Day 6 (27th March)
We had altered our plans in the hope of sighting a tiger once again. Therefore, contrary to the earlier instructions, today we urged the driver to concentrate in the areas where the chances of sighting a tiger were the highest.
Dutifully the driver followed our directions and we continued to roam around meadows affording the best chances of sighting. And since most visitors to Kanha want to sight a tiger we were soon enveloped with the fine dust that the gypsies churn on the mud tracks. There was no dearth of other wild life but the tiger was nowhere to be seen. From one meadow to another, we drove with hope in our hearts. And there were no alarm calls either to guide us. Dejected looks, stooped shoulders, hope in the eyes were what we saw as the gypsy drivers exchanged info while crossing each other. No tiger … no alarm calls.
By 08:00 we were at the Centre Point to have some hot samosas, aloo bondas and tea. The casual exchange amongst the drivers and the guides at Centre Point would also let us know whether a tiger had been sighted anywhere and also whether the tiger show on elephant back was on today or not. We did not have to wait for our driver and guide to know that the tiger had decided to elude everybody today. The body language was more eloquent than a thousand words!
However, there was a glimmer of hope. The tiger show on elephant back was on today. So we drove to the spot where this tiger show was being held. We were told that there are four tame elephants that the forest dept has in Kanha. The mahouts start trying to locate a tiger from 04:00 itself. If successful, three elephants ferry the tourist while the fourth stands guard over the tiger. The charges – Rs. 100 per person.
A large number of gypsies were stationed at the site of the tiger show. This was expected, the tiger had eluded everybody today. We waited for out turn and after some time we were climbing the ladder to go atop an elephant. The elephant waded through the thick foliage of Sal and Bamboo even as we tried to save ourselves from the swinging branches. After about 150 metres, we saw a stationary elephant with only the mahout. This is where the tiger was. Our elephant was stopped by the mahout near a really dense bamboo thicket. So dense that it was practically dark with not even a ray being able to penetrate the dense foliage. And within the cool confines of that shaded bamboo grove we saw a full grown tiger, blissfully oblivious to the presence of humans and elephants!! It raised its head somnolently once and without bothering went off to sleep once again. We tried taking pics but the bamboo grove was so thick and dark that the camera could barely discern the tiger. We stayed there for all of 45 seconds – not a second more certainly – and the mahout turned the elephant around for the ambling journey back to the road.
This was a huge, huge let down. Indeed, we felt as if we had been cheated. Jenny in fact wondered whether the tiger had been drugged and a show put up just to fleece and befool innocent tourists. While the tiger would not have been drugged, not in the core area by the forest dept officials, but it surely was a sure way of fleecing the tiger hungry tourists! You pay Rs. 100 for watching a sleeping tiger for about 30 – 40 seconds!!
Nugget of wisdom : Do NOT be lured into the trap of the tiger show. You will feel cheated.
Almost disgusted by this fraud of a tiger show, we came out of the forest with a slightly bitter after taste in the mouth. It seemed to be a blot on the officials of Kanha National Park who have otherwise done such a wonderful job of preserving the pristine forest, have brought the Barasingha back from the brink of extinction, have successfully relocated 28 villages from within the core area, and have created a lovely natural habitat for the tiger.
A bath and hearty breakfast later we were ready to leave for Bandhavgarh National Park. The odometer read 4751 and the time was 11:10.
Kanha to Bandhavgarh
Route as planned through Google Map
Kanha National Park – Lakhnadon – Jabalpur – Ghatsemariya – Umaria – Bandhavgarh (distance 315 Km)
Route we finally took
Kanha National Park – Mandla – Phoolsagar – Niwas – Shahpura – Umaria - Bandhavgarh (distance 200 Km)
Wiser from our experience of benefiting from local advice we stuck to the local advice and decided to take the shorter route suggested by the locals. And once again it was going to prove that local wisdom is better than the best that technology can harness.
We crossed Mandla once again and by now could see signs of normalcy returning to the town. About 10 Km from Mandla – towards Jabalpur – we saw the Tourist Motel run by MPTDC. As we passed by Jenny remarked, “ Lots of cars … and lots of foreigners.” We did not stop, however, because we had just had a hearty breakfast. However, if you are driving from Kanha to Bandhavgarh it would be a good idea to stop here; we were going to realise this later.
