Day 12 - Kanger National Park - The last stop.

Today, we woke up at 4.30 am and were out of the resort by 6.30. I left the windows down to enjoy the nippy morning breeze, as Nalini protested, bundled up like an eskimo in the passenger seat. By 7.30 am, we having breakfast at a major junction, around 18 km from the entrance to Kanger national park. Steaming hot puris, vegetable and tea, all served with a smile. Women travelling in this region, especially those with weak bladders, will often find it difficult to find a clean loo. It's either a petrol pump or a large dhaba that can come to their rescue. And even there, the sanitation levels are best left undescribed. Nalini had to make do with whatever facilities were available wherever we stopped, and as a last resort, commune with nature in the wild, whenever the occasion or her bladder demanded.

We entered Kanger National Park around 9 am and paid the entry fees at the gate. One good policy the park has adopted is to provide a guide for the caves within, at an all -inclusive price along with the entry fees. We drove around 5 km inside the forest, on a dappled trail, dotted with muddy speed breakers, until we picked up our guide and drove on to the base of the Kumteshwar caves, another 5 kilometres away.

The entry to the Kumteshwar caves is through a narrow crack in the rock surface. One has to literally crawl down a narrow staircase to reach a large, cavernous cave almost 330 metres in length. Nalini stayed out due to a fear of getting stuck and an aversion to confined, narrow, dark spaces. She is also extremely uncomfortable on uneven surfaces, and hence her abstinence in this case proved to be rather prudent.

Over the next hour, the guide and his powerful torch threw light on a subterranean wonder world filled with stalagmites and stalactites, formed over thousands of years. In one corner, an image of a tiger had been formed naturally on the rock face. Beautiful pillars, unfinished chandeliers, a combination of water and rock that had created its very own art gallery, away from prying eyes.

In another corner, a tiny pool of water was home to a shy crab and a couple of fish. It is a common myth that these fish are 'blind' and do not have eyes. The truth is that they have grown so used to the dark, that their eyes have become unaccustomed to any form of light, and hence, are blinded in daylight or torchlight. Although we were almost 80 meters below ground level, thee humidity and temperature of the cave was rather high, drenching me in sweat. The beauty and serenity of the cave was shattered by a large group of tourists who thought of this as nothing more than an underground picnic. That was our cue to head back.

Never have I been happier to see daylight. Back at the parking lot, we picked up a few fresh fruits from the local villagers and headed off to see 'Kanger Dhara' the lesser known waterfall in the sanctuary. The road to the waterfall is marked by a small sign at a fork in the forest and can be easily missed, if you are not looking for it. We were looking for it, simply because we hoped that it would be free of the hubbub that it's bigger brother, the Teerthdhara Falls promised.


I was armed with a picnic kit and mat, Nalini with a trusty stick found along the way. We made our way down to a stream, just before the fall drops gently into a pool below. There by the steam, we had a pleasant British Picnic. Muffins, Jam and Cheese sandwiches, freshly brewed coffee and a few fresh fruits. An hour passed at this idyllic spot uninterrupted, until the inevitable happened. A score of envious eyes accompanied by equally raucous voices chanced upon our enchanted garden. Thankfully, the interruption was brief and we went back to the business of doing absolutely nothing at all.

Thus did we move on to pay our obeisance at the last touristy outpost of our journey, Teerthdhara Falls. This is a popular picnic spot, around 5 kilometres from the forest gate, within the Kanger Valley National Park. Our first brush with private commerce was a 20 Rupee charge for parking, manned by the local tribals. Parking fees in a forest??? This was a taste of things to come. The next shock was a 200 meter stretch of shops selling everything from pakoras to pepsi.

While Nalini lumbered down tentatively, trusty stick in hand, I scampered down 300 odd steps to find an almost deserted pool, where the waterfall finally culminated. On my way, I skirted locals carrying cartons of snacks in search of the perfect picnic spot that could be sullied instantly. At the base, I stripped down to my nylon shorts and gingerly edged to a spot on a ledge behind the waterfall. Here I enjoyed 5 or 10 minutes of tranquillity and energy.

