Parvati Valley - snow clad mountains and smoke

The Parvati Valley
Is one of the lesser known valleys near Kullu, however at the beginning there are prominent places like the hot water springs at Manikaran and Kasol, a smoky destination for the Great Indian Tourist.  The areas served by a road are perpetually full of tourists seeking easy reach and harder stuff.  On the other hand the places where one has to walk to are beautifully calm and isolated. 

A sketch of the Valley
A schematic sketch shows the Burshaini bowl, the road goes upto Tosh whereas the other villages are on foot tracks. If one wants solitude, then walk...  There is a large dam being constructed across the Parvati river at Burshaini, I wonder how this will affect the ecology when this is completed. 

Khalga under snow
I found just the village - Khalga which was off the beaten track. Early March offers a very different experience, it had snowed a day prior to my arrival and a carpet of white covered everything. It was cold, most often bitterly so, and some of the treks I did were in knee deep snow or ice. The head of the Parvati Valley is in a bowl surrounded by snow capped mountains. The bowl has Burshaini and Tosh, both served by roads; and Khalga, Pulga and Tulga, three villages on the mountainside are reached walking.

Every house a homestay or 'guest house'
This seems one of the main sources of income for local people.  In anticipation of the impending season, hectic work was on to clean, refresh or add a room or two to each home stay. The whine of power tools often pierced the tranquillity. A homestay can be a single room with a toilet outside in the snow, toilet down the corridor or an en suite toilet.  The rates for each varied as per the location and conveniences offered.  In the smaller places, like Khalga where I was staying expect to pay about Rs 500 for a very comfortable room and a toilet down the corridor. Homestay owners can get friendly and offer services far beyond what one pays for, and at many locations I saw long term associations where guests kept coming back year after year.

Fickle weather and Fresh Snow
It had snowed heavily just before I arrived and on the drive up the hillside was covered in snow. The weather was as fickle as the people were friendly. Of the six days I was there it rained or snowed on three. Generally the pattern was clear, bright, sunny mornings and wet evenings. The clouds would rise by mid afternoon and rain/snow by evening.

 

Cafes Everywhere
The season heralds a flurry of activity in preparing cafes, every trail, be it snow bound or the back of beyond, has a cafe. these are ubiquitous huts of wooden skeletons covered in brilliantly covered plastic; these served the mountain cafe staple of 'magi noodles', omelettes, chips and chai. A menu I have seen almost wherever I have trekked in the mountains. The food here and in homestays is basic but very tasty. In my homestay I made a deal with the host to provide me local food for lunch and dinner.  The menu usually was rajma-chawal, puri-sabji, dal-chappati, with egg bhurji thrown in sometimes to add flavour. Here we see a husband and wife carrying chairs and mattresses to their cafe and the Sun Flower cafe at the start of the Kheerganga climb. Many cafes offer more than food and drink.

Walking in the snow
In the mountains it is wise to spend the first day just getting used to the altitude, walking in the snow and braving the cold. It may not be high altitude, but from sea level (Mumbai) to 3000m in about 24 hours needs reasonable precautions. It had snowed heavily the day before my arrival, and the landscape was shrouded in snow.  The sun is far sharper at this altitude and the reflection from the snow adds to this. I took a guide who knew where to go and the alignment of paths; sometimes ponds and streams are covered in snow and the unwary hiker can end up having a swim at -5°C. 

Icicles on the rocks
It was cold in March, early morning temperature dipping to -5°C or colder.   Each morning when I went out for a walk, the frost would crunch underfoot and the puddles were frozen over. It is important to dress in layers as per dictates of the weather, on any given day I would start out bundled in my warmest wear, gradually removing layer by layer till I was in a single warm T-shirt at midday.  As evening approached I would be in rain gear and clad in my warmest again. The icicles on the way made interesting patterns on the rocks.

Track to the Waterfall
...and on to Kheerganga. There are two routes to Kheerganga, one Khalga-Waterfall-Cafe and Kheerganga and the other Dam-Nagthan village-Rudra Nag Temple-Bridge and on to Kheerganga. I did  not go to Kheerganga as due to the fresh snow and ice, the route was very slippery and I feel, dangerous. So I walked to cafe by one route and returned by another, a hike of about 12 km. The route to the waterfall was snow and ice covered, and the waterfall was frozen, with beautiful icicles suspended from the rocks around. 

