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I dedicate these entries to my daughter Tara who is my greatest style/ fashion critic. During the past two years we have had a lot of memorable discussions on fashion and style and also many shopping and window shopping excursions together. My wife, Gowri, usually opts out as she does not have the patience to spend hours looking at clothes that we have no intention of buying!
Watching Tara’s evolving sense of style and seeing the incredible number of choices in front of her, I remembered the limited choices that I had as a child. In India, in those days we never had so many choices when it came to clothes. But being with her and experiencing firsthand the various factors that influenced her choices, I began to reflect on the various factors that influenced me when it came to matters of fashion. That’s when I realised that it would be a nice idea to document my journey by the changing trends and fashion that I went through while growing up. After giving it a lot of thought I realised that this is a never ending process , that I was still evolving and that my recent choices were now being influenced by an incredibly fashion conscious 14 year old ! I also realised that Gowri seemed to approve of the changes! So here goes..... Of course the mists of time have played their part and I might not be too accurate with regards to dates etc and I am sure that there are a number of gaps in my memory but this is my journey as I remember it.

The Early Years.

The early years are the years when I really don’t remember what I wore! My guess is that I was happy wearing whatever my parents bought me and that I never really gave my clothes much thought. This phase probably lasted till I was about six or seven years old.

The First Fashion Choice.

As far as I can remember the first fashion choice I made was sometime in the seventies. I am sure that this was not a choice made by me but by that time I was old enough to come under peer pressure and thus be influenced by the choices other people made. Remember this was the seventies and I jumped onto the bandwagon! That’s right my pants began to flare out at the bottom and my shoes acquired heels! All I can remember from this time is that we (the boys in my housing colony) would compete with each other in having the longest, hope that’s the right word or maybe widest would be more appropriate, flares on our trousers. I remember the high heeled shoes as well and I think I had two pairs. I don’t really remember the shirts or T Shirts I used to wear but the trousers and shoes are vividly etched in my memory. Another thing that I remember was acquiring my first pair of Bata “Wayfinder “shoes to wear to school. These shoes had a compass imbedded in the insoles. I wonder if any of you remember these shoes. Bata does not make them anymore.

First Change

In 1975 I joined boarding school and acquired my first Blue Blazer, Grey Flannel Trousers, Tie and Scarf. These four garments would play, and still play, a big role in my life though I did not realise it then. In school we were allowed to wear “home clothes “on Sunday and if I remember correctly the flares and high heeled shoes continued to hold sway. I am not sure when the first change took place but it was probably a few years later say late 1977 or early 1978.
This was a major change – the arrival of denim and the Jean. My first jeans were stitched for me, yes stitched! There was a shop in the New Market of Calcutta called “ Jean Junction “ and you could chose you denim and style and they would make them for you. If I remember correctly the flares remained but a lot of Zips made their appearance. On the pockets as well as on the fly! Once again I have no recollection of the shirts or T-shirts but I think the high heeled shoes continued. Also a point to note that up to now there was no fashion style icon that I would relate too, it all sort of just happened.

Levi Strauss & Co.- Red Tab Jeans and the American West

The next major change was the arrival of a pair of Levi Red Tab jeans from the US, a gift from my mother’s brother. Levis had already made sporadic appearances in the wardrobes of my seniors in school, this must have been 1979 or 1980. The flares did the vanishing act and the high heels disappeared. The red full sleeved shirt also made its debut. For any self respecting Mayoite, it was the combination of choice.

The high heeled leather shoes were replaced by white ‘ PT ‘ shoes and leather ‘moccasins’ procured from Chinese shoe shops in Calcutta. The ‘moccasins’, available only in Calcutta, became objects of desire! This also was the time when we discovered the world of the American West through the books of Louis Lamour and fell for the cowboys look. My first fashion icon – the all American Cowboy. Gradually the red shirt was replaced by checked shirts. Cowboy boots, Stetsons and buckskin trousers were unattainable goals almost a fantasy.
Enter Clint Eastwood through the Dollar series and blankets were cut and transformed into ponchos. The denim jacket makes its appearance; a buckskin jacket enters the list of unattainable goals.

And so it remained, with a few minor changes, for a long long time.

Double Barrels

The wardrobe in school was divided into two parts – school clothes and home clothes, and both parts evolved, style and fashion wise, parallel – together but apart. The school uniform, as all uniforms go was pretty much standard, but being a boarding school we had various uniforms for different occasions.

As we got into the senior classes (around 1980) we began to experiment with the uniform. After all we wore it six days a week and suddenly felt that it needed to be spruced up. This led, in the future, to all of us dividing our wardrobes into formal and informal wear, a habit that persists to this day but more on this later. The school uniform was formal wear. The way we wore our uniforms separated us from our juniors, a very important distinction in a boarding school. This phase coincided with the screening of The Great Gatsby in school.

The School Blazer – The school blazer was the focus of our attention, we became aware of cut, style and fit. Good tailoring was the game changer. Blazers were no longer ill fitting Double Breasted affairs made by the school tailor that kept you warm in winter. The style of choice was two button single breast, notch lapels, single vent and patch pockets – tailored at home and made with the best fabrics we could afford. My father, being a boarding school product himself, understood and spared no expense as far as my blazer was concerned.
The Tweed Coat – The blazer found its echo in our home clothes in the Tweed Coat. My first tweed coat was made of Harris Tweed, my father’s old one altered for me as Tweed was difficult to get those days. It was a hacking jacket three buttons, ticket pocket, single vent and cut pockets – to distinguish it from the blazer in style and fabric.

The Jodhpuri Coat aka Bandgala – This was a standard white and there was not much we could do to it except change the fabric – those of us who could switched to a fabric called Sharkskin . The epitome of traditional formal wear was white or cream Sharkskin Jodhpuri, as we called it then. Sharkskin was very difficult to get even then and I was unable to join the Sharkskin club. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the fabric:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharkskin

The White Shirt – Another staple, usually a short sleeved one. The short sleeves were replaced with full sleeves and suddenly collar size and width became important. If I remember correctly were wore small narrow collars. Along with the full sleeves we discovered cuff links and both were worn with the blazer during the winter. In summer we were forced back into half sleeves. All of us had one or two special shirts which we wore on Saturday evenings – cream coloured and in a silk like material.

Shoes – The simple black school shoes was now no longer the Bata school shoe , it was from the slightly higher range from Bata ( there was only Bata then ) . The width of the toe took on an importance of its own and was usually medium to narrow. We had a couple of fancy pairs that we called “Party Shoes “which were loafers (without laces) in suede or preferably Sambar skin if you could get your hands on one. Yes, surprising as it may seem Sambar skin shoes were widely available then esp. in Rajasthan and Delhi. For the members of Gen X, Y or Z who read this blog you might be shocked to hear that Tiger Claw lockets were the height of personal adornment, influenced by the dacoit from Hindi movies. The PT shoes had by now been replaced by a version of the modern sneaker called Gola which in turn had been replaced by Power , but now they were used only for games.

