Periyar

Situated within the confines of the Western Ghats in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve is one of the most captivating wildlife parks in the world. Elephant in Periyar is another major attraction. In 1895, the British undertook water resource management plans for the area and started work on a dam and an artificial lake under the auspices of Col. J. Pennycuick. The picturesque lake in the heart of the sanctuary was originally 26 sq km but now spans an area of 55 sq km.

This perennial source of water, which initially led to the submersion of large tracts of forestland, slowly attracted wild animals. It eventually resulted in the adjoining forests being granted protection by the Maharaja of Travancore. Post-1975 Periyar finds itself in the enviable position of being a national park as well as a protected tiger reserve.

Periyar (also known as Thekkady) is a park where one can witness playful elephants, whose population is currently around 800. Elephants in Periyar make excellent wildlife watching. The population of tigers is also increasing appreciably. The terrain ranges from hilly to flat grassland areas at the edges of the lakes. The vegetation is of moist deciduous type. Elephant in Periyar remain the key attraction.

Best time to visit: The temperature during summers (April-June) ranges from 21°C to 24°C. During the monsoon (July-August), it ranges from 19°C to 21°C. Winter season lasts from October to March and is cool and pleasant. Visit the national park with elephant in Periyar make the entire experience unforgettable.

Tourist attractions
Periyar National Park is a veritable paradise of elephants. Herds of playful wild elephants have made Periyar Lake their favorite haunt for frolicking in the water. Scores of elephants in Periyar can be witnessed bathing and swimming here. The Indian female elephants in Periyar do not posses tusks like their African relatives. They are also not as swarthy as their African counterparts. Other inhabitants of Periyar include the leopard, wild dog, barking deer, mouse deer, Nilgiri langur (a primate), bonnet macaque, sambhar, porcupines, squirrels, gaur (Indian bison), wild boar and sloth bear. There are approximately 40 tigers in the area. The tigers, along with the Nilgiri tahrs (a kind of a wild goat), are elusive creatures. However, an early morning visit, with luck on your side, could yield results.

Amidst the rocky hinges along the lake, monitor lizards may be spotted. Trekkers have also sighted pythons, king cobras and flying lizards. Some 260 species of birds are found at Periyar. These include darters, cormorants, ibises, gray herons, mynas, flycatchers, orioles, wood pigeons, kingfishers, kites, ospreys, thrushes, and an appreciable number of blue-winged parakeets.

The months of March and April constitute the driest part of the year, because of which the animals spend a lot of time near the lake. Even the tiger may be spotted approaching the waters. Animals may be seen from motorboats on the lake or from watchtowers. A special permission is required to travel by boat to the source of the artificial lake, the River Periyar. This area is generally not open for tourists, but is the favorite haunt of the sloth bear. There is a good chance of spotting an occasional tiger in this relatively peaceful corner of the forest. One can also form a group and go on a walking tour with locally available guides.

Places around: There are some tribal villages around Periyar, which are worth a visit. The tribal people are expert fishermen and farmers. Some are still engaged in the traditional practice of collecting honey of dangerous hill bees. They have built interesting tree dwellings. These dwellings do not signify a 'perched' existence. Quite the contrary, they are comfortable watchtowers for taking note of any wild pig or elephant in Periyar that might ruin the cultivated fields. Nearby Kottayam (117 km) and the temple town of Madurai (140) km) should not be missed.

How to reach: The park is well connected by bus service from the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram (271 km), as well as the cities of Cochin (200 km), Kottayam (117 km), and Madurai (140 km). The nearest major rail junction is Kottayam. The nearest national airports are Cochin (200 km) and Madurai (140 km).

Kausani and Ranikhet

Remember watching a movie in the early 80s ‘The Mighty Himalayan Man’, a fantasy flick about Yeti in the lines of King Kong. This Hong Kong movie greatly impressed my young mind and helped to create an atmosphere of awe about this magnificent, snow-clad mountain range.

A summer rain is always welcome in the oppressive heat of June in the plains but early rains made it unbearably humid this year. The call of the hills was thus getting irresistible and we settled for Ranikhet and Kausani, up in the Kumaon hills. The offer of a panoramic view of the mighty ranges added to the thrill.

We set off early in the morning and drove east in great spirits, going past Gazipur, Ghaziabad and Hapur. Owing to never-ending flyover construction, the drive up to Moradabad was thrilling only in patches. Excited by last year’s experience at Corbett and egged on by fellow Ghumakkars, we left NH24 at Moradabad and took the Kaladhungi route to reach Haldwani clocking 260-odd kilometers. Needless to say, the drive under the green canopy provided graciously by the forest was indeed refreshing as it drove away the fatigue collected over the past few months.

After having lunch at Haldwani we started the climb and took the route to Ranikhet via Bhowali and Bheemtal. The road is good mountain road and not very steep either and we covered the distance in about a couple of hours.

Ranikhet: Situated at a height of 1830 meters, Ranikhet offers pleasant climate and beautiful views. Being a cantonment area the upkeep of the town is good. The place is not crowded even in summer except the mall road. Accommodation is available that suits any pocket. Jhula Devi temple with its innumerable bells – offered by devotees – hanging everywhere is a good spot for the religious-minded. Chaubatia offers nature-walk and agro-tourism. You get to see various kinds of fruit-bearing trees.

We moved from Ranikhet to Kausani the next day via the golf course. Narrow but motorable roads. The scenic beauty along the way is superlative. Road signs are good enough so you can safely reach your destination without asking around. This stretch is mostly lonely so the road signs are a big help.

Kausani: The absence of crowds was a welcome change in this place as well. No mall road to boast about but the available accommodation was good enough. The ‘wow’ factor is the spectacular view of the mighty Himalayas – 300 kilometers of unhindered and unmatched majestic view. Peaks Nandadevi, Nandaghunti, Trishul etc. glistening in the morning sunshine, gives lovely viewing pleasure. On a clear morning as you open your bedside window, the sight of these snow-capped mountains which sometimes seem to be bending towards you, simply take your breath away.

Gandhiji spent a few days here in the Anashakti ashram – which is right in the middle of the town and displays some photographs from his life – and called this place ‘the Switzerland of India’. Hindi poet Sumitra Nandan Pant was born in this place.

Baijnath, 19 km downhill from Kausani, boasts of a 1000 year old temple complex situated on the banks of river Gomti. Children enjoyed feeding the fish here.

Bageshwar, a town around the confluence of river Gomti and Sarayu is 26 km further down. Gomti was looking haggard whereas Sarayu was young and full of life.

The distances are:
Delhi – Haldwani – 260
Haldwani – Ranikhet – 56
Ranikhet – Kausani – 70
Kausani – Baijnath – 19
Baijnath – Bageshwar – 26

For the he return journey we took the Almora – Haldwani – Rampur route. The under-construction highway was a nightmare. We were held up in the hills due to ‘Pandara’ which was going on in the nearby temples and it seemed the whole of Kumaon had gathered there. It took 5 hrs to crawl the distance of 10 km to Bhowali. May be due to the intermittent drizzle and the lush green surroundings or the nice hill folks milling about, we never felt tired or bored.

Swargasharam Binsar Mahadev Yagya start on 17 June 2010