1
week in the jungles, only 1 set of dress for that entire week, almost half a
kilogram of accumulated fine dust in my hairs and body, 8 bone wrenching
safaris and tremendous luck were part of this nostalgic trip to the lands of
mighty Brahmaputra. The main agenda of this trip was to meet the endangered
RHINO – if you go to Kaziranga, you can. But I wanted to get the shot of a wild
bull Rhino up-close, like I saw it in my childhood cartoons…
Now begins the photo essay, the description for each photo is the one below it!
This
is for which we went there, but something as close as this was completely
unexpected. The moment I saw him amidst the distant grasses, I asked the jeep driver
to turn off the ignition. He was a huge bull and the seconds I were waiting for
him, with my right eye sweating through the Canon L series lens, seemed to
never end. I had my heart beating at its peak when he emerged out of the
grasses, running straight towards our jeep and those were the moments that
defined the real purpose of this trip. This shot was one amongst the multiple
ones which I shot of this bull Rhino…
A
potential big cat hide out it seemed to be, and the sustained alarm calls from
a male Sambhar influenced our instincts to remain there, quiet and hidden, for
a significantly longer time. But nothing turned out, except for these gorgeous
and leafless trees…
I
love jungle tracts; they are mesmerizing, thrilling and invigorating. This was
on an evening, and few moments from here we caught on to a thrilling elephant
trail…
This
is not the elephant which I mentioned about in the previous passage. He was yet
another, one amongst the many we saw in this trip, cooling of under a lonely
tree as the noon was giving way to the romantic north east dusk, which comes
much early on a watch tuned to IST…
One
of the big bullies of the north east, the endangered Asiatic Water Buffalo. He
is notorious for chases, and as we exceeded his patience he stood and geared up
for the chase. However, we made a quick move from there...
This
was one of the many beautiful visuals that Kaziranga had in store. Apart from a
telephoto lens, reserves like Kaziranga deserve a standard zoom or a wide angle
prime and this scene reiterated that belief…
Wow,
another one, a big bull. He was on an evening stroll along the banks of a lake,
and seemed least bothered about our presence. We spent a very long time with
this guy, and he was beautiful…
On
a morning safari we disturb a herd of deer, busy with their morning drink on a
partially dried up lake bed. Post monsoon, these areas will be submerged under
depths of water that rage from the distant Brahmaputra river…
This
guy was much far away than he appears to be in the photograph, and he imparted
a huge thud on the wet ground with his powerful hoofs which was enough for us
to make a flight from that location…
One
of the many beautiful dusk we encountered in Kaziranga, and every day we will
be the last to leave the confines of the reserve. We would wait until the last
of the safari Jeep dusted past us, and then spend an out of the world “wild”
quietness amongst the undisturbed grasslands of this vast reserve before we
called it a day…
A joint family,
after a long time…
On a freezing cold
north Indian morning, a herd of water buffalo on a morning stroll along the
banks of a lake. It was surprising that, they entered into the cold water few
minutes later…
Our jeep, our protector,
our transporter and our home, for the 1 week that we spent in the jungles…
A
freezing cold morning and I fell in love with that chill, though I would struggle
to wake up at 5 AM every day. Come on; it is a vacation…
A
significantly cropped image, that helps to get close to this bird. I believe
it’s a crane, and its pink legs were gorgeous…
Yet
another evening, yet another view to sign off the day…
Yet
another morning, yet another story to begin…
This
guy emerged out of the bushes, on the bank of a small river, as we keenly
observed his intimidating moves through the undergrowth perched atop our Jeep…
A
first time view - Brahmaputra. I had studied so much about her, in school and
during my preparations for the ICS exam, but nothing could explain her beauty
more than being present there physically. The moments I stood on her massive
banks and observed the distant emptiness, seemed to be that of my own funeral.
