Every few months I run away to the jungle to rediscover my sense of purpose in the real world. For me, there are 2 distinct worlds … the first is the chaotic world with work & responsibilities. But when the din gets too much, away I go to a world that really is my calling. The deep jungle! A quiet world with no mobile network, & lots of time to get my batteries recharged. Peace & Tranquility were certainly something I was not expecting in this group, coz in tow were 14 other people with me, looking to see the tiger after a long long lockdown, and then there was another – our 16th member. A man who was serving his purpose on our trip. Saurabh Thakekar- our trip organizer, our guide & the man we looked to when … there was no sign of the Tiger.
A long trip with 8 safaris, the trip to Tadoba was supposed to be a killer of a trip. Multiple Tigresses with cubs were present in every part of the jungle & there wasn’t a doubt that this trip was going to be a super success. But when man proposes, nature disposes. On the prowl in the jungle were 2 new alpha males. They sent the tigresses & the cubs into hiding, us on long safaris with no sightings, & a chance for Saurabh to truly achieve his purpose.
Contemplation! ( Pic courtesy : Deepa Javdekar)
Safari trips are almost always a strain on one’s nerves and patience. Dry Safaris, missed sightings are all part of the usual script. Through all the 4 days Saurabh’s sense of purpose shone through. Be it his swagger when we saw our first sighting on our very first safari, or his palpable tension as he spoke to various guides & drivers when we hit a dry spell of 6 safaris, or then his jovial nature, as we unknowingly spoke & sang about a trip not panning well – IN HIS PRESENCE, and finally his sheer tenacity when he refused to give up top space for his jeeps when we finally saw the tiger – one last time. Saurabh was a man possessed & his character & sense of purpose on these days shone through and helped us see the positives on the dry days.
But there were 16 of us, and I was lucky to get up close with a few of my fellow purpose seekers. Delightful side stories in a journey that was supposed to be about the tiger alone. Purpose, I also saw in a dad who started to go to safaris with his son because the latter wants a career in wildlife. It’s as if the son’s dreams now mirrored his own. I also saw that in a wonderful couple who run marathons together & now celebrate life with every safari they take. The purpose to make life more fulfilling – together.
It’s remarkable, the chasm of difference in expectations & reality as I finish every jungle trip. What I go for is just a handful of pictures, but what I come back with is a wealth of wisdom, memories, lifelong learnings & a renewed sense of purpose. One where I try & make my everyday life as fulfilling as my days in the jungle.
For a glimpse of a Tiger, there will always be another safari, for these moments of happiness & joy, I will readily get up any 4 am on any given day across the year.
” Jab ghar pe koi nai hota … toh Fashion TV bhi dekh leta hoon” … said Ved Prakash, our 45 year old guide as we finished our final safari in Ranthambore. A month and a half later, it still brings a smile on my face. Life in these jungle towns has always left me wondrous of the dichotomy that India lives in. Inspired even ! For Ved Prakash, as a resident of Ranthambore, his life would make a documentary for sure.
Married as a boy, ( yes traditions like these in India still exist), Ved finally brought home his wife in his teens in a ceremony he explains was his second marriage to the same girl 🙂 He had to assume responsibility as the head of the family after he lost his father but also his married elder brother at a young age. An MSc in Botany, Ved took up teaching in the nearby school. His earnings were not enough obviously with so many mouths to fill, and at the instance of a forest officer Ved decided to quit his job and become a guide. However, things weren’t as easy, as due to some nexus or the other, people lesser educated than him made the cut of guides that year. Not one to give up, Ved took his case to the authorities and eventually got the whole list scrapped. That year, for the first time in many, EDUCATION became the prime criteria to get a job as a guide ! ( Would you believe that! ) Ved, as expected, made the cut and thanks to his knowledge of Science quickly became the sought after guides for professional photographers. But, that is Ved’s story.