Waterfall at Rudra Nag Temple.
I took the Rudra Nag- Nagthan way back from Cafe.  From the cafe the path drops down steeply to the bridge on the Parvati river, a slippery and icy track and shortly thereafter is the Rudra Nag temple with a gushing waterfall nearby. This side of the valley has much less snow and ice, probably due to the increased exposure to the sun.  This is also possibly the reason that it has more population. 

Children playing at a bonfire at Nagthan
This is a large village on my route back, this route has more ascent and descent than the route out. I had to descend twice to the river and climb up again.  Whereas the route from Khalga was more or less along the same height and more scenic. 

Lady soaking in the sun at Nagthan
as soon as the sun went low, it became cold and everywhere I saw people soaking in the warmth of the last few rays. Nagthan too had its share of homestays, most very basic. If one is to go to Kheerganga it might make sense to stay here the first night.

Mountains around Tosh

Tosh is served by a road and much more on the beaten track. It is a popular weekend destination for young kids from Delhi and Chandigarh, hence it is more touristy, more expensive and does not have much solitude. Booming trance music and smoke emanate from most homestays. It is also the start for the four or five hour Kutla trek, I am told that the high altitude Kutla meadows are tranquil and beautiful, alas I got to know too late and did not go.

Main street Tosh
the melting snow made most paths slushy and wet, particularly if a herd of sheep or cattle had used it. There was mud everywhere and sometimes ankle deep. The village paths everywhere were veritable streams and it was important to have water resistant boots  and carry a spare set of socks all the time.

Snow, solitude and bare trees
March in the Valley is beautiful, the Great indian Tourist is yet to descend in hordes, there is a lovely biting nip in the air, there is solitude to be found off the beaten track and the people are not so busy yet and have the time to be friendly.  Bare plum, apricot and apple trees strech their arms out to snow covered mountains over which huge Griffon and Golden eagles soar effortlessly.  

Airoli Creek

The Skyline on the banks of Airoli Creek
Located in the suburbs of Mumbai, Airoli Creek is a wide tidal creek, flanked by mangroves teeming with life, but the concrete march threatens to annihilate the mangroves and with them all that is attracted to these mangroves. 

 

Sunrise at Bhandup Pumping Station
BPS is a perennial waterbody surrounded by scrub, bushes and mangroves, thus one sees a wide variety of birds. There is a small waterway that leads from here to the main Airoli Creek which is flanked by mangroves.

An inquisitive cormorant
There are waterbirds and scrubland birds, particularly in winter when migratory birds come in, passing through or destination. On one morning recently we saw 46 types of birds, some resident and many migratory.

A Pair of White Cheeked Bulbuls
Residents here, there are many bulbuls around BPS.  The marshes around are always wet, being tidally fed and a walk through them is messy and difficult but always interesting. The high humidity here is evident in the water droplets on the plants all the time.

Flamingos of Airoli Creek
A destination for flamingos for long, Airoli Creek has many flocks, each in their hundreds. These huge and lovely birds feed on the rich nutrients in the soft mud of the tidal creek. When disturbed they get airborne, initially ungainly as they have to literally "walk on water" to get their huge bodies up into the air..... 

...But once in the air
they are graceful, perfectly aerodynamic flying fast and purposefully.  I wonder how long they will keep coming to Airoli considering the concrete onslaught. Buildings have  come up to the water's edge and the mangroves are always threatened

The mangroves
survive only because naturalists raise their collective voices when the builders suggest razing the mangroves in the interests of "progress".   Though mangrove is a collective term, there are many species of plants that constitute the dense marshy forest and a study of these is interesting in itself

A black headed Ibis
offers a silhouette on the little creek leading from BPS to Airoli, this is a threatened species. In this waterway one sees many different types of birds, varieties of ducks, ibis and many other water birds.

Mumbai's effluence
This is the creek that leads from BPS to Airoli Creek, I wonder how long it will be before even the birds wrinkle their noses in disgust at the garbage in the water, each of those white spots in the picture above is a plastic bottle or thermocole plate. BPS has become a 'tourist' destination where each morning on weekends droves of people descend to the jetty for a boat ride to see the flamingos. These boatmen make the flamingos fly for the entertainment of their passengers, these lovely birds are disturbed from their feeding every few minutes. It will be little wonder if they stop coming.

Idyllic waterway
It is not too late, never too late, we need to get our act together to preserve this little corner of Eden.  It doesn't take much, some regulation to prevent boatmen and tourists from constantly disturbing birds, control garbage and save the mangroves. Mumbai needs its lungs and this is one of them.