Trousers – Our trousers echoed the cut and fit of our Levi jeans for a long time. Then suddenly sometime in 1982 or so we went in for a change. Cross pockets, single pleats and drainpipes. I can’t remember what caused these changes but this style continued for a long time (till Gowri decided, years later, to take matters into her own hands). The trouser cuff made guest appearances once in a while. The trouser found its echo in our home clothes by appearing in cotton corduroy, the same in all respects except the pleats. Chinos were an unknown quantity then. Don’t know why we never had pleats in our ‘cords ‘but I think it was something to do with the material. The Levis had by then worn out and I was awaiting replenishment from the US! In the meantime we made do with a brand called fus!

In 1983 we discovered Calvin Klein or rather Brooke Shields in one. Till then only the Marlboro man looked good in jeans.

Ties and Scarves or rather Cravats – The narrow collars of our shirts created problems for the school tie which had a broad width so we dumped the tie. When compelled to wear one we would tie it in reverse order so that the narrow part would be visible and wide part would be tucked into our shirts and safely hidden from view. To solve this problem we went in for the scarf, however scarves were not open to all (only for monitors) and so we adopted the cravat, which all of us had a couple.

Saturday Night

Every Saturday night, after dinner, the school would screen a film at the Bikaner Pavilion. This was an open air pavilion and as you can guess it was freezing cold in winters. As a concession to the weather we were allowed to wear our warm home clothes with our uniforms for the movie. It was like opening the flood gates. All our special clothes would come out – the silky shirt, the party shoes, the cravat and when it was really cold – that example of eternal sublime elegance – the white Polo neck Sweater worn under the silky shirt topped by the blazer! Brand of choice - St. Michaels. Now better known as Marks & Spencer’s. Among the other notables would be woollen mufflers and leather gloves (black).

And So

And so I left school with a John Travolta haircut as in Saturday Night Fever – till then we thought that only women could wear their hair without a parting -having learnt how to twist ( which was a rage - why I have no idea ) and getting used to the feel of a razor on my chin to enter the big bad world of a Delhi College. To come face to face with the opposite sex , till then represented by Brooke Shields in her Calvin’s , to my first exposure to GQ magazine and to Richard Greer in the American Gigolo - it was a great time only the women were a disappointment but then who could measure up to Brooke Shields ? . The story continues.

Nature Lounge in association with IndiaSocial presents "IMPRINTS" -- a photo exhibition showcasing nature and wildlife. - one of my photographs has been selected for exhibition and sale.

The showcase will host approximately 50 Limited Edition frames printed on Archival canvas. Each frame will be up for sale accompanied by a certificate of authentication personally signed by the artist.

Part of the proceeds from sale of artwork will be used by IndiaSocial for uplifting lives of underprivileged people in India.

The exhibition is expected to be attended by friends, photographers, celebrities, bureaucrats, art buyers, art collectors. All the major media houses would be covering the event and helping us in raising awareness about nature and its conservation.

There would be interactive sessions with photographers and naturalists during the showcase.


Time Friday, July 1 at 10:30am - July 5 at 7:00pm

Location Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Art Complex
Kumarakrupa Road, Shivananda Circle

This is the true story of Marriappan, an elephant from Tamil Nadu. Marriappan is a huge male elephant with lovely long tusks. His tusks are his pride and joy, milky white in colour and running parallel to each other. If Veerapan had his moustache, Marriapan has his tusks.
Marriappan was born in the tranquil surroundings of the Kozhikamudhi Elephant Camp located in the pristine forests better known as Top Slip in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, near Pollachi, Tamil Nadu. The camp is situated in a lovely valley with a perennial river (Varagaliyar) flowing nearby. There is a settlement for elephant-men (mahouts/cawadis) within the camp, who were a part and parcel of his upbringing.
While everyone knew who is mother was there were some doubts as to the identity of his father. His mother Sivagami would interact with wild elephants, and so there was the possibility that Marriappan’s father was a wild male. The two camp elephants, Kaleem and IG-1 could also have been his father especially IG-1 who was often seen with Sivagami. However such mundane matters did not seem to bother Marriappan as he grew up in these idyllic surroundings. He did not want for company as he had a large family in the other camp elephants and an extended family comprising of the mahouts and cawadis all of whom he knew well and who in turned cared for him. It was all a baby elephant born in captivity could ask for. He lived in natural surroundings, enjoyed long and frequent walks in the forest along with his mother and other members of his family and he especially enjoyed playing and frolicking in the river.
This idyllic childhood was interrupted for a short period when he was around two years old. Like all children Marriappan had to attend school! He was separated from his mother and began to be conditioned to lead an independent life as well as to be trained to be part of a work force. After this initial period of schooling, Marriappan returned to live with his mother and the rest of his family and all seemed right with his world.
At the age of seven Marriappan was moved to the Arulmighu Mariamman temple in Samayapuram, Trichy and he found himself, for the first time in his life, in unfamiliar surroundings. Gone were the beautiful forest that was his home. He now lived in an urban jungle. The soft ground was replaced by hard cement and he was no longer able to go for long leisurely walks in the forest nor was he able to frolic in the river. Instead he was assailed by strange rumbling and honking sounds – his new home was located along the busy Trichy-Chennai National Highway.
However, like most children, after an initial period of uncertainty what with the pain of separation from his family, a different diet and daily routine, Marriappan seemed to adjust to his new home and even made friends with his new mahout and his family. He was cheerful and playful by nature and this worked to his advantage. Soon he became one of the more popular members of the temple community, especially among the many visitors, and was allowed to roam free within the temple compound. In 2003, at the age of fourteen, Marriapan took his first official holiday - to the elephant Rejuvenation Camp in the Mudumalai Forest camp.
However by this time Marriappan had grown into adulthood. He was a magnificent specimen; he had developed a large tall body and his now famous tusks. All this made him look quite intimidating and he began to initiate fear among the public and even his mahout. At around this time Marriappan began to show a change in behaviour which was bought about his change in lifestyle. The consequences were severe. To ensure safety for the public and the mahout’s lack of confidence in handling the animal, Mariappan was chained. His unintentional behaviour was considered a threat and he was condemned to a life in chains. He would serve seven years.
For seven years he was isolated from everything and everyone and kept constantly chained. He was totally neglected and his cell would not be cleaned, dung and urine would pile up. His diet changed and he was given monotonously repetitive food. Water was provided through hose pipes- a far cry from the river he was used to. To add insult to injury he would be tranquilised on yearly bases to enable his mahout to either tighten his chains or to clean out his cell. It was the worst form of solitary confinement ever melted out to anybody. A living hell.
After being subjected to such treatment for seven years the temple authorities decided that they could not handle him anymore and requested the Forest Department to shift Marriappan from the temple. The department came up with various options but for various reasons these failed. It was at this time that a Court directive was issued with regard to temple elephants. Mariappan was to be transferred to the Arignar Anna Zoological Park or the Vandalur zoo in Chennai. His sentence was coming to an end.
Careful arrangements were made to shift Marriappan which included a through medical check-up, which was long overdue. His new home was prepared to accommodate him, special attention was paid to making him feel comfortable and to familiarise him with his new handlers. A female elephant form the temple, who was known to Marriappan, helped him make the transition.
In his new home, in infinitely better suuroundings and with better treatment Marriappan responded positively. He accepted his new handlers and was soon allowed them to touch his tusks and was in turn allowed to graze by tying a single chain. A far cry from the dangerous beast he was made out to be! Soon he was socialising with an adult female and five juveniles. He was revitalized, allowed to roam freely and given small work such as lifting and carrying fodder, walking around the zoo; this improved Marriappan’s physical and mental health. Eventually he resumed his education by attending a week long crash course!
The icing on the cake and the happy ending to his story was soon to follow. After spending two months at the zoo, it was decided that Marriappan should return home- to the very place where he was born and spent the best days of his life – the elephant camp at Top Slip, where he would be reunited with his mother.
Marriappan now lives in Top Slip where he spends his day roaming in the forests of his childhood. He is allowed to graze free in the forest from 9.300 AM to 4.00 Pm, in the company of his mother Sivagami and her female companions. During the night he is tied to a tree with a ten meter long chain, with grass and mud as bedding in contrast to being chained within a concrete room for seven years without any opportunity to walk or move out of its confinement. He receives two sumptuous meals a day which takes care of his nutritional requirements.
At present Marriappan does no work but is being trained to be a koonkie. The Anamalai forest camp specialises in koonkie operations and Mariappan’s height and tusks make him a potential candidate. Any male elephant born in this camp or any tusker brought to this camp is trained to be a koonkie. Mariappan too is being considered for this task and this could well be his future calling in life.
Mariappan only fault seemed to be his size and intimidating appearance. Due to this and the reluctance of his then mahout, reluctance born out of ignorance and fear, he was put through seven years in hell. It is a credit to him and his kind that despite such cruelty at the hands of man, Marriappan shows no trace of animosity. He is now as docile as can be and even allows his mahouts young son , a mere toddler , to handle him.

