Road Trip to Nagarjuna Sagar

It has been a month since we purchased our Honda Jazz and this time, the plan was definitely to go for long drives. So, when my hubby's friends at office planned for a day outing to Nagarjuna Sagar, we just couldn't let go. Nagarjuna sagar is one of the largest masonry dam in the world and supplies water and electricity to Telangana and other parts of the State. We started leisurely around 9 am and after breakfast near our office which was the meeting point, we started on our way to cover the 152 km journey.

Us ready to roll in the new Honda Jazz

We reached there by 1:30 pm, driving slowly and enjoying the scenery on the way, stopping at places to take pictures and have a cup of tea. The road is nice but has villages on both sides, so drive carefully as there are no dividers on the state highway. We stopped at the bridge from where you can get a full view of the dam and clicked some pictures. However, this was not the time, when water is released and hence it was completely dry.

Us posing in front of the dam

The dam - Dry as no water is released

On reaching, we first decided to take the boat ride to reach Nagarjunakonda or hill of Nagarjuna. As per a combo of mythology and history Nagarjuna was a Buddhist monk whose monastery was situated where the current Nagarjunakonda island in the Nagarjuna Sagar Reservoir is situated. When the water in the reservoir rose most of the historical items were submerged except for the ones that were rescued and kept in the museum specifically built for the purpose on the top of the island. There are motorboats running that operate between Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir and the island of Nagarjunakonda. Each one way journey is around 45 minutes and  you can spend as much time exploring the island and the museum as you want to as long as you take the last ferry back, unless you want to spend the night alone on the island (which by the way is not allowed due to security reasons so you better not miss the last boat around 5:30 pm). 

Nagarajunakonda from the waiting ramp

We purchased tickets for the boat ride and the museum and waited for the arrival of the boat in the hot sun. There were a lot of fish in the water and it was interesting to watch to see them dive for the bread crumbs the travelers were throwing at them. 

A big fish with the bread crumb

For some reason the staff is totally negligent about how many seats to fill in the boat and they were calling people to board even when it was full completely. It is when the boat arrives all hell breaks loose; there is no system of queue or ladies and kids first. No body waited for the coming passengers to get down and on the small path between the boat and ramp there were more than 200 people pushing and shoving each other.  If you have muscle and besharmee you can get in the motorboat. If you have civic sense and are travelling with kids be ready to miss your boat. There was a group of Nepalese tourists and it was amazing to see old men and women from the group shoving and pushing to get to the boat faster than the younger crowd around.

Mad rush for the boat

Us during the boat ride

We arrived suitably shaken and stirred on the island and were a witness to the great Indian rush to get out of the boat once again. Immediately after the boat docking platform there is a steep ascent to rise to the hill. Remember Konda means hill in Telugu and Nagarjunakonda means the hill of Sage Nagarjuna. As mentioned earlier, the museum and the island are home to artifacts found during excavation work when the Nagarjuna Sagar dam was built and they were later moved on top of the hill to save them from drowning. We slowly climbed the steep incline to reach the top of the hill where museum is situated. 

Guide for the entire island

I was very happy to note the well maintained gardens and monuments around us. The island as such is not very big, but there are various Buddhist excavation sites on the island that are now maintained by Archaeological Survey of India. We headed straight to the museum as it was fairly hot to walk around in the hot sun. Photography is not allowed inside the museum to protect the thousands of year old artifacts from fakes being created using pictures. The museum is fairly elaborate - Scenes showing life of the kings and general public during days when Buddhism was a predominant religion in most part of India are depicted in stone. However, I felt it would have been great if there were some detailed descriptions about each of the artifacts to understand them better. The great relief inside the museum was the huge standing fans that gave enough air to cool us down after the scorching heat.

By the time we finished the tour of the museum, we were ravenously hungry and headed straight to the canteen for some egg fried rice and cold drinks. A word of caution here - the food here is absolutely tasteless and it is better for travelers to have food on the mainland. We did not visit much of the monuments in open due to heat. 

Relic monuments at Nagarjunakonda

The return journey was even more painful as we had to sit outside on concrete to wait for the boat and when the boat arrived it was worse than Kumbh Ka mela.  I hope some authorities who are responsible for these boats do a better management on how people board and disembark from them otherwise one day in chaos major accident can happen. However, the boat ride was definitely enjoyable and we could see the sun setting in the background.

