National Park – VAGABOND IMAGES

Ranthambore Fort: Red lake, langurs and a Ganesha with three eyes

Upendra SwamiOctober 25, 20201068 Views11

It is said to be one of the strongest forts in India. It isn’t a surprise as a fort sitting on a hilltop with deep trenches on three sides, surrounded by many other hills covered by severely dense tiger infested forests could have been nothing else but a very formidable one. Currently the fort is right in the middle of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and National Park. It is said that this region was part of the Chahamana Kingdom of Shakambhari. Shakambhari is where present day Sambhar is. Those who have visited Sambhar Lake will know that there is a very famous and revered Shakambhari temple at Sambhar. The kingdom ruled the many parts of the present day Rajasthan for many centuries until the 12th century. Some historical references say that Chauhans were derived from Chahamanas. Th...

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Lockdown Chronicles : Last 10 days which weren’t the last

Upendra SwamiMay 7, 2020138 Views0

What were presumably supposed to be the last ten days of a 40 day nationwide lockdown in two phases- a 21 day first phase and a 19 day second phase. Ten days of hope and anticipation, which actually concluded in start of another phase of distress. Altogether a big human tragedy has unfolded in all this, which reflects in the first image. Experiments with camera continued but many other things keep happening! Let's travel through these ten days. Also read: Lockdown chronicles : Photo diary of first 10 days of forced sit-in DAY 31 Lockdown Chronicles Day 31! : Life in a metro! With nowhere to go in the lockdown, this migrant labourer has nothing else but shade of an under-construction flyover to cook his daily meals! DAY 32 Lockdown Chronicles Day 32! : While everyone was...

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In memory of a Star on International Day of Forests

Upendra SwamiMarch 21, 2018144 Views2

Star breathed its last yesterday and it is certainly the most disheartening news to hear on the International Day of Forests. Star, also called as Sitara was actually one of the stars of the forests of Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. As per news reports Star or Sitara, which was named T-28 in forest records died after being tranquillised. Perhaps a tranquilliser overdose took its life. He was tranquillised in attempts to rescue him from a village in Khandar area on the park's periphery. It is said that this 13 year old male tiger had strayed close to a village where people had surrounded it. Forest officials reached there and in attempts to rescue, tried to tranquillise it. Ironically, the theme of this year's International Day of Forests is : Fores...

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Guiding their territories : Birds at Keoladeo

Upendra SwamiMarch 18, 201877 Views3

I am continuing with birds and my trip to Bharatpur's Keoladeo Ghana National Park, sometime back. This time more with just images Shikra can be easily seen at Keoladeo. It is most common small hawk but an aggressive hunter, can be found almost everywhere in the neighbourhood. Like Shikras, marsh harriers are also found worldwide. They are raptors of medium size in the harrier family. Watching them fly is fascinating when they make a V in low flight. Look for them at KNP. You know Keoladeo is also famous for its turtles! Read them about here- The giant turtles of Keoladeo National Park Darters are also called as snake birds owing o their long thin neck which has a snake like appearance when they swim with their bodies submerged. There are large number of oriental...

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Keoladeo : Tips to travel inside park for some serious bird watching!

Upendra SwamiFebruary 9, 2018107 Views3

Keoladeo Ghana National Park at Bharatpur in Rajasthan has always been the numero uno of India’s bird sanctuaries. One of the oldest and the most acclaimed one. It is also close to hearts of all birders as it was the playground of India’s most known birder, none other than Salim Ali for more than half a century. Visiting this park is always a thrill for serious bird watchers. Watching birds here need some good planning. I will be discussing tips for good experience of bird watching at Keoladeo in few posts. Here is the first one on means to travel inside the park and the charges associated with them. Firstly, it is a bird sanctuary, not a tiger reserve. Hence no safaris are needed here. Since we don’t have normal wildlife, else than deer family, reptiles and predators are v...

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Some wild moments in Sariska!

Upendra SwamiFebruary 9, 2017190 Views26

SO finally the cliché of the visit. Earlier four accounts- Bhangarh, Kankwari, Neelkanth and the Birds were quite fascinating and actually different from usual routines of visit to the national park. But then what about the wild inside you? Bhangarh might not haunt you but not sighting a tiger in the tiger reserve is certainly going to haunt you to a certain degree for a considerable duration of time. Purely on that terms Sariska has been third time lucky for me. My first trip to Sariska was almost thirty years ago when tiger safari was not a fancy idea, and second one 17 years ago when tiger was always second in my thought. (What was the first?) But then as I have always said that though its always fascinating to watch a tiger in the wild, but not watching it doesn't creates a sort

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Romancing the wildlife at GIR

Upendra SwamiDecember 12, 201587 Views1

As the norm is, being to a national park or reserve invariably means watching a big cat. The success of visit always depends on having a sight or not having it. This over enthusiasm of looking for a tiger or a lion actually robs one of the 'thrill of the unexpected'. Every jungle has its own beauty, even in terms of the wildlife. In search of expected, we miss the 'unexpected other' which actually make the jungle beautiful. So for all those, who return with their heads down after missing on the big cat, here are few 'non-cat' moments from a recent safari in the GIR national park and wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat. Known as only haven for Asiatic Lions in the wild in world, this dry deciduous forest has a fair share of other wildlife- 39 species of mammals, 37 species of reptiles, 300 spe...

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King Duo – Photo of the Day

Upendra SwamiNovember 2, 2015136 Views0

Though November has approached, but still day temperatures are unusually high forcing these two male lions at the GIR national park in Gujarat to be in shade for the most part of the day, so that they can conserve their energy for a kill in the night. Watching a lion in wild is a treat and sighting two of them together is a double bonus. So sharing my festival bonus with my readers! ...

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Photo of the Day – Lioness on Prowl

Upendra SwamiOctober 26, 2015223 Views4

No sight can be more captivating and fascinating then watching the King in its territory. Well here is a queen although... but by no means lesser in beauty and pride. Watching a lioness in wild at just an arm's length or may be less, with nothing in between except hard breath of both man and animal, is perhaps an experience of a lifetime. GIR in Gujarat gives you that in an open jeep safari. Here is one of those alluring images of a lioness- third that we encountered in two safaris last week. ...

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Tale of two Tiger sightings in Ranthambore

Upendra SwamiAugust 4, 2013130 Views3

Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan in India is one of the most celebrated tiger parks in world alongwith Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh. Ranthambore has been home to one of the most revered tigress 'Machli', a lead in one of the most well known wildlife fights between a tiger and a crocodile. Sighting a Royal Bengal Tiger in its territory is altogether a different experience. I had the chance of doing it twice in two days. On a cold winter day, after a blank morning safari, we had a lucky afternoon to watch tiger T-20 (as the tigers are normally named) in its full glory but not before we had a sprint (ofcourse in our zeep) in the wild upon hearing a call about presence of tiger in the Rajbagh area of park. So here it was, in front of us enjoying his evening st...