Last month I was fortunate enough to be able to make a short visit to the Kuno - Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary . It was a day visit arranged by Dharmender Khandal of the NGO Tiger Watch as part of their Conservation Leadership Course which I was attending.

The Kuno - Palpur WLS is located between latitudes 25degree 30second - 25degree 53second N and longitudes 77degree 07second – 77degree 26second E, is situated in the Sheopur district of north-west Madhya Pradesh. The total area is 344.686 sqkm out of which 313.984 sqkm is forest land and 30.702 sqkm is revenue land in the Sheopur and Vijapur tehsils of Sheopur district. The Palpur (Kuno) wildlife sanctuary was notified vide Government of Madhya Pradesh Forest Department’s Notification No. 15/8/79/10/2, Bhopal, dated 16.1.1981.Since then this has been elevated to the Kuno Wildlife Division with an additional area of 900 square kilometres as a buffer area around the Sanctuary.

This sanctuary is situated at Vijaypur and Sheopur tehsils in Sheopur district. It is 15 km. from the Sesaipura bus stand on Shivpuri-Sheopur road. It can be approached by bus or taxi from Sesaipura bus stand. It can also be approached from Pohari of district Shivpuri at the distance of 25 km. It is about 100 km from Sawai Madhopurtown and as a lot of people visit Ranthambore it can easily be included in their iternary. The sanctuary is situated in an isolated hill, sloping in all directions.The average rainfall in the area is 750 mm per year. The maximum temperature can rise up to 49 degree C while the minimum temperature recorded has been 2 degree C.The general physiography of the terrain is hilly. It comes under the Vindhya series. The sanctuary falls in the semi-arid zone and has a typical terrain of Central Indian highlands, interspersed with woodlands and meadows. The soil is sandy and sandy-loam, showing a spatial variation in depth. River kuno, a a tributary of River Chambal, vertically bisects the sanctuary from north to south. It occupies an area of 5.90 sqkm in the sanctuary. A number of major of major nallahs like Lankahkhoh, Kudikheda, Durredi, Aamkhoh originate from the gorges located on the west, join river Kuno. Similarly, the Dabhona nallah, Naharkunda nallah, Gangoli nallah etc. originating from the eastern khohs, meet the Kuno river at various sites.



The Kuno River.




The Palpur Fort overlooking the Kuno River.

The Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary was selected as the reintroduction site for critically endangered Asiatic lion because it is in the former range of the lions before it was hunted into extinction in about 1873.It was selected following stringent international criteria and internationally accepted requirements & guidelines developed by IUCN/SSC Reintroduction Specialist Group[4] and IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group which are followed before any reintroduction attempt anywhere in the world.Currently the Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project is underway. The lions are to be reintroduced from Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in the neighboring Indian state of Gujarat where they are currently overpopulated. This has involved the displacement of twenty four villages of the Sahariya tribe, which had lived in the remote core area set aside for the reintroduction of the Asiatic lions, who agreed to move out.

As the state government of Gujarat is refusing to let go of its monopoly of wild Asiatic Lions which are not found elsewhere, for the time being Central Government of India plans to acquire Zoo-bred pure breed Asiatic lions from Hyderabad, Bhopal and Delhi Zoos and soft release their third generation after captive breeding in a large enclosure at Kuno wildlife sanctuary with wild prey. The State Government of Gujarat rejects the idea of Kuno being an alternate habitat for the Asiatic lion and comments that since Kuno Palpur sanctuary has had some tigers, it’s not advisable to shift Gir lions there, as there are bound to be frequent clashes between the two kings over territories and as per them it has been observed that tigers and lions can never co-exist. This statement is challenged by historical records and scientists around the world, Lions and Tigers have shared the same habitat from Persia (Iran) to India all through history before they became extinct by over hunting and habitat conversion to agriculture.

However the MP Govt. seems to have given up on Lion relocation as Kuno will soon become the Asian home of the African Cheetah. The Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chouhan gave consent in principal for resettlement of African cheetahs in the sanctuary after updating himself through a presentation on the Project Cheetah.The presentation was given by the Wildlife Institute of India and Wildlife Trust of India.Renowned wildlife expert and chairman of Wildlife Trust of India Mr Ranjit Singh gave the detailed presentation on Project Cheetah. He informed that the Cheetah was spotted way back in Madhya Pradesh 62 years ago in 1948. The Asiatic Cheetah survives in Iran, which has a population of about 50 Cheetahs.The African Cheetahs are found in good numbers in Africa at present. As Iran is unwilling to give any of its Cheetahs to India , the African Cheetah will be relocated here .The Government of India has sanctioned Project Cheetah as a result of initiatives of the Wildlife Trust of India.

The pitch has however been queered by the arrival of a transient tiger T - 38 from Ranthambore . The tiger traveled almost 100 km from Ranthambhore and is believed to have used the Chambal river system to reach Kuno .


Pug Mark of T-38 in Kuno.

How the mess will be sorted out is anybody's guess.However the Sanctuary is a beautiful spot to visit if you are looking for a destination that is untouched by tourism.Here are a few photographs to illustrate my point.














