Another Hot May at Ranthambhore

I make at least one trip to Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve every year. Preferably in the high summer month of June. This year however, I had to do it in May due to some commitments in June. This year's trip was a mixed bag. For a start, things in Ranthambhore are deteriorating by the day. I've been going to the Park for over eight years in a row now. Sadly, every trip is worse than the previous. Here I shall present some intersting images from the trip and also try to give some information that future visitors might find useful.

My original plan was to spend three days in June looking up the tigers at Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR) as usual. However, when my dear friend and fellow birder and renowned photographer Nikhil Devasar suggested we do a longer trip and try to get as many tigers as possible and this time in May, I readily agreed as some appointments had come up for June and it would have been difficult to squeeze in a trip to RTR. So May it was. Surprisingly, getting reservations on trains to and from Sawai Madhopur turned out to be easy. 13th Ex Nizamuddin by Kota SF Special starting at 5:20 am and returning from Sawai Madhopur on 18th by August Kranti Rajdhani. The timings suited us. on 13th we could do the afternoon safari and two safaris per day on 14, 15, 16 and one on 17th (total 8 safaris).

I usually stay at the Spartan Rajasthan Police Mess, euphemistically called "Anveshan Bhawan"or Interrogation Centre mainly to save money (Rs. 500 a day room + three meals).
The trip on 13th afternoon was not only a total washout, but also tiring as the full heat of Rajasthan summer hits one fresh from the Air Conditioned comforts of the Mess!

Normally on a tiger safari, one is totally focused (pun intended) on tigers only. More than you it is the guide who feels the need to show you one every single trip. You may live with not sighting a tiger, but the driver and the guide would be terribly upset. To make matters worse, every time you have a new set of drivers and guides, who feel compelled to drive at breakneck speed and impress you, if not with a tiger sighting, at least with their efforts to show you one. On 13th the only photographs I could manage were a few shots of odd Peacocks, Sambhar Deers, an odd Osprey, who have managed to stay back and the friendly Treepie.

Next day I was lucky to have a Police vehicle which was Zonefree, meaning there was no restriction where you can go. The driver, Nawal Kishore is an expert guide also. Armed with these strong points in our favour, we fearlessly went to Zone 3 where the previous night good sightings were made. Unfortunately, no sighting of even a decent bird to shoot. However, learning that the aged Queen of RTR, Machhli was seen near a kill, we hurried to Panduka to catch a few seconds of fleeting look at her. No photos. Returned without even taking one shot!. 14th was Chouth following Akshaya Thritiya and the steady stream of pilgrims using the parikrama around the fort seem to have disturbed wildlife! But luck shined on us the next session.

As we entered the Park, the Forest Guard quietly indicated to our driver Nawal that he should hurry to Jogi Mahal. From a distance itself we say two gypsies with huge Canon Video Cameras fitted filming something across the small water body. There lazing by the water was the graceful female tiger T19, sister of T17 ( More about T 17 later) and daughter of the famous Macchli. We parked ourselves in a vantage spot and then I started cursing myself. Damn! I did not put my 500mm lens and D300 with the cropped Censor which would have made it 750mm and my beanbag which I had filled with rice behind in my room! Lost a chance to take some awesome images.

By now a few more teams of not-so-serious tourists had arrived and the noise levels had started going up, disturbing T19. The tiger soon got up and left triggering off a furious rush by a large number of Gypsies chasing . We were slow in reacting or catching up. Our slow start turned out to be a blessing in disguise. T19 was a bit overwhelmed by the long stream of cars and she entered the Chhatri by the roadside near the gate. The caravan rushed past and she emerged into the road a few yards from us, looking us in the eye. We backed off and she kept walking towards us. What an awesome sight! I shot most of the images at 80mm to 100mm only. Still managing to fill the frame! By then the chasers turned around and another mad rush and two newcomers behind us. The poor tiger had no option but to beat a hasty retreat!