My story is about the emergence of a younger India in the digital era … the saga of Ved therefore continues…. Ved and his wife were blessed with 2 kids. A Girl and a Boy. A progressive man, the first thing that Ved has NOT done is marry off his daughter at a young age. A better thing that he did was to educate her. She has completed her course in teaching and now is all set to be a teacher in the much larger city of Kota… She will be married off in a couple of years and most probably to someone from the city. And what that means is that her offspring in a few years will have access to everything that we are accustomed to… Mobiles, malls, internet, everything.
Its fascinating, think about it, a man who in his 20’s lived in the outskirts of a jungle, by the time he is 50, will play with his grand children in a city and communicate with them on WhatsApp etc. It’s a great story for Modern India. A story where people with no contact with the outside world till a few years ago now have access to everything that the average city dweller has.
In moments of melancholy, I wonder if converting small villages or hutments into modern day towns will kill the innocence and purity that lay in these beautiful settlements. India is changing, and the change is very different than the ones we in cities are accustomed to. Change that will transform the way people live and the manner in which they behave with others .. the rate of this transformation is like a time lapse video.. One day nothing & the next day everything.
In Ved’s case change was not only about watching Fashion TV through cable, it also means getting to live in a connected world that he never knew existed till a few years ago !
India Is Incredible ! Live it .. Love it… Be Fascinated !
Mayur , Daksh and I hi fived as we took our seats in the train on our way back. It was yet another successful safari trip. After all we managed to sight a few elusive birds, gleefully snapped away as a pack of wild dogs ripped apart a Sambhar deer, and we had 3 gorgeous sightings of the tiger.
One involved our guide and driver combo of Babloo and Ashish skillfully maneuvering our car so that we could see the tiger jump. The other was when Babloo correctly predicted a spot where no one went to see the tiger and gave us an exclusive sighting, and the third… Ooh that beauty of a beast, that third sighting, which actually was the first one we saw, was sheer masterclass in guidemanship from Babloo. Yea, there is no such word as guidemanship. But, that is the only word that can describe those 5 minutes. . And this post is just about that 5 minutes of brilliance.
The area we were roaming in belonged to a tiger called Prince. Now , Prince loves this small little Water hole where he comes to relax every morning. Curiously that day he decided not to make an appearance. Cars that were lined up for the spectacle gave up one by one. Babloo on the other hand decided to apply science at that moment. He asked his able companion Ashish to drive up to a canal 300 meters away. You see Babloo was convinced that the huge Prince had made the small gutter situated right below the road his home. He took pains to explain to us that Prince’s non appearance was because he was having a longer than usual siesta below the road.
Incredulous that theory! 40 cars are allowed per safari. In anticipation, 40 cars went up and down the road 3 times. How possibly could a tiger sleep peacefully we asked right below that road in all the chaos above? How could he sleep as the noise of the cars created a ruckus right over where he slept? This had to be another conspiracy theory from just another guide.
This brings me to the topic of guides. Anybody who has been on a safari will know the behaviour of a typical Indian guide. A typical specimen strides confidently into your jeep. The first 5 minutes he talks purposefully about the jungle and how he will show you your tigers in that safari. The next 30 minutes this specimen fafs gloriously about his wondrous sightings at points located every 5 minutes that the jeep traverses. Every 10 minutes the Royal specimen suddenly without warning stands tall on the seat of the jeep and asks you to be quiet as he listens to all the sounds that the Jungle throws at you. The next 30 mins you see his voice quality waning. The word LUCK starts to recur in his sentences. And after that, it’s just downhill. The transformation is astounding. It’s like Theon Greyjoy miraculously transforms to Reek. And before you know it , the specimen hops off the jeep without pleasantries. Shoulders dropped, arrogance gone, and no eye contact.
Babloo , however was not like that. The confidence in his science of tiger behavioural patterns unwavering. And as we stood there atop the small canal, Babloo had nothing in his mind but how to get Prince out for a sighting.