Feral cattle also roam the sanctuary, left behind by the relocated Sahariya tribal herders. The cattle were intended to serve as buffer prey for Asiatic Lions until wild prey populations were revived. T - 38 is now reaping the benefits !

Methods of Elephant Capture.
Sanskrit literature lists five methods of capturing wild elephants in the following order of suitability:
1. In pens or stockades (called Khedda).
2. By the means of female decoys.
3. Mela Shikar or lassoing of elephants.
4. By nooses concealed on the ground.
5. Pit method – trapping them in drop pits.

Over a period of time each of these methods came to be associated with certain areas of the country. They also evolved over time with differences due to adaptations to local conditions. Before we discuss these methods we need to familiarize ourselves with the terms used to describe the various players.
Koonki – tame elephant trained for elephant catching.
Mahout – elephant rider.
Phandi – professional elephant nooser.
Kamla – grass cutter.

1. Pens or stockades
The capturing of elephants in pens or stockades is also known as Khedda and is the most widely known method. The word Khedda is derived from the Hindi word khedna which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit khet which means to drive. In this method wild elephants were literally driven into a pen or stockade.
The original method as practiced in Northern India by the people loosely termed ‘Aryan‘was a simple large space enclosed by a circular trench. The trench was usually thirty feet wide and twenty four feet deep. The excavated soil was thrown up into a steep bank on the outside. The only entrance was a bridge covered with a deep layer of earth, turf and leaves strong enough to take the weight of elephants. Female decoy elephants were kept in the enclosure. Men kept a watch from hiding places in the bank of earth and once a wild herd entered the enclosure they would demolish the bridge thus effectively trapping the herd. The trapped herd would be kept without food and water and after a while the bridge would be rebuilt and domesticated elephants introduced to subdue the wild herd.
This system evolved through the ages and the latter additions were walls, the trench merely served as reinforcement, bridges were replaced by gates and instead of using decoys, wild elephants were driven in.
The wooden stockades evolved differently in different areas. In the north a simple stockade wall with a trench on the inside was used. In eastern India, due to the softer nature of the soil, a palisade wall was used to reinforce the trench. Further east in Burma the nature of the soil was unsuited to trenching and only a stockade was used. A platform ran all along the top of the wall where men with spears protected the wall from the ravages of the captives. This method is also practiced by the Khamtis of Assam who are of Shan decent. An interesting case of cultural influences in elephant capture. The Karens of Burma used a simple stockade with a pair of gently tapering funnel walls which ended at a thick tree. The elephants would be driven into the gully and cut off by drop gates and then secured to the side walls. In India this method became synonymous with the eastern part of the country especially Assam.
In Assam the size of the stockade did not exceed the size of a tennis court and were circular in shape. The walls were built with comparatively flimsy jungle wood poles but were well braced with cross members and strengthened from the outside with heavy poles. The base was buried deep and backed up by the earth excavated from the V shaped trench which ran all around the inside. No nails were used in the construction and all lashing were of cane. The stockades were usually placed near salt licks or elephant paths. There was a difference in the stockade erected along elephant path. These had two gates facing in opposite directions with a pair of funnel walls for each gate and often two stockades, one leading into another was built to accommodate large catches. Another feature of the Assam method is that koonkis were not used. Men in small contingent of approximately twenty five were used to drive the elephants into the stockade. At times elephants were driven in from long distances. Parties of men would keep the herd on the move without stampeding it. Once near the stockade the herd would be moved constantly within a specified area called the surround, which was demarcated by a cleared trace. This was called kukker shikar or dog tracking. The final drive into the stockade would always be done during the night as it was easier for the men to accomplish this task in the dark. The method employed for stockades situated near salt licks was different. There were no drives over long distances instead a waiting game was played. Watchers were placed strategically on machans overlooking the salt licks. Once a herd was sighted these men would descend and warn the others. These men would then drive the herd into the stockade, again during the night, using torches made of dry wood/ bamboo. Men on holding lines would guide the herd into the stockade. The final drives were always done at night because it was impossible for small bands of men to manage it during the day.
As mentioned earlier this method over time was practiced in the eastern part of the country and also in Burma. However this method was introduced with various modification to other parts as well, the most famous of which was the Mysore state.
In south India the Pit method of capture, which we shall describe later, was widely used, Khedda was virtually unknown. The first person to try and capture elephants in this way was Hyder Ali, the father of Tipu Sultan, in the seventeenth century. He was unsuccessful and no further attempts were made. The British were the first to try again and an attempt by Col. Pearson, a British Army officer in 1867 also resulted in failure. The next to try was another British officer, this time from the Canal or Irrigation Department, named G.P.Sanderson. He had no previous experience in capturing elephants he was however interested and knowledgeable in the habits of wild elephants. After repeated representations which were supported by his superior, the Mysore Government in 1873 undertook to capture wild elephants and he was put in charge. He was successful in his second attempt in 1874 at a place called Kardihalli. In 1875 he was put in charge of the Elephant Catching establishment at Dhaka for a period nine months. On his return from Dhaka he perfected the khedda system in Mysore. He is said to have taken experienced elephant men from Dhaka who formed the main stay of the operation .In time the Kuruba tribals and others learnt the art of elephant driving.
The Mysore Khedda especially the Kakankote Kheddas were very different from the Assam Khedda. The Mysore Kheddas were large undertakings which required a large number of men and koonkis. Wild elephant herds had to be brought in from long distances and were moved in stages and held when necessary in position until the exact time when they would be driven into the stockade in full view of distinguished guests. This involved months of planning and preparation and large contingents of men and koonkis, as many as forty koonkis and a thousand men would be used. The size of the stockade would extend over five acres. It was a very expensive operation and a far cry from the almost cottage industry kheddas of Assam. The unique feature of a Kakankote khedda was the river drive which was first designed and carried out by G.P.Sanderson in honour of The Grand Duke of Russia during his visit to Mysore in 1891. In the river drive the elephants were driven across the Kabini river into the stockade and this proved to be a popular spectacle with special visitors gallery being set up to allow people to witness the grand finale of a Kakankote khedda. The only other elephant capturing operation that could compare with the Mysore Kheddas as a spectacle were those of Thailand. Here too the Khedda method was of ancient origin and was staged every few years near the city of Ayuthia. It is interesting to note that the kraal method of capturing elephants as practiced in Sri Lanka is comparable to that of Mysore and Thailand. We shall discuss the Sri Lankan methods later.

2. Female Decoys.
This was considered to be one of the most dangerous ways to capture elephants as it was used to capture large males. The system was used in South India especially in the Mysore area. Highly trained female koonkis were used as decoys. Once a large solitary male elephant was located, the female decoys with men concealed in blankets on their necks would be sent out to graze next to it. In time the male, especially if he was in musth, would become completely enamored of the decoys. Every time the male would try to rest the decoys would move off compelling the male to follow. Over a period of time, with several changes of koonkis done away from him, he would he reduced to a stage of drowsiness and his hind legs would be secured. He was then allowed to vent his anger and exhaust himself. Once exhausted his neck would be lassoed and he would be led away to be trained.
The Ahoms of Assam also used female decoys to capture elephants but their method was radically different. A permanent trench was dug from the Naga Hills. It ran in a straight line to near their old capital, Rangpur near Sibsagar. It was deep but only sufficiently wide to allow one elephant to enter at a time. It had drop gates at intervals for cutting off and impounding elephants as they entered following the decoys. The decoys were fed on diet of special food and medicines as laid down in the Hastiputhis. These decoys emitted a peculiar and strong smell that would attract elephants especially males from a great distance.