 

Two safaris on 15th drew a blank. The only time when I took out the camera on 15th was to click this pair of Indian Scops Owls.

  

The T 17 Story

I have a special attachment to T17. Though I had seen T16 Machhli and a few male tigers from Ranthambhore earlier, it was T17 who posed for me and gave me good photographs first. I had been following her activities and saw her in Jogi Mahal closer than I now saw T19. The forest Staff who were suspecting her to be pregnant also were at Jogi Mahal and they had borrowed my binoculars to ascertain that she is indeed pregnant. After Machhli became old, T17 had become the most prominent female tiger of the Raj Bagh Lake and nearby area. She was graceful and bold. There was a time when she passed so close that my friend Anand Arya could not take a shot because it was closer than the minimum focus distance! Nalla Muthu’s Tiger Dynasty celebrates, among others, the majesty of T 17.

I had been informed that T17 was badly injured in a fight with a male tiger T 28 over a kill in late December2012. At that time authorities should have tranquillized her and treated her. Also, her radio collar had stopped working and it needed replacement. Neither of which was done by the Wildlife Authorities. Then about 9 weeks ago sighting of T17 ceased. Searches if any were perfunctory and till date officially no one knows what happened to her. Two theories are popular among wildlifers. One is, and the official view tends to toe this line, she succumbed to her injuries in some unknown secret cave or hide and soon the body decayed or was eaten by scavengers. The other is that being injured, she could not hunt naturally and she took to preying on domestic cattle and the villagers killed her and buried her. The names of certain village and some prominent persons are going the round in this regard. A third, less popular theory is that she fell victim to poachers. She was injured and in any case she had always been bold and confiding by nature. Whatever the truth, Wildlife Authorities and Park Administration cannot absolve themselves of the responsibility of the tragic loss. Read it against the background of the loss in March of another equally magnificent female tiger T37. My salute to T17! 

After three failed safaris, we were desperate for a break. We prayed to every deity for help. Help came in the form of a professional film maker who told us that T3 was sighted near the watering hole towards the end of Zone 2. Off we went at break neck speed taxing our tired bones and joints. Though the magnificent male tiger was not sighted at the suggested spot, we finally found him having his siesta under a bush near one of the cemented water holes not too far. Patiently waited for His Majesty to wake up. We finished off the two 1lt bottles of lemonade we were carrying and the last bottle of by-now-hot water had to be rationed. What a reward for waiting.

I feel I should give out some Gyan about Tiger-spotting at this stage. Hope future visitors find it useful.

Gyan on RTR and Tiger-shooting
Tigers are much easier to spot and photograph during the peak summer, closer to the Park closing dates, the better. The flip side is, be prepared to face 48 degree sun in an open Gypsy.
Summer heat can be made less harsh by taking a few precautions.
1. Take a gamcha or thin towel preferably not white. In fact buy several before you leave. The more earthy the colour the better. Wrap it around your face and neck to protect from harsh sunlight. Another advantage of wrapping your face including the nose is that the moisture from your breath saves your lips and skin getting dry and parched.
2. Use long sleeved shirt made of thin material. Short sleeved T shirts, etc exposes your hands which get sun burnt and dry. You lose more water also.
3. Make sure you have a wide-brimmed hat with a chin strap.
4. Use the highest SPF sun block on exposed parts.
5. Drink a lot of water. Before, during and after the trip.
6. Get hold of an ice box. Carry from home, beg, borrow steal or snatch. This one item is going to make all the difference in a Summer safari in RTR!
7. The best drink out there on a safari is lemonade with sugar and salt. If your resort doesn’t provide, buy lemons from the market and make it yourself. Carry with you.
8. Carry ORS with you. Several packets. Especially if your children are also braving the safaris.
9. Go easy on alcohol in the evenings. It dehydrates you.
10. Eat a lot of salads, especially Khira, Kakri and raw onions. Green Chilies are also good to prevent heat stroke.
11. Keep one gamcha wet and put it in the fridge before you leave for safari. The pleasure of wiping your face and head with the cold towel on return in incomparable!
12. There is no need to wear a hiking boots or costly footwear on a safari. You are not allowed to get out. Even a sandal would do if you are comfortable with it. I take a light sports shoe with terry towel socks.
Most drivers and guides feel bad if they are not able to show you a tiger. No need to push them further. It frustrates them. I had a very bad companion once who after the first unsuccessful safari harassed the driver and guise so much, they got paranoid and drove like mad people from one place to another. The most tiring safari in my life.
Please tell the guide and driver in advance if you are a serious photographer. They are mostly used to people who just want to have a look at a tiger. If they know you are serious, then they will go the extra mile to get you a good angle and vantage point.
Switch off the AC at least an hour before starting on Safari in May
Tigers do not know the Zone demarcation. So they are likely to wander into Zones where they are not supposed to be.
Chocolates melt and mess up your pocket. Skip them! Keep some energy bars or similar QRF (Quick Refreshing Food) with you on safari.

