TRAVEL, VACATION
A Picture -Postcard From Ranthambhore
The Story Of The Missing Tiger
We reached our destination hotel Welcome Heritage Mount Valley by 8 PM.
Read the previous part here:
Everything about Ranthambhore is Royal. The now sprawling National Park was once a private hunting place for Jaipur’s royals and their families. The Paintings on the walls of Mount Valley Heritage spoke of the past glories of the great Kings of Jaipur.
There were photographs of Tigers in the wilderness and portraits of Royals looking great in their stunning outfits with beautiful headgear and crowns. The royal entourage depicted decorated elephants, men and women holding hunting weapons, and hand-held plumage fans.
The next day, I woke up early after a restful sleep. I had enough time to explore the surroundings as I had no plans for the day one safari. After two cups of tea and a shower, I got ready to visit a nearby temple.
‘’ Don’t go anywhere alone. There is only a wall separating you from the Tiger ‘’
Warned my cousin!
His warning was in a lighter tone, but the fact was there was nothing much to stop a wild animal from making a sudden visit on those roads except a very high stone wall.
The small temple was just behind our hotel as I approached the temple premises, I spotted a Grey Langur slowly crossing the stone wall and moving towards the temple. One more followed, and soon a group of Langurs followed. I froze in my tracks.
I could imagine the difficulty of reaching the city in case of an emergency! Cancelling the temple visit I quietly walked back to the hotel…
We had a great lunch which included a variety of rotis, sabzis, laal maas a Rajasthan delicacy, sweets, salads, and roasted papads.
After lunch our group went out for their Safari and I set out on an auto to visit the local market. The shopaholic won’t relax!
I found a small shop selling Lehariyas and other traditional sarees in the local market. The auto driver was extremely nice, he accompanied me to the shop and sat patiently while I rummaged through the bundles of sarees. I picked up some sarees and headed to a bangle shop in a small lane called the Choodi Market famous only for Choodis or bangles. I found a very traditional shop full of glittering Lac bangles. Well, I purchased a dozen bangles.
I had a lingering regret about not visiting the big shopping malls of Jaipur. But something is better than nothing!
The next day I wore the sarees and took some selfies in the beautiful settings of our hotel.
Meanwhile, my group went on two Safaris and came back sulking and depressed, apparently the Tiger didn’t make an appearance.
The second day evening I got a chance for my Safari. I was excited to see and experience a deep forest for the first time. Deep within me, I had a feeling the Tiger was not going to appear. The hotel staff hinted once the tigers come out for their hunt and after having a good fill, they relax for many days in their dens. That must be the law of the forests!
We entered the forest with bated breath and anticipation. Our guide was hopeful, he stopped near the entrance near an ancient Banyan tree. He told us to relax before entering the forest and pray to get a chance of spotting a tiger this time.
The historical and majestic Ranthambhore Fort loomed large in the background.
The oldest settlement in the area near Sawai Madhopur was around the Ranthambhore fort. The exact origin of the Ranthambore Fort is still disputed but it is generally accepted that there was a settlement at the site of the Fort, as far back as the 8th century A.D. It is widely believed that the construction of the Ranthambhore Fort was started during the reign of the Chauhan Rajput King Sapaldaksha in 944 AD. Another theory stipulates that King Jayant, also a Chauhan Rajput, built the Ranthambore Fort in 1110 AD. It is most likely that the construction of the fort commenced during the mid-10th Century A.D. and continued for a few centuries after that.[2]
Ranthambore Fort. (2023, June 26). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranthambore_Fort
The forest was enchanting. Peacocks were dancing as if no one is watching. Sambars crossed the road in leisure. Rabbits sat nervously among the hedges. A herd of deers waited for their leader to cross the small swamp. They obediently followed the leader and crossed the swamp after he crossed the swamp.
On the forest trails, I longed to see the entourage of Kings in royal costumes riding the elephants. I saw the ancient palace deep within the forest known as the Jogi Mahal, which was once the resting place of Kings and their families who came for the royal sport of hunting. Crocodiles were floating stealthily over the calm lake. No one was allowed to step down once we crossed the forest gate. Not even for peeing. The tiger was not spotted. But I felt the royal beast watching us from all corners of the forest!
Our safari was so peaceful except for the dramatic storytelling and outbursts of ‘tiger calling’ by our guide. He would ask the driver to stop suddenly after listening to ‘calls’. Sometimes he would race the Jeep on the forest trail for the same reason. This stopped me from feeling the serenity but the deep forest bath soothed my jangled nerves. I had not missed the tigers because I wasn’t expecting to spot them. No expectations, no regrets.
The Ranthambhore forest safari left me refreshed and peaceful in its own way.
You can buy me a coffee, My secret elixir :)