3. Mela Shikar or lassoing of elephants.

Mela Shikar or the lassoing / noosing of wild elephants from the back of trained elephants is a method that is employed In Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. In India it is most widely practiced in Assam. The basic team consists of three men, besides the koonki or trained elephant. The Phandi who does the actual lassoing, the Mahout who controls the koonki and the Kamala or grass cutter who sees to the needs of the koonki. A man usually starts at the bottom i.e. as a grass cutter and eventually makes his way up to become a Phandi.
During Mela Shikar, the Mahout’s place is at the rear end of the saddle pad and not in front as is usually the case. He holds on to a sling with one hand and uses the other free hand to goad and control the speed of the koonki. The lassoing of the wild elephant and intricate maneuvering of the koonki is done by the Phandi. The hunt is usually carried out in small parties so that they can help each other in case of trouble. The hunt starts early in the morning with the tracking of wild elephant herds. The men communicate with each other with the help of signs and low whistles. Once a herd is spotted they approach is made silently and swiftly, avoiding any bulls that might happen to be with the herd. Young elephants are the target with young females being most in demand, followed by young tuskers. Occasionally large tuskers are also sought, Makhanas are usually avoided. This preference is based on the market value of the various types of elephants.
Top class koonkis, without instructions from their mahouts, use their trunk, head, legs and body to frustrate any attempts by the captive to escape. Once the wild elephant is noosed the Phandi will haul in the slack and tie a check rope to the noose. This is done to avoid strangling the captive. The captive is then tied to the koonki, on the side where the phand or rope is attached to the koonki’s girth rope.
There are specific rules about the art of managing the koonki, the method of handling and tying of the phand. Even the way of folding the phand on the koonki’s back is prescribed. While the rules are laid down it is experience and a long apprenticeship coupled with intelligence and deftness that produces an excellent Phandi. A Phandi relies on his experience and intelligence to govern the instantiations pulling upward of the noose when he drops it over the elephants head, bringing it up tight without allowing the elephant to use its trunk to grab it , pulling in the phand swiftly at the correct moment , when to allow the koonki to go along with the captive and when to stop it, and the final tying of the check rope when the captive is under control. It is therefore no surprise that the Phandis occupy the top echelons among the elephant men.
The capture of solitary males, especially those that are young and powerful is the ultimate test for a Phandi and a Phandi that brings in such an animal earns great kudos. At times when such animals are very powerful and put up a fight more than one koonki and phand are used, this is called Dohar or Tehar (two or three). In such cases all the koonkis involved share in the catch. Often teams of Phandis worked together to capture larger numbers of individual elephants in a practice known as Byle Shikar.

A similar method used to be practiced in Nepal. It was called Pitha Shikar. In this method solitary elephants are chased over great distances by small and fast koonkis until exhaustion. The exhausted elephant would usually take refuge in a swamp or a water body. If the elephant was small enough it would be noosed around the neck, if it was too large then its hind legs would be secured by a figure of 8 rope by men. A long trailing rope would be attached and the animal allowed to roam free. He is watched by the koonkis and when exhausted by his attempts to free himself he is finally noosed over the head and secured.

Among the Mois of Indonesia, noosing was a sport rather than an economic activity. Ropes of buffalo hide or leather were used. These were fixed to the end of a ten foot pole and fastened to a double cane band around the koonki’s body. The noose at the end would be slipped not around the head but the hind leg of the wild elephant.

A unique method evolved in the Kampang-Thom area of Cambodia. Here instead of nooses, harpoons would be used. In this method elephant herds were prevented from returning to the hills at the end of the dry season and confined to low lying areas. When the rains arrived and flood levels were at their peak, canoes would move into action and the elephants would be harpooned through their ear flaps. The harpooned elephants would be tied to the branch of a tree on which men would be stationed to watch over it. The elephants were forced to swim or they would drown. To prevent it from drowning a rope would be passed under its stomach to support it. Once the water receded the exhausted elephant would be taken to a training camp.

4. By nooses concealed on the ground.
Another method employed is to conceal nooses on the ground, the aim being to noose one of the hind legs of a passing elephant. The best exponents of this art were to be found in Ceylon or Sri Lanka as it is now called. The exponents of this art are the Panikkans. Ropes of rawhide mode form deerskin about twenty five long are spread on the ground , about a inch or two below the surface of the soil , with the other end anchored to a tree. The men would conceal themselves behind trees and secure the hind legs of elephants as they passed. There is another method employed by the Panikkans in which a party of men lies in wait for a herd. Once the herd is sighted they attempt to stampede it. A young elephant is selected and chased and the noose is slipped over a hind leg and the other end is secured to a tree. The elephant falls down and the second leg is noosed after which the neck is also noosed. This method on noosing elephants on foot is probably the most difficult and dangerous off all the methods. The Panikkans of Sri Lanka had perfected the art and made it their own.

5. Pit method – trapping them in drop pits.
This is by far the most primitive method of capturing wild elephants and practiced widely in South India. Pits would be dug in areas frequented by elephants. The site for the pit had to be level. The pits were twelve feet square and twelve feet deep and tapering to nine feet at the bottom. Depending on the soil type some pits were as deep as fifteen feet. The bottom of the pit would be lined with a thick layer of brushwood about four to five feet thick and with a top layer of grass tied in bundles, about two feet thick to cushion the fall of the animal. The mouth of the pit would be covered with a criss- cross of split bamboo over which a layer of grass and leaves would be spread. The excavated earth would be removed to a distance and camouflaged with the surroundings. The pit would be inspected daily and once an animal was trapped the information would be relayed and koonkis would arrive to remove the captive at the earliest. Care was taken to remove the captive within twenty four hours. In case this was not possible, a shelter would be constructed to protect the captive from the sun.
Once caught, water would be poured over the captive to keep it cool, and drinking water would be provided via a bamboo tube. The captive would be disturbed as little as possible. Ropes would be used to remove the captive from the pit and the size of the noose would be calculated on the basis that the neck of an elephant is 7/8 th its height. A peg would be driven trough the rope to prevent strangulation. Two or three logs would be placed across the top to allow men move about. The noose would be kept open with the aid of hooked sticks and a white cloth dangled over the elephants head. When the elephant would try and reach for the cloth with its trunk, the noose would be lowered over its head and around its neck. After noosing the neck, one of the hind legs would be secured. These ropes would be fastened to koonkis and the pit would be filled with bundles of wood and grass and the captive would scramble out.
The captive was then marched in easy stages to the training area which was a corral of 12 feet square. Once secured in the enclosure all ropes would be removed and the animal would be treated kindly and given continuous attention which would eventually tame it. It was acknowledged that the captive elephants in the south were mush better treated, cared for and looked after than anywhere else in the world.