The Colours of Kutch

The vibrant colours of Kutch
A land of colours, craftspeople, history, birds, wildlife and unspoilt scenery. A visit to Kutch enables one to see this and much more, there is something for everyone. The people dress colourfully, and decorate colourfully, thus the craftspeople are skilled and the work everywhere is fine. The course work of cheap commercialism is not yet widespread, but beginning to. This area has, arguably, one of the largest migratory bird populations in the country, this was evident on our trip. The old buildings are redolent in history, but alas like most ancient monuments in the country, it is heartbreaking to see magnificent structures decaying from lack of concern.

Epicentre at Lodhai Village.
This is a wonderful homestay run by Bharat Kapdi, located near a lake at one end of the Banni Grasslands, it has a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. Named after the devastating earthquake of 2001, one can still see the ravages in the buildings here and elsewhere in the area. Bharat is a great spotter and took us to see many sights both birds and historical.

Spotted Sandgrouse
Bharat took us to see the spotted sandgrouse, a bird seen in India after about 19 years, a beautifully marked bird it is a sight to behold. Bharat's birding knowledge is recent, but the diligence he shows in gathering his knowledge is truly praiseworthy. An absolute master of his area, he knows exactly where to look for what.

Shrujan Museum
This museum is a repository of the exquisite weaving techniques and clothing styles of the nine major clans of the region. The weaves are distinct, intricate, colourful and well documented. Most of the original patterns are breathtaking in their detail. Beautifully built and efficiently run, the museum is a must visit. 

Jaan Mohammed the bell maker
Craft is in the blood of these people, deft with their hands they fashion various artifacts.  These bells are entirely made by hand, so much so that the three pieces that constitute a bell are fused by hammer taps, there is no welding or soldering. He and his family now export bells to the US, giving him new found financial freedom. Their work is so neat and precise besides they do the tuning entirely by ear, so much so that the bells are a joy to behold and to hear.

Vastness and serenity
The White Rann is but a part of the Great Rann of Kutch, it's vastness is awe-inspiring, so much so that a thousand tourists in a bespoke tourist tower are but a speck in an ocean of white. Salt crystals and water constitute the White Rann, no photograph can do justice to the vast white expanse.  Woe betide the unwary who could sink deep in the slush of salt and water if they are not careful.

Sunset at the White Rann
Children run in the Rann (pardon the pun!) to gain a position of advantage to watch the sunset over the sea of salt.  The crystals are visible, but the water oozing through is not. The Rann Festival is located nearby and it draws tourists from India and abroad. This has resulted in a burgeoning tourist industry of hospitality, shops, camel and horse rides.  The pressure of tourists is already telling on the fragile ecology of the place.

That supercilious knowing look
he knows something that we don't so he peers down at me.  Camels are ubiquitous in this almost desert land, at tourist places, beasts of burden and herds for wool. An entire tribe lives off the camel, drawing all their needs from their herds of camel. But they are also now used to satiate tourists in their perpetual search for the new.

Snacks
The snacks of Kutch are unique in shape and taste. What we would call snacks are served as breakfast and refreshment. Different flavours but generally savory, these bites are served every where. Delicious "farari puri" and "pakwan" are some of the delights served to us in Jaan  Mohammad's hospitality. 

At CEDO
The Centre for Environment, Desert and Ocean run by Jugal Tiwari is interesting in a multifaceted manner.  It is at another end of the Banni Grasslands. A nursery, bird houses, a vast and interesting collection of fossils all go to make up the many passions of its owner. However nothing here is more interesting than the owner, Jugal Tiwari himself. Passionate about what he does, he knows where to go and what to see.  There is a constant flow of guests, birders mainly, both from India and abroad, Jugal has something for everyone, aided ably by his son and brother in law.

Indian Courser
A beautiful bird that Jugal enabled us to see.  His expertise in where to find what is remarkable.  During our travels around CEDO we saw a very wide variety of birds, some of the more rare sightings were: the three types of sandgrouse seen here, a bi-maculate lark, Syke's nightjar, and Red tailed wheatear. 

Than Monastery - beauty of a bygone era
This monastery is now near deserted, but from the beauty of the buildings and opulence of the paintings, it doesn't take much to imagine the buildings in their past glory.  The largesse of the rich formed a large centre of religion.  Today apart from a few temples at the centre, the lovely old buildings are decrepit, occupied by cattle, bats and owls. 