Last Day at RTR

Having two wonderful sighting of tigers, we wanted a variety. We were told that 60 KM from Sawai Madhopur, there is a place where one can see the dens of Wolves. Recently someone had also posted the image of a female with juvenile from that area. The only place in the plains of India where I has spotted Wolf was in the Little Rann of Kutch two years ago. The sighting of the Indian Wolf near Banas River was too good a news to resist a quick trip. We had tied up with a friend who claims to know the place well and even spoken to the local contact. We were to start at 2 AM and reach the place before dawn for the sighting. Man proposes, God disposes! As it turned out, the friend did not turn up and even refused to pick up his cell phone either. The plan had to be abandoned giving us a much needed free, lazy morning.
One more safari left! Hope it is as good as the last!
In fact, it turned out to be better. We got permission to tag along with some professionals and enter restricted Zones! What more can one ask for!
We had the great pleasure of sighting three Sub-adult Tigers, all offspring of Female Tiger T30 and Male Dominant Tiger T3 whom we had spotted yesterday at the waterhole!

A

And now a few more images from the trip. Professionals at work.

Painted Sandgrouse Female

Thank God for a wonderful trip.

Jaisalmer: The Shonar Kella

Every Malayalee worth his coconut oil living in the Sixties and the Seventies of the last Century had to love three things, Communism, Satyajit Ray and beedi. If he is to be respected by his peers every Malloo boy of that period must also fall hopelessly in love at least once and more importantly write mushy love letters sprinkled with liberal helpings of Sanskrit words. Sadly, I was an exception. Though I was rather fond of Beedi and black coffee that must accompany it, Communism, Satyajit ray and love affair eluded me. But one thing of Satyajit Ray remained etched in my mind. The image of Jaisalmer and the golden fort as depicted in the Feluda series ‘Shonar Kella’. I used to dream of the romantic fort and the myriad mysteries that inhabit the narrow gullies and paras of the yellow sandstone fort built over a lofty mud hill in the middle of a desert, mush like an oasis in the Arabian Tales.

So, when I got half a chance to visit Jaisalmer accompanying a friend who was to spend a few days there on business, I jumped at it. The possibility of visiting the Desert National Park for birding and a visit to the famed sand dunes of Sam and Khuri were added attractions. Tickets were booked online on the Delhi-Jaisalmer Express, 13th Ex Delhi and 17th return. Packing the big baby, my Nikkor 500 m f/4 itself was not a challenge as the Lowepro bag designed for such mammoth lenses came very useful. But the Big Baby meant packing the Wimberley Gimbal Head and the huge Manfrotto tripod. The second body, D70 was also packed as I wanted to avoid changing lenses the least number of times in the desert.

