Maya: my immortal morning memoir

I was into my last (sixth) safari of the trip, my third trip to the Tadoba - Andhari wildlife tiger reserve since December 2014. I had written off the last five safaris of this trip as 'no complaints' because Mother Nature makes no promises. She simply unravels moments in her daily course which when conspicuous to humans can be mundane or miracles. I had judged the experience as a 5/10 on the mundane-2-miracle (M-2-M) scale because it is not every day you get to see a cub 6-months-old drink water from a pond (or mammoth puddle) created at Jamun Zara in Tadoba. Sonam and her other two cubs had disappeared into the forest while this brave heart had lingered around a little longer to satiate his or her thirst. If we were even 5 minutes late to arrive at the spot, we would have missed the cub. That is the nature of wildlife: every minute counts and there is yet no promise. Other than this, I had spotted a ruddy mongoose (a lifer in birds terms) and got a decent photo of giant wood spider.

Last morning, some of the fellow tourists/ wild lifers in the park had gotten a good glimpse of Maya as she crossed closer to the Pandhar pauni chowk over into the grasslands where her cubs lay but given the crowded congestion of more than 20 gypsies in front of me and around, I barely noticed her. There was also some playful activity in the grasslands with her three cubs. What next? A lot of my gypsy peers and even the guides were betting more on Sonam sighting than Maya later during the evening.

However, my heart was invested in Maya. In November 2011, I had seen a picture of her on Facebook where she carried her cub (1-month-old) in her mouth and appeared in broad daylight. I was like, "I want to be that photographer. I want that picture to be mine." During the past trips, I had heard her stories. Guides would often say, "Maya ki maya sab pain hain." She was known as the showstopper of Tadoba. Her wanderlust is of a heightened degree than the other wild cats that roam the jungle and that's why when she wanders around the tracks like the jungle was her own and gypsies a mere nuisance noise in the area.

The morning of November 20, 2015, changed everything.

A gypsy from Kolara gate had pissed her off with haste, so she left the track between Navegoan gate and Pandhar Pauni chowk to get a breather in the nearby bamboo / Sagwan vegetation. About a dozen gypsies made the rounds on that track in the 30-45 minutes she had disappeared. We had seen her pug marks.

Is tiger spotting often a result of chance? We had two options and one decision to make. Should we wander around the jungle behind Sonam or others? Or wait for Maya to arrive and march on the track in her splendor glory? It was about 7:10 am in the morning. We decided to wait. At about 8:00 am in the morning the gypsies began to disappear from where we were waiting and raced down towards the chowk. We were somewhere mid way between Navegoan gate and the chowk. Just two gypsies ahead and us. The silence of the jungle was divine serenity. I kept looking at the end of the chowk because I didn't want any more gypsies to barge in on us on one side, and towards the other for Maya to appear. I would have hated if more gypsies would have screwed that sighting for me. Then around 8:45 ish we heard sambar deer making some loud, distinct calls. These are calls animals (spotted deer, sambar, peacock, barking deer etc.) make to alert others when tiger is on the move. After 7 of these, she emerged.

For about a kilometer, may be less, may be more, she walked behind our gypsy. We drove 500 yards ahead on the road as she got closer so that she always had some place to walk: gallivanting left to right, right to left, watching out movement inside the vegetation, looking sharp at our gypsy, illuminating herself in the golden light, squirting her urine on a tree to mark her territory (yes, I have a not so perfect video of that), and probably just happy that the overpopulated humans hadn't crowded her path in the jungle. If she wanted, she could have traveled from inside the jungle vegetation to wherever she was headed but she is the queen of her heart and whims. "Why the fuck would I abandon a path in my own land?", I could sense her rhythm as she made her way on that track after the gypsy population had declined.

Then two more gypsies appeared in front of us and they didn't move in a bid to take photos. Naturally, no way ahead of her, she moved inside the vegetation again, made an appearance gliding through water at Pandhar pauni 2 (a water bed close by) before we lost her forever on that glorious morning.

She had satiated my heart to content, at least on that day. Twenty minutes or more with her, I will always remember this day. Tigress in golden light, a head on tigress, two items in the 'photographing tigers' checklist were accomplished.

