MyMusingsSangSpeak - Pet Puja - Sabudana Kheer, Sago Pearls Porridge

 

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Pet Puja - Sabudana Kheer, Sago Pearls Porridge

Sabudana Kheer, Sago Pearl Porridge

Sabudana Kheer is a humble  Indian dessert of Maharashtrian households made especially on days of fasting (Upvaas). It is very easy to make dish with most minimal ingredients. It is also made when one is recovering from a tummy upset as it is easy to digest and nutritious (resistant starch, gluten free, good source of zinc)at the same time.

Earlier, the milk was never reduced and condensed to make this kheer. I reduce the milk to make this dessert slightly richer in taste.

Ingredients

Sabudana (Sago Pearls) -125 gms

Milk - 2 litres

Sugar - 1 large cup

Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Saffron -25-30 strands

Water- Approx 1 cup

Method

Wash sabudana well and soak for minimum 3-4 hours. Heat milk and allow to boil on simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add soaked sabudana and allow to cook for further 15-20 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally so that sabudana does not stick at the bottom of the pan. Add sugar and saffron strands and cook for further 10 minutes. Take off the heat and add cardamom powder. Allow to cool and serve chilled.

Note - Cooking time is about 45-50 minutes and this quantity suffices about 7-8 persons.

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Pet Puja -Aleeva/Haleev/Halim/Garden Cress Seeds Kheer/ Porridge

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Pet Puja-Aleeva/Haleev/Halim/Garden Cress Seeds Kheer/ Porridge

Haleev (Marathi) /Garden Cress seeds are loaded with nutrition and have been used since ancient times in post delivery diet in India. They are good for lactation. They are a very good source of iron. They can be made into kheer (porridge), laddoos and can be consumed after soaking in water too.

My association with the Haleev seeds take me to my childhood when my younger brother was born. My grandmother used to prepare this yummy kheer for my mother who was admitted in hospital after her delivery and my uncle and me would carry this kheer for her. I always ate up half the quantity at the hospital.

These garden cress seeds are also grown on the small mud forts built during Diwali. They grow very fast and can be used as microgreens in salads too.

This porridge tastes good with jaggery only.

Ingredients

Haleev/Garden Cress seeds -2 tablespoons

Water -For soaking

Milk - 2 large cups

Jaggery - As per taste

Method

Soak haleev/garden cress seeds in water for about 1-2 hours. Boil the milk along with soaked haleev seeds for about 4-5 minutes. Remove from fire and allow to cool a bit. Then add jaggery as per taste and mix well. Yummy haleev kheer is ready to serve.

MyMusingsSangSpeak -Pet Puja- Batatyachi Kaachryanchi Bhaji, Aloo Subji

 

MyMusingsSangSpeak -Pet Puja- Batatyachi Kaachryanchi Bhaji, Aloo Subji

Batatyachi Kaachryanchi Bhaji

This is one classic Maharashtrian bhaji, loved by one and all. An extremely easy to make recipe and a quick one at that. It tastes good with almost anything.

Some call it Batatyache Kaap and some call it Batatyachya chaktya. We call it batatyachya kaachryanchi bhaji.

Ingredients

Potatoes -5-6 medium sized

Oil - 2-3 tablespoons

Mustard Seeds - 3/4 teaspoon

Cumin Seeds - 3/4 teaspoon

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - To taste

Red chilly Powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon

Method

Remove the potato skins and slice the skinned potatoes finely. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. Once these splutter well, add the sliced potatoes along with turmeric and salt and give a good stir. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for 5-6 minutes on simmer mode. Remove the lid and stir well, add red chilly powder and garam masala and stir well. Allow to cook on simmer for further 3-4 minutes. Yummy batatyachi kaachryanchi bhaji is ready to be served.

MyMusingsSangSpeak -Pet Puja- Gavarichi Bhaji, Guar Subji, Cluster Beans Vegetable

MyMusingsSangSpeak -Pet Puja- Gavarichi Bhaji, Guar Subji,

Cluster Beans Vegetable

Cluster Bean is a highly nutritious vegetable. It is very tasty and can be prepared in many ways. There are two types of Guar/Cluster beans available, one is the native (desi) variety and the other is hybrid. The desi/native variety is more tasty but rarely available. It is a much loved Maharashtrian dish. The seeds of Guar bean give out Guar Gum on extraction and this is a highly priced commodity in food and other commercial industries.

