3 Incredible Days in the Heart of India-Madhya Pradesh | Day 2: White Tigers of Rewa

(Continued from where I left off in the previous post about Day 1 in Madhya Pradesh) 

It was early morning. I was fast asleep in a log hut somewhere in the middle of a vast tropical forest. My alarm was set for 7.30, though I should have known I wouldn't be needing an alarm clock. I woke up at 7, all on my own, to the lively chatter of birds and the rustle of the wind in the trees outside my hut.

I was in Bandhavgarh National Park - one of the world's foremost tiger reserves - and another exciting day of wildlife experiences lay ahead of me.

Day 2 in the Heart of India

If I wake up early on any given day, I snuggle right back into the covers and sleep for at least another half an hour (usually more) before finally forcing my still-asleep body out of the bed and into the bathroom. On this particular morning, however, I was wide awake within a minute and out of the door in 10, wide-eyed with wonder and camera in hand. The jungle was awake and buzzing with activity.

It took me a minute to tune in to the sounds of the forest. Stepping out of the shade of my hut, I looked around to figure out where all the birds were - and lo and behold, there it was! My first sighting of one of the most magnificent birds of India - and not a common sighting in Madhya Pradesh - the Asian Paradise Flycatcher (now called Indian Paradise Flycatcher), with its never-ending white tail and black head, perched atop the tree right behind my hut. It was quite sensitive to sound too, because it sensed my presence within seconds and flew away to a taller, farther tree. I managed to take a few snaps before it disappeared into the foliage, its majestic tail trailing behind it in the most beautiful flight I have ever seen any bird take.


Encouraged by the lucky sighting, I set out to find more winged ones, though in a hurry now because it was getting sunny and I was expected at breakfast soon. I ended up spotting a bunch of Coppersmith Barbets in a fig tree and a pair of Spotted Doves that looked like they were batting eyes at each other like a romantic couple (believe me).

The Asian (or Indian) Paradise Flycatcher. They are called so because they feed on insects that they catch mid-air (fancy that!) The males are beautiful white and long-tailed, while the females are shorter-tailed with dark wings.

A pair of Spotted Doves.

Coppersmith Barbet feeding on wild figs.

Breakfast at the jungle resort came as another pleasant surprise. Seated in an open restaurant with mud-plastered walls and greenery all around, it was a rather lavish meal (given the setting) with fresh fruit, toast, eggs, milk and cereal, juice, and an Indian addition in the form of poori sabzi (which I generally stay away from - bring on the non-greasy stuff for me!)

Breakfast situation during my first 'glamping' stay at a safari lodge in Bandhavgarh National park. By the time more food arrived, I couldn't wait to click a 'complete' picture. I got busy stuffing my face.😄

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After a hearty meal, we took a stroll around the resort, traipsing in and out of green patches, lots of tiger grass and a bunch of small greenhouses. We also spotted an abandoned-looking tractor on the premises that I put to good use (posing on it).

Around 10.30, we checked out of our amazing log huts (still haven't gotten over THAT goodbye) and embarked on a 150-km drive through the dusty hot MP countryside to Rewa, where we planned to go on a safari inside the famous white tiger reserve. Due to navigational troubles and a couple of stops to take pictures of the rural scenery, it took us a few hours to reach Rewa, where the rest of our party was waiting for lunch. We ate at a restaurant opposite to the tiger reserve and hurried over for our safari around 3 PM, when the sun was at its extreme. Luckily, there was a golf cart waiting to ferry us around the reserve and zoo.

The last 3 days have been amazing, filled with all kinds of exciting new experiences. I had a whale of a time travelling through the central-eastern parts of Madhya Pradesh, aptly called India ka ❤. In picture: golf cart that ferried us around inside the white tiger reserve in Rewa. And, of course, me having a good hair day. 