The less said of the train journey, the better. Despite all claims by successive Rail Ministers of dubious antecedents, Delhi Jn. ( Old Delhi for the Janta) Railway Station ranks among the dirties and the most congested in the country and possibly in the whole world. The need to pass all the luggage through visibly dysfunctional screening machines lying unattended even by the untrained and disinterested security staff, put addition demands on your time and energies. With a prayer of thanks to the Almighty who keeps the Railways relatively free of terrorist incidents despite our best efforts to invite them, I boarded the train with Sanjay. We were allotted a most curious pair of berths. In most trains which do not attract many rich passengers, there is a practice of having a compartment half AC First and the other half AC 2 tire. This is called the HA Compartment just like AC 2 tire is designated A and AC 3 tire, B etc. Our berths were 19 and 20. We were soon to discover that these seats are indeed unique. While dividing the compartment into the First and second class, the sword fell in front of the 19-20 half of the cubicle that would also have had 21-22 if the bogey was not bifurcated. As a result, we had many visitors walking in, in the process of unbuttoning their trousers or preparing to spit out of the non existant door. Nice way to spend 17 hours; don’t you think so?

Whether it is the Rajasthani nature of not eating once out of home till he returns of it was the apathy of the Railway authorities, no food whatsoever is served or offered at any time during the journey. Not only that, the locations of any place where such contraband substances as meals, pakoras, tea, etc. if at all available is kept as a State secret, not to be divulged to unauthorized persons. This is part of the oath of office administered to Railway Employees in this sector.
Luckily Susan had packed Parathas and Potato subji for dinner and we thankfully partook of it and thanks her and God for such small mercies. After a high level, no-holds-barred operation, Sanjay discovered hot pakoras and spurious coconut cookie biscuits at a whole in the wall at Pokran around 10 am and despite our fears of radiation, the items were gingerly consumed.

By sheer coincidence, we were allotted the same seats on our return. The journey was similar, but in reverse order and with a difference that on conditions of anonymity a railway employee divulged the secrets of obtaining half-cooked rotis and watery dal at Jodhpur around 11:30 at night. The food was secretly consumed cautiously and gratefully.

If I say the Jaisalmer Fort impressed me, it would be a gross understatement. In any case I am a sucker for beautiful architecture. Despite the fact that I studied in Agra and used to perform the obligatory weekly visit to the Taj and in spite of the hundreds of times I have seen the Taj thereafter, even today when I approach the Taj Mahal, my lips tremble in anticipation and my hear misses a beat when I see the eternal beauty through the massive gates as I enter the Garden of Eden as the compound has been referred to in the inscriptions on the gate. While the Taj Mahal has been built to spring upon you the surprise of its sudden revelation by hiding it from view by the massive walls, Jaisalmer Fort is flaunted in all its glory atop the Trikuta hills reflecting the sun’s rays in golden splendor. You see it from any part of the city, from the desert as you approach from Barmer or from the sand dunes of Sam or Khuri, like a golden tiara adorning the holy hill reputed to have been blessed by Lord Krishna and Arjun.

The fort has just one entrance and one has to pass through four layers of gated security before one reaches the central courtyard in front of the palace. On your way up the Gopa Chowk, the Akhai, Hawa and Ganesh Gates, one already notices that parts of the ramparts at the very entrances are part shops and part private residences, mostly of the shopkeepers themselves. The mandatory German Bakery at the entrance gives you the clue that like Old Manali Village, the Fort too is a place of culinary adventure. The whole place is littered with restaurants offering Italian, French, Greek, Korean and Japanese food with price tags to match.