During our childhood, we used the inner green parts of the Guar seed as tattoos to beautify our faces. My mother associated this vegetable to her childhood days of Aamras lunches with mango puree, chapati and this simple Gavar vegetable.

The tender Guar beans can be stir fried in oil and sprinkled with little salt and consumed as a tasty snack. The beans can be made into a simple bhaji by stir frying with onions. One may add potatoes also for variation. Another way to prepare the beans is to make a curry. I am sharing a recipe using roasted groundnut powder and you are sure to like it.

Ingredients

Guar beans -250 gms

Onions - 2-3 medium sized

Oil -2-3 tablespoons

Roasted Groundnut Powder -2 tablespoons

Salt -To taste

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Mustard seeds -1/2 teaspoon

Water- Half cup

Kanda Lasun(Onion Garlic) Masala - 1 teaspoon

Fresh Coriander leaves- 4-5 sprigs

Method

Clean the beans by removing the tough stalks from both ends and break them into cm long pieces. Slice the onions lengthwise. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, add onions and stir fry till slightly brown. Add the Guar beans along with turmeric and salt. Stir well, add half a cup of water and cover. Allow to cook for about 7-10 minutes.

Add kanda lasun masala and stir. Add roasted groundnut powder and stir well. Finally add coriander leaves and serve. Enjoy the Guar bhaji as accompaniment with roti/chapati or daal rice.

Note - Preparation and cooking time is about half hour and this quantity will suffice 3-4 persons.

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Life -Lakhan ki Kahani-Bandhan ka Rishta

Lakhan ki Kahani-Bandhan ka Rishta

We were on a trip to Jodhpur to celebrate the golden jubilee of our unit and it was December 2019, just when the pandemic began. Attending this event gave us a chance to make a quick touristy trip to Jaisalmer, Jaipur and Ranthambhore. We took a road trip from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer and as we passed the iconic Pokharan city, I remembered how we had missed this posting by a hair's breadth.

This area of Rajasthan has a charm and beauty of its own with the desert expanses spanning across left and right up to the horizon literally. We reached Jaisalmer by afternoon and settled in our guest room comfortably.

My daughter loves to plan out our trips and she had booked a taxi for us for next 3 days in Jaisalmer. The next morning, we got ready in a hurry scurry as the taxi arrived and our driver was a short, dark, thinny minny, inconspicuous fellow named Lakhan.

My idea of travelling is to be in conversation with the driver as he is the best source to let one know about the local traditions, cuisine, areas and locations of interest and all such titbits. I have to be careful at the same time as my daughter hates this idea of getting familiar with driver etc. and am stopped with those stern looks, but, I go on with my "ChambharChaukashi".

On the first day, we saw the city attractions and had light snack for lunch at a restaurant near Jaisal fort. My daughter's friend had suggested a 5 star place called Gordhan Palace for dinner for exclusive Rajasthani cuisine and we were looking forward to it.

We suggested Lakhan to take us there, but, instead he took us to a lane where all vegetarian restaurants were lined up. So, we requested him to take us to a place that served best Laal Maas and he obliged us. On the way, he told us that he felt we were vegetarians. We had our fill of Laal Maas and other Rajasthani goodies and on our way back, Lakhan told us that he was a vegetarian. Then, he opened up by telling us that he was a vegetarian despite being a Muslim. Now, the talk got interesting and I asked him why is his name Lakhan? He told the story of his father and his father's Bramhin friend who had tied each other a Bandhan, a friendship band and hence, they were in a Bandhan ka Rishta. His father had promised the Brahmin friend that he will turn vegetarian and he was named Lakhan by his father's Brahmin friend. Bandhan ka Rishta indeed!

Lakhan seemed worked up as his daughter in law was about to deliver.

Next day was a day trip to Tanot Mata Mandir and Longewala Border. Lakhan had arrived on time to take us and we all were in upbeat mood. As we got out of the city, we witnessed huge locust swarms and Lakhan told us how these travel across the border and devour all the agricultural produce. He showed us how the farmers deal with the locusts by banging metal plates and spoons and also by creating smoke screens.

On the way, Lakhan was telling us many stories associated with Jaisalmer and desert life in particular. He told us about the opium trade during the olden days and how it was legalised back then. He also gave his opinion of how opium is better bet than liqour.

