The Great Corbett National Park Adventure

Pug Marks of the Big Cat

Eloping at 45 may not be every ones idea of high romance, but that’s exactly what the spouse and I did to  break the monotony of wedding anniversary celebrations. We felt that the 24 th wedding anniversary should be a prequel to the 25th.Something different, something spicy and something that would remind us what we started with in our early 20s..
I dithered between Ranthambore and  Jim Corbett National Park,but seeing that we just had an extended weekend worth of leave,I settled for Corbett- a mere 240 kms from Delhi.
Unlike other visitors, whose idea of Corbett is living at a nearby resort,dancing to music played by a DJ,playing snooker and maybe throwing in a safari for a couple of hours,I knew the spouse would appreciate an unadulterated feel of the jungles. For which,we had to stay inside the national park.
KVMN runs the catering unit at the best property –DHIKALA and if one goes through the Uttarakhand tourism at new Delhi, it  is possible to get a room at the ANNEXE section of the campus. Telephonically I asked the man at Uttarakhand tourism to hold a room for me. Without wasting any time,because accommodation is limited and is on first come first serve basis,I went and made the payments. They charge for food at 600 rupees a day(3 buffet  vegetarian meals)per person Based on that one is issued a letter,(which has to be presented at the forest department, Ramnagar)a room is allotted at Rs.1500 a night
Apart from this reservation can be be done through the forest department..
 Armed with the food voucher and letter, we sped on, not having the foggiest idea what held for us at the other end. This reminded us of the time when we did take the plunge into the real world, 24 years ago. We had no idea what the jungle of human relationships and domestic responsibilities held in store for us.

 The first sunrise of our 25th year(as man and wife) saw us on the banks of Brijghat on garh ganga as we sped towards  the Dhangarhi gate of the Corbett National Park.
Breakfast at Bhajans Dhaba,Gajraula was an one paratha affair.The road condition has improved significantly since we traveled on it last and we made very good time. We were in Ramnagar by 10.20 am.
While  making the room payments and permits required payments we realized that the car would not be allowed into the park.Only  Maruti gypsies authorized by the department. The total cost of all the permits was 1100 rupees and the gypsy cost is 3300 rupees for a one night and 2 days. It  comprises of 2 safaris and the vehicle is at our disposal. Our car was parked at the parking lot of the tour operator whose vehicle we hired.

The jungle is every bit romantic as we visualized, and the pictures tell the tale.
Watching animals in the natural habitat is an experience every city dweller should experience. Corbett National Park is divided into 4 zones and DHIKALA is reputed to be the most beautiful of the 4-in terms of picturesque vistas and animal sightings.
Our driver and our forest guide(another mandatory expense- 300 rupees per trip) were in complete sync with the call of the wild. Their sharp and observant eyes spotted every little wild animal much before our binoculars did.

There are no roads in the DHIKALA zone, which is reputed to have the maximum tiger sightings-only mud tracks. More than once I found myself thanking my lucky stars that the car was kept back at ramnagar. It is very easy to get lost in the park. And not to speak of the damage to the vehicle.

Our Gypsy operator told us that each car needs to go for complete servicing after every 3 trips.
There are four entry points to Corbett National park.
During the monsoon period, the park is closed for visitors barring the entry through the JHIRNA gate(which is open round the year),for the roads get washed away with the numerous mountain streams which flood.

the river roads

It was a new experience traveling across dried up rivers and visualizing them to be flowing rivers during monsoon, washing away the roads that we were traveling on ,The silence of the jungle and the call of the fauna made beautiful melody.

the dark Ramganga

The gurgling of the brooks and the gushing sound of the Ram Ganga river remain deeply embedded in the soul much after we cross the area.

the palm behind which the tigress hid

The heart did start to thud as  the light started fading and we waited in absolute silence for the big Cats to appear. Could feel myself shivering- anticipation- anxiety- .whatever, but it was there. However some things are not meant to be. The felines did not make an appearance and we moved on-What compensated for the non sighting of the felines was the crossing over of a herd of over 20 odd elephants with their young barely 10 feet from where the car stopped and we waited with bated breath..I could hear my driver murmuring to the guide that he would probably have to reverse and speed if the elephants charged.

grasslands

It was heartening to see how the forest department have made efforts to conserve the environment. The  fire files made in the grasslands are areas of the  vast grasslands which are systematically burned to avoid fires during the dry season and to ensure that there is fodder for the vegetarian beasts. At the Dhangarhi gate where our permits were checked we were given jute bags to put our non bio degradable stuff. It was a pleasure to find a natural environment devoid of human degradation- barring an odd instance here and there.
We managed to sight lots of elephants, some of them at arms length, all the four available variety of deer(sambhar, spotted, barking and hog) crocodiles, alligators and wild boar.

the kingfisher moment

The jungle babbler, jungle fowl, red crested vultures(now on the verge of extinction),fishing owl, fish eagle(one even had a catch on its claws as it was flying) were just some of the birds that we saw. The king fisher with its vibrant hues at a camera shootable distance was a bonanza for us. Trees full of beaver bird nests and jumping langoors were happy camera moments.
There is absolutely no compromise on the “no walking in the jungle”, rule- not for love or money. In fact the driver and the guide, managed themselves precariously on the footboard of the car when they needed to pick up polythene and plastic elements that the tourists left behind insensitively-but adhered to the rule of not getting off the vehicle at any cost.

where we stayed

The food at DHIKALA is , even though vegetarian, is extremely tasty and caters to all taste buds. Alcohol and non vegetarian food is strictly prohibited, within the reserve forest.
The tea that they serve within the forest smelt distinctly of lemon grass additives and was soothing to the senses.

Once out of the reserve park our driver told us of another beautiful place to be covered-Sitavani  forest- across the river Kosi. Legend has it that when Sita was banished from Rams kingdom after returning from Lanka- she lived at the Valmiki Ashram at Sitavan forests-there is an ancient temple dedicated to her in the middle of it.The Valmiki ashram is atop a hill and in inhospitable terrain..
We returned to the place where our car was parked-Corbett Motel.
This accommodation is an apology in the name of hospitality, small rooms bad service-but we didn’t care. The setting of the hotel made up for all the inadequacies.The hotel is set midst  a lush mango orchard. In any case one just needed to crash for the night.

the anthill and I

A quick lunch and we were off to Sitavani forest-this time in our own car.
Our next destination was the ancient temple- 30 odd kms from Ramnagar.The drive through the thick Sal and Teak forests  and numerous mountain springs had many Camera moments.This time we were allowed to get off the car and we had a lovely time enjoying the forest on foot.The wildlife here is the same as Corbett but because human population is existent –the safety levels are slightly higher.
The locals are extremely aware of eco conservation and make it a point to adhere to it- a decided feel good factor where we are concerned.

And then we were back- back to the hotel- two best friends who sometimes get lost in the humdrum of marital life.This trip was an eye opener for both of us – for we acknowledged that no matter how much we get dragged into domesticity our basic love for nature and for the deep friendship that we have shared over 25 years remain intact –and it takes just a quick trip like this to have us charged up and gung ho to take on the world by its horns……
So as we speed back towards Delhi- there is no regret that the holiday is ending,but looking forward to many such trips that shake off the dust that inevitably settles on any long relationship……