Yes, sometimes tiger spotting is a matter of chance. They may appear out of nowhere and give you a glimpse. However, very often, one simply has to anticipate their behaviour and wait for them to unravel themselves in full glory.

We were grateful to have Bhagwan, our guide from Tadoba, and Santosh, our gypsy driver, who made this sighting a reality which otherwise would have simply gone unnoticed like Mother Nature's million other moments.

Nature is wild, culture has morals. Unfortunately, Maya's cubs from the last litter didn't make it. I was told, they were killed by wild dogs. This year, around May or June, she birthed a litter of three. When asked who the father was, nobody knew. She has mated with all the tigers in the area: Gabbar, Pandu, Namdeo and Katezhari male. Unless a tiger is spotted with her and the cubs, that mystery won't be resolved. She ain't a showstopper for no reason. No, not because she is a whore, but when you watch her, you will know. She has the instinct of a warrior while some glimpses reveal the kindness in her eyes. I now have my favorite tigress in the whole wide world! ;-). 

She captivated my heart. I specifically write this because her great legacy should never go unnoticed. Hazel Grace said, "There will come a time when all of us are dead. All of us. There will come a time when there are no human beings remaining to remember that anyone ever existed or that our species ever did anything. There will be no one left to remember Aristotle or Cleopatra, let alone you. Everything that we did and built and wrote and thought and discovered will be forgotten and all of this will have been for naught. Maybe that time is coming soon and maybe it is millions of years away, but even if we survive the collapse of our sun, we will not survive forever." So, until the time humans survive, we need to tell our future generations about the tigers and their royalty. Like Maya, there are others whose legacy remains to be discovered and no Chinese medicine or tiger coats as attire can ever justify the killing of these legendary species. 

p.s. A special thanks to Beyond Wild, a Travel and photography company, who organizes excellent wildlife tours. This has been my second with them.

Celebrities, politics, killer earthquakes: the week that was

Did it start with Aishwarya Rai? Some good Samaritans, I presume, accused her of being the center of attention in a racist endorsement. Personally, at first glance, I probably would have not even noticed the racist angle because the celebrity roped in is so larger than life that taking attention off her onto the child holding the sun guard would have been difficult. At first glance, I would have simply dismissed the ad as perfect choice of ambassador by Kalyan jewelers and moved on without being enticed or inspired to buy gold just because ARB or AB endorses the brand.

But, I am glad, some people raised the racist issue because it shouldn't encourage a culture of black slave boys to white maidens or denominate black as a color of lesser mortals in a country (predominantly) obsessed with fairer skin or be an inspiration to promote child labor of any sorts. The negative dimensions of that advertisement can be multitudinal and we are better off banning this ad than allowing it to be another pretext of use or abuse.

It makes me wonder though as to why Aishwarya made the headlines? Couldn't it have said Kalyan jewelers or couldn't the head of the creative team taken public wrath? Unfortunately, Aishwarya, was an easy, world-popular target compared to the jewelers or the head of the creative team, and even both together. Fortunately, for the equal opportunity Indian masses, Aishwarya sporting in a racist campaign would not go well with her western world fans and thereby the western endorsements. She definitely should know this and that could be bad for business. Nevertheless, I hold her in high esteem for at least having the courtesy to respond to the open letter.

When an open letter by Shehnaz Treasurywala marked to the GQ men of India was released, I didn't see AB or SRK or Sachin Tendulkar respond to that. Did anyone else? NaMo, our present reigning prime minister, is rightfully addressed on it but till date I can never fathom why was that open letter written to the others. Have AB or SRK or the God of cricket ever vehemently supported 'social responsibility' through example? Or have we just begun to expect too much of our celebrities and hope they would participate in an independent vested cause with as much commitment as the person who initiated it? 

Aamir Khan probably makes the exception list as a celebrity influencing lives of others via social initiatives. 

It is time for a wakeup call. Let's not pretend that our celebrities will see through racism or women's rights as clearly as some right minded activists can. Some, like Aishwarya, will have the courtesy to respond and probably also call the shots to take the campaign off air. Let's not tell ourselves that all our celebrities are Angelina Jolies campaigning against sexual violence during the wars or Leonardo Di Caprios buying islands to save the planet. Let's face it. Most of the celebrities exist to make their millions, shimmer in limelight until they fade away. Only some make heroes. If we are really looking for role models who will walk with us on causes - we will find the Azim Premjis, Nandita Das', Palam Kalyanasundarams, Kavita Krishnans and Medha Patkars doing their bit through example. Why ask of people something they have never felt on their own?