Bathed by the chilling spray of the waterfall, it felt like the perfect end to a lovely holiday. It was everything that Chattisgarh had never promised to be. Relaxing and energising at the same time. For a few brief moments, I felt like a king, in my own private, natural kingdom. The milling crowds at the upper levels of the falls were a distant memory.... until they started trickling down the steps, like water down a mossy rockface, one droplet at a time. Before I knew it, the Kingdom of Cyriana was taken over by vulgar. tittering hordes and the king had to retreat into exile.

As I dried myself and reached for my regal robes, laid before me upon a rock, a sudden movement aught my eye, and I spied a small, but possibly deadly snake slithering away. Just a reminder that even a king can be laid low by a sharp pair of fangs. Moreover, it reminded me that this was their turf and I a mere visitor who was tolerated. Thus, paying my respects to the forces of nature did I retreat to the crass commercial world that existed 300 steps away.

Back among the human race, I had no option but to succumb to the aroma of hot bhajjiyas and a steaming cup of tea. Tomorrow, we will be headed back to Mumbai, all of 1300 kilometres and a million lifetimes away. So, today, we sup like kings at the restaurant that shall not be named.

Someday, I would like to meet the copywriter who came up with the tagline 'full of surprises' and the brave client who agreed to use it. In the quest to come up with fancy lines, and prove their worth, copywriters, are often forced to come up with fancy, esoteric lines that need an instruction manual to decipher their true meaning. This is a state that lives upto its tagline and vice versa. It's simple and honest, without any of the fripperies of a Madison Avenue or Upper Worli line - just like the people of the state. God bless them all.

May the state and it's people never fall pray to the vagaries of tourism, tourists and their whims. And may the travellers who venture here appreciate the state for what it is, and not what they would like it to be. I do hope that I never see 'Dhokla' on the menu in Chattisgarh.

The day that happens, the Ghatkoparisation of the world will be complete.

Day 9 - Sirpur - An underground city comes to life

6.30 am, reveille. 7.00 am, tea and typing in the garden. That's the way the day began. Nalini decided to order breakfast via the intercom, and gave very precise instructions to the only person manning the reception - the security guard. No prizes for guessing the outcome. The Burji became an omelette, plain paratha transformed into aloo paratha and the poha for one seemed like a gargantuan portion. And so, the morning began with post-Divali fireworks, aimed at the hapless chef. Although he promised to set things right immediately, madam was on a roll. That was my exit cue, and I decided to complete my spell of writing and make reparations with the staff later.

After breakfast, we hit the Sirpur tourist trail. This tiny town has over 20 odd excavation sites, and there are more popping up like mushrooms. Buddhist viharas and temples dedicated to deities like Shiva, Lakshman, Ram, and many others in the Hindu Pantheon. The three most prominent ones are dedicated to Buddha, Shiva and Lakshman. Without going into details, suffice to say that each one of them is unique, be it from an architectural perspective, intricacy of carvings or sheer scale of construction.

TheBuddhist vihara had carvings of scenes from the Jataka tales on the door lintel. The Shiva temple had a 4.5 foot high stone statue of Shiva and the Lakshman temple, was the only completely restored temple in the town. This sightseeing can get to be quite exhausting, and hence the body craves for constant refuelling. One round of samosas, onion pattys and hot tea was all it took to get us back on the road again. Considering the snack was devoured by the roadside, I don't know if we even left the road at all.

Where there is piety, there will be commerce. The town has a 250 sq m excavated market place, complete with an underground granary, wells, Buddhist Vihara, underground sewage system and broad roads. The market also had interlocking stores, the precursor of the department store, way back in the 7th century. All this, set around a giant Banyan tree.

What astounded me was the sheer size of the market and its planning. Our town planners and administrators could learn a thing or two from their 7th Century cousins.