Unlike any other forts I have seen till date, the Jaisalmer Fort is fully inhabited. Even the Royal family lived in the Raj Mahal palace within the premises of the fort till a generation back. The fort itself is the second oldest in Rajasthan and was set up by Rao Jaisal the Bhati Rajput ruler of Tanot in 1156. The location of the fort is atop a triangular hill formation of mud known as Trikut, believed to have been the location of the divine well created by Lord Krishna for Arjun with his Sudarshan Chakra. Over the years, the fort got renovated and its security reinforced by building several layers of walls and gates. One wise strategy was to allot bhurjs or ramparts on all sides to his trusted lieutenants, who were expected to ensure the protection of the side. Different locations within the fort were allotted to people of different calling associated with the Palace and the Governance of the country. Thus we have Purohits, scholars from the Vyas Brahmin community and pujaris living in neighbouring ‘para’s while the Bhati Rajputs ensuring the security and Huzuris ( courtiers) occupying neighbouring localities. Other tradesmen like masons, stone carvers, sweepers, barbers, etc. too were allotted specific areas within the fort. Even till date the entire fort, except for the Royal Palace, every area is under occupation of the descendants of the original allottees. As families grew, some sons moved out but the ancestral homes passed on to other children who is zealously proclaim their umbilical attachment to the quila. As tourism grew, most of the households started accepting paying guests and many opened their orthodox homes to non vegetarian foreigners disregarding their prejudices. Most of the houses on the main streets have also converted their front rooms into shops selling clothes, artifacts, junk jewllery, books, camera accessories, cigarettes and importee tissue paper. This medley of shops, hotels and restaurants gives the happy foreigner a feeling of ‘authenticity’ and a taste of Indian laid back life style; Karma Cola in earthen pot if you will!

Facad of the House of the Raj Purohit; One of the few houses not yet commercialized!

The first people to get out of the strict time tables of opening and closing of the fort gates were probably the traders whose travels did not permit adherence to the schedule. Some of the havelis and larger houses outside the walled city belong to the successful traders, among whom was the Patwa family. Originally haberdashers as their name indicates, they obviously left no form of trading or profitable business untouched. They were suppliers of clothes, opium, imported provisions, cosmetic items, gun powder and every imaginable supply needed for the city life. As one can imagine, they were importers and exporters as well as money lenders. Their wealth and the spelndour of their lives can be guessed when one visits the Patwon ki Haweli , a group of five ornate and elaborate houses built by five brothers. The other two big noteworthy houses were of former Dewans or Ministers out of whom Salam Singh is worthy of mention. Salam Singh, himself the son of a Dewan and a wise and erudite one too, who was murdered as a result of palace intrigues rose to his father’s position at a young age. He was variously described as a cruel psychopath, clever administrator, intelligent diplomat and a very munificent ruler. Like Muhamad Tuglak, he too is now remembered for his cruel deeds and foolhardy decisions than for the many good thing he has done. Most notorious among his misdeeds was the persecution of the Paliwal Brahmins who were prosperous farmers and innovators.

Though there was an abundance of eateries offering world cuisine, our fear of the touristy eateries prevented us from partaking of the wares on offer. On the two occasions that we ventured to taste cups of tea in the restaurants, we found it difficult to finish the cup of brew despite the small size of the cups. Two places outside the fort are worth mentioning in this regard. The first is Chandanshree Restaurant, near Hanuman Chowk where, based on Lonely Planet review we decided to have breakfast. The Aloo Paranthas and Poorie Subzi lived up to the reputation. The service was good though a bit slow. Overall good experience. Te second place we had lunch. No travel site including Trip Advisor has reviewed this, but we found Desert Bites a delightful surprise. In fact the place was recommended by our driver when we returned from DNP late for lunch. We ordered the traditional Rajasthani Thali Veg and found it difficult to finish the portion. Apart from wheat rotis, the fare had Bajra roti, Churma, dal, three different delicious subzis, chhach or Buttermilk, Karhi, etc. each rivaling the other in taste.