By the end of the Second World War the demand for elephants slowly died down and with the decline in demand the elephant catching industry went into decline. In time the elephant was declared a protected animal and capturing them from the wild became illegal. Today elephant capture is used as tool to manage problem individuals and is carried out by the Forest Departments of various states, which still maintain a large number of them. The days of the professional elephant capturer are over and it seem that with the further passage of time the art of elephant capture will die a natural death.

The elephant has been an integral part of Indian culture, history and religious belief since times immemorial. From ancient times till the recent past, it has played a significant part both as a vehicle of war and as a beast of burden. It is no wonder that the elephant has entered the Hindu pantheon in the form of Lord Ganesha, who is arguably the most popular deity in India even today. The elephant also figures prominently in other religion that originated in India i.e. Buddhism and Jainism. It is thus safe to argue that the capture of elephants from the wild and its subsequent use by man was pioneered in the Indian sub continent.
Ancient Sanskrit literature is a rich source of the methods for the capture and care of elephants. The sage Palakapya, who lived in what is now Assam in the 5 Th century is considered the founder of elephant lore as recorded in the Sanskrit classic the Gajashastra.The Ramayana also has references to elephant capture vividly described by Valmiki. Scenes of elephant capture have been depicted on the walls of the Konark Temple in Orissa. In addition to the records in Sanskrit literature, both the Chola Kings of Tanjore and the Ahoms of Assam have left a large collection of elephant literature.
Western writers and commentators on India have left their own written accounts. They include Megasthenes in 200 BC, Strabo in 130 AD and Indicoplenstes in 600 AD. Their accounts are however jumbled and at times contradictory to each other. The later European conquerors of India, the British, soon realized the importance of elephants in India and took over the business of elephant capture. They left detailed records on the methods used etc and attempted to standardize procedures for their capture, training and handling in captivity.

Classification of Elephants.
Like all domesticated animals, elephant too were classified into classes according to their physical and emotional qualities. This classification has varied during the ages; the ancient Hindu texts classified them into eight classes according to their build and temperament. However by Medieval times this was whittled down to four main types as detailed in the Ain – i – Akbari of Abdul Fazl, written during the times of the Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great. The Ahoms of Assam, the great elephant men of the east, in their great elephant literature the Hathiputhis, associated different human qualities with different elephant types and recognized a number of different classes. By the modern ages three main Bandhs or Castes were generally recognized. These were first described in the Matanga Lila of Nilakantha. The Matanga-Lila is considered the best available Sanskrit text on elephantology. However nothing is known of Nilakantha who is mentioned as its author and the antiquity of the work is also not known. The three Bandhs are as follows:
1. Koomeriah – The thoroughbred of the elephants, it was also considered a royal animal and was much prized both for its qualities as well as its rarity. A Koomeriah has short hind legs, a massive body, thick wrinkled skin, a thick trunk and a noble head. It was considered to be dependable and courageous by nature. It was a hardy animal which did not lose condition easily.
2. Mreega – The Mreega was a deer like type animal with long legs, light weedy body and thin skin. It was not considered very hardy and would lose condition if not looked after properly. The bulk of elephants belonged to this bandh.
3. Dwasala – This was the type that was intermediate to both the Koomeriah and the Mreega.

Apart from these bandhs, certain signs were considered good or bad and would influence the selling price of elephants. Some of these signs are:
• Light coloured eyes i.e. pale white eyes with a reddish tinge, were a bad sign and such animals were considered to be very dangerous for their owners. However during Akbar’s time this was considered a desirable quality.
• A black spot on the palate or tongue meant bad luck to the owner.
• Elephants have a total of eighteen toes (five on each foreleg and four on each hind leg), an animal with anything less was considered unlucky and an animal having sixteen toes was considered especially unlucky.
• A broom tail, an abnormally long tail that swept the ground was unlucky.
• An animal with two teat like protuberances under the throat like in goats was considered inauspicious.
• A stump tail would reduce price.
• The tail had to be of the right length – touching the hocks of the hind leg and had to have twenty seven joints.
• The tail at its best had to have glossy, crescent shaped hairs with one slightly overlapping the other.
• Trunks had to be of the correct length – not too long or short.
• Ears not too small.
• Thick, wrinkled skin that hang loosely on the body and which could be caught up in ones hand was very desirable.
• A well developed frontal hump and a hairy head were both good signs.
• A pie bald animal (with black and white spots all over the body) was much prized.

Elephants were bought and sold in annual animal fairs and four famous elephant fairs were held in what is now North Bihar. These fairs are extremely old and are thought to be the main markets for the purchase of war elephants for the stables of the Maurayan King Chandra Gupta. The most important and celebrated is the Sonepur or Harihar Chatra Mela which is still held to this day during the first full moon in November. The other are the Kharga Mela held in January, the Singeswar Mela held in February / March and the Nak – mard Mela held in April.

While the art of domesticating and training elephants developed originally in Asia it slowly spread westwards to North Africa. The use of elephants for war first spread westwards to the Persian Empire and they were used in several campaigns and in turn came to influence the campaigns of Alexander the Great. The first confrontation between Europeans and the Persian war elephants occurred at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC, where the Persians were thought to have deployed fifteen elephants, however some sources maintain that the Persians ultimately failed to deploy them in the final battle owing to their long march the day before. Alexander won resoundingly at Gaugamela, but was deeply impressed by the enemy elephants and took these first fifteen into his own army, adding to their number during his capture of the rest of Persia .The art was finally transmitted after the first contact between Alexander the Great and the armies of the Indian Kings – the most notable being the armies of Porus. After Alexander’s death his successors in India who founded the Seleucid and Ptolemaic Dynasties used war elephants extensively. These however were Asian elephants trained and handled by Indians and acquired as tribute or as spoils of war. By the time of the 2 nd Ptolemaic Dynasty in 280 BC the first attempts to capture and domesticate the African elephant was made. These were the smaller forest elephant. The Carthaginians and the Egyptians were the most successful and they began in 277 BC. Their most famous general Hannibal used elephants in his army. The story of Hannibal marching his elephants across the Alps to fight the Romans is well known to every school boy in the world. However the introduction of war elephants was primarily the result of the Greek kingdom of Epirus which used them in the battle of Heraclea against the Romans in 280 BC. They used elephants imported from India via the Seleucid Empire in Syria. The next year, the Greeks again deployed elephants, attacking the Romans at the battle of Asculum and they were ultimately responsible for the Greek victory. The Romans started using war elephants in the aftermath of Scipio Africanus' campaign in Africa, they managed to acquire a number of war elephants, and Carthaginian soldiers trained to ride them and fight from their backs. Alliances with Numidian chieftains like Massinissa also brought an auxiliary corps of elephants into the Roman war machine. However by the time of Claudius the practice had almost died out - the last significant use of war elephants in the Mediterranean was against the Romans at the battle of Thapsus 46 BC, where Julius Caesar armed his fifth legion (Alaudae) with axes and commanded his legionaries to strike at the elephant's legs. The legion withstood the charge, and the elephant became its symbol. Thapsus was the last significant use of elephants in the West. With the decline of the Roman Empire and the extinction of the African Forest elephant due to overexploitation the art was lost, only to be revived in the Congo due to the efforts of King Leopold II of Belgium.