Lunch was at a 'way out' resort called 'Muba's Machan'. Located 15 km from town, on the very fringe of the Banawara Tiger Reserve, the resort has accommodation on stilt houses or 'machans'. Well equipped and furnished with mod -cons, these 'machans' are the perfect getaway for families and lovers alike. While the resort does not encourage 'drop in' customers, they made a special exception in our case. Lunch consisted simple vegetarian fare, cooked to perfection, with a view of the forest in the distance. After a relaxing lunch, we cruised back into town.

Our first halt was the Lakshman temple and the museum behind it. The museum
has some wonderful stone artefacts which cannot be identified, as the stainless steel labels are smudged beyond recognition. Then, there are sections with bulb holders, but no bulbs. The star attraction is undoubtedly a beautiful shivling with a four headed shiva, set in a perfectly shaped 'yonipith' set in the centre of the exhibition shed.

The museum manager had the misfortune of being on the premises,sipping tea along with some cronies, outside the museum shed. He received a polite tongue lashing for the labels and a sharp barb for the missing bulbs. Hopefully one will go 'ding' in his head and I shall see a vastly improved museum on my next visit, whenever that may be.

The last stop on the tourist trail was a temple 'Surang Tilla' , a fortified temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The strangest thing about the temple are the steps. The first few rows are angled towards the temple in the centre, but are at an angle to the ground on the sides. It's as though someone has pushed the two side walls of the steps, forcing them to be angled upwards at the extremes, for lack of space. This makes it difficult to climb up, but almost impossible to come down from, unless you are a mountain goat. The residing deity is Lord Shiva, accompanied by Ganesh and a few buxom enchantresses.

Tired of hotel food, we decided to eat at the Bhojanalay at the cross roads. The owner had made simple home-cooked meal for us, which we devoured in a matter of minutes. ...

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.

Day 5 - Pachmarhi to Bhoramdeo

6.30 am. Nalini and I were on our way to Bhoramdeo, the Khajuraho of Chattisgarh. The 420 kilometre drive, under normal circumstances, takes around 8 hours or so the guidebooks and google say. In our case, it took us almost 12 hours. The drive in most parts is extremely picturesque, with a short 80 kilometres of four laned highway. The rest of it is all single carriageways, where playing chicken is the norm.

The first leg from Pachmarhi is a narrow set of twisties, extending almost 30 kilometres as it snakes its way down to thee plains. Then it's sugarcane paradise. Mile upon mile of sugarcane fields dot the landscape, with the odd sugarcane juice vendor crushing fresh cane for the thirsty wayfarers. Sugarcane gives way to mustard. A sea of yellow blossoms swaying in the wind, reeking of potential prosperity.

The surface of the roads across this segment varies from pockmarked to glassy - depending on the contractor and commissions paid. Thankfully, the landscape is beyond the control of commerce. Tree-lined roads, thick forests and the odd shimmering lake make one forget the poor quality of tarmac. Distances and time are not directly related in this state. It took us 10 hours to cover 620 km in one state and twelve hours to cover 420 km in another.

We had a late lunch at a small restaurant along the way. It was recommended to us by a local. When we asked at the petrol pump for directions to the restaurant, he casually mentioned that we must have 'seen it on google'. This just goes to show how far 'Google' has gone to become synonymous with the Internet, even in the Hindi heartland.

As we approached the Chattisgarh border, it was already dusk. The surprising fact was that it was barely 5 in the evening. Already lengthening shadows were making their eerie presence felt. This is the reality of life in the East - early sunrises and equally early sunsets.

The last leg of our journey was covered in complete darkness. 6 o clock felt more like 8, as the headlights pierced the night ahead. It took some asking to find the road that led to our destination, Bhoramdeo, The last few kilometres were on a lonely, narrow, forested stretch of road, where one almost expected goblins and trolls to pop out and block our path.

We are the only guests at the Nagori Tourist Lodge. So, we made the most of it, with an impromptu drink on the terrace, with candle light, et al. The piece de resistance was freshly caught river fish, fried and curried to perfection, served along with dinner. I guess it must have been divine providence, given that we are here to pay our respects to Lord Shiva tomorrow morning.