glimpses of the forests, trails, campfires, royal orchards and the friendly people of the Dangs...

36 Hours In Udaipur

Why meet your next door neighbors in the elevator, when you can drive over a 1000 miles round trip to hang out with them! A chance exchange of messages while on the road in the Rann of Kutch, led to an unplanned drive to the lake city of Udaipur. We spent the day of Diwali wandering the streets of the old city, watching bedecked Rajasthani ladies visiting the ancient Jagdish temple in the morning, touring the royal palace during the day, chartering a boat for a lake cruise in the evening and spent the rest of the night dodging firecrackers in the crowded lanes. Here are some memories of an amazing 36 hours in Udaipur...

Tripping Through Acid and Rock - Lonar Lake And Crater

Nestled in the middle of the world's largest hypervelocity crater of balastic rock, lies the mysterious lake of Lonar a place of myth, reality and nature. After a long drive from Mumbai to the middle of nowhere (150km from Aurangabad in Maharashtra's Buldana district, which in turn is 400km from Mumbai), we arrived at the MTDC hotel at a magical twilight hour to see a spectacular show of colors and light as the sun set over the horizon. The next morning saw us descend into the crater with our guide Anand Mishra, a young student contactable through the MTDC office, who also helps out visiting global scientists and scholars. We spent the morning enthralled by his deep knowledge and passion for Lonar as he combined history, nature and science to give us a fascinating tour of ancient temples, magnetically charged rocks, a highly acidic water body, bat colonies, migratory birds and surprisingly fertile farms (Plug: Anand Mishra can be contacted at + 91 9850499792 or anandguide1 at rediffmail.com). Time flew by and six hours later we emerged through green fields, shaded paths and rocky trails and stood once again on the crater rim and took a silent moment to look back upon Lonar lake and crater...

Misty Mountain Hop - Wildflowers Of Kaas

From late September to early October, the Kaas plateau nestled in the hills above Satara emerges in a new avatar as wildflowers start to color the hills and dales with a myriad hues of yellow, red, violet and white. In quest of this elusive sight, a high speed highway drive from Mumbai put us into Satara in about three hours from where a winding ghat road rose into the foggy mountains past green hills, circling birds and some  simian families trying to get a sun tan. As the  green turned to yellow and the brown turned to red  we spotted a dirt track snaking off to the  right...and entered a whole new world of lakes,  water lilies, chirping birds, tricky road bends, slippery boulders, ancient shrines and the occasional shepherd who guided us on our way. After two hours, finding the road ahead blocked by a landslide, we turned around and backtracked, slithering and sliding across rocks and red mud, finally rejoining the tar road after a few exciting moments. The road back to Mumbai was interspersed with a detour to see the Thoseghar waterfalls and views of Sajjangadh fort, after which we picked up the company of torrential rains in a crazy drive which would always remind us of the day we went to see the wildflowers of Kaas...

Mahabalipuram - History In Stone

The click clack sounds of artisans chipping away at blocks of stone drifed through the the bylanes of Mahabalipuram as we entered this sleepy town, home to the famous Shore Temple overlooking the Bay of Bengal. Our local guide Ashok, gave us the 'standard' tour starting with Krishna's butterball, a giant rock precariously balanced on a slope, proceeding to the exquisite bas relief of Arjuna's penance painstakingly carved out of a giant boulder, taking in the beauty of the Pancha Ratha (5 chariots) complex and ending at the marvel of architecture that is the Shore temple. The life exuding from each carving  stood as mute testimony to the skill of artisans and engineers from centuries ago (the temples date back to the 7th and 9th centuries) and the resilience of the kings and their people in overcoming multiple 'problems' to create such amazing works of art. (Note: In Ashok's vocabulary everything from a tsunami, to a marauding army, to corrupt politicians was a 'problem'). Tour over, we strolled into the backpacker part of town, making our way past half the town gawking at a film shoot, ladies hawking fresh fruit and flowers and ended up at a small 'French' cafe which even had chicken with red wine sauce! As we said goodbye and headed down the coastal highway to Pondicherry, the click clack sounds slowly faded to the background, a living testimony to how art and tradition are still passed on from generation to generation, in the world heritage site that is Mahabalipuram......

Pondicherry - Enchanté

Hugging the south east coast of India, Pondicherry is an endearing and quirky little town which grows on you with each passing day. We spent three days bumping into french indophiles, indian francophiles, spiritual disciples and of course, 'regular' people like auto rickshaw drivers who spoke fluent french and the hotel boy waiting for his french passport because his grandfather was in the french army. Exploring the well laid out streets in the White Town and the by lanes of fishing villages in the Black Town, we found a spirit that was uniquely French but at the same time uniquely Indian living in perfect harmony at La Côte d'Azur de l'Est...

Checking Out Chennai

A wedding in the extended family meant squeezing out odd time slices in Chennai for extramarital activities, like early morning walks through historical churches and temples, tiffin's at iconic culinary institutions, a sundowner stroll on Marina beach with its monuments to iconic demi-gods and even a midnight photo expedition in the streets around Egmore. Each encounter revealed different facets of a historical city where the main streets are gaining glitzy malls and glossy buildings but a turn into a narrow side lane can reveal an unhurried way of life and traditions built up over time. Here are some photographic viewpoints gathered from the sessions of checking out Chennai...