The mention of Jaisalmer bring to your mind the Shonar Kella and the images of vast sand dune fields and Kalbelia dancers in Sam and Khuri. So off to Sam we went in the early morning to catch the sunrise. The 40 KM drive is boring, but on arrival, we were greeted at Sam by almost completely deserted sand dunes. There was only one other tourist, a photographer who chose to avoid us. It appears the tourists like Sam in the evenings. Come sunset and the place becomes crowded by the tourists who just sit around and enjoy the sand and sun or take a short camel ride to another dune site. Liquor pays a very important part of enhancing the enjoyment of the desert, or so it seems, judging from the number or empty bottles, covers, caps, etc left behind by revelers. In fact, the whole area is littered with the debris of merrymaking, it is disgusting. Not that Sam is a great place. Once upon a time, the place would have been a area of vast stretches of dunes, but the arrival of canals and moisture resulted in more vegetation and consequent settling of the shifting sand mounts. Sam Panchayat now takes pain to remove grass and plants from a small area around the main road and maintains a semblance of sand dune desert, what my friend calls a ‘formal desert ‘ like the Republic Day Parade display. It would have been great if the Panchayat which earns well out of taxes and parking charges spare some energy every morning to clean up the dunes after the revelers.

A greater disappoint was awaiting us at the Desert National Park. We had visited the Deputy Director of the DNP in his office the previous day and had a long dialogue with Shri. Bissa, Deputy Director of the Park, an affable and humorous guy. He had kindly issued permits and requested the honorary Wildlife Warden there for transport within the Park and for breakfast and lunch for us next day. When we arrived at Sudhasi Forest Camp in the DNP next day, we found that Shri Bissa was like Shah Alam, the weakened Mughal Emperor of whom it was said “Aj Dilli to Palam, Saltanat-e-Shah Alam. Meaning, the area of influence of “Emperor “ Shah Alam extended from Delhi to Palam, barely 10 miles!. The promised Wildlife Warden, food and guide were missing at Sudhasri camp at Desert National Park. A sleepy Chowkidar was woken up, the camels reclaimed from grazing fields and the rickety Juggernaut of a camel cart was prepared for the tour of the park. Travelling in such a cart, over unbeaten tracks, with equipment like 500 mm lens and cameras is an experience that can only be experienced, not conveyed. The cart driver cum guide had limited vocabulary which fortunately included Godawan ( Bustard) and yes sir in response to any request. Small mercies indeed! What strikes one first about the DNP is the need for a huge board at the gate that Shooting is Prohibited. In no other Sanctuaries have I encountered a board like this. It was understood and abided by. The panic reaction of Chinkaras to the camel cart and its inhabitants is a clear indication of human initiated predation inside the Park. Birds too were very scared of the camel cart. One wonders if the idea of a camel cart for safari makes sense at all.

Cinereous Vulture on perch

Distant, though clear view of the Great Indian Bustard

Despite the best efforts of the Wildlife Warden, we were lucky to have good sighting of Cenereous Vulture, Lesser Krestel, White Eyed Buzzard, Egyptian Vulture, Sand grouses, Wheatears, Chinkaras, Nilgais, Fox, not to mention the Great Indian Bustard. Outside the Park we sighted a female Pallid Harrier, several Kestrels, Common Buzzards, Egyptian Vultures and what appeared to be an Indian Spotted Eagle. By the time we were through, it was 12 noon and we had to leave in search of food.

Pallid Harrier Female

We searched Khuri and could not find any lunch and were told, as in Sam, this place too comes alive only near sunset. The story of the ‘sand dunes on ventilator ‘ holds true at Khuri too, though the extend is wider and there are a few genuine ones at some distance. There are also a few well known home stays in genuine Rajasthani desert huts as in the case of Mama’s Camp.

One pleasant surprise was the impromptu visit to the Ghost Town of Jaisalmer. Though one had heard much about Ghost Towns, especially in the Wild West of the US of A, Neem Dan, driver’s mention of a Ghost Town in Jaisalmer was a surprise. The place is en route to Sam and was originally a settlement of Paliwal Brahmins. Paliwals were wise and intelligent Brahmins who had mastered the art of water conservation, dam building and canal irrigation. They prospered as wealthy agriculturalists and traders even before Rao Jaisal established Jaisalmer Fort. The community seems to have fallen out of favour with Salam Singh, the cruel Dewan of the Rawal of Jaisalmer. The Paliwals were subjected to so much of harassment and humiliation that one fine evening in 1825 AD they vacated their 83 villages and fled the clutches of the cruel ruler. The loss of Jaisalmer appears to have been the gain of the rest of India as the Paliwals prospered as land owners and traders in many parts of northern India. Kuldhara, one of the villages abandoned by the Paliwals have been restored to some extend by the efforts of a few sensible officials. The village temple and a few houses have been restored almost completely to give an idea to the visitor how houses would have looked at the time they were abandoned. The village is well planned with wide roads, separate quarters for different castes and proper drainage system. Check dams were built at slopes to trap rain water which was used for irrigation and recharging the wells. Stepwells were sunk near these tanks so that there is perennial water supply.

