The Unforgettable Bharatpur Trip

They say it is a birder's delight, but I feel it is any wildlife aficionado's delight. Even after repeated visits to Keoladeo, 185 kms from Delhi, the sight of an enigmatic Dusky Eagle owl never ceases to fascinate me, and this time around I had my precious Nikon Binocs -god bless his soul whoever(Hans Lippershay?) invented it.

The first day just walked around the park for a couple of hours, we did not have much time. The high point being the spotting of the Grey Nightjar, remembering how once Jim Corbett shot a tiger with an egg of the nightjar in one hand and the rifle on the other. I spotted a flock of partridges and said "look Partridge", 'excuse me mam, the new name is Grey Francolin', the Naturalist corrected me. New name? Who gave it? Who wanted it? Nevertheless I moved on. Walking alongside the road where the car park is on left hand side and the bushes on the right hand side, we saw this lone Jackal. Very alert, ears cocked up! I was on foot and so was he. He gave me a bewildered look and after a few seconds disappeared into the wilderness.

Next day, I had decided to spend the whole day at the park, so convinced the Naturalist to have a heavy breakfast and stick with me till cows came home! The start was a great one as we spotted a pair of Collared scops owl on the top perch of the magnificent Sal tree. This time of the year Bharatpur gets its annual migratory visitors hence we were lucky to see few Rudy Shelduck which are local migratory (Ladakh). What a beauty, grace personified! Very close to the water body we saw this group of men with huge cameras which looked almost like Bazookas, filming something. With a polite smile, I ventured into their domain and there right in front of me a Black Neck stork!

Whoever named it black necked was indeed colour blind because the neck was a deep shade of turquoise. I guess I am not as qualified as the British Group of Ornithologists who are in this name game.

Few kms into the park, this guy reacting to’information’ made me walk into the park for about a km and there I see this huge Rock Python lying (sprawling) in the sun, basking in its glory. This is my debut with snake sighting, and what a debut! I was dumbstruck. What a gorgeous creature! it was approx. 11ft long. He was resting after a morning meal, completely oblivious to the attention he was generating. 'Mast' in his own world.

When will we learn to be like them?

The ‘Night’ in Corbett

Growing up reading Corbett’s stories, I assumed the word ‘jungle’ synonoumos with Corbett. I am yet to visit all the NP of India, but having visited quite a few ones would like to crown Corbett my favourite. The entire topography fascinates me. This was my second visit to Corbett (can you imagine, staying so close). We went for a few game drives in the Bijrani and Jhirna range, the abundance of wildlife sightings here overwhelm me. I saw a pair of wild boars, Indian Fox, monitor lizard, the ever omnipresent chital, sambar, barking deer, and to top it all, a small herd of elephants.

I waited for good 25 mins just to watch the herd (I hate these forest timings rules!).

And lots of birds too! I think the Hoopoe looks gorgeous; also I spotted the emerald dove, what a beauty! These sightings were enough to satisfy my emancipated soul.

After dinner, cajoled my friends to go for a drive again towards Dhikala. Though everybody else, except me was too tired, they finally gave in. It was beautiful; “in the darkness of the night” everything looked so enigmatic. Even the Sal trees seemed to have acquired an attitude. Two shining eyes of the chital at a distance encouraged us to look out for more. In the quietness everything was so endearing…came back to the hotel, high on life generally. Next evening after a few glasses of beer, I took a pledge, that till the time I see a tiger in Corbett, I will keep coming back here every year! My ever indulgent friends gave in…taking advantage of the mood we decided to venture out one last time (we were going back the next day). We decided to go upto Mohan. (The Mohan man eater’s image haunting me) It was the Diwali night. Imagine when the rest of the world was engulfed in lights and those deafening cracker sounds, I was just enjoying the ‘sound of silence’. There was an eerie calmness, no deer, no sambar. Suddenly in front of us, about 80 mts away we saw this tigress, walking ahead of us. I could hardly speak, Imagine, no other vehicle, no cameras, just the six of us, breathing heavily. We saw her briefly for about 20-30 seconds, when she suddenly jumped off to our left and disappeared into the darkness. Numb with I don’t know what, we decided to pursue her.