Setting sun as captured from the boat

By the time we returned to the mainland, it was getting dark and time for us to head home. Also, we decided to skip Ethipothala waterfalls as the locals mentioned there is hardly any water at this time of the year. The return drive was more difficult than the onward journey. As mentioned earlier, there is no divider on the state highways and vehicles come in full speed with high beams on, as there is no light on the road. This makes it difficult to drive and you have to be really careful. While we reached Nagarjuna Sagar in 3 hours, the return journey took us around 4 hours because of this. We returned home, tired but content after an enjoyable day.

PS - If you have time and no fear of the water, try a ride on the coracles which is a round boat :)

Kuch din bitao Gujarat mein.... Part 4

Our last and final day in Gujarat... 

It has been a great trip to so far and all of us are looking for a fantastic closure. Today our destination is Vadodara,  112 km from Ahmedabad.  It took us about 2 hours to reach and the first place we visited was Dakshinamurti temple inside the military campus. The uniqueness of the temple is that aluminium waste sheets from aircraft, etc. were used to erect the structure. This temple is situated in the compound of EME School of Indian Army at Vadodara. Being dedicated to Lord Shiva, the idol is seated in south-facing position. The structure of the temple was built in 1965 in the shape of Geodesic dome with the help of Aluminum waste sheets from Aeroplane etc. 

The temple conceived and designed by Brig AG Eugene and the architectural pattern represents five religions- the 'kalash' on the top of the dome signifies Hinduism, the 'dome' signifies Islam, the 'tower' represents Christianity, the 'golden-structure' on the top of the tower represents Buddhism and the entrances to the temple with their respective shapes signifies Jainism. The Indian Army takes up the entire organizational work. 

Dakshinamurty Temple made from aluminium waste

The Shiv Lingam surrounded by Banyan trees is wrapped in a air of calmness and stillness. The temple is an ideal place for meditation.The whole area is sprawled with statues of hundreds of years old collected by army men. There is a miniature replica of an artificial cave, modeled on the famous Amarnath Gufa(Cave). The darkness, the dipping water, the snow(refrigerated) covered lingam and the continuous Shiva Mantra chanting makes it really fascinating experience.

Amarnath Cave replica

After the temple, we went to the Laxmi Vilas Palace which is the house of Raja Sayajirao Gaekwad.  Still the residence of Vadodara’s royal family, Laxmi Vilas was built in full-throttle 19th-century Indo-Saracenic flourish at a cost of 6 million. The most impressive Raj-era palace in Gujarat, its elaborate interiors boast well-maintained mosaics, chandeliers and artworks. It’s set in expansive park like grounds, which include a golf course. The palace is a majestic structure with beautiful ornaments and display of luxury. We were provided with an English audio guide that helped us through the ground floor rooms. While trying to capture the entire palace in one frame,  I slipped and fell, damaging one of the fountain which was actually hilarious.

Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara

After that, we quickly finished lunch and started for Anand which is the birthplace of Amul and houses the Milk Factory. Did you know that Amul stands for Anand Milk Union Limited. I was very keen on visiting this factory although it meant we were driving 50 km further down from Vadodara to Anand. What made it trickier was that the plant allowed visitors only between 2pm and 4pm. So, not only were we driving to another city for just one attraction but also racing time to arrive between fixed visiting hours. But I was willing to go the extra mile (quite literally) to visit a factory that brought White Revolution in India and changed the way dairy farming was practiced in the country. Also, made the country the world’s largest producer of milk and milk products.

Entrance to Amul Factory and Museum

The guards performed a security check at the entrance and assigned gate pass for the group. Also, strict instructions were given for "No Photography" inside the premised. As it was already past 4 pm, the dairy museum was closed. Hence, we directly went to the factory which currently produces butter and milk, milk powder.  On the way, we were captivated by the sight of huge milk silo units which quickly become the best feature of our entire visit. Inside the factory, an assigned employee acted as our guide and took us through some of the departments, mainly, Quality control, Processing and Packaging of Amul butter and the process of making skimmed milk powder. We could see these huge machineries at work through large glass windows. Also, we could see the history of Amul in the backdrop of visually attractive collage walls. The guide threw light on interesting facts like the factory runs 24 hours and employees work on rotational shifts. Also, the entire factory is machine run and these heavy duty machines can produce and pack up to hundreds and thousands of standard products in a minute.