However, kudos to Shehnaaz and every other woman who has come forward with her story of abuse and violence against women. It has made the rest of us more aware, more alert. Hopefully, we have more empathy. Hopefully, we will put up a strong, unanimous fight for women's rights.

Now, another farmer hanged himself. Another plight that an agricultural country like ours is well aware of. Where failed policy or funding mix that is in the interest of farmers is to be blamed, we have found Arvind Kejriwal responsible for death. AK is as responsible as the man who shot the suicide video. What AK did wrong as a human is simply continuing the rally in spite of the ill-fated incident.

Today, the other opposition parties have rallied together to hold AAP responsible. Who should hold accountability for the incident that happened in December 2012 where an aspiring medical student was brutally raped, tortured and murdered? She didn't die of choice. Did we see political parties join hands with the common public and participate in candle marches? Did we single out somebody as accountable?

Personally, I am an AAP supporter. But I may be losing faith in the AAP decorum of doings. Apologizing for a mistake you made is commendable in politics. Crying and apologizing for public sentiment is just plain stupid. I suddenly have a new found respect in NaMo's gumption. He bears the conviction of a man who has earned his seat in PMO. His leadership definitely deserves a commendable applaud to fly back Indians from the troubled Yemen successfully. Of course, it would help India a lot better if he showed as much dedication to women's rights and equal opportunity, as he does to bonding ties with Germany and Canada with an incentive to bring home business (big bucks). 

Then, yesterday, an earthquake changes everything. Life becomes a new struggle for survival, especially for a small economy who is just finding her ground. The security of a roof over the head disappears. You wonder where will the next meal come from? Hospitals flood with victims. Probably doctors will fly in for rescues. A few people from under the debris will make it. Others will have nature's burial. Regular people will find heroic spirit in themselves to rescue others. Everybody will lose somebody: a friend or family. Hopefully victims will find support in community. If their politicians are like Indians in demeanor, they will assess a macro view damage of the catastrophe from helicopters. I hope, for Nepal's sake, another Brangelina rises and makes a donation that reaches and addresses the rehabilitation needs of victims.

As a neighbor, this catastrophe is very real. It is not happening in an alternate universe. The tremors are felt on Indian soil. Celebrities and politics can go out of the window - at least for some time. Probably not just yet. While NaMo is planning strategy to rope in business, shouldn't he also bring in experts or sentiments from Japan who revive their economy miraculously after a Tsunami or earthquake? Devendra Phadnavis may have won some votes or even hearts by banning beef in the state (of Maharashtra) and enabling Marathi movies to play primetime. While I am in a very Switzerland place about both issues (because they don't affect me and I am sure others are fighting for what they believe is right) - the real test will be to see how effective his measures have been if the 2015 monsoon decides to take Mumbai by storm!

p.s. Okay, here are my true feelings about beef and Marathi movies being played prime time. If you don't want to kill cows in Maharashtra, fine. But there should be a provision of import from other states for the beef eating population. If you dictate, people can't eat beef, well, then that's just dictatorship.

If France decided to play French movies prime time instead of English, nobody would voice discontent. So, if India is a continent of myriad cultures alike Europe, I don't see a reason why Marathi movies cannot be played prime time in Maharashtra. It is simply lesser than three hours of a show per evening.

Above all, my earnest prayers for Nepal and her people.

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!"

Aai casts her vote

Today, aai cast her vote like she has over the years with a strong sense of conviction, even if a single water drop in the ocean, her vote means something. Unlike the youth, it was a slight chore for her since she had to be driven down and escorted. I am guessing she probably voted for the same political party that she has for all her adult years: the party that has ensured she gets her deserved pension and addressed her medical needs as part of the CGHS scheme among others that were pertinent to her during the different phases of her life.

