Tadoba – ताडोबा

Jungle safari – I never thought or planned that I would go in jungle and see, experience wildlife closely. Visit to ‘Tadoba’ is one of the unexpected and successful trips I have ever done! And it was very unsure till I entered the reserve.

Sambar. Photo by Onkar Asalekar

Without booking the tickets we travelled to Tadoba from Anandwan in the afternoon. Fortunately we reached on time at Khadsangi Gate from where only 6 vehicles are allowed to enter. Mr. Vikas Chaudhary our guide took us inside and told us so much information about Tiger, other animals and so many thrilling experiences since he started working there in 1998. Vikas said “Long back a man named Taru had fight with tiger and got killed so now the name is Tadoba and Andhari is name of watercourse in the jungle. Complete name of the sanctuary is Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. Area is about 625 square kilometers, 667 types of plants.” He told various stats of animals, plants, birds in the reserve. Most interesting figure was – 70 Tigers!!

spotted deer. Photo by Meghana Joshi

I never went to jungle or sanctuary before for bird watching. I saw, heard many birds among which I could only recognize ducks in ponds and peacock. Guide showed us eagle, Kingfisher. There were so many spotted deer, Sambar playing on grass, open spaces and disappeared as soon as they hear any sound of vehicles. I watched neelgai, jungle cats, langurs, wild pigs. Guide Vikas had amazing listening capability and great eyesight. In moving vehicle, Vikas could name animal or bird and also tell its location by just listening and spot it in dense bushes. After wandering for more than 1hour we waited at one place to see Tiger.

Divine silence was getting more charismatic occasionally by chirping of birds, sounds of animals. I looked around… numerous wildlife photographers with top-class cameras stood still… to freeze the frame and capture that beauty of real nature. What photographers were doing? Just Freezing visuals? But being human species how can we carry that undisturbed silence with us? How can we carry with us those principles, regulations jungles are following without fail even though man left jungles thousands of years back. Those clean water lakes, huge banyan trees, and dense bamboo trees, sunshine and shadows… how we are going to keep all these things close to us and live along with it?

Suddenly Guide told driver to move vehicle and took us near pond.

Voila!!! Tiger…

अस्ताला जाणार्‍या सूर्याच्या किरणांनी तळं उजळून निघाले होते. तो पिवळ्या-सोनेरी रंगाचा जंगलाचा राजा.. वाघ पाण्यातून बाहेर आला. तसा माझ्यापासून बराच लांब होता खरा पण त्याला पाहताच हृदयाचा ठोका नक्कीच चुकला. वाघ पाण्यातून बाहेर पडल्याक्षणी कॅमेरे वाजू लागले, बघणारे ’आह भरु’ लागले. वाघाने त्याच्यापासून दूर तळ्याच्या दुसर्‍या काठी असलेल्या आमच्या वाहनांच्या घोळक्याकडे क्षणभर नजर टाकली आणि तो त्याच्या नेहमीच्या रस्त्याने चालू लागला. वाघ डौलाने निघाला आणि एका मिनीटात झुडपाआड होऊ लागला.

“अरेरे.. गेला..” हा विचार मनात चालू असतानाच, आजुबाजुच्या सर्व गाड्या चालु झाल्या. गाईड सर्वांना वेगवेगळ्या सूचना देऊ लागले. एकच गोंधळ उडला. सगळ्या गाड्या फिरून एका निमुळत्या रस्त्याच्या तोंडाशी येऊन थांबू लागल्या. गाड्यांची घाईगडबड- त्यांचा आवाज, लोकांची बडबड, पुढे जाऊन थांबायची शर्यत या सगळ्यात थोडा वेळ गेला. मी चक्क खिडकीतून डोक बाहेर काढून पाहत बसलो. अचानक शांतता पसरली आणि समोर वाघ आलेला दिसला. तसाच शांतपणे, निर्विकारपणे चालत चालत रस्त्याला आडवा – उजव्या बाजूने येवून डाव्या बाजूस झुडुपात शिरला.

परत तोच प्रकार.. गाड्याची घाई, गडबड, आवाज, गोंधळ.. मात्र ह्या वेळेस आमच्या गाडीला मागे फिरुन पुढच्या रस्त्याला यायला थोडा वेळ लागला. तोपर्यंत वाघ रस्त्याच्या मध्यभागी पोचला होता, दिमाखात चालत गर्द झडीत दिसेनासा झाला. हा रस्तासुद्धा आधीच्या सारखाच होता, त्यामुळे पाच मिनीटापूर्वीचा फ्लॅशबॅक बघितल्यासारखे वाटले. तीच शेवटची झलक डोळ्यात साठवून घेतली.

संध्याकाळचे सहा वाजून गेले होते. सोबतच्या गाड्या एक एक करून परतल्या. आम्ही अजुन एक-दोन ठिकाणांवर जाऊन पाहणी केली, पण वेळेअभावी परत जाणे भाग होते. शेवटी काही मोर निरोप घ्यायला म्हणून भेटून गेले. काही मिनीटांत वातावरण पालटले. अंधार त्याचे साम्राज्य पसरवू लागला. गार वारा सुटला. आकाशाने गच्च चांदण्यांनी सजवलेली चादर पांघरली.

जंगलातून बाहेर पडताना बर्‍याच गोष्टींनी मनात खोलवर जागा मिळवल्या आणि घट्ट रुतुन बसल्या.

एका घरातील समाजकार्य करणारी तिसरी पिढी, महारोग्यांनी बनविलेल्या कलकृति, जंगलातील शातंता, वाघाची चाल, वाघ समोर असताना पर्यटकांतील विलक्षण वातावरण आणि पश्चिमेच्या अंधार्‍या आकाशातील तेजस्वी गुरु, शुक्राची जोडी…

February 2012

I won’t forget February 2012 throughout my life. The start of the month was with the dilemma of taking new task which could have been important in my career OR to go with traveling plans made almost two months back. The first week almost went in deciding ‘what to do?’ But with the suggestions by my parents I decided to travel!

The first destination was Solapur, around 250km away from Pune. The reason was marriage ceremony of my cousin brother. After marriage it is customary for married couple to visit holy place of kuldevata and other god/goddess. So with them I and other family members traveled around 600km in two days visiting almost 8 places some in Maharashtra state and some in Karnataka state.

The day I came back from Solapur I had to catch train to Nagpur which is around 900km away from Pune. From Nagpur I went to Anandwan located in Warora, Chandrapur district. Anandwan is known for Late Baba Amte – great social worker who worked a lot for Leprosy patients. I stayed there for 3 days which I think are very less to understand Anandwan. During my stay at Anandwan I also went to Tadoba forest which is famous for tigers.

From Nagpur I went to capital of India, Delhi. In Delhi I traveled with Metro train for the first time in my life! There I got to see President’s House, Parliament of India, two world heritage sights and several other tourists’ spots. From Delhi I returned to Pune around 1600km journey by Indian Railway!

So next 3-4 posts will be about the places I visited and how traveling made February special. Stay tuned!!