Chari Dhand wetlands
Shallow and flat, these wetlands near Nakhatrana have a beautiful eco-system all their own, with scrub land birds in the dry areas and large numbers of water birds in the lake. This is a favourite destination for serious birders and tourists alike. An ancient volcanic plain, one can still see a mountain said to be a dormant volcano. A sight worth seeing and hearing is the mass movement of thousands of Common Cranes coming in to roost at sunset. Skein after skein, in graceful formation, these cranes come in to the lake.

Lakhpat Fort
The fort has a large area enclosed by its walls, inside which there religious places of Hindus, Muslims and a very revered Gurudwara of the Sikhs.  This fort is along a vast flood plain, with a river leading to the sea.  In the old days this was probably from where trade and access to ports was controlled. 

Flamingos at Mandvi
Mandvi has pristine beaches with a shallow gradient, hence the tide goes out quite a distance.  Fishing boats come in at high tide and are intentionally beached for maintenance, refit and preparation for the next fishing trip. Amongst these boats one sees many Greater Flamingos, gulls, terns and other water birds. At Mandvi creek we saw a great flock of different types of gulls, presumably being fed by someone.  

Sea Captain, ship modeler, raconteur
Shiv Fofindi's family have long been associated with the sea, sailors, fishermen, boat builders and now ship modeler. He has many interesting tales to tell, from his time at sea to his trips to Kailash Mansarover in Tibet and many places between. Here he runs a ship modelling workshop where he trains young people in this intricate and esoteric art of fine detail.

Vijay Vilas Palace at Mandvi
with sprawling grounds and the hint of landscaping, the grandeur of the Maharajas of Kutch is apparent in the now rather decrepit Vijay Vilas  summer palace. It has very fine inlay work, many interesting historical photographs and spectacular views of the area from the roof.  The walls are in decent condition, but the interiors, like many of our palaces, is not in good repair.

Colourful Rocks at the Laiyari River
The Laiyari River bed has some of the most colourful and beautifully shaped rocks I have seen. From bright yellows to deep purple and shades in between, the shapes also lend themselves to flights of imagination.  Please see more of my photographs on Flickr of this lovely place here: The palette of the Laiyari River

Swaminarayan Temple at Bhuj
A gigantic edifice in stark white marble reflecting the midday sun, The temple appears to be an oasis of efficiency.  There are large turrets, columns, intricate work, wide verandahs, accommodation and car parks in this huge area.  The intricate carving is a joy to see as much as is the sheer size of the place.

Pragmahal in Bhuj
Made in the Italian Gothic style of sandstone and marble, the Pragmahal is one of the three palaces clustered in the centre of Bhuj belonging to the erstwhile Maharajas of Kutch. The Pragmahal is said to be the precursor of much of Mumbai's Gothic building style.  The other two palaces, the Aina Mahal and the Old palace are clustered here too.  , These palaces are sad relics  of the bygone grandeur of the Maharajas, priceless artifacts have either been stolen or dumped without maintenance. 

The Agiary
Bhuj once had a very large Parsi Zoroastrian population, but time and opportunity elsewhere have whittled the Parsi population down to a single family.  The Agiary is no longer a functioning one, but the family tries to generate funds and maintain the Agiary.
To me Bhuj is a land of colour, there is colour everywhere, in nature and in the people. The birds, trees and rocks are colourful; the people have developed colourful weaving styles and colourful clothes.  It refreshingly has relatively fewer tourists, but The Great Indian Tourist is getting there and signs of his depredations are visible now.  Enjoy this land of colour before it is whitewashed to conform to the needs of tourism.

Karnala - Thumbs Up to the Nature World

Beacon to nature lovers and trekkers far and wide.
Located just off the National Highway Mumbai-Goa, the central basalt rock pillar of Karnala Fort, often referred to as 'Pandu's Tower', is visible from great distances. I saw it close while up in the air flying by in a helicopter, picture here. It was then I decided to climb the fort.

An encouraging 'Thumbs Up' 
Generally built on two levels, the landmark pillar is at the higher level of the fort which is at a strategic location guarding the Bor Pass.  It has changed hands many times and Marathas, Portuguese and the British have all in turn held this important fort. Today it is far more peaceful, beckoning birders, walkers and picknickers from afar.  There are two distinct aspects to Karnala, a climb to the fort itself and nature trails in the forests around.

The Climb
The trek to the fort starts at the forest office complex inside the park gates. It is about an hour's moderately stiff climb for the fit, an hour and a half for couch potatoes like me. Initially it is a vertical climb along a clearly discernable but very uneven path consisting of  steep steps, roots and boulders.  The walk is through thick forest in the lower reaches, part of the bird sanctuary where one sees a variety of birds and troops of langurs and macaques. 