Rolled the car a few more kms and on our right hand side we see this big male. His head was approx. 1.5 mts away in the bush. Phew! Now I understood why Blake wrote “and when thy heart began to beat, what dread hand and what dread feet.” Durjay dimmed the headlights for us to adjust our sight, but that was a mistake. The moment there was a variation in the light source he stood up (my heart in my mouth already!) and disappeared. We turned of the engine for a few seconds; I hugged Debbie, my friend for 15 yrs, no words spoken. Pulling ourselves out of the reverie, we had to move forward a few more kms. There was no place to reverse the vehicle. One of us just turned to look behind, trying to help reverse the car, and…a tigress with red shining eyes following us. I would like to believe it was the first one we saw on our left. She crossed the road and then vanished into right side where we had spotted the male tiger. Surprisingly no call, no growl, I remember Jim Corbett once said that a tiger never defies its presence by calling.

This truly is one of the most significant nights of my life. I thought I was truly blessed. Could not have thanked HIM enough!

There was a milestone reading 45. I named them Mr. and Mrs. 45.

Traveller's guide: Indian palaces

Why palaces?

Few structures evoke the majesty of the Indian courts as splendidly as the country's numerous palaces and ancient forts. Each one offers a fascinating window into India's immense historical and cultural diversity, from the haunting remains of the erstwhile Hindu Empire at Hampi to the many grand royal residences of the maharajas dotted throughout the state of Rajasthan.

At the time of independence in 1947 there were more than 550 princely states extending across the subcontinent. India's "great kings" enjoyed extravagant lifestyles and, more often than not, expressed much of their wealth in spectacular buildings.

Live like a maharaja?

Palaces were more than dwellings: many of the rulers led very public lives and often these buildings served not just as a residence but also as areas for public audiences called durbars, artisan workshops and garrisons for troops.

Many palaces are now historic monuments, but to keep their homes viable, many owners have opened their homes to paying guests. Options vary from gargantuan palaces run by hotel chains to more modest residences, where you feel like you are staying with the family.

The best place to begin?

Rajasthan in India's north-west offers the largest concentration of the fairy-tale ideal of the grand residences and crumbling hilltop forts of the Rajputs and Mughals that ruled India for centuries. With their turrets, balconies, towers and impenetrable battlements, these buildings are offset by a diverse and breathtaking landscape, ranging from the dusty expanse of the Thar Desert to princely cities such as Jaipur and Jodhpur.

As well as giving visitors the chance to observe the luxurious lifestyles once enjoyed by the ruling elite first-hand, royal courts throughout Rajasthan also showcase the renowned talents of local craftspeople displayed in the ornate stonework, woodwork and decoration used throughout the buildings.

Known as the Pink City, owing to the rosy hue of its buildings, Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, one of the greatest rulers of the Kachawaha clan of Rajput warriors. It is now firmly on the tourist trail, as one corner of the "golden triangle" (Agra and Delhi are the other two). At the heart of Jaipur is the magnificent City Palace; it is still partly occupied by the royal family, who live in a wing called the Chandra Mahal.

Just outside the palace wall is one of Jaipur's most celebrated landmarks, the Hawa Mahal or "Palace of the Winds", with a unique façade decorated with 953 niches. It was built in the late 18th century by Maharaja Pratap Singh to provide the ladies of his court with somewhere to watch the activity on the bustling streets below without being seen.

Forty kilometres from the city is the Samode Palace, another independently run hotel, oozing Mughal splendour, with lavishly decorated rooms, some with original frescoes and block-print fabrics.

Sheer romance?

Udaipur – one of Rajasthan's most romantic spots – is crowned by its sprawling city palace, built by ruler Udai Singh in the 16th century as a strategic capital on the shores of Lake Pichola. While the lake is now fringed with many grand palaces and hotels, few can touch the Lake Palace. Floating in the middle of Lake Pichola, its cool white marble and mosaics make it one of Rajasthan's most instantly recognisable landmarks. It is one of the country's most celebrated hotels.

Castles in the sand?

Further west, towards India's border with Pakistan, the remote desert city of Jaisalmer is another recommended stop. Its singular location in the heart of the Thar Desert is further enhanced by its architecture: a biscuit-coloured fort with a tinge of gold. It was founded in the 12th century by the Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal. The fort's main square or chowk is dominated by the imposing Palace of the Maharawal, with an intricately decorated stone façade deemed one of the best examples of its kind in India.

Jaisalmer Fort currently faces the threat of irreversible structural damage owing to its antiquated drainage system and increasing water demand caused by its burgeoning tourist industry.

One of the best ways to see Rajasthan is with a car and driver.

Another point of the triangle?