He kept on about the difficulties of life in desert and how one gets lost among the dunes and vast expanses of sand with no water and said that earlier if a person did not return for about 10 days or more, it was assumed that the person had lost his way and life somewhere in the desert.

He also spoke how fast the desert landscape is changing now with afforestation and how green the desert has become now.

During our journey, as were speaking Marathi, Lakhan was listening intently to our conversation and he started saying that his language had many similar words, so I enquired which language he spoke, was it Rajasthani? He said he speaks Sindhi as he is from Sindh province.

I asked him about tourists carrying the special limestone cup for setting curd from Jaisalmer, he said Madam, usme kya badi baat hai, woh bas fad hai, kya aap ghar me dahi nahi jamate aise hi, usme yahan se pathar kyun le jaana hai? Sorted fellow indeed this Lakhan was.

I was quite curious to know about Lakhan's family. He had two sons who were working and married. I was more interested to know if they were vegetarians too. Yes, he confirmed, all his household is vegetarian. His wife and daughters in law were informed about Bandhan ka Rishta before marriage itself. Such truthfulness, innocence and simplicity.... this is the soul of our great nation.

We generally click one picture with our driver, but, just forgot to click one with Lakhan. Even though I do not have a picture of Lakhan, his memory is vivid all owing to his Bandhan ka Rishta story.

When Lakhan came to know that we were from Pune, he was delighted to know it and exclaimed "Woh Shirdi ke paas wala Poona" and expressed his wish to visit Shirdi someday for SaiBaba darshan. I pray that his wish comes to be true someday soon........

MyMusingsSangSpeak -Pet Puja- Tips for Making Soft Chapatis (Indian flatbread)

 

Tips for Making Soft Chapatis/Roti/Indian flatbread

Chapati/Roti is Indian flatbread made of wheat and forms a major part of Indian meal. The chapati/roti is made differently in different parts of India. In some places, it is prepared as Phulka devoid of oil, whereas in some places it is made as a Paratha with oil applied in the folds before rolling out. Different areas of the country produce different varieties of wheat like the native/desi (Khapli), Sharbati, Sehore, Lokwan and many more hybrid ones too. In earlier times, people were very particular about buying good quality wheat to get good chapatis. Some people use Khapli wheat though it is costly as it is more nutritious and has high fiber content. Many people use mixture of different varieties of wheat to make wheat flour for chapatis. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides were not used much in earlier times. For good quality chapatis, people would buy wheat and get it ground fresh in the flour mill. Some joint families buy wheat in large quantities and store for yearly use, so generally the wheat is applied with some insect repellent powder. Before grinding, this wheat will be washed and then dried in sunlight.

In modern times, the women started working and this cumbersome process of buying wheat grain and getting it ground in the flour mill took a back seat. Many wheat flour producing companies started production and the readymade wheat flour made life easy for the working ladies. Some people still follow the traditional methods of making wheat flour. The traditional wheat flour can be used easily by kneading with normal water, little salt and oil and then rolling into flat rolls. The phulkas are first roasted on hot tawa and then directly on the flame and they puff up automatically, hence called phulka. For oiled chapatis, oil is applied on the roll and it is folded twice and then rolled out thinly. It is then cooked on hot tawa and oil is applied on both sides. These rotis will generally turn out to be soft.

Nowadays, as most households are using readymade flour/atta, some find that the rotis do not turn out to be really soft like in the case of traditionally home-made wheat flour. Many of my working friends needed to know tips about making soft chapatis/rotis from readymade flour. I have also been using readymade wheat flour for many years now and did some research for tips to make soft chapatis.

The readymade wheat flour needs to be kneaded with hot water along with little salt and oil. Take flour quantity as per requirement, add salt and pour hot water. Cover and knead into a smooth dough after 15- 20 minutes, add little oil to bring the dough together. Cover and leave for 25-30 minutes and then roll out rotis/chapatis. This tip of kneading with hot water helps a lot to make softer chapatis from ready-made shop bought wheat flour.

For storing chapatis, use a stainless-steel container and soft muslin cloth. Chapatis can be stored even without a cloth. Some people use casserole for storing chapatis. Chapatis will remain soft for longer periods.

