Hindutva
Digvijaya Singh
Mahua aroma at this time of the year is intoxicating. Mahua is a Forest Tree in Central India revered by the Tribals as it is part of their diet, their energy drink and economy. Mahua is in abundance in Tadoba Tiger Reserve.
I lost my wife in February. All my daughters and son asked me to take a few days off.
They all knew about my love for Wild Life Photography and suggested I spend some time in a Wild Life Park.
I had been getting excellent reports of Tiger sighting in Tadoba. So I decided to spend Holi vacation in Tadoba.
Tadoba as the legend goes was the Tribal who discovered so much of water in the Forest that in no time there was a Lake !
It now has a Director's camp residence overlooking the Lake.
It has ever green Wild Jamun Trees all around and is full of Crocodiles.
Maharaj Hari Singh of Kashmir visited Tadoba in 1930s and donated Rs. 1000/- to build a temple and Dr Karan Singh visited in 1960 and donated to build the Temple for Tadoba.
In 4 days I saw 11 different Tigers 7 sub adult cubs and 4 Tigresses ! All from a vehicle unlike Kanha and Bandhavgarh where i saw all my Tigers from Elephant back.
Very encouraging indeed. Must compliment Maharashtra Forest Department and Park Authorities for this.
Tadoba has a mixed deciduous forest as compared to Sal Forests of Kanha and Bandhavgarh which are certainly much greener and beautiful but Tadoba has an excellent Habitat for Tiger. Herbivorous are plenty and saw lot of wild dogs.
Tigers in the Tourism Zone were very obliging too ! Gave me opportunity to photograph them siting in water swimming across the lake and unsuccessfully trying to hunt spotted deers.
Could take photographs of Four Horned Deer and Grey Jungle Fowl which I couldn't earlier.
Met Dhanwatey Couple Harshwardhan and Poonam avid Wildlife Conservationists, who have a house in the buffer zone and have conserved forest around their house with a water hole . He has a video camera at the water hole and can watch wild life drinking water sitting in his drawing room !
A Tigeress with her cubs, a Panther , Deer and many other wild animals frequent his water hole.
Anshu Jain from Dutsche Bank, Hemendra Kothari a keen Wildlife lover liberally funding National Parks through his Foundation were also there.
Also briefly met my dear friend Bittu Sehgal . He has brought out an excellent book on Forest and Wild life of Maharashtra . A must in your collection.
Few suggestions to the Park Authorities.
1- The concrete water holes for the animals look very unnatural. They should camouflage it with mud and stones
2- Should consider to have a suitably designed Canters to carry the Tourists which would restrict the number of Vehicles in the Park.
Tadoba is a must for all Wild Life Lovers.