The Amul parlors inside the premises sell its products at the same cost as that available in the market. This makes no sense for visitors who like to purchase stuff from locations they go visiting as a token of remembrance. However, we did end up purchasing some memorabilia for friends and families. In front of the dairy museum was a statue of the Amul Girl. Amul girl refers to the advertising mascot used by Amul. The advertising often been described as one of the best Indian Advertising concepts because of their witty humour. The Amul girl dressed in a polka dotted frock with blue hair and a half pony tied up has always been my favorite cartoon character. I convinced one of the guards to allow me to click a photo of the statue.  

Amul Girl in front of the dairy museum

The visit did not live up completely to the expectations as it has limited to offer. Having said that, I wasn’t very disappointed with my Amul factory visit. I reckon, this is because it was a treat to be at a place which is the ultimate example of rural organization that not only brought a national change in dairy practices but also became one of the largest food brands in India.

While my days in Gujarat came to an end, this travel diary would be incomplete, if I do not talk about one of the unique transportation system that I noticed in Ahmedabad. The Bus Rapid Transit System [BRTS] is a concept that details out of a dedicated traffic lane for the movement of public transport buses. In a BRT system, since the vehicles travel in exclusive lanes, they avoid the congestion on the road. At the same time, other motorized traffic is benefited due to shifting of buses to dedicated lanes. I wish other state governments implement similar model to improve the traffic system.

BRTS Bus Stand in Ahmedabad

After spending the last 10 days in this beautiful state, I can also easily say that the diversity demands a must visit from all travelers. Personally, I would cherish my memories for a very long time. I am already planning a second trip to cover the remaining places that I missed - Bhuj, Dwarka and Greater Rann of Kutch!!

To view more photos, visit Flickr Gujarat

Kuch din bitao Gujarat mein.... Part 3

Next morning, after breakfast, first I went with Colonel uncle to the local market to get fish. We purchased local fish and got it cleaned and packed for dinner.  We also purchased dhokla and ate gujarati snacks for the first time in this trip. Today our destination is Little Rann of Kutch (yes, we didn't go to the Greater Rann of Kutch, but settled for the Little One). We reached Desert Courses resort in kutch in Zainabad District around 2.30 pm.  It has a very rustic and camp like environment. The environment friendly cottages are locally known as Koobas, they have a traditional design and are ethnic and comfortable.  Koobas are equipped with all modern amenities, air-conditioning and have attached bathrooms with hot and cold showers. Swings are present outside. We handed our purchased fish to the hotel staff for serving during dinner.

Adjacent Cottages with ethnic design and swings outside

The dining area has an array of salads, traditional gujarati food and desserts.  After lunch, we started for our safari to the rann in their vehicle.  We saw a lot of wild ass and few nilgais (male and female) during the safari. We also saw a flock of flamingos on a lake nearby.  

Nilgai's at the Rann

Wild Ass at the Rann - A well behaved group

Flock of Flamingos at the lake

The land was so dry that it looked like a famine hit area.  It was very dusty as well and there was no way to escape this as the jeeps are open.  Then we saw the salt pan which are spread across the Rann. Here salt is extracted by traditional very less energy intensive methods which are unimaginable in today's day and age, and collected before the big businesses pick it up for refinement. 

Salt Pan at the Rann

We waited on the Rann till the sun set on the horizon and the moon came up. It was a full moon night and it was a beautiful sight. However, I could not capture the sun and the moon in the same frame (limitation of an amateur photographer and the foolishness of not carrying a tripod).  After that it became freezing cold, we left and came back to the resort. 

Sunset at the Salt pan in Rann

There was a bonfire set up and dinner was excellent. The chef had fried our fishes to perfection and we ate it to our heart's content. It was a happy and content day for all of us.

Dining area at the Desert Coursers

Like every other day, our day began early.  After hot bath and breakfast, we began our journey to Modhera for the famous Sun Temple.  The temple was built in 11th century by the Maharaj of Patan. The structure is divided into three parts - Surya Kund, Sabha Mandap and Guda Mandap. In the Surya Kund,  there are innumerable stone steps leading devotees down to its base. 108 miniature shrines are carved in between the steps inside the tank. Interesting thing was the interlocking structure of the stones that protected the temple during the 2002 earthquake. The main temple is on a lotus base.  There are 365 elephants for each day of the year.  There are 53 intricately carved pillars on the Sabha representing 52 weeks of the year. The carvings depicts episodes from Ramayan and Mahabharat.  The exterior wall has 12 statues of the Sun God along with dikpals, agni,  ganesh and vishwakarma. There are also erotic sculptures just like Khajuraho. We hired a guide who gave us a tour of the temple and helped click some nice group pictures. It is a beautiful piece of architecture that left me spellbound. 