The tension was palpable. His confidence of the Tiger presence was supreme. He was edgy, and one could see a thousand ideas run through his brain. He thought of picking a rock but decided against it. And just then a foul smell pervaded the surrounding. Babloo was convinced it was Prince. For the record, in the 20 sightings I have had, I have never ever had a smell theory dished out by a guide. This is was beyond ridiculous now. Imagine, a tiger giving a foul odour. If that were true, the odour would have been enough to scare every potential prey away. Unconvinced, I refused to even touch my camera. Just then, Daksh, sitting on the back seat thought something crept beneath him and before we could realize it, the mighty Prince had made an appearance. So close, that Daksh later told us that his hands were shaking for the next 30 minutes.In 5 minutes Babloo had turned everything we had learned about Tiger behaviour upside down. Unwittingly, in 5 mins , Babloo had turned the mighty Neanderthalisque specimen of a guide into a science genius.So close, that my 300mm prime lens refused to focus on the majestic beast.. And when it did, all it got was its head.
Prince
Babloo .. The Legend
But But, Babloo as we were to learn later is way beyond a normal guide. His relationship with fellow guides and drivers is one of teacher and student. His pleasant demeanor means that he usually gets more leeway than others with government officials. He hosts guests for dinner. He took us to his home at 4 30 am for a cup of tea before the safari began … And he is special because in that tiny little town, the man with a large heart actually dreams BIG. Next to his modest home, Babloo is constructing a small homestay. He has thought of everything… A.C., Dinner under the stars on the roof, and rugged Indian styled furniture. It did eventually dawn on us that Babloo was a genius in the making…. An example that good guys do finish first.
Ace Driver Ashish
Heartily wish the man the best … And if you do decide to visit Pench in Maharashtra look no further than to employ the services of Jitendra Gupta… Yea that’s his name.
While this post was about Babloo, it cannot be complete without his partner in crime Ashish. Ashish wields the jeep like no one else. He consistently gave us the best seats in the house for viewing amongst the plethora of cars. His skills in tiger movement matched Babloo’s and apparently they are the Jai -Veeru Jodi of Pench. Understated, he hardly smiles. Speaks when spoken to. But he drives like a maniac with the single minded passion of showing you the Tiger.
Drivers and guides are the unsung heroes of Indian safaris. Their lives revolve around tiger sightings. They hardly sleep at night … And are required to be at their best as they take patrons out every day.. Twice a day. They also are the torch bearers of hospitality. Often their behavior decides if you will visit the jungle again. Most fail the task, and then there is the Legend of Babloo.
As always we thank Wildnest for another wonderful trip. Do contact them for their rides. Check them out on http:/www.wildnest.in
Figures dont lie. Never do. 10 has always been an iconic number. Bo Derek redefined figures and curves in the movie 10, Nadia Comăneci delivered the perfect 10 performance in an Olympics many moons ago and a little man called Tendulkar gave the sport jersey a life
of its own after sporting a 10. 6/10/2014 was equally historic as 10 hours in India redefined ecommerce as we know it. Flipkart took up hoardings and front pages in prime newspapers making it a first for any black friday kind of scale in India. Snapdeal and Amazon joined in to make it real huge. And then the mayhem started.
Even we are educated and we also look up Google. So, please don’t teach us… thundered Ignoramus 1. We want him captured and sent back to where he belongs , shrieked Ignoramus 2. As the room was filled by the shrieks and sounds of these 2 gifts to mankind, my mind drifted to a very powerful monologue by Amitabh Bachchan in Agneepath, ( the original one). Amitabh in his rich baritone voice explains to the erstwhile Commisioner of Police the food chain in the jungle. He ends the powerful monologue with the line sher bhediye ko chabaa jaata hai., stating the obvious that in the jungle the Lion is King. But here in the real world, the poor sher and cheetah are no match for the all powerful aadmi in the cities. Its a fact!