Out of this world, more so as my first time with her was inside the depths of
the Jungle and not in a crowded town…
Kaziranga
is so vast, that sometimes landscapes could make up your day, should you miss
all of the Rhinos, elephants and tigers…
As
the sun sets in, creepers and crawlers emerge out of their homes. This monitor
lizard was busty, but made a quick retreat when it learnt of our presence…
A
safari Jeep dusts its way through the forest tract, as we were waiting at a
“potential” spot for the elusive big cat. The Jeep went past, so did time, but
never once the big cat…
This
photo is a continuation of the third passage in this photo essay. We followed
the elephant trail and caught up with this guy, we soon began to stalk him. He
promptly deviated into the bushes and after sometime, it was an eye to eye
moment. I sat frozen on the open jeep, as he beautifully posed for me and the
Canon 5D Mark-3…
These
pathways are extremely dangerous, as the tall elephant grasses provide copious
cover to the beasts of this land. As you drive through, you are assured for a
surprise…
Though
big and powerful, Rhinos are usually shy and would quickly create a “distance”
from you, should you catch them unaware. This guy made a quick retreat into the
bushes after a very close encounter with our Jeep…
Man
is a social animal, but when he sees something like this the “raw animal” in him
wakes up. A flood plain, and that is an elevated anti-poaching tower. Elevation
here is driven by the annual flooding of the mighty Brahmaputra and not by the
hundreds of beasts that call this flood plain their home…
Chilly,
sleepy, dreamy and Iam not fully awake, but still; aroused by the ambience…
Very
beautiful and inviting, but dangerous. Jeeps are your best friend on this “hide
and seek” terrain…
A
beautiful couple, quietly doing away with their breakfast. Shot from atop a
watch tower, it was an amazing vantage point to gather information about the
movements happening around…
Dawn;
and the mists clear, giving way to another day with another story. Dawn and
dusk, particularly in national parks, induce intense emotions…
One
of the many armed guards who accompanied us during this jaunt. They are your
last chance when an eventuality meets you, unexpectedly…
Territorial
instinct and better keep away even if you are on a Jeep. Sometimes, they hit
very hard…
Even
if you fall down, you won’t get hurt. So soft and inviting, you better hold
your temptation and never get down from your vehicle. One of the many beautiful
tracts that Kaziranga contains…
A
tortoise panics upon seeing us. Poor creature, it was at the wrong place
though. This was the only instance in the entire week that I got down from the
jeep during our safaris, to lift up the naughty guy, put him up into the safety
of the bushes and away from vehicles…
Loneliness,
demonstrated in his eyes…
Confusing
landscape, but stimulating. You could easily miss an animal here…
Appears
to be nothing, but this is where I made the photo no 1 for this story. Pure
Rhino and Elephant country this is, and you do not know when they will knock at
your door…
Held
with it loads of potential, enhanced by high intense alarm calls of a deer. But
as always nature surprises more than it satisfies and we left this place with
this picture alone…
A last
second capture of the rear view of a fleeing Rhino, the mild shade on this photograph
is the dust raised by his massive body as he ran past our Jeep…
A ghost? A statue? Nope, it’s a living Rhino in flesh and blood. And this time, nature
satisfied us with a very close view…
An
extremely lonely dawn, as we debited the permitted time perched atop our Gypsy
waiting for an interesting event that never seemed to occur…
A
thrilling dusk sets in, that will see many beasts coming out for their night
hunt. For us, however, it was time to go back to the comfort of our resort 25
Kms away…
When
untouched by humans, nature creates an art even with something as simple as
this pathway…
Another
art by the simple elements of nature…
A
bull Rhino on its evening stroll, as water buffaloes wade through the sea of
fresh and healthy grasses, fed by rich alluvium, in the darkening distance…
A
beautiful end to one of the many safaris, and moments like it made our exit special
and nostalgic…
Clouds
making the best use of fading sunlight to demonstrate their beauty. I did
acknowledge their show of might…
If
you are lucky you could meet “them” right on the middle of this beautiful
pathway, thus producing a priceless opportunity. But it wasn’t our day though…
Hey
buddy, you are a kid. Beware of us, we said…
Hey
you buddy, Iam his mom, said this mighty mother as she completely surprised us
by emerging from the side. We were frozen, but shot multiple frames of her…
A
single bird perched on the top of that distant tree, made the moment erupt with
emotions as we were winding up for yet another day…
The
clouds losing their formation and beauty, as the sun moves to the other side of
the world…
Ahh,
Luck! Right on the middle, right in front our jeep. Such moments overwrite the
eventless hours that went past…
If
you watch carefully, you can see a beautiful couple having an early dinner with
setting sun playing the candle for them…
Oops,
so massive this guy was that we didn’t dare to get close to him. The constraint
with my lens, maximum optical zoom of 105 mm, crippled me from getting a
beautiful shot. Low light further deteriorated the quality…
Northern
dusk in winter arrive early, and they make you dreamy…
An
evening, through the Jungle…
Rainless
cloud, leafless tree, still; a nostalgic story…
Rhino
bro having his evening brunch…
If
you had noticed, this dead tree would have appeared multiple times through this
photo essay. We mostly concluded our safaris, every day, around this single and
lifeless tree. Every day I will try to make a story out of it, but this was the
best of all…
This
guy is powerless, but a culprit in thwarting most of the attempts by predators
through his timely alarm calls. But sometimes, he himself will be the victim…
Time
to sleep, but upon scanning carefully you could see loads of beasts spread over
this vast flood plain…
A
freezing cold north Indian dawn, just as I step out of my cottage for a morning
safari. To have fun, you need to be disciplined and that’s lesson learnt…
A “close
to the heart” departing shot for me, but I couldn’t capture the shivering old
man sitting behind the fire. Thanks to an incorrect exposure setting, I missed
the moment. But it was that miss, which established a longing connection with
this region for me…
Story ends here!
KAZIRANGA SHOWED TO ME THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE – A
LIFE IN THE WILD – THERE’S NO CELEBRATION WHEN YOU ARE BORN, THERE’S NO ONE TO
SUPPORT WHEN YOU LIVE AND THERE’S NO ONE TO CRY WHEN YOU DIE. LIFE GOES ON
WITHOUT EMOTIONS, WITHOUT EGO, BUT; WITH LOTS OF ENERGY AND EVENTS. AND THAT IS
WHAT MAKES A LIFE IN THE WILD, SO WILD…
K.D