Modera Sun Temple

Then we started for Rani ni vav and had lunch on the way. This is a 11th century 7 storeyed well constructed by Queen Bhanumati,  wife of Bhimdev Solanki, ruler of Patan in 11th century. The idea of stories is to avoid the problem of pulling water through rope.  Instead residents could climb down the stairs to the level where water is and collect it.  The water comes from the underground and rises up the levels.  This is a unesco world heritage site - archaeological survey excavated the site in 1958. The main attraction is the uniquely designed pillars depicting idols of brahma, yama and 12 avatars of Vishnu. The water now can be seen in the ground level and is extremely dirty. The structure also had been renovated and has been given the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Rani ni Vav

We completed the tour in an hour and started for Akshardham. On the way,  Rajani fed us custard jellies which she purchased from Pondicherry. We reached Akshardham around 6.30pm.  It is a huge structure constructed in the name of Swaminarayan.  The idol inside is golden and his hair,  teeth,  hair and other articles are kept in a museum.  Due to the massive crowd,  we couldn't get tickets for light and sound show, and the water show.  I had heard amazing stories of the Delhi Akshardham Temple,  however,  this was not so amazing.  Also, photography was not allowed, hence, couldn't get any pictures.

While I continue describing my Gujarat trip, to view more photos, visit Flickr Gujarat

Kuch din bitao Gujarat mein.... Part 2

Gir was a beautiful experience... however, now it was time to move on to our next destination - Diu.  After lunch, we freshened up, packed our bags and left for Diu which is 71 km from Gir. On the way,  we saw a local “gur” processing factory and bought some to take home @150 for 4 kg. We reached Diu around 5 pm. The city is a small Portuguese settlement with beautiful beaches,  paved roads, beautiful street lamps and small cottages - fell in love at first sight. 

Diu entry checkpost

Our first stop was the St Paul’s Church which is said to be one of the most elaborate of all Portuguese churches in India with equally interesting interiors and exterior facades. Photography is not allowed inside the church, however, it was truly a beautiful piece of work.

St. Paul's Church exteriors

After a short visit, we checked into our hotel “Sea Village Resort” near the coastline. After freshening up,  we headed to pay reverence to the Gangeshwar temple.  We expected a stone and concrete temple. But a surprise was in store. A short, colorful stairway led to a sea cave and in the cave were five Shiv-lingas, believed to have been worshiped by the Pandavas during their exile. Water from the sea gushes in and bathes the Lingas, making for a fascinatingly divine experience.

The Shiv-lingas inside the Gangeshwar temple

The next best thing to do was to have non veg dinner (after so many days on pure vegetarian meals at Gujarat) at Amar Foodland hotel, although the food was not good. Post that we went to a local fair which has been set up as a part of the annual Diu festival. We purchased some local stuff from there. Then we returned to the hotel and tired, dropped to bed.

Who said Diu would have mild and pleasant temperature?  Next morning, The next morning as Diu awakened, albeit slowly from its sleep, we got up shivering with cold around 5.45 am to take a walk to the INS Khukri Memorial. This frigate sunk by Pakistan torpedoes during the 1971 war is remembered as its captain M N Mulla, 18 officers and 176 sailors decided not to abandon the ship and drowned along with it.  It's great place to enjoy sunrise and sunset view. The place is very well developed and comfortable sitting to view sunset from top. It's a must visit for everyone to pay tribute to the Indian Soldiers.

INS Khukri Model Ship at the memorial

Our next discovery was the Naida Caves; it turned out to be a visual delight. It’s one of the most beautiful underground labyrinths of open-air caves that one has come across years of travel.  

Underground labyrinth at Naida Cave

Post breakfast, we checked out of the hotel to go to the Diu Fort. Built in 1535, with additions made in 1541, this massive, well-preserved Portuguese fort with its double moat (one tidal) must once have been impregnable, but sea erosion and neglect are leading to a slow collapse. Cannonballs litter the place, and the ramparts have a superb array of cannons. The lighthouse, which you can climb, is Diu’s highest point, with a beam that reaches 32 km. There are several small chapels, one holding engraved tombstone fragments. Interestingly, a part of this citadel houses the Diu jail. 