 

 

MyMusingsSangSpeak - It’s My Crowning Glory- Tips for Hair Growth

 

It’s My Crowning Glory- Tips for Hair Growth

It’s our school group and all girls are worked up, all of us in our mid-fifties, worrying about our receding hair. Causes for hair loss are many like stress, worry, medical issues, hormonal imbalances, artificial hair colour and so on. There are n number of remedies available- natural, home therapy, medicines, cosmetic etc.

I am enlisting some sure shot home remedies for hair care that I have collected from my friends and family members that have worked well for them to have long, lustrous, silky hair.

Firstly, I will enlist all that one can include in one’s diet for good hair-

Good balanced nutrition is a must for good hair.

Proteins, especially milk and eggs or any other vegetarian proteins should be included in daily diet.

Amla (Indian gooseberry) is the best for hair. Keep it in your diet on daily basis as it a very good source of Vit C. You can eat it fresh or candied or in juice form.

Keep yourself well hydrated too.

Oils, especially coconut and sesame work very well for good hair. Consume 1 teaspoon of black sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon of dry coconut daily as this will ensure consumption of oil in most natural form.

Curry leaves are also beneficial for good hair, so chew on 10-12 leaves and consume them daily for good hair growth.

Cod liver oil, Vit E and Keshranjana(Ayurvedic) tablets are good for hair growth.

Seocndly, I will enlist various oils and mixtures that can be prepared at home.

Mix 100 gm of Hibiscus (Jaswand) gel with oil from 20 Vit E capsules, 1 tablespoon castor oil, 1 tablespoon almond oil, 1 tablespoon cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon coconut oil.  This mixture needs to be refrigerated lest it gets spoiled. Massage this mixture into the scalp and leave it overnight preferably. Wash it off next day with a natural, herbal shampoo. This mixture guarantees new hair growth. More Vit E oil tablets can be added to this mixture.

This mixture does smell very strong, yet, it is very effective. This is my Aunt’s recipe for hair growth.

One can prepare various oils like onion and curry leaves oil by boiling paste of 1 onion and about 5-6 sprigs of curry leaves in 150 ml of coconut oil. This process is to be done on simmer till the residue of onion and curry leaves is charred. Strain the oil and use it for massaging scalp.

Similarly, amla oil can be made and used for massaging scalp. One can use readily available amla oil from market too.

Almond oil also is good for hair massage.

Use more of natural ingredients and less of chemicals to maintain good hair.

Henna is a good conditioner for hair. A paste of henna powder, curd, egg and lemon juice can be used as hair mask once in a month.

For natural colour, make mixture of henna powder with boiled tea and coffee water with some amla powder and allow this mixture to develop a darker colour by storing in iron utensil for two days. This can be used as natural hair colour. Apply for 2-3 hours and then wash with a mild herbal shampoo. One can add natural indigo powder too to this mixture to get a dark shade.

Follow a consistent hair regimen for hair care with good diet, less stress, good oil massage and you are sure to be proud of your crowning glory.

 

 

 

 

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Pet Puja - Bajri Bhakri

 

Bajrichi Bhakri

Bajri/Bajra is pearl millet that is grown widely in Asia and Africa and consumed all across the world. It is free of gluten and rich in minerals, vitamins and essential nutrients, hence a very healthy food item. It is consumed in many forms like whole grain, flour and broken. It can be made into bhakri (type of Indian bread), roti, rotla, thepla, dalia, khichdi, kheer(porridge) etc. The broken bajra tastes very good with jaggery and ghee. 

Bajri/Bajra/Pearl Millet is very beneficial for lactating mothers. In Maharashtra, a Puja(Pachavi Puja) is performed on the fifth day of child's birth. For this Pachavi Puja, a special food item known as Bajriche Unde is prepared as offering to God. Bajriche Unde are steamed broken Bajri balls and they are eaten with jaggery and milk. I loved this delicacy during my childhood.

In India, Bajra is mainly grown in states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Bajra is known to provide the essential heat energy to the body and is consumed mainly during winters. Bajrichi bhakri tastes good with almost any vegetable as well as non-vegetarian dishes too. It is quite easy to make Bajri Bhakri, the dough can be flattened with hands or can be rolled out too with the help of rolling pin.

Bajra flour should be ground freshly and consumed soon as it turns bitter if it is stored for long. You may add a bit of salt to the flour while storing to maintain its freshness.