The British Era.
The British were quick to realize the advantages of elephants in India and they used them extensively in both war and peace. The British Army in India used elephants both for its artillery wing and its commissariat. To ensure a steady supply of elephants the British Army set up a regular elephant catching establishment in Dhaka in modern day Bangladesh. However in 1900 they transferred this establishment to Burma as the number of elephants in the Garo Hills, the main catchment area of the establishment, was depleted due to over exploitation.
However a thriving elephant catching industry was present in Assam which supplied the demand for elephants from tea gardens, the timber industry and for other civilian purposes. Elephants were also in great demand by the various Princely States and large Zamindars. After the closure of the Dhaka establishment in 1900 many British adventures entered the elephant catching business which saw a boom due to the sudden reduction in supply. Many of them were Tea Planters who branched out while still holding their current positions in the Tea industry. Most of them went into partnership with the Assamese catchers. Some of the more famous one were:
Dalrymple – Clarke: He was a retired Police Superintendant who went into partnership with some Assamese mahaldars while holding a position in the Tea Industry. He bought elephants and sold them to timber firms in Burma, most notably the Bombay Burma Trading Company which incidentally still exists and owns Tea and Coffee estates in the South.
Errol Grey: He spent thirty years in the business and operated mostly in North Lakhimpur in Assam. He also operated in Upper Burma and the Naga Hills. He retired in 1920 which was another landmark year in the history of elephant capture which we shall hear more about later.
Fred Kingsley: A Tea Planter from Darjeeling who went into partnership with his Assamese Clerk’s father. He started in 1897 and retired after about twenty years in the business. He returned to Darjeeling a rich man where he started his own Tea Estates with his brother. He is credited with being the first to introduce stockades to the Garo Hills and Bhutan. He operated mainly in the Garo Hills, Goalpara and later in the Bengal Duars and Bhutan.
The elephant catching industry, so to speak, was administered and controlled by the British through the Forest Department. Elephant catching areas were identified and divided into leases, these specific leases or lots( Mahals) were then leased out to individuals who were called Mahaldars i.e. lease owners who had to pay a royalty to the Government for each animal captured according to its sex and type. The Mahaldars in turn employed or contracted trained domestic elephants and men to do the catching. It was an intricate system with many stakeholders and more often than not a gamble. While many made fortunes, many also lost all they had. The system was however soon to change.
In 1909 a young officer joined the Assam Khedda Service. His name was A.J.W.Milroy and in time he was to become a legend in Assam whose name is still revered among the elephant men to this day. It was not long before Milroy realized the unnecessary cruelty in the business and decided to step in to clean it up. He realized that to do so the Govt. had to play a bigger role and to take some of the gamble out of the business, which seemed to be one of the factors that contributed to the cruelty.
With the support of his boss the Conservator and the Governor of Assam he drew up a set of rules which were aimed at the rationalization and humanization of the catching operations. These rules were enforced in 1922. He also abolished the old system and introduced the Department Khedda which was a more equitable system. Instead of a flat royalty rate he introduced a share system where all stakeholders from the Government to the stockade man had a stake in the sale price of the elephants caught. The operations were placed under a special officer and the full time services of a veterinary officer were provided. The special officer was assisted by a jemandar or supervisor who was a seasoned elephant man or mahout. The mahaldar was responsible for any breach of rules in his area. The responsibility for a captured elephant until it was sold was fixed on the elephant men. In this way he established a system where the welfare of the elephant came first and foremost. The new system meant the end of the private British adventurer whose main function was to finance the Assamese catchers. Most of them either left the business or went out of business.

Hero Stones.

Memorial stones erected during the ancient days in memory of a hero who martyred his
life for noble cause are called, Hero stones (called virakal in Tamil and viragal Kannada).These hero stones are popularly found in many areas of South India. However it has since been found that this practice of erecting Hero Stones is not restricted to South India but is pan Indian in character, Hero Stones are usually found on the outskirts of small towns and villages and the people of these areas, usually the family members of the deceased hero, worship these memorial stones with flowers and kumkum. The men thus consecrated are those who sacrificed their lives protecting their town, village or families from attacks by enemy soldiers or vandals, or from aggressors who tried to steal their cattle, from attacks by wild animals or some such unselfish and courageous act.

On the banks of the Kabini there is a cattle path that leads down to the river near the village of Beeramballi and one of these Hero Stones are to be found by the side of the road.

The sculptures on these hero stones usually depict the brave man and the event in which he lost his life. A few even graphically portray the event such as a fierce fight which led to the death of the hero. The men are seen wielding various kinds of weapons like spears and swords and also as carrying shields, sometimes seated on horseback. Some of these stones bear inscriptions explaining the event and also the name of the hero. Based on the alphabet of the inscription, archaeologists are able to date the period of the hero stone was installed. They are in fact very important records for understanding the social and cultural milieu of the ancient period in South India.

Literary works of ancient Tamil Nadu describe the hero stones which were planted in
honour of men who performed some daring acts to protect their community or village. A
very interesting slab of this type from Mulbagal taluka (Karnataka) of 950 A.D., has an
inscription which gives a brief account of two brave dogs, Loga and Thalaga. The two
canines accompanied their master in many hunting expeditions in which 75 boars were
killed by Loga and 25 by Thalaga. A figure of these `hero` dogs chasing and mauling
boars are beautifully sculpted in this panel. Large numbers of hero-stones are preserved in museums in various parts of South India.

The Hero Stones found in Karnataka are usually approximately five feet tall granite
stones and are inscribed with the glorious deeds of the kings and knights of bygone times, some of them being over a 1000 years old. The landscape of Karnataka is liberally dotted with these stones that are a unique combination of art, poetry and historical fact and give us valuable insights into the fascinating times that our forebears lived in. There are normally three panels that tell a story — lower most a fighting scene (probably to protect animal wealth), the middle one the martyr being carried to heaven and the top veera at Kailasa (Abode of Lord Shiva). One leaves wondering why people don’t pay sufficient attention to whatever is left of a glorious heritage. The hero stone normally found has sculptures in three panels - a man fighting with a tiger, the man being taken to heaven by a few ladies after death and the man appearing in the abode of God. The Hero Stone in Kabini conforms to the above description.

Some of the hero stones with inscriptions were exactly in the form of Dolmens with three upright slabs and capping stone. The figure of the hero is generally carved on the back slab facing the entrance as if it is a temple shrine and the figure of the hero, an image of a god. Plain dolmens were also found without any figures or writings by the side of such hero stones, indicating that they were contemporary with the nearby hero stone. Such inscribed hero stones have been found from almost 3rd c. CE to the 16th c. CE attested by inscriptions. Obviously the tradition continued till very late. On the opposite bank near the old Karapura village I found ruins that closely correspond to this description. These ruins are now submerged under the waters of the dam but periodically remerge when the water level recede abnormally , this however does not happen every year.