A post shared by Mahima Kohli (@kohliaroundtheworld) on Apr 30, 2018 at 1:28am PDT

As we waited for our safari bus/minivan to take us inside the reserve where the two breeding white tigers are kept, I read up on the history of white tigers in India at the air-conditioned museum cum waiting lounge. What I discovered was nothing short of enlightening - WHITE TIGERS ARE THE SAME AS ROYAL BENGAL TIGERS. They are not albinos or a separate species but indeed the same species. The white colour occurs in some of them because of a lack of pigmentation due to a rare genetic combination. Wikipedia says, "for a white Bengal tiger to be born, both parents must carry the unusual gene for white colouring, which only happens naturally about once in 10,000 births". It means if you breed a white tiger with a yellow tiger, only a yellow tiger will be born. And if you breed two white tigers, it is still not necessary that a white cub will be born.

White tigers have most abundantly been found in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, which was a princely state until Independence. There are several hundred white tigers spread across zoos all over the world right now, and they are all progeny of the white tigers originally found in India. Geneticists observe that white tigers are whiter in hot climates and grow darker in colder climes, which means white tigers in India are always snow-white while those in, say, Bristol Zoo are darker. It is also believed that the last white tiger to be seen in the wild was shot dead in 1958, after which they have only survived in captivity. Hence, we had to opt for the safari in Rewa zoo.

Another interesting thing I found out on the internet is that there are several restrictions in place on the breeding of white tigers in zoos across the world, because in a bid to breed more and more of these 'exotic' beasts, zookeepers resort to inbreeding between related tigers, which results not only in the rare white colour but other genetic defects like arched backs, cross-eyes and clubbed feet as well. Humans will literally resort to any means to make that extra buck, ugh.

Our minivan finally arrived and we set foot inside the reserve, which is built like a forest, the natural habitat of tigers. Safari goers can sometimes be really unlucky, because the tiger may simply be lying in the shade of a cave or dense foliage to escape the sun, and the tourists may not get a single glimpse of the beautiful beings. But we were lucky, because we heard news of both the tigers being out and about in the sun, which meant we could easily see them. And oh boy, we did!

One of them, the female, was literally sunning herself by the side of the road in the SCORCHING sun. It made no sense, since she could easily have been in a cooler place. But luck was on our side. So she sat there looking bored and even looked up at us a few times. It was one of the most exhilarating moments I have had in my entire travel life. The other white tiger, the male, was also found a few minutes later, sleeping after his afternoon meal in a cooler part of his pit but still visible from our van.

They say the thrill of encountering Bengal tigers in the wild is unparalleled, and I heartily agree. But to be so close to this rare animal that few people have seen or will ever see in their lifetimes - it was really amazing!

On our way back from sighting the white tigers, we were taken to a few other enclosures around the zoo. I saw a sleeping cheetah, another couple of white tigers, a lion, a few Black Bucks, and a yellow Bengal tiger (who seemed nothing like the regal beasts we had encountered less than 24 hours ago inside Bandhavgarh forest). The highlight of this leg of the trip was the Black Buck, an animal I had first seen in my childhood in fat encyclopaedias (I was a nerdy kid) and a Discovery show on TV. I had always fantasised about seeing a Black Buck for real. In Rewa, I finally saw one in all its glory. (Couldn't get Bhai's face out of my mind for a long while after that though 😂)

The Black Buck was so elegant, and such a poser!😍

We set out on our return journey to Jabalpur after a good two hours at the Rewa reserve spent up, close and personal with wildlife. On the way, we witnessed the most stunning sunset over the Vindhya hills. Needless to say, I stopped the car by the roadside to capture the scene. It turned out rather well, thanks to the cyclist.

Sunsets have a magical quality about them. No matter where you are, and in what kind of a mood or situation, when the sun sets you will find yourself stopping to take notice. I took this shot on the way back from Rewa to Jabalpur. We were passing through a town and evening traffic was upon us. But I stopped the car by the curb and waited for breaks in between passing vehicles to capture this stunning sunset over the Vindhya hills. The appearance of the cyclist was pure bonus.😄

A post shared by Mahima Kohli (@kohliaroundtheworld) on May 3, 2018 at 4:34am PDT

Day 2 in the heart of India went by in a flash, and in hindsight, it was as exhilarating and full of new experiences as Day 1 in Bandhavgarh had been. Back in Jabalpur for the night, I was happy, relaxed, and as excited as ever for more adventure. In the end, Day 3 turned out to be less about adventure and much more about local sights and places made famous by Bollywood. But it revealed a side to Madhya Pradesh that I could scarce have imagined the existence of. More details in the next edition of my three-part MP travelogue!