For Bhakri, ingredients are bajra flour and water. Knead into a smooth dough. Take a small portion, about a small fistful sized portion and make it into a ball. Line the plate with flour and start patting the portion with hand. Once it is flattened reasonably well, pick and place on the heated tawa, the flour side facing upwards. Apply little water to this surface and turn once the water dries up slightly. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then roast on the open flame. In earlier days, this process was done on mud/iron tawa on open wood fire on a mud stove and the taste used to be awesome.

You can make Bajrichi Bhakri by rolling out on flat surface with a rolling pin. Bajri Bhakri tastes good when served hot and topped  with ghee.

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Pet Puja - Nachani Bhakri

 

Nachani Bhakri

Nachani/Nagali/ Ragi is known as finger millet in English and is a widely grown cereal in Asia and Africa. It is highly nutritious and excellent source of calcium and phosphorus. It has many other necessary minerals and phytochemicals too. Nachani is used in different forms like whole grain, flour, puffs etc. It can be made into bhakri(type of Indian bread), roti, mudde, kheer, laddoos, papads, dosas, kadhi etc. Children are given porridge of ragi flour for good growth of bones.

As the entire world is looking for gluten free diet to combat many illnesses, millets are in fashion because they are gluten free and excellent source of iron, calcium, phosphorus and other useful minerals and nutrients. Nachani has become a superfood lately with diabetics including it in their diets as diabetic food to keep sugar levels under control.

Nachani/Ragi/Nagali acts as a body coolant and it is best to consume it during summer season.

Nachani Bhakri is a bread made of flour and can be made in two ways, either it can be patted in a plate or made by patting in hands or it can be rolled out. Rolling gets slightly difficult and one can make it easier by adding little wheat flour to it. I am showing both methods in the pictures below. I have not used any wheat flour.

Ingredients for Nachani bhakri are nachani flour and water. Knead into a smooth dough. Take a small portion, about a small fistful sized portion and make it into a ball. Line the plate with flour and start patting the portion with hand. Once it is flattened reasonably well, pick and place on the heated tawa, the flour side facing upwards. Apply little water to this surface and turn once the water dries up slightly. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then roast on the open flame. In earlier days, this process was done on open wood fire on a mud stove and the taste used to be awesome.

Nachani Bhakri will taste good with almost any vegetable. It tastes good with non-vegetarian dishes as well. Some eat it with plain ghee too. If you are storing the cooked Nachani Bhakri, then while serving you will need to reheat or steam it.

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Pet Puja -Laal Bhoplyache Saar(Red Pumpkin Soup, Indian style)

Laal Bhoplyache Saar(Red Pumpkin Soup, Indian style)

Laal Bhopala (Red Pumpkin) is a tasty and highly nutritious vegetable and can be used in many recipes as a cooked vegetable and also in salads, soups and desserts. This vegetable is universally popular and is of great importance in Western culture in the Halloween festival. For us Maharashtrians, Laal Bhopala is associated with the childhood story of  "Chal Re Bhoplya Tunuk Tunuk". I love bhoplyachi ghari, a fried flattened puri of red pumpkin, jaggery and wheat flour.

I am sharing Indian style red pumpkin soup recipe which is very easy to prepare and tastes good. I had tasted it at my Aunt’s place about 6 years ago and had liked it for its delicate flavours.

 

Ingredients

Red Pumpkin – 250 gms

Water – Approx. 1 litre or more

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder - ½ teaspoon

Coriander powder - ½ teaspoon

Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon

Red Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon

Salt – As per taste

Curry Leaves – 10-12 nos

Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

Tamarind pulp – 1 teaspoon

 

Method

Remove pumpkin skin and cut it into cubes. Add the pumpkin pieces with some water in an utensil and pressure cook with 2 whistles. Remove, cool and mash well and sieve through a mesh to get pulp. Add about a litre of water to the pumpkin pulp. You can make the consistency of your choice. Add salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chilli powder and tamarind pulp to the pumpkin soup and mix well. Heat oil for tempering, add mustard seeds and curry leaves, allow to crackle and add this to the soup. Boil the soup well and serve with rice or as an accompaniment to the meal.