Many in Mumbai find it hard to have 1 decent vacation a year. My kind boss allowed me not 1 but 2 five day breaks within a month ! The first was an all boys out Safari to Pench. 5 AM safaris, dusty roads, vodka and bollywood evenings and some great bonding in the jungle meant that the boys really did have all the fun. The second was a nice little family vacation in Poovar & Kumarakom in Kerala. The highlight – our first vacation with our sometimes devil , almost always angel little daughter – Mysha. This one was all about running behind Mysha for her feed, her taking to the pool like a fish to water, long boat rides, running behind Mysha for her feed ,multiple car journeys, screaming on top of our voices like children, running behind Mysha for her feed ( yea we did that a lot …).
I had great company in both, fab service levels in the hotels that we stayed in and met hospitable people wherever I went. There were goof ups in both the places too – Missing tiger sighting, small skirmishes with guides, running behind Mysha for her feed – ( Oh, did I cover that already ! ). But, as I look back at these mini vacations , I think I have learnt a very important lesson. The first one is obvious – never let out your preference about 2 diametrically opposite trips in public – hehe.
The second one is vacations are all about moments. Little ones. Big ones. The first Tiger sighting on a trip, the bonding over a masala David Dhawan film, your baby’s first outing in a swimming pool, her not letting her parents go out of sight even for a moment in 5 days, her crying papa- papa as you approach the window of your cottage, the family sitting quietly in a boat not talking a word but being the perfect family in that moment. Someone once told me I visualise in pictures and images… But when I reminisce about these 10 days, its not a set of pictures but a beautiful movie montage playing out against some terrific slow music. It’s this montage which keeps playing in my mind that makes it oh so perfect.
As we all go back to our daily chores for the next 6 months or so before the next 10 day break, I thank my wife Sunita, our little angel Mysha, My best pal Mayur, Daksh, Suraj and all the people I met for this perfect 10 day vacation – The montage wouldn’t have been possible without you folks 🙂
The title of this post could have easily been the end of experience in shopping centres… but then going by what most malls did in India for Diwali, experience is not a marketable idea. Instead, a car, gold or an International vacation were better options or were they?
First the good news: Most “Live Malls” or should I say malls that were ALIVE and KICKIN’ did better business than last year.
Now the truth: Most did not do as well as they expected.
Its an interesting story really. Developers expected to get above average returns. They knew the economy was bad. The decision was so easy- Lets just bribe the consumer this time. A sub par performance meant – It was expected, hence we didn’t spend. An above par performance will mean – see we spent little and still got the returns.
The Only Truth: The only sufferer was the MALL BRAND !
The relationship between retailers and malls is not an easy one. Malls seek big brands in an attempt to get easy footfalls. Retailers bank on mall marketing to get the footfalls they want. 0 or close to nothing spends on marketing and over confidence on their brand pull means consumers have stopped caring as to where they headed.
The plethora of malls coupled with their reluctance to invest in branding means, consumers no longer go to a shopping centre X or a shopping centre Y. They go to the mall to buy from a Shoppers Stop or an Allen Solly. Loyalty is nothing.
Infact with almost every mall giving away gold or a car free, the better option would be to go to the mall with lesser footfalls – the odds of winning get significantly better- 1 in a lac vs 1 in a million.
Whichever way you look at it, these are exciting times to be a consumer. You will either be rewarded with an experience or at least have a 1 in a million chance to own a free car… … and so are the chances of the mall developing itself into a world class brand
Hey folks. So, I took up photography a year and a half back… Sorry. Bought a DSLR a year and a half back, thanks to recommendations from a host of friends. Must say, it’s been an enlightening journey thus far, and I can today truly be termed as a serious amateur photographer. Umm. yea. No more.