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The third post in this series about how I spent Day 3 in the Heart of India is coming up super soon, I promise. Meanwhile, head over to my Instagram and show some loooouve! 😍😁

3 Incredible Days in the Heart of India-Madhya Pradesh | Day 1: Tigers of Bandhavgarh

Remember the Madhya Pradesh tourism ad in which a captivating voice used to sing "Hindustan ka dil dekho" to a catchy tune? That was way back in 2007 (feel old already?) I had been to Gwalior and around with family before, but this ad convinced me that I hadn't yet seen the real MP. I was eager to go see everything the voice sang about in the ad and to make a video of my own just like it.

Of course, I was just a teenager with ideas. Life went on over the years, and my fascination with Madhya Pradesh got overshadowed by my growing love for the Himalayas. That was, until last week, when I finally set foot in the heart of Incredible India.

The reason that finally brought me to Madhya Pradesh was a work tour to Jabalpur, which we conveniently scheduled on Friday so as to give us the extended weekend to explore the less frequented east-central region of Madhya Pradesh. And by God, one hell of a 'work' trip it turned out to be!

After wrapping up work early on Friday evening, we set out to explore what little part of Jabalpur we could in an evening. We first drove down to 'Balancing Rock' to witness the famous volcanic rock that has remained balanced on its base rock for hundreds (or thousands?) of years despite very little surface contact between the two. I had heard about this rock, and even though it is an attraction you can hardly spend 10-15 minutes at, I think it holds a sense of wonder and is well worth the trip.

One of Jabalpur's most popular attractions, the Balancing Rock has visitors coming from all over just to catch a glimpse of this gigantic rock balancing on a tiny portion of its base rock. The complex has several such huge boulders formed by the erosion of volcanic rock formations. These otherwise nondescript rocks are said to have survived earthquakes of magnitude up to 6.5 on the Richter scale without losing balance, fancy that! 😀

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From there, we drove to Rani Durgavati Fort nearby, where we had to hike up a series of stairs for 15 minutes (including frequent breaks to catch our breaths) to come face to face with a beautiful little hill fortress cum watchtower. Built in the 11th century by the ruler Madan Singh, the fortress was renamed by the MP state government to honour Rani Durgavati, an indomitable Gond ruler and a female icon of the region.

The view from the top of Rani Durgavati Fort, Jabalpur. Rani Durgavati is relatively unknown among women stalwarts of Indian history but her story is awe-inspiring. Born into the Chandel dynasty in 16th century and married to a Rajgond ruler, she took over the reigns of the Gond kingdom when her husband died unexpectedly. She led her army in combat and won several battles by the sheer power of strategy and courage despite having lesser military strength. Finally, when her army was vanquished at the hands of a Mughal battalion, she killed herself on the battlefield with her own dagger. To honour her legacy, the MP government had Jabalpur university as well as this fort renamed after her. Sunset views from this little fortress were stunning. 😍🌄

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We ended the eventful day with dinner at 70mm Dining, a trendy restaurant which seemed like Jabalpur's version of an up-and-coming Bollywood-themed cafe where young (and young-at-heart) junta could hang out. It wasn't the best meal I've had, but full marks to 70mm Dining for trying.

Day 1 in the Heart of India

On Saturday morning, I woke up early to embark on a road trip to Bandhavgarh National Park with my colleague and partner-in-travel. A quaint little jungle resort was to be our home for the night.

The 3-3.5 hour road journey was paved for most part by grassland and forest. The region is known for its abundance of Mahua and Sal trees that shed their leaves in the winter and begin to grow them back, first red then green, at the beginning of summer. The road was narrow, smooth, and stretched out up to the horizon. The bird-watcher in me kept looking out of the window, eager to catch sightings. But there were no birds. It was too hot to be sitting out in almost-bare trees, even though it was not half-past-nine yet. Villages and farmlands appeared on the sides of the road every now and then. The locals cannot be too well off around here, I thought to myself as our car slowed down to let a herd of severely malnourished cows pass.