 

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Pet Puja - Laal Bhoplyachya Paananchi Bhaji (Red Pumpkin Leaves Subji)

 Laal Bhoplyachya Paananchi Bhaji (Red Pumpkin Leaves Subji)

This leafy vegetable of red pumpkin leaves is most tasty. During my childhood, nearly all households grew their vegetables in their backyard and red pumpkin was a commonly grown houseplant. It is a no fuss, no maintenance plant which grows very easily. The famous childhood story of "Chal Re Bhoplya Tunuk Tunuk" stays with us forever. Its spiny leaves can be cooked into a very nice dish. The leaves are accompanied with daal(pulse) of your choice, either masoor, moong, chana, arhar and it is an easy recipe to prepare. I loved this dish a lot in my childhood and would always look out for the leaves to make it.

As the leaves are readily not available much nowadays, I grew my own pumpkin plant and sourced the leaves. Do try out this easy recipe if you have access to these leaves.

Ingredients

Red Pumpkin Leaves – 30- 40 approx

Masoor Daal(Red Lentil) – ½ cup

Green Chillies – 2 nos

Garlic – 10-12 cloves

Oil – 1½ tablespoon

Salt - As per taste

Water – As per requirement

 

Method

Wash the leaves well and chop finely. Soak daal for about an hour or so. Heat oil in a pan and add crushed green chillies and garlic, fry for a minute and add the chopped leaves and soaked daal. Stir well and add salt. Add little water for the daal to cook and cover for about 4-5 minutes. Check if the daal is cooked and remove from fire. Serve with chapati or jowar roti.

MyMusingsSangSpeak - Tiger Seen Unseen

Tiger Seen Unseen

At the museum in Gavi National Park, the English is wrong, but, the sentiment is right.

Oh, to see a tiger in the wild, what a great experience! India is the tiger capital of the world with such a successful tiger conservation programme that people all over from the world come here to get a glimpse of this majestic cat in the jungle.  All the national parks across the length and breadth of the country offer a feline bonanza to wildlife lovers. Some people get lucky with a real good sighting and some like me keep waiting and wanting to get fortunate enough to see “The Tiger”.

Near Bor Dam, Nagpur

This is about my experiences to get that much sought-after sighting of the tiger. Its been 10 years since 2010 that I started visiting the various national parks including Kaziranga National Park, Pench National Park (MP side), Pench National Park (Maharashtra side), Gavi National Park and Ranthambore National Park. It is an exhilarating experience to visit a national park, almost a magical one. You get lost in the greenery and wilderness and literally forget the daily grind and drudgery of modern city life. The terrains are different in nearly all the national parks and hence, it is interesting to visit them and find that every experience is altogether new and enriching one.

Elephant grass, marshes and the rhino at Kaziranga

When I had visited Kaziranga in 2010, it was winter time and could see the tame as well as wild elephants, wild rhinoceros, water buffaloes, deer and monkeys along with many birds. The driver of our gypsy told us that tiger census is on and sightings are common but, it was sheer hard luck for us that we did not spot any tiger. It was a good experience to have spotted the other big mammals like the Rhino though. The landscape is of grasslands opening into thick jungles, furthermore opening into alternating marshlands. This was an unplanned visit and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Pugmarks at Pench National Park

Fast forward to year 2013 and we were posted at Nagpur, the tiger hub with numerous national parks in the vicinity. We could plan a visit to Pench National Park, the legendary Rudyard Kipling and Mowgli territory and drove in our own vehicle to stay in a lovely resort, Kipling’s Court of the MP Tourism. The stay was a comfortable one in cosy surroundings and we had opted for the early morning safari. We were ill prepared as regards the clothing and weather; it was terribly cold and we carried no jackets. The safari was a good experience, we saw herds of deer, some wild boars, a lone fox, langurs, peacocks, owls and pied hornbills and also the pugmarks of the elusive one. After hearing the alarm calls of peacocks and langurs, we waited for about 15 minutes as per the guide’s instructions to sight the tiger, but, no luck.  We missed the big cat here, but, overall, it was an enthralling experience. At the resort, they played a film for us, that of the successful tiger conservation program at Pench. This particular film showed the spy cameras carried by the elephants on their trunks and also the cameras fitted and placed at different spots frequented by the tigers. These films are always shown on Discovery and National Geographic and other such wildlife channels. We also enjoyed a super star gazing session at the resort, something that we always miss in the busy city life due to reasons like light pollution and so on.

