Thursday, December 17, 2015

Day 7 - Achanakmar & Amarkantak - From tiger trails to temple trysts




By now, it's becoming a bit of struggle to keep this blog going. A series of late nights and early mornings on a holiday are enough to make the most resolute writer balk at the thought of hitting the word processor. Thus do I soldier on bravely, night after night.

This morning, we awoke at 4.30, performed all necessary ablutions, savoured a cup of lemongrass tea and sett off for Acahankmar sanctuary gate, 56 kilometres away. Thanks to some nefarious activities in the precincts of the forest, the gates closest to our resorts were closed. So, we sped through the misty morning, or rather bumped our way through the forest for over an hour, savouring the crisp morning air, until we arrived at the forest gate. The 56 km stretch has 5 checkpoints, which ascertain the time at which you pass and whether you have been speeding within the forest.


The next four hours were absolutely magical. Accompanied by the manager of our resort and his colleague, we trundled through thickets and streams in a trusty Gypsy, clambered up a watch tower and enjoyed the sight of a majestic Bison at close quarters. But most of all, we savoured the sights and sounds of the forest around us.


Before we left the forest, we went to say hello to 'Raju', a big bull Elephant who had been captured and kept in captivity as a punishment for his misdemeanours. As the story goes, Raju had been attacked with an axe by a tribal trying to steal his tusk. Raju escaped. The tribal and his family paid for it with their lives. In a fit of rage, the wounded elephant followed his attacker and trampled his house to the ground, along with its occupants. Every time the house was rebuilt, Raju would return to the village and trample upon it. He did this on three occasions, without harming a single other person or piece of property in the village. Now, Raju is the one being rehabilitated, and being trained to help control other 'rogue' elephants. Strange are the ways of man.


Refreshed, recharged and rejuvenated, we returned to base for a sumptuous, if rather late, lunch. Later in the evening, we set off for the holy town of Amarjantak 15 kilometres away. The evening was spent in a blur of shrines, of various ages. Some are active shrines while others are archaeological sites, which bring back the glory of a byegone era. The entire town was shrouded in a veil of tranquility, and the temple that houses the source of the Narmada, was no exception. Over the last two days, I had been hearing Indian Ocean's rendition of 'Maa Rewa', the other name from the Narmada, and about how her source lies at Amarkantak. Today, I witnessed it in person




For some strange reason, the entire temple complex has been whitewashed, erasing its original beauty and replacing it with a patina of white. All, save one shrine. Why, I will never know, and did not bother to enquire. As I walked around the complex, soaking in the tranquility, I spied a statue, reclining near the door of one of the shrines. As I moved closer to take a photo, the saffron robed statue blinked. I know now whether it was a man or a woman, but the stillness of the person shook me. I retreated, camera in hand, without taking a photo, and found a quiet spot by the temple tank, opposite the idol of Narmada Devi.

As city dwellers, even a few minutes of stillness seem like an eternity and the urge to do 'something' overtakes us. So, I fiddled around with my camera and tried my best to capture a slice of tranquility in pixel form.

I also realized that Amarkantak and its environs have much to offer and one should spend few days, rather than a few hours here. Giant Shivlings, monolithic statues and a temple that has been under construction for over 15 years - for just a day every year, based on the alignment of the stars.

The rest of the evening was spent as the tribals must have done many moons ago, and some probably still do. Angari Roti, a smoked rice pancake covered in leaves and a chutney made from tomatoes and potatoes roasted in an open fire. Cooked and devoured al fresco, with copious quantities of local brew, Mahua, and folk music playing in the background. The best part of it all was that this was a treat set up by our manager, exclusively for us. Just one of teh many perks of having the resort to ourselves.



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