The Ruins of Kuldhara

Restored Building

The design of the houses are also very traditional and convenient. The centre of all activity was the central courtyard into which opened the kitchen living room granaries and the front entrance. Places for livestock and parking of carts were also provided in houses of wealthier villages. It is a pity not much is known of this place outside Rajasthan and better restoration is called for.

We bid farewell to the Golden Desert and its mysterious golden fort and the Desert the next day. Throughout the boring, train journey with its long wait for food that disappoints as a rule, one kept thinking of the lost villages of the Paliwals, their agricultural practices, avarice of Dewans, ill maintained National heritages and Satyajit Ray

Ranthambhore in Hot May

When I’ve not travelled for more than two months I start feeling the itch; the urge to pack my bags and leave on a fresh trip. Of course, my preferred destinations are exotic and far away, the preferred transportation a caravan a la SRK. My favored companion would be someone like Nigella and the duration a month or so. Alas! If wishes were horses… I have learned to settle for more modest goals.

So when I found a free weekend and two like-minded friends also in a mood to travel, we planned our trip to Ranthambhore National Park. Many were shocked by the choice of destination at the time of the year by the three senior citizens, Anand, Wingco Sethi and yours truly, to spend their hard earned money and well deserved weekend break. But birders and wildlife enthusiasts derive masochistic pleasure by putting themselves through unimaginable physical hardships to satisfy their urge to observe / photograph their preferred subjects.

Moreover, Peak summer, by conventional wisdom, is the right time to spot tigers in the arid Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. Most of the smaller, seasonal sources of water dry up, forcing prey and predator to visit the few remaining watering holes. Another consideration was that only the valiant diehards would brave the heat of Rajasthan desert in a year arguably the hottest in a long, long time, resulting in lesser crowding.

We boarded the August Kranti Rajadhani from Nizamuddin at 4:55 and had a comfortable journey till Sawai Madhopur. By eleven at night, we had had our spirits lifted by some matured malt and tummies filled with home cooked parathas and subzi Sharada (Mrs. Anand Arya) had so thoughtfully packed for the journey. These and the need to get up at 4:30 to be ready by 5:15 AM next morning helped us hit the sack early and get some restful sleep.

As promised, 5:15 sharp, Salim Ali our guide for the two days and the open gypsy landed up at our place and we went off for the first safari. Salim is certainly the most famous and arguably the most knowledgeable guide in Ranthambhore (On Facebook too!). He has been closely associated with several BBC productions and other projects. Our four safaris in his company showed that his reputation was well earned.

Anand, a very seasoned and experienced birder and bird photographer of repute had photographed almost everything, except a tiger! He was, justifiably obsessed with his first sighting. Tigers and lady luck, have their own logic and time schedule. They decide when to oblige you. There is nothing you can do about it. That simple.

So despite the desperate requests and prodding by Anand supported by Wingco and some desperate running around the Park at break back speed over treacherous terrains, the first Safari yielded no tigers. However, as we were all interested in birds and other mammals also, good sightings of Hanuman Langurs, Spotted Deer, Sambhar, Black-tailed Mongoose, Monitor lizards, Wild Boars and Nilgais delighted us and we clicked away like crazy. Luckily, Anand had carried two self designed beanbags and I too had a smaller one. These came handy for shooting from the open Gypsy. Of course, Anand and Wingco had the advantage of Image Stabilized lenses, which poor man like me could not afford.