Agra is a must. While the Taj Mahal might be Emperor Shah Jahan's most awe-inspiring legacy and India's most recognisable monument, there are other reasons to visit this one-time capital of the Mughals in Uttar Pradesh. Set on the banks of the Yamuna river, the sprawling Unesco World Heritage-listed Agra Fort (asi.nic.in) contains impressive vestiges from the Mughal period. These include its Mirror Palace, from whose tower there are inspiring views of the fort. It opens daily from sunrise to sunset – but try to visit around sunset, when it is at its most magical.

Around 40 kilometres west of Agra, the Unesco World Heritage site of Fatehpur Sikri is one of northern India's most impressive examples of a royal home, built by Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. It is now little more than a ghost city, yet it was the first planned city of the Mughal period, with a harmonious terraced layout.

And the third?

One of the Indian capital's most striking landmarks is its Red Fort, built as a residence for Shah Jahan in the 17th century when he moved the capital from Agra to Delhi. This fort, which occupies the northern edge of the atmospheric quarter of Old Delhi, contains several marble palaces, including the Rang Mahal or "Painted Palace", which was home to the emperor's wives and mistresses. The fort also boasts India's largest mosque, the Jama Masjid.

The king of the castles?

The awe-inspiring Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur takes some beating. One of the largest residences in the world, it was begun in 1928 by Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of the present Maharaja of Jodhpur, who still lives with his family in a section of the palace. This sandstone and marble palace was designed by British architect HV Lanchester and is Indo Deco style on a colossal scale. For all its opulence, it came about from a desire to do good – the palace was conceived to give work during a drought. It is now one of India's most stunning and expensive heritage hotels.

I'd like to journey south

The austere remains of Hampi (asi.nic.in), the last great Hindu kingdom of the Vijayanagara rulers, can be seen in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Here fabulously wealthy princes built an impressive array of temples and palaces, mostly dating from the early 16th century, before the region was conquered and pillaged by the Deccan Muslim confederacy in 1565. Subsequently abandoned, Hampi's boulder-strewn expanse is now one of southern India's most important heritage sites.

Further south, Mysore was home to one of the longest empires in Indian history, the Wodeyars, who established the city as their power base in the late 1400s. The present City Palace, designed by Henry Irwin in 1897, replaced an earlier wooden structure that was destroyed by fire. Still home to the Maharaja of Mysore, the building has Indo-Saracenic architecture, with whimsical turrets, domes and colonnades. The palace is particularly spectacular when it is illuminated by more than 100,000 lights on Sundays, public holidays and during the 10 days of the Hindu Dasara festival, which takes place this year in October.

Right royal rail: Luxury on the tracks

As well as their palaces the maharajas also travelled in style thanks to specially designed mini-palaces in the shape of train carriages.

Launching in Mumbai on 16 January, the Maharaja Express is tipped to be the most lavish of a number of tourist trains that recreate these luxurious journeys. It will complete four different circuits to some of India's major sights, among them Agra, Jaipur and Delhi.

The Palace on Wheels is another impressive option.

(The Independent)

Visa Guidelines Revised Again

New Delhi: The government has introduced minor changes to the new visa guidelines in the face of concerns expressed by the US and the UK about their citizens being adversely affected by the sudden changes in the rules.

The US had even pointed out that the new guidelines were being implemented inconsistently. The government has now decided to relax the two-month gap rule for tourists who enter India but plan to visit another country and then re-enter India. This particular category of tourists will be permitted by the Indian missions to re-enter India two or three times before their final exit from India, providing they submit a detailed itinerary and supporting documentation.

Apart from the missions, immigration authorities have also been intimated about the changes and given the authority to allow tourists to travel to another country and back.

“The immigration authorities in all the immigration check posts in India have also been authorised to allow tourists to make two or three entries, as the case may be, based on production of an itinerary and documentation (ticket bookings) substantiating the need for tourism-related travel,” MEA spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said.

The government had introduced new guidelines for tourist visas on November 4. According to the guidelines, a two-month gap between two visits is mandatory for foreigners holding long-term multi-entry tourist visas. The move had invited concern from the US and the UK. And the missions of the two countries had sought clarification over the rule saying that genuine tourists would be affected. The UK in particular was concerned with 6-7 lakh British tourists visiting India every year.

But officials pointed out that the changes were aimed at facilitating genuine tourists and not to aid people who were using long-term tourist visas for residence purposes. The changes, they insisted, were for tourists who use India as a hub for travelling to other countries in the region. UK and US officials have been holding consultations with officials in MEA and home ministry over the matter.

(Travel Weekly)