We stopped on the way to chill by this little water body. I spotted plenty of birds (finally) and buffaloes cooling themselves in the water too.

The driver told us the road led up to Dindori and Mandla, both tribal districts. We asked if there was naxalite activity in the region, and he denied its being a problem. Some 30 km outside Tala, the gateway into Bandhavgarh National Park, we picked up our companion who was managing our stay arrangements. He was a wildlife and birding enthusiast, and the first thing he told us was not to get disappointed if we didn't spot a tiger during the evening safari. There were also cheetal, wild boars, Gaur bison, leopards and several species of birds to be seen. Spotting a tiger was entirely a matter of luck, and you could end up going on several safaris before catching glimpse of a single tiger. 

Authentic jungle cabin experience

We were famished by the time we reached Bandhavgarh National Park. We dropped off our bags in our respective log huts that were erected on cemented platforms with glass walls all over, a cottage-like roof on the outside and a tarpaulin ceiling inside to give them an authentic jungle camp feel. It felt like I was 'glamping' in one of those fancy resorts in Bali, Kenya or Sri Lanka that I've seen so many Instagram travel celebs post pictures of.

As we were led to the restaurant for lunch, I found out that the vegetables they use in their food are mostly grown in-house on little farms and in greenhouses. We had a simple lunch comprising seasonal vegetables, rajma, the usual North Indian food accompaniments, and a delish fruit custard for dessert. The restaurant overlooks a small lotus pond, beyond which is a patch of tiger grass that constantly reminds us of our being in Bandhavgarh National Park.

 

 

Incredible Tiger Safari through Bandhavgarh National Park

Around 3.15 PM, we left for the tiger safari that starts at 4 and lasts till 6.30 or 7. We reached the gate of the national park, where you're supposed to get tickets and approval of the forest ranger on duty for your safari, only to discover that the ranger was absent and there were scores of people waiting to get their permissions before us. After over half an hour of speculations and mild cursing on how the ranger could be absent at the time of the daily evening safari, it was heard that there had been a forest fire somewhere in the jungle and the ranger was required to be there. So permissions were sought on the phone and after a long, tiring delay in the intense heat, we were finally on our way to spot tigers in the wild.

With us were an experienced driver, who had started driving his own private jeep after working with the park rangers for many years, and a guide easily into his sixties, who had been born in the region and had been roaming these forests since the age of 14. During our first 10 km into the park, we saw plenty of cheetal, bison, peacocks, sambar, wild boars, and birds like partridges, jungle bush quail, painted spurfowl and several others I couldn't recognise. Then a safari group approaching from the opposite side told us two tigers had been spotted sleeping under a tree some 10 km away. We all decided it was worth skipping some wildlife spotting in the interest of heading first to where we had certain knowledge of a tiger being spotted. And so we rushed through the jungle at max velocity, making it one hell of a thrilling ride. 

Thrilling ride in an open jeep through Bandhavgarh National Park

The story of how we came face to face not with one or two, but 4 grown female Royal Bengal tigers, and how we marginally escaped being shredded to pieces by the majestic beasts, makes for another blog post that I will write if enough readers ask me to. For now, it will suffice to say I have NEVER felt such a crazy rush of adrenaline in my life.

Have you ever almost been killed by a Royal Bengal Tiger? How about if there were 4 of them, all ferocious females? No? I was. Last weekend at the Bandhavgarh National Park. And it was the most incredible rush of adrenaline I've ever known.

A post shared by Mahima Kohli (@kohliaroundtheworld) on May 1, 2018 at 4:16am PDT

After a wildly successful safari that ended with light showers and a windstorm, we returned to our log huts for a quiet night in the company of croaking insects, night birds, strange noises around the huts and the thrill of sleeping in the middle of a forest in a log cabin

Day 1 had ended in a whirlwind and we were excited for more. Luckily, Day 2 did not disappoint.

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(Stay tuned for the next post on our run-in with White Tigers and Black Bucks on Day 2 of the most incredible trip to Madhya Pradesh)