Though flamingos were my primary interest and they were who actually pulled my all the way to Sambhar, but wintering at Sambhar is not all about flamingos. Flamingos might be very high in count and attraction but there are many other birds coming for winter migration. As I said in my last post, there are more than 70 species of birds coming here every year. So while I was busy admiring flamingos at Sambhar lake, I couldn't have failed to notice and try to click few other migratory birds. Pied avocet (pictured above) was the among the first one to come across and was quite attractive because of its distinctive beak and black & white appearance. Though there were some northern pintail and pochards as well, but I could manage to get close view of only these northern shoveler
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Moving ahead from Devayani, I was asking every other guy the way to Chatri (cenotaph) of Daadu Dayal. The way wasn't far from Devayani. Just half a kilometre ahead was a railway crossing and the just before the railway line was a dusty path going inside the salt fields along side the now unused railway track. There were many structures in the area, all of them actually remnants of a very well-planned rail network meant for the salt extraction. It looked like a no-man's land. I kept on moving ahead till there was a way. Till that time I didn't even had an idea that how the chatri of Daadu Dayal looked like. Track wasn't easy, but still negotiable and enjoyable. Then, I suddenly saw a man out of nowhere and asked him about the exact location of the cenotaph, and luckily also about the possib
Read MoreIt was second day at Sambhar. Last day was interesting with engaging myself in pink salt of Sambhar and then soaking in some refreshing sights of a pink sunset. But as I said, my mind was still lurking in search of the pink flamingos. The other day Sohan Singh had suggested me to go towards the Devayani, where I can probably find the birds. One things I have learnt over the years of travelling is never to feel shy in asking locals about any doubt or any information- basic or may be additional. So, while riding my bike in the morning, I asked my lodge owner about possible location of flamingos and he suggested me to go towards 'chatri (canatoph) of Dadu Dayal (दादू दयाल की छतरी). I decided to try towards Devayani first. This is third aspect of a trip to Sambhar. It was not in my age
Read MoreIt was long overdue. And, I was actually ashamed of myself for not having being there till now, despite being so close. Of late, it was almost decided in my mind that I would be biking to Sambhar, most probably alone. And it happened so. Almost 750 kms of biking in two days made it possible and enjoyable. Every minute was worth it. Sambhar is between Jaipur and Ajmer cities of Rajasthan. Lake basin is spread at the confluence of three districts- Jaipur, Ajmer and Nagaur. You can call this place as one beyond imagination. It is, "a place where horizons stretch to infinity, water and sky merge in a shimmer of gauzy blue and civilisation goes back a long, long time and legends abounds it" (quoted from- 'Conservation of Sambhar Lake - An important Waterfowl Habitat and A Ramsar Site in ...
Read MoreIts simple spellbinding. Isn't it! More so when you get to witness such a visual spectacle at some of the most unassuming of places. This is on way back to Rameshwaram from Dhanushkodi in Tamilnadu. A cursory glance towards sea and this was what was to be seen. A huge flock of hundreds of Australian Flamingos, in all their glory. ...
Read Moreराम की कथा से रामेश्वरम का गहरा नाता उसे मिथकों में वही दर्जा दिला देता है जो देश के तमाम पौराणिक शहरों को हासिल है। इसमें कोई शक नहीं कि रामेश्वरम की ज्यादातर महत्ता रामनाथस्वामी मंदिर के लिए है, लेकिन रामेश्वरम की भौगोलिक स्थिति और प्राकृतिक खूबसूरती उसे बाकी लिहाज से भी आकर्षण का केंद्र बनाती है धनुष्कोडी से रामेश्वरम लौटते समय इस नजारे की कल्पना मैंने नहीं की थी। जब रामेश्वरम नजदीक आने लगा और मेरी निगाहें अचानक समुद्र की ओर गईं तो मैं किनारे से थोड़ी ही दूर हजारों की तादाद में फ्लेमिंगो देखकर अचंभित रह गया। दुनिया के इस हिस्से में पाए जाने वाले ग्रेटर फ्लेमिंगो भारत के कई तटीय इलाकों में दिख जाते हैं। चिलिका झील के नलबन द्वीप में मैं फ्लेमिंगो देख चुका था, लेकिन यहां वे काफी नजदीक थे और खासी बड़ी संख्या में भी। रामेश्वरम की इस खासियत के बारे में मुझे नहीं पता था। फ्लेमिंगो देखने...
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