At no time is breakfast more welcome than after a tiring safari. But before you partook of the much needed meal, the code of conduct of photographers demands that you clean up your equipment, changed cards, download the images and have a bath. I certainly lost count of the number of parathas I ate. There is nothing else to do but to catch up some lost sleep.

I have a vague impression that we had lunch in half sleep. The only thing I clearly remember is the lovely Rajasthani Karhi! So thin and flavoured with fried fenugreek.

3:15 and Salim is waiting with the Jeep for Safari #2. By this time, the pressure to show us our first tiger was mounting on Salim and the driver. In a desperate bid, they took us almost on a non-stop breakneck drive over what passes for jungle tracks all over the Park.

We were all keen to achieve what Wingco termed as our “Lakshya # 1”, sighting of tiger. Bets of beer and cash were wagered. Prayers and bribes to Gods were offered. Heaven helps those who help themselves. We finally had a view of the male tiger of the Rajbagh Lake sleeping besides the lake across from us behind the Jharokha Chhatri, a mile or so way, in fading light of 6:45 PM. But sighting is sighting! Beers were won and lost!

Safari #3. We decided to give up the wild goose chase and to head for the Rajbagh lake where the male tiger we saw yesterday and the famous Lady of the Lake, T17, the young and beautiful daughter of Machhali were reported to be last seen.

Seeing fresh pug marks of T17 leading away from Jodi Mahal we decided to check the cement bowl waterhole at Mandook, where as per Salim’s prediction she would have gone. Short of the water source, we were distracted by very good sighting of painted sandgrouse and we started photographing it. That was when Salim noticed fresh pugmarks coming from the watering hole. The marks also were accompanied by dripping water indicating that T17 had just before we reached, sat in the water and was on her territorial round, leading to Malik Talab.

We quickly started following the pugmakrs. Took one turn about a Kilometer from where we started and lo and behold! The Lady of the lake, walking ahead of us along the track. Once or twice she stopped watching something to the left and suddenly a sambar from the left gave alarm call and the graceful princess decided to turn right and go down into the Nallah, away from sight! We were crestfallen and disappointed. Not Salim. He seemed to be sure about the route she is going to take judging by the alarm calls of animals and we went along his hunch and proceeded to Malik Talab.

Many other gypseys were also waiting expecting T17 or her uncollared brother T19 who was reportedly sighted fleetingly nearby to turn up. We used the time to photograph bird near the talab. A surprise was a yellow Bittern who gave us clear views from a dried tree stump. After a while one by one the vehicles started leaving but we decided to sit and wait till the end of the safari time. Patience pays! Just as we were nearing the end of the time, we spotted T17 lying under the shadow of a clump of cactus just behind the bund. We had some good, but distant pictures before we left for breakfast.

The last safari again we decided to do Zone 3 as we expected T 17 or the male to show up near Rajbagh. And how right we were. Just as we entered the park, we found her sleeping under a chhatri near the gate. While other crowded the scene, we decide to do a round of the lake and wait on the route she is certain to take after her siesta. She did not disappoint us. What a sight to watch the majestic beast stride down the road from the Chhatri towards the lake. At least 8 vehicles full of tourists and photographers clicking away and she passing between the jeeps with not a care in the world. It is like a

Bollywood heroine or celebrity, knowing fully well that thousands are looking at her and photographing her, walking as if she has not noticed the crowds! For a good 15 minutes she kept walking , observing a group of sambhar deers and stopping occasionally allowing us to photograph her.

Finally she decided to charge at the sambhars but a cheetal gave her presence away by an alarm call and the queen vanished into the grass. And the tamasha ended. One by one all Gypsies left. We decided to check up the Jharikha from the other side. We were rewarded by the sight of the Princess walking back along the rocky outcrop towards the grass in which she will lie for a while. We bid her good bye and drove to the lodge.