I, on the other hand, lack the clarity to pick my political party. This time, I came to face some politician faces marketed on ‘apta’ leaf paper handouts delivered home demanding votes while I was hoping to see some specific directives. Even a simple ‘this paper can be recycled’ at the back of the same 'apta' paper leaf marketing collateral would have bowled me over. Instead of TV ads that showed fluff and fake socialist causes supported by youngsters of a particular party, I would have been happy, if a politician would have considered one simple real life issue, say like encouraging people not to print balance receipts in ATMs if they were simply trashing it the very next moment, and supported that cause whole heartedly. 

After the fluff dies off, if I get to see a clean Ganges, I would be a happy person.
 

Everyone who went shopping instead or treated the day as a public holiday without a vote, should be ashamed. If the aged folks vote with such dedication, there's no excuse for not being committed to an important cause of our country.

My London liaison

Once, only a city my friend had moved to four years ago and then only a new place I wanted to explore this birthday, somewhere within a week of my visit, I am telling Sarah, "...if I find someone here, I will get married and settle down." More than half of the world probably shares my sentiment for very good reasons and of the fortnight I spent in London, I wanted more of it, not as a vacation, but as a place I could call home 'indefinitely'... as Anna said to Will, I will say to London.

It all started with an impression of Mumbai on the Piccadilly service line with sightings of old buildings built in red-brown bricks, followed by an NJ impression of row houses with cars parked in front and then dense gardens that screamed so loudly green in my face that my mind pondered over green spaces that one could possibly spot through the western rail service of Mumbai (apparently almost nonexistent).

After the tube and over ground train ride was done, I found myself soaking in the chilly weather that a downpour had left behind, by elephant-grey rock-platforms that welcomed everyone to be seated at Kings cross station. I smiled into the sky to have finally arrived, patiently breathing in and out, allowing myself to be immersed in the eerie London cold. After Vishal arrived, we walked down to a canal, noticed some mute swans enjoying a swim and bath, followed by our first coffee. It appeared as if I had taken a two hour flight, like I usually do for Bangalore (though technically Bangalore is only 1.2 hour away),  and come to a place I already knew in my heart. May be it was Indian (or Indian looking) population at the customs, I cannot be sure, or the welcoming waitresses at the coffee shop, that made the place familiar. I felt like a freshly baked bun in the otherwise cloudy Saturday. I must confess, the service staff in London, in my experience, is very hospitable.

The fortnight that ensued will be one of the loveliest vacations I have had.

That Saturday succeeded into a visit to Borough market, tasting bread and olive oils, and drinking a glass of champagne to celebrate my arrival. The next morning was dedicated to the Columbia flower market where I discovered Sunflowers are my most favorite of the flora species. Their bright-yellow, perky exterior balances with a soul that is high on energy, proteins and vitamins. My dad owns a piece of land and I have very often wondered if I should grow sunflowers there someday.

Mute swans & PDAs at the Hyde Park

As the week began, Vishal couldn't babysit me logistically. It was time to experiment with the tube and transport by myself. Word has it that I lived in one of the most happening areas of London, 5 minutes walk from the Hoxton station. I decided to start with buses, a relatively comprehensible mode of transport,  and took number 243 to Waterloo. London is a walk walk walk city, and walk is all I did with street side location maps and some google as references, randomly exploring places, initially by chance and then by decision. On my first day of solitude exploration, I browsed through familiar sights of London wheel, Big Ben and houses of Parliament, until running into some Horse Guards. That later took me to St. James park and a closer interaction with ducks, geese and swans of London. After spending enough time with them, on the bright, sunny London afternoon, I walked into the Green park where I had my first revelation: "London has to be one of the most romantic cities of the world." The green density of the park, the fallen brown maple leaves, and a chill in the weather complemented by shining sun, I knew better, that this park should be walked with a lover. Speaking of lovers, Londoners aren't bothered with public displays of affection. You see them very often on escalators, streets, open bars until I found a couple seated behind me on an almost empty bus. I could hear the noises of *mwah* so loud that I hoped, although in vain, to have carried my ear phones. Being raised in a country like India, I believe such PDAs is a true measure of being free. Anybody should be allowed to kiss anybody, both consenting, without heed to time, place or surroundings.

As far as weather goes, I found myself comparing the September weather of London to the February weather of Kodai canal, chill in the air perfectly complemented by the shining sun.

