JAMnagar

Flamingos @ Khijadia

In January 2014, after spotting rosy pelicans at a far distance in Bharatpur, I added a bucket list item to shoot them in their gliding glory. The Sanctuary Asia FB page was flooded with pictures of pelicans in Jamnagar, so this city turned out to be my calling in February 2015.

Khijadiya bird sanctuary: Unfortunately, end February was an inopportune time to pay a visit. Not-so-good rains in the last monsoon had left the Khijadiya bird sanctuary rather dry. Vast expanse of land, supposed to be overflowing with water, had simply transformed into marshy dumps. However, there were portions of land reasonably abundant with water where flamingos thrived.

Narara marine life park: I have a belief that all travel journeys unravel a pleasant surprise to explorers: the elephant grass of Kazirangas that literally hides the mighty giants, the ghost trees of Tadoba, the red sandstone architectures of Delhi that shine in golden light, or the selcouth liaison of London. To every traveler, the experience of a place is probably unique.

Salman, courtesy whom we touched an octopus

In Jamnagar, the lasting impression of the travel experience was the Narara (positioned as India's first) marine life park. I didn't go with any expectations but was completely bowled over. We, a friend and I, decided to take a guide, Salman, and that was the best decision we made that day. He unveiled some crabs for us from under the rocks, popped out a puffer fish before releasing him (or her) back into the sea, and showed us corals. I am writing it off as a must have experience at least once in a lifetime, especially take your kids, if you have popped out some. Salman charged us a mere 300 INR for a two hours walk into the sea during low tide. Make sure to pack water friendly shoes for a Narara visit.

Note: Please check the low tide timings and definitely take a guide with you. 

The Narara marine life park is distinguished with sea water on one side and fresh water on the other where some flamingos glittered at noon. 

Moi (Photo courtesy: Salman)

Marine blue crab

Crab sub species unknown to me

Octopus

Puffer fish

Western reef egret

A flamboyance of flamingos

Swaminarayan temple: Another architectural marvel was the Swaminarayan temple - my first visit to any in India and a house for serene worship. The one in Jamnagar was rather affluent in space as compared to Dadar in Mumbai. One can aim to achieve a few hours of tranquil and solitude here.

The city: As a tier II or III city, I quite liked Jamnagar. People were rather friendly. Food joints serve good food and they seem about the right number for the city. The Lakhota lake didn't make an impression on me - probably because of wrong timing - day and year both i.e. almost close to sunset and end February. Chandni chowk is walkable distance from hotel Ashiana where Jamnagar bandhni materials can be purchased for women at wholesale rates.

Swaminarayan temple

Raj Singh, our auto chauffeur

Logistics:

1. Saurashtra mail takes you from Mumbai to Jamnagar and back (Train nos: 19005 & 19006). Journey lasts approx 16 hours. 
2. Mid December to mid Jan are probably the best months to visit for birding
3. Hotel Ashiana, central to the city, is likely to give you the best value for money. (My tripadvisor review for reference)
4. Khijadiya bird sanctuary is approx. 12-15 kms from the city. Jai Singh, the auto guy, charged us 400INR for a to and fro trip with a waiting for about 4 hours at the sanctuary. He has been an excellent chauffeur during my visit and I recommend you use his services if you are in Jamnagar. Please reach out to me at gaikwad.jeevan@gmail.com for his phone number and I would be happy to share it with you. He also drove us to and fro Swaminarayan for 200 INR.
5. Narara is approx 50-60kms from the city center. A basic cab fare to and from shall cost 1800 INR.

p.s.The funny friends I have - one said to me, "Hope you have packed enough JAM to last you a season!"