That Tiger at Pench in the extreme right corner in the grass

Come 2016 and I had one more chance to visit Pench, this time from the Maharashtra side. We were in Pench for a destination wedding and had one morning free and this time we went well prepared with proper warm clothing as it was peak winters. It was a rainy morning and the gypsies are always open, so the seats were already damp, but, that did not dampen our spirits. We were upbeat about sighting the tiger. My friend from USA was with us and I hoped and prayed that we would sight the tiger. Luckily, the rain had stopped by the time we reached the entry gate. We told our driver that he must take us to the right place to sight the tiger. In reality, there is hardly any right place and time.

We had one tribal girl in our vehicle who was trained to be a guide, this is an initiative by the state government to provide employment to the tribals in the vicinity of the national parks. The girl was a novice, studying in Class 10 and very shy, we struck conversation with her to make her as comfortable as possible. Our driver drove us to a water hole and we waited here for about 25 minutes for the tiger to come. It was foggy and hazy. There was one canter ahead of us which also waited. This wait is really fraught with unspoken excitement, all speaking in hush hush tones, praying for the tiger to show up. Suddenly, there was commotion and one gypsy behind us turned and bolted in the opposite direction as tiger had been sighted about 500 metres away. Our driver also turned and sped in that direction. The tiger was walking in the grass thicket about 400 m away and felt like a ghost almost. I tried to adjust my camera and get a shot and hardly got anything in all the speed and commotion. So, that was my first tiger sighting finally. We all were so happy to at least see the tiger, even though it seemed like a figment of imagination.

Indian Gaur at Gavi National Park

In 2017 winter, I had a chance to visit the Gavi National Park, a dreamland like place. It is next to River Gavi and the dam. It has a rainforest, lots of mountains, elevations and is home to animals like wild elephants, Gaur, tiger, deer, wild boars, lion tailed macaques and so on. On every nook and turn, we looked for wild elephants but they eluded us. During the safari, we could sight Gaur, Sambar Deer, spotted deer, wild boars, lion tailed macaques but no tiger and elephants. Back at the Gavi Eco Resort, we were shown a film of tiger sighting just 2 days ago. Our guide in Gavi, Mr Palnisamy from the local tribal community was a knowledgeable and experienced person and kept us well informed about life in the national park.

The Sleeping Tiger at Ranthambore

The latest tiger experience for me was just about a month ago in Jan 2020 in the most enchanted forest of India, that of Ranthambore National Park. We took 2 safaris here and our new year began on a good note with tiger sighting on 1^st Jan 2020. It was like a touch and go situation. We took an afternoon safari just after arriving in Ranthambore on the same day. Our guide here was a resourceful fellow and my daughter requested earnestly to him to show us the tiger. When we started our safari, we literally felt that it is not happening actually, as the police had closed the road to the entry gate and large crowds of people were thronging all roads leading to that particular entry gate as it was new year and all wanted blessings from the Trinetra Ganesh, popular deity of Ranthambore.

We already lost 30 -40 minutes there. Finally, the entry and our guide told us that he will try his best to show us the tiger, he was not going to wait much enroute to see the small game animals. We sped along the route and saw many Sambar deer, herds of spotted deer, crocodiles, wild boars and finally reached the probable place of sighting. Around 30-40 vehicles had gathered at one spot and here began the wait. This waiting really tests one’s patience.  The tiger was sleeping in the grass thicket about 100 m away but we could hardly see it from where we waited. We waited for nearly 45 minutes till we could reach a point from where we could actually see the sleeping tiger, only for about a minute or so. My photographic capabilities hardly worked wonders here with an old camera. 

Here, however, we could see the many facets of human nature. The VIPs who stood with their vehicle in the same spot for about 40 minutes in one place so that they could get a good look at the sleeping tiger, the rest 40 vehicles could wait forever. Some people who kept making loud noises and ruckus despite the guide’s instructions not to do so.  Some guides who do not follow the rules and took the vehicle off track to get a good view. Some guides like ours who follow all the rules to the T.

The next day’s morning safari did not yield much results as we did not sight many animals, but the terrain was so enchanting that nothing else mattered. Ranthambore is fresh in my mind and all the guides told us to visit in summers when the sightings are by far common as the forests are dry and animals are easily visible near the water holes. So, I await my turn to visit the national parks during summer season and sight the tiger more clearly.