Entrance to Diu Fort

Next we headed to the Nagoa Beach — one of the biggest attractions of Diu. It’s calming to tread on the soft, clean sand, watching the waves of the Arabian Sea caress one’s feet. The branching palms, known as the Hoka trees, brought by the Portuguese from Africa, offer a mesmeric welcome to the visitors. I wanted to do parasailing, however,  due to shortage of time,  decided to skip. Had some local fruit which they call kaju. 

Parasailing at beautiful Nagoa Beach

Our short stay in Diu was over. I will definitely come back to this quaint Portuguese town once again.  Next we started our journey to visit the Somnath Temple. This Temple is the most sacred among the 12 jyotirlings in India and had survived the ravages of time. Study of history reveals that the Somnath Temple was invaded by the different conquerors who came to India whereby some looted its wealth and others destroyed some parts of it. Many legends are attached to the Somnath Temple regarding its origin and existence. We reached Somenath around 2 pm and proceeded to the temple after leaving camera, bag and phone outside. The structure is beautiful with ornamental pillars.  However,  the jyotirlinga was covered by a mask and hence couldn't see the actual. 

Somenath Temple

After eating laddu prasad, we went to see Balka tirth.  This was the place where Krishna was mistakenly shot with an arrow in his foot and eventually died.  Lord Krishna was resting on the deer skin when a huntsman named Jara mistook him for a deer and shot an arrow. The arrow went straight and pierced Shri Krishna. The temple at Bhalka Tirth is known as Mahaprabhuji’s Bethak and a Peepal tree is planted at the place where Lord Krishna succumbed to his injuries. Under the tree, there is a statue of Lord Krishna carved out of blue marble which stands as a memory to Lord Krishna. 

Marble statue of Lord Krishna

While I continue describing my Gujarat trip, to view more photos, visit Flickr Gujarat

Kuch din bitao Gujarat mein.... Part 1

Gujarat has been reclaimed in the tourism map of India since the day they chose Amitabh Bachhan as their brand ambassador. I had nurtured the idea of a visit to this state for quite some time, however, for some reason or the other, the plan was not materializing. Hence, when my friend Rajani proposed a trip in December as a part of GHAC Travel & Leisure itinerary, I jumped at the opportunity.

Our trip began on Dec 19 when Rajani and me boarded the 17018 Rajkot Express from Secunderabad station at 3 pm.  The train reached Ahmedabad next day at 2.15 pm (only 15 min delay). We took an auto to our ‘Hotel Aaram Orchard’. On the way,  we crossed the famous Sabarmati river.  Post lunch and freshening up,  we started for our sightseeing. First stop was “Adalaj ni vav” or Adalaj Stepwell which is a stunning example of Indo-Islam fusion architecture work. It was built by the Hindu queen Rani Roopba with help from neighbouring Muslim ruler King Mehmud Begada. The structure is five stories deep, octagonal in plan,  built on intricately carved pillars.  It was a great place for architectural photography.  

Some water still at the base

Intricate carvings

After that we went to Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram near Sabarmati river.  In a peaceful, shady grounds on the Sabarmati River’s west bank, this ashram was Gandhi’s headquarters from 1917 to 1930 during the long struggle for Indian independence. It’s said he chose this site because it lay between a jail and a cemetery, and any satyagrahi (nonviolent resister) was bound to end up in one or the other. Gandhi’s poignant, spartan living quarters are preserved, and there’s a museum that presents a moving and informative record of his life and teachings. We saw Gandhi’s house, his famous charka and purchased some memorabilia. 

Gandhi's statue inside the ashram

Next we went to the Kankaria Lake which is about 19 km from the place.  It was a sprawling area with hi amusement parks,  toy trains,  food court and balloon ride.  This is actually very similar to our Necklace road with an added attraction of Hot Air Baloon Ride. Unfortunately due to lack of time, we couldn't take a ride.

Next morning, we left our hotel around 8.30 for Lothal Harappan excavation. Lothal was one of the most prominent cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization. First we went to the Lothal Museum which has in display fragments of this well-ordered civilization, such as intricate seals, weights and measures, games and jewellery. statues were all very exciting as many of these I have seen as pictures in my school history book. We watched a short documentary on the Harappan civilization.  Then we shopped some earrings and a fortune tree made by stone beads hand polished by local artisans.  Post that we went to the excavation site - acropolis,  dockyard,  well,  granary,  6 toilets and 4 baths.  