At a small hamlet called Phoolsagar we turned right towards Niwas. This was a single track road, but the road surface was good and the traffic was negligible. Soon we were in the midst of thick forests (now denuded) and steep ghats. During or after the monsoons this would have been a breathtaking drive but right now the denuded trees presented a pretty stark picture. The seasonal denudation notwithstanding we enjoyed the forests and imagined how picturesque a drive it would have been after the monsoons. The minimal traffic and the smooth road surface made the drive even more pleasurable.
The only drawback of this route was a total lack of even a rudimentary road side dhaba. And so even though both of us wanted to stop and have a cup of tea, we had no option but to keep on driving and hoping that we would come across a dhaba ahead. And yes, a thought occurred to us – what if we get stranded with a flat tyre? There was practically no traffic; there was not even a village for miles on end; the mobile phones were not working and so expecting any help was almost unimaginable. Call it superstition if you will, but neither of us voiced these thoughts aloud and with hope in our hearts and a silent prayer on our lips we drove on.
Just as we gave up all hope of having tea – our silent prayers seemed to yield results!! A huge hoarding announced the Ghughua National Fossil Park and what was manna to our eyes, the hoarding proudly proclaimed that the campus had a canteen and toilets.
We turned into the campus primarily to have some tea, and may be, something to eat. The first impression was not very promising though. 3-4 men were casually lounging / sleeping on the veranda of the canteen building and looked bewildered to see our vehicle come to a stop in the parking area. However, the first impression is often misleading – this adage was going to prove true. Rituraj parked the vehicle and walked across to them and while they did not exactly jump to life, it was revealed that not only tea but some savouries were also available.
Soon we were in the canteen enjoying the much needed cup of piping hot tea and munching on crispies of Haldiram Bhujiawala. A casual chat with the people out there was a revelation. The mere tea break rapidly turned into one of curiosity and enlightenment. Our quest for tea had made us stumble upon a unique destination in the country and a treasure trove of fossils from a bygone era.
The Fossil National Park is spread over an area of around 27 hectares and also has a small museum. The intense heat of the afternoon sun prevented us from venturing into the sprawling expanse but we paid the nominal fee for a visiting the museum which showcases the fossils found at Ghughua. These fossils date back 65 million (6.5 crore) years and open a window to the days when human civilisation had not even started. The amazingly well preserved fossils of eucalyptus, date palm, neem, jamun, banana, rudraksh, jackfruit and amla had us spell bound. Fossils of molluscs have also been discovered in Ghughua and point to the fact that, may be, a branch of the Tethys Sea extended up to this area. After spending almost an hour at the museum we left, with a heavy heart though.
A practically uneventful journey brought us to Umaria, the district hqrs of the eponymous district where Bandhavgarh is located. We had our GPS to guide us through the town of Umaria but wiser from earlier experiences we kept asking for directions nonetheless and were soon out of the town and on our way to Bandhavgarh about 35 kms away.
Nugget of wisdom : Do NOT look for milestones or other signage showing the distance to Bandhavgarh. The place you are going to is called Tala!!!
We reached Bandhavgarh around 16:00 after negotiating a horrendous patch of 10-12 kms which was nothing but potholes. However, a greater surprise awaited us. As we headed towards the Mapple Bundela Resort (it is not a typo; they spell it with a double p!), the potholed road became a mud track and a washed out culvert. Mapple Bundela is about two km from the main road – as are some other swanky resorts on the same track – and it is a minor adventure by itself negotiating trees, shrubs and bushes – there is actually no road except some tracks created by earlier vehicles!!!
The Resort is worthy of being called one. After some initial hiccups later, we found ourselves ensconced in a comfortable room with a private machan (viewing tower). It was too late to go into the core area anyway so we relaxed, had some hot pakodas and tea and a cool bath. By evening all the arrangements for visiting the national park tomorrow had been tied up and with a relaxed mind we called it a day.
Nugget of wisdom : Do not look for Mapple Bundela Resort at Bhandavgarh now. It has probably become part of Club Mahindra!
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