Along the Ridge
After climbing uphill for a while, one reaches a pass, where the path turns right along the ridge to the north of the fort. The wily builders to the fort had ensured just one approach along a narrow ridge, this ensured that the attacker could not concentrate sufficient  troops to storm the fort, making it easier to defend.

Approaching the fort
The ridge is about a kilometre long, with beautiful views on both sides. While walking towards the fort one can see the dense forest of the sanctuary on the west (right) and the Patalganga river in the distance to the east (left). The path is not in good repair and large parts are cross-country rough terrain. The vegetation to both sides of the path has been burn by the forest department to 'manage' the growth.

Calotes
This calotes tries escaping the heat of the burning vegetation.The forest department takes great 'trouble' to keep the path clear, I saw an official, supervising a gang of labour who simply burnt the grass and small vegetation on the sides of the path.  Ever wonder why there is a constant haze everywhere?  This random burning doesn't care for the little animals and insects that are killed, the large living trees that are burnt and of course the possibility of the fire spreading.

At the main level
There are walls that denote structures of yore, but these seem more European in shape, possibly added on later by the Portuguese or British. The stories these stones could tell if they could talk!  These could be barracks for the defenders or powder magazines for the cannons.  The cannons deployed here could not have been very large as there seems to be no large path to get them up, also as is evident from the small embrasures in the walls.

An empty gate stares
Flanked by two trees, an empty gate opens out to what may have been the main approach to the citadel. There appears to be signs of a larger path below it, now unusable. Behind the gate are rock-cut cisterns.  Water was the lifeblood of these forts, and they had to have a sufficient stock of water to withstand long sieges of months or even years. These cisterns were rain fed or filled by springs.

Stairs to a lookout
These stairs go to a lookout at one end of the fort, there is a steep unguarded drop on either side. Most forts such as these based their defences on inaccessibility, the more difficult to climb or gather large forces, the easier to defend. So often the attacker had only one recourse, the siege, these lasted months or even years. 

Karnala Bird Sanctuary
The eponymous bird sanctuary, surrounds the base of the fort. The slopes are thickly wooded, providing residence to a variety of birds, insects and mammals. An early morning walk along the trails is a rewarding one, allowing glimpses of the denizens going about their daily lives.  Beware weekends, as a little later in the day, a very destructive species of the Great Indian Picnicker strikes these cool and silent forests. Throwing thermocole plates with gay abandon and catcalling, they quickly destroy the environment and solitude of these wondrous forests.

Forest Trails
There are many trails in the forest of the sanctuary, the longest takes about an hour of slow walking. One can combine trails, switch trails midway or do them sequentially. Some trails have grasslands and most have forests astride them.  Besides the ever present macaques and langurs, one can see a variety of birds and insects depending on the season.

Sunrise
My favourite time in the forest is when the sun rises, actually the sun rises behind the fort hence becomes visible in the sanctuary to the west much later. The rays are highlighted by the smoky haze of early morning inversion.  The effect is ethereal. 

Drop of gold
The sun backlights this dewdrop, the drop is so clear that it acts as a lens, reflecting the forest behind it. As the rays peep over the fort, they slowly percolate the forest canopy, warming plants, insects and birds. The best time to photograph insects is when they are slow before being warmed by the sun.

Breakfast
This is one of the best times to see birds as well as they are busy in their early morning feed or on tops of trees soaking in the sun. Here is a green bee-eater with a tasty grasshopper morsel. Behind is a sunbird, well ... sunning itself!

Salmon Arab Butterfly
Butterflies are plentiful, and as it gets warmer, they get more active, so go early for good pictures. On my many walks here, I have seen some amazing sights real close. It is nice to see the serious effort put in by the forest department in preventing litter  I hope it is not a losing battle, as unless we discipline ourselves, we shall end up neck deep in a pile of paper plates and plastic bottles.  Worse, I have seen birds snared in plastic bags and people feeding monkeys non-monkey food.

Lemon Pansy
I recommend spend a day going up to the fort and another half day walking the trails.  each has a lot to offer.  Don't miss breakfast and lunch at the little cafe inside the park, run as a cooperative by local ladies, they offer veg and non-veg food, both delectable.  The glutton in me orders the non-veg thali accompanied by the vegetable of the day, getting the best of both worlds. Spending a day or two, specially mid-week, in and around Karnala is a true communion with nature.