As an amateur with no formal training I have relied as most would on luck and plain instinct. Have seen and read tutorials more than I have practiced the skill, I have always found it difficult to use functions instinctly what I would have read. It is usually a hindsight realisation of what I should have done and therefore, more often than not find myself waiting for a déjà vu moment to perfect my imperfect capture the next time. Luckily I have gotten better with time. Enough to break a few myths and share what would be the 5 most important points for those digital camera users who are planning to take the wonderful leap to an entry level DSLR.
1.Lenses are more important than the DSLR itself
Only a matter of time before we go from your kit lens to a host of lenses.. choose wisely. Do not spend too much time on looking for a DSLR. Spend more time trying to figure what you enjoy shooting and therefore the lenses you will use. Lenses play a far greater role in getting a great pic than your DSLR itself.
2. Party room, landscape, buildings , portraits : Different Lenses
Every different shot will need a different lens. You may need a walk around lens for general use. But, if you want a buying your DSLR to capture pics like in the travel brochure, the answer is different lenses. I have a lot of friends who shift to a DSLR and try their first shots at home in the evening with their family. Their first shots are as hazy with their kit lens as their digi cams and they wonder why their hand shakes so much. Probably the getting used to or the fact that the DSLR is too sensitive. Rubbish. It’s the lens. Shots
Lenses will make all the difference
taken in homes and parties which have dim lighting require a lens with a high aperture value, so that your shutter speed is still high and your photo is crystal clear … Did I just speak Greek ? This brings me to my next point – Learning a new language.
3. Learning starts… again 🙁
Photography speak in the beginning can be quite intimidating. Almost like a new language. However, look around enough and you will realize that help is at an arms length. From free ebooks, to free videos and hacked tutorials to actual classes and workshops. You can take whatever route you want, but basic techniques of exposure involving shutter, aperture and ISO are a must. There is no going to level next and figuring out yourself is going to take a lot of time and tons of missed opportunities. Investment of time In training will be crucial.
4. Oh, and there is the investment of course
Time will not be the only investment you make. Serious photography means you will be buying a heck of a lot of things as your progress. Lenses are expensive, and as the lenses get bulkier and heavier, you will need better tripods , and gimbal heads and sandbags and monopods and camera bags and… Well the list goes on and on. If the idea of buying a DSLR camera was to take it on holidays, there will come a time when you will postpone a holiday because you need to invest in a lens that will help you take relevant pictures in that holiday. Yea. true. Also, a word of advice. DO NOT SHY away from second hand lenses. The world is full of photographers like yourselves and me who keep on moving to level next. Almost every photographer keeps his equipment as spic and span as a Parsi who looks after his car. So, go ahead and pick up second hand lenses without fear… But after duly checking it of course.
5. A weighty issue indeed
My final tip. Get used to carrying a big brick on your back. As you gradually move from being an enthusiastto a amateur and then a professional, you will need to carry your bag around all the time. The thought of going from using a digital camera that fits into your pocket before taking off on a holiday to having a separate 5 kg bag is unnerving to most. But, one needs to get over the fact quickly. Soon, you will be traversing miles with that load on your back… Trust me, it will only get heavier with time but you will never regret a single moment.
So there it is folks, 5 checks before you take the leap to a DSLR. The golden rule of photography: If you are shifting to a DSLR because you are going for a holiday – Don’t. If your doing it for the sheer love of photography – hit the websites now for research.
MSD does the impossible once again as he takes 16 runs off a single over in a low scoring game to beat SL in the final of the tri series championship in WI.
One finds inspiration in many places. One finds inspiration at any age too.
Squirrels playing, a family of parakeets whizz past, the Koels nibble on fruits, magpie robins keep themselves busy all day… just how far does the average suburban Mumbaikar need to travel to see this. A few kms at least I would think. I get to see this from my house. No kidding straight out of the window! Welcome to Hiranandani, Powai folks. Sadly, this is also thethe last year when i can continue to pursue the incredible past time of what I term as arm chair birding.
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