Signboard at the entry of the excavation site

Archaeological remains

Then we started for Velveder National Park.  On the way we stopped at Honest restaurant for Kathiawadi lunch - bajra roti and gujarati vegetable curry. We reached the sanctuary around 4 pm. This beautiful, off-the-beaten-track, 34-sq-km park, 65 km north of Bhavnagar, encompasses large areas of pale, custard-coloured grassland stretching between two seasonal rivers. It’s famous for its black bucks, beautiful, fast creatures, with around 3500 in and around the park, which sport elegant spiraling horns – as long as 65 cm in mature males. Our vehicle was allowed in the park with a kid guide.  The park have 5000+ deer though it is famous for the endangered species of black buck. We saw herd of deer, including few black bucks and nilgai. 

A blackbuck stag at the grasslands of the national park

Herds of deer and blackbuck amidst the grasslands

Co-existence of Nilgai and Blackbuck

Then we took a short tour of the museum before starting for Gir.  We stopped for roadside chai,  coffee and then dinner at Amreli. We reached our resort at Sasan Gir finally at 12.30 am tired and ready for bed. Temperature outside was 12 C.

Next morning, after breakfast we headed off with a local guide to Jambur village which is the village of Siddi tribes consisting of 800 people.  These people are originally from Nigeria and currently it is the 4th generation who are staying in the Cenchur area called Sirwan. They were brought 300 years ago from Africa, by the Portuguese for the Nawab of Junagadh. Today, they follow very few of their original customs, with a few exceptions like the traditional Dhamal dance. These people are Muslim, and their language and food is Gujarati. The children studies only till 10th or 12th standard, both boys and girls. With the help of Siddiqui and Akram (tribe members), we took a guided tour of the village. Then we distributed sweets and chocolates to the kids in school. Coincidentally the District School Inspector came and joined us.  

Siddhi children in their village

Sirvan Village - Home of the Siddi Tribe

Mother and child 

Post lunch, we started for our first safari at the Gir National Park (home of the Asiatic Lions) with Jagdish guide in Route 7. That afternoon we spent about 3 hours in the Gir Forest in search of Lions. The forest was dry and brown. The drive in the open Jeep was dusty. I soon got used to seeing several tourist vehicles in search of the lions. No sighting yet! I saw plenty of “Spotted Deer”, “Sambar Deer” and “Wild Boars”. Post the usual sighting of spotted deer, we finally saw a lion sleeping at a distance with it's tail wagging. It was definitely better than nothing. I was delighted at this first, lucky sighting. 

My first sighting

Other tourists were envious and it was a spotlight moment from us. Soon it was time to head back to the resort. As I savored this exciting first sighting, the best is yet to come, I thought. In the evening, the resort organized for the the Goma music and dance form, which is sometimes called Dhamaal by the Siddi Tribes. They sing in the African Swahili language. A unique aspect of their Dhamal dance is the action of throwing a coconut high up in the air and cracking it on their head without fail. Another action is when they walk on live coals with bare feet in an acrobatic dance with fierce facial expressions. Their movements displays a supple neck and waist, dancing to a faster beat as the tempo of the drums picks up. This outstanding dancing style has been retained for generations by the Siddis.

Dhamaal dance performed by Siddi Tribe

Dhamaal dance performed by Siddi Tribe

Next morning, we started our safari around 6.30 in route 5. Picture this - > You enter a protected area in search of the King of Beasts. Your eyes are keenly searching for any movement or sounds that would indicate the presence of this mighty beast. Various scenes you had seen on television keep popping up in your mind as your eyes scan the dry landscape. Suddenly, you come across a large group of “deer” grazing calmly.  Not too far away, you can hear the alarm call of a Spotted Deer heralding the presence a predator! However, the morning safaris were an anti-climax as we did not get to spot any of the wild beasts. I went to different parts of this jungle. Whether it be dry scrub land, yellow grass land or the green terrain near Kamleshwar dam, Gir is extremely rich in wildlife and is a birdwatcher’s paradise– We saw a green chameleon on the branch of a tree,  an owlet,  male and female nilgai, spotted deer,  black ibis and kingfisher. 

Spotted deer crossing the road

Herd of deer leisurely strolling

Chameleon on the branch of a tree

Owlet on the branch of a tree

Nilgai

Sometimes I consider myself unlucky when it comes to spotting wildcats. Had not been able to see one in Bandipur,  Kanha and Corbett. Love them so much,  but don't get to see them.  The only time I had been lucky was Tadoba.  Anyway,  I bought a lion jacket from a souvenir shop and then went back to the resort for lunch.

While I continue describing my Gujarat trip, for more photos, please visit Flickr Gujarat