Travelogues

It was a patchy summer morning. The early arrival of monsoon in Rajasthan had made it intolerably humid .Our jeep came to a sudden halt - but unlike the previous ones , this one brought a bright smile to my face. A flock of fidgety male peacocks, screaming impulsively with mirth at the edge of a black patch of land, with their expansive plumage unfrilled, to welcome the mighty monsoon. What a pretty and regal welcome to the “Terrain of Sher Khan”! It was the perfect antidote to alleviate our otherwise dampen spirit caused by this untimely rain.
The early arrival of black clouds pregnant with rain drops had resulted into the budding of fresh greens in an otherwise deciduous dry terrain. The topology never expected when, just a week back we sat to decide this trip .Crowned as the “Darling of the Tiger Lover”, Ranthambore National Park, nestled at the confluence of the Aravalli and Vidhyan plateau ,is known for its unique climatic and hence vegetational features which makes it dry and open with very little cover of green. During the dry season, which offcourse lasts for most of the year, as the waterholes get drier, more and more animals cluster around the lakes --- making the viewing of wildlife relatively easier.
But it was a new terrain as we drove off the wet black pitch. Much more dense and green with plenty of water holes scattered, never conducive to sight the “Gold and Black” or even getting a glimpse of the stripes in its natural habitat. But on the flip side it was a rare opportunity to find this otherwise dry and rugged terrain draped in all-green attire. Monsoon, in the neck of the woods, has an extraordinary delicious romantic feeling which we only discovered once entered into the precinct of the park.
In India there is no other season as likely to stir one’s emotions as the monsoon. After four months of searing heat the cooling of the showers is a cause of celebration as Mother Nature bursts out with joy to celebrate the arrival of the dark clouds. The cry of peacock, the clash of thunder, the patters of rain drops, the all pervasive smell of damp earth, the lushness of the landscape provided a perfect backdrop for our "jungle safari" much as in a miniature painting. The terrain was beautified by massive rock formations, perennial lakes, crisscrossing streams, forest opening up into large savannas. The picturesque ruins of a tenth century fort, stands amicably at the edge of the park, providing a perfect blend of tranquility and wildness. The entire landscape swiped one deep into the world of magic realism.
Sitting in an open jeep we barreled off along the dusty game trail. It was somewhat like a Disneyland Ride, the "Jungle Book rollercoaster” one could term it, our jeep lurching through the forest, tree branches whipping past our faces, deer scattering as we passed. It was only my first safari and I was hungry for more. As it turned out my next day's safaris were less like a theme-park ride, and bit more like a true wild life exploration venture. Just as we started our morning safari, there came a “Shhhhhh” from our experienced guide. “There he is” ---- he has spotted an ear of the “Gold and Black”--- a huge male cat prowling out of the profuse green fodder. His eyes calmly scanned the medley of six humans trying to control their excitement. I could barely manage to frame him in my “handy cam", when he suddenly turned around and went straight into the thickness of the woods. We just gazed at the Gold and Black beauty as the large shape became indiscernible leaving us completely amused and speechless. This breathtaking scene hardly lasted for 20 sec. That last glimpse of stripes through those tiny gaps between the leaves, created a permanent wallpaper in the core of my heart.
The disappointment of not having the “Jungle King” for a longer period melted fast as our jeep weaved around the rugged terrain unveiling the rich treasure of faunas that Ranthambore offers. As we drove off inside, the cheetal and spotted deer soon became a sight almost so common to merit any attention. In the midst of this, the sight of solitary sambhar galloping inside the thickers or a solitary male blackbuck – sneaking into the undergrowth with his large spiral antlers