It is at Green park that I decided to pay Hyde Park a visit another day, my first conscious decision to see a place and what a delightful place the Serpentine lake was. Mute swans, alike the London visitors and locals, do not shy from PDAs.

For an Indian tourist, taking a leak in London is expensive, a whole 50 pence, which is a decent loaf of wheat bread in India. Answering the call of nature therefore has to be strategically considered ;-).  One strategy is to hydrate oneself only at home, or carry a plastic bag to pee in the event of emergency, which I actually saw a teenager do on a train. Bizarre, right!

I celebrated the birthday evening with friends at Sushi Samba, a restaurant on the 38th floor of Heron tower,  by ordering some champagne. Although the view was sensational, the pocket did hurt. See, that's why I think money is important in life. One should be able to spend without having to think of what one can afford - that's how rich one should be materialistically. Only if wishes were horses, sigh! But then again, birthdays come only come once a year, I find myself justifying.

Tomato Mozzarella cheese croissant

After the few initial bus rides, Liverpool street station became my go to place for the London tube travels. Pret A Manger became my breakfast place with the simplistic, tomato and Mozzarella cheese croissant as my favorite delicacy on a vegetarian day. Covent Garden was my first destination on the tube and turns out it is not a garden, just a hoity-toity shopping street with its Godivas and Diors. I bought my first Sketchers here, and boy o boy, I was completely smitten by the feather light shoes they make. People all over London wear really fancy colored shoes;  the clothes may be navy blue or black, but the shoes definitely stand out. It is a stunning sight to watch Londoners jog on a sunny afternoon at 1:10 pm in the middle of the week; the British sun is simply stimulating to spring you into action or exercise. Apart from its green gardens, I am in awe of how brilliantly laws have preserved old architecture and buildings that marry its modern constructions in complementary union. Then as another weekend arrived, we went to the famous Portobello market of Notting Hill fame. I didn't research much on the blue door but it was wonderful to explore an area where my second most favorite film was shot. Turns out, the number 23 bus, 23 being my birth date, travels via Notting Hill to the Liverpool street station. How fancy is that? Also, 20 is the local area or city code used to dial to London, which is same as Pune's. Double fancy!! ;-).

Of course there was the great food in restaurants (Tibits at Regent street for vegetarian food deserves an honorable mention), pubs, bars, discotheques et all that came packaged with the vacation as a definitive London-thing-to-do. I did some of these bits as well.

The following week, I had a date with Brighton.

I loved London, every single bit of it and London, in turn, treated me nice with bright, sunny days for more than 80% of my stay. September isn't all bright and sunny, I was lucky, I was told.

I was so enamored that I found myself wondering why I never decided to make London home, given its practical benefits of English speaking population and close vicinity to India. By the end of the fortnight, I navigated the central line as if I was meant to do it every single day. I had become accustomed to hopping on and off stations and boarding diverse lines in tune with destinations. I very often hoped, that India would have a transport system as efficient as London. With £31 oyster pass a week, I could use any buses or trains and explore my lungs out in zone 1 and 2.

What did I really love about London? I can't really pin point one thing. It will have to be a combination of old and modern architecture, efficient transport systems and the gardens in no chronological order. I also loved that people really dress up to work in suits and women do their own sexy things. Canary Wharf on a Friday evening with the setting sun and beer for company is definitely SOMETHING!

I didn't do the Shard, go inside the St. Paul's Cathedral, do the champagne experience on the London eye, go and see the Kohinoor, buy a fancy London-looking pair of shoes, and more importantly visit Madame Tussauds. I didn't want my first Jolie meeting to be in wax, how much ever skilled the artists are; I want it to be in flesh and blood. So I will probably do some of my didnts and some of my dos already done in the future with a lover. May be I will bug the hell out of somebody on the last seat of a bus with loud * mwah * sounds.

A piece I will treasure forever with me as part of my London experience is the friends I met and the friends that made this trip happen.

(L to R) with Sarah, Mrinal, Deep, Alex, Kiran and Vishal @ Kings Cross

If getting older is aimed to make you wiser, I believe, London also gave me an important lesson: Friends who host you, invite you over, spend time with you, make a point to meet, do ordinary things, sometimes extraordinary gestures, deserve a special place in your life. Their actions will always speak louder than hollow words of coulda-shoulda-woulda.