Chasing The Monsoon

Cascading waterfalls, rivers in spate, the planting of rice paddy, a tribal king's palace, an abandoned fort and majestic mountain vistas overlooking myriad shades of green...all within the span of a 400 kilometer round trip! The smooth black tarmac between Manor on NH 8 and Igatpuri on NH3  took us through the pristine tribal areas of Khodala and Vihigaon where a left turn on the Kasara ghats deposited us at our friend's place for an overnight halt in Nashik. An evening of good food and spirited conversations led to a leisurely morning start past barefoot pilgrims walking towards the holy towns of Shirdi and Trimbak and brought us to Jawahar the erstwhile capital of the local tribal kingdom. With a surprise visit by the king nixing our plans of a palace tour, we had to be content with the magnificent views from panorama point before the pouring rain drove us to a roadside dhaba for shelter and hot lunch and tea. Fortified and content, we spent the afternoon meandering back to civilization, getting glimpses into the simple lives of the local farmers and finally returning home after an exhilarating short weekend of chasing the monsoon...

Korlai Fort And Lighthouse

On a rainy Sunday morning, a scenic coastal road led me to Korlai, a small fishing village tucked away between Alibag and Murud. Apart from being one of the few remaining places in the world where a Portugese-Creole dialect is spoken by the locals, Korlai is also home to an abandoned fort built by the Portugese in the fifteen hundred's in their quest for domination of India's coastline. Past the quiet village village bylanes and fishing boats shuttered for the monsoons, a motorable dirt track petered out at the locked gates of a quaint lighthouse behind which began the steep steps to the fort. Failing to attract the attention of the lighthouse keeper (who was probably fast asleep at 6.30 am), I clambered up the hillside to discover some magical views from the ramparts of the fort once known as El Morro De Chaul...

Bet Dwarka, Gujarat - A Ferry Trip Across Time

A twenty minute ferry ride from the port town of Okha, takes one to the island of Bet Dwarka, where Lord Krishna was supposed to have met his friend Sudama. Dotted with many temples of religious significance (a trip to Dwarka is not considered complete without visiting Bet Dwarka), the island also has immense historical heritage with excavations revealing it to be a center of Indo Roman trade many centuries ago. With the gentle sea breeze giving relief from the hot summer sun, the humming of the motor and the blue waters of the Arabian sea provided a new dimension to people watching as we spent a magical morning on a colorful journey across time...

Dwarka, Gujarat - Atlantis Rediscovered

An impulsive 1000 km drive over a long weekend took us to the holy town of Dwarka, one of the westernmost coastal points of India. Swallowed by the sea and rebuilt seven times over 4000 years, the town rumored by some, to be the inspiration for tales of the city of Atlantis, was also the legendary capital of the kingdom of Lord Krishnafrom where he ruled with his consorts. We found it to be a town of myriads moods where a few bylanes can transport a person from the religious fervour surrounding the hallowed Shree Dwarkadeesh temple, to a lighthouse keeping vigil over the restless Arabian sea or bustling ghats where colorfully clad villagers jostle with little kids diving into the river Gomti as it ends its journey in the blue waters of the Arabian Sea...

Jamnagar, Gujarat - Architectural Vignettes

Strategically located on the western tip of India, Jamnagar ranks as one of the oldest cities in Gujarat. What today is the base for one of the world's largest oil refineries, was for centuries the jewel for many kings of Saurashtra, the most famous being Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, the famous Indian cricketer who was also the creator of modern Jamnagar. Avoiding the baking summer sun, we ventured out in the cool sea breeze of early mornings and evenings, to discover...lakes, palaces, temples, mosques and museums, each with its own unique character, creating the wonderful architectural vignette that is Jamnagar...

A Fishy Affair

Twice a day, the boat jetty in the fishing village of Jivna near Shrivardhan springs into action enacting a ritual many decades old...Boats line up along the jetty to unload their silvery treasures and a frenetic burst of activity sees baskets of fish sorted by race, color, creed and size being carried onto a square patch of land at the far end of the pier. A gaggle of men and women mill around anxiously, talking to each other, hovering around a prize catch or staring at a rare one like a giant sting ray. A middle aged gentleman appears with a notebook and starts softly murmuring...."'500'...'600'...'1000'....sold". The crowd now congregates around him and the bidding becomes a bit more heated particularly with the lots of surmai (kingfish) and its cousins, with the top bid fetching upwards of ten thousand for a whole lot. As the bidding continues so do the side shows...baskets are transferred into ice cases and put into waiting trucks, stout koli women do a second sale before the fish can reach a truck, an old man is gifted a few small fish for his curry and little kids scamper through the rows poking at a basket of crabs or sticking their hands into the cold crates of ice. This ritual continues for a couple of hours until the fish become sparser, the square becomes emptier, the crowd dissipates and the fishermen start to repair their nets as crows step in for their due. A calm overlaps Jivna Bandar until they all gather again, in ten hours, to re-consummate the cycle of a really fishy affair...