Tolkappiyam, the earliest Tamil grammar describes the complete stages of erecting
memorial stones to the dead heroes in the PuÉattiºai section. The PuÉapporul Veºpamalai 4, another early work, also gives the rules for erecting such memorials to the hero. The stages mentioned are generally, “Katci, Kal kl, Nirppatai, Natutal, Perumpatai, Varttal”.
The first stage in the erection of a memorial is the selection of a suitable stone for the
memorial by the village community, which goes by the name Katci i.e. to select.
(kaºutal). The villagers go to a nearby site to obtain a stone and after selection usually
from a rock, sprinkle water over the stone with a prayer that all the spirits that have been inhabiting the place all long may depart so that the stone may be acquired for the
memorial. The second stage (Kal kl) is offering flowers and incense and praising the
stone, for it is “the stone” that is going to carry the name and fame of this great hero.
Then the stone is quarried and placed on a cart and is brought to the village to the
accompaniment of music and dance.
The third stage is keeping the stone soaked in clean water for a number of days or
specified time. It is held that since the stone remained all along exposed to vagaries of
weather, like hot sun and rain, the stone is kept immersed in water, called Nirppatai.
The hero’s figure is carved and his exploits inscribed on the stone, after which it is
ceremoniously planted (Natutal) in an appropriate place. This is also called Il-koºtupukutal.
A careful study of the texts shows that it is virtually equated to a temple
consecration. “Il” is “k-il” in this context. A great food offering is made to the hero,
which is a rite called Perumpa•ai. Finally the hero is praised and prayers are offered for
the bestowal of prosperity on the village community.
Constructions of temples are dealt with in a body of literature called agamas and almost
all temples in Tamilnad follow the procedures laid out in these of texts. The Agamas deal with the carving of images, construction of temples for them, consecration, daily and periodical rites, festivals, repairs etc. A careful study of the text reveals that the process of selection of a stone for carving the image of a god, the process of carving the image, the consecration and other rites are the same as found for the memorial stones.
It is this worship of the hero-stone that led to some of the cults of village gods When the
heroic death was famous, the hero came to be celebrated in ballads and his fame spread to nearby regions. Also wherever the people of that region migrated they took the worship of that hero with them. From a small village to a wider region, his cult spread and now he becomes the savior of that region or even the country. It is how the cult of some celebrated heroes in the Tamil country spread as for example the cult of Maturaiviran, Karuppaººacami, AººaÊmar, Matacami and Nallata³kal etc., around whom there are fine ballads.

The erection of Hero Stones and the adoration of the dead hero as the savior spirit of the community may be considered as an extension of the prehistoric cult of erecting
megalithic tombs. The Hero-Stones are in the form of a dolmen with three upright slabs
erected in the form of a small chamber on the back slab, facing the front. The
representation of the hero on the slab takes various forms. The simplest shows him in the act of fighting with a spear, or bow and arrow. There is another Hero Stone located near a village temple close to Beeramballi Village that has a very simple carving of a warrior in the act of shooting an arrow from a bow. There are not panels or any other inscriptions on it.

It is necessary to know something about Hero Stones in order to understand the social
background of the village temples. Often the Stones stand beneath shady trees in simple surroundings. Long swords, spears, or tridents are placed in front of them, as well as terra-cotta horses painted in folk style. It was believed that the spirit of a hero resided forever in each monument, bestowing benefactions on the community. The spirit was dreaded, loved, adored and worshipped and was considered the savior of the community.


Bhimanakolli

There is another temple on the banks of the Kabini, called Bhimanakolli.At first glance there seems to be nothing much to write home about. It is a modern looking temple which was built when the original structure was submerged by the Kabini dam. The deity is Shiva and there are a few paintings of Mahadesvara, who is considered a re-incarnation of Shiva. An annual cattle fair is held, which attracts a lot of devotees and as many of them have to cross the river by boat, usually one or two fatalities occur during this time. Not much attention is paid to this temple by the multitude of tourists that visit Kabini. In fact it does not even feature in any of the guide books.
.
However the temple is of historic and local significance . Most of us are familiar with or are aware of the epic of Male Madheshwara. Mahadeshwara is the family god of the
Soligas and other hill tribals including Jenu Kurubas, Kadukurubas etc who live in the
Male Mahadesvara Hills of Karnataka where there is a temple dedicated to him, which is an important place of pilgrimage .Historical evidences suggest that the saint
Mahadeshwara must have lived during the 15th century. Further, he was the third head of the Haradanahalli Math. About 600 years ago, Sri Mahadeshwara Swamy came to
perform penance and it is believed that he is still performing penance in the temple's
Garbha Gudi in the form of Linga. The Linga, worshipped now in the Garbha Gudi, is a
self developed (Swayambhu) one. Sri Male Mahadeshwara Swamy was moving on a
tiger known as Huli Vahana (Tiger as a vehicle) and performed a number of miracles
around the hills to save the people and saints living there. The area of the temple
surroundings is 155.57 acres. In addition, the temple has lands at Talabetta, Haleyuru &
Indiganatha Villages.

Very few people know that the saint was actually born on the banks of the Kabini in a village that still exists. Actually the original village was submerged when the Kabini Dam was built. The residents were relocated and the village bears the same name.


The professional singers of this epic are called 'Devara Guddaru'(God’s children) and
'Kamsaleyavaru' (those singers who keep time with 'Kamsale" --bronze cymbals). They
are initiated into this profession very early in their lives; and after initiation, they are
required to lead a very disciplined life as prescribed by tradition. Normally, there are
three to five in a group of whom one is a lead singer and the others join him in chorus. In this context, 'sing' perhaps is not a very appropriate term; 'performance' could be more suitable. What happens is that after each line, the secondary singers fill in with such words of reinforcement as 'yes,' 'yes, sir' 'what?' etc.; and, at the end of each unit (of about 10 to 15 lines) the secondary singers sing in chorus the particular refrain of the particular part of the epic. (Each part has a different refrain.)

The outer structure of the epic resembles the pan-Indian Ramayana: Shiva incarnates
himself on earth as Madeshwara to destroy an evil king called Shravanasura ('The Hero
as Savior' motif). The epic has seven parts; and, normally, only certain parts are sung as dictated by the taste of the audience or patron. However, the entire epic is sung by
pilgrims on their way to the annual fair on the Madheshwara -hill; and it may last for
seven consecutive nights.

The first scholar to collect Male Madheshwara was Dr. P.K.Rajashekhara in 1972. He,
having the first Kalevala as his model, gathered different versions from multiple
narrators, chose the 'best' parts from each, and arranged them in a particular chronological order. His published version in two volumes (Mysore University, 1972) ran to more than 30,000 lines. Recently, Dr. Keshavan Prasad, Dept. of Tribal Studies, Kannada University, collected a single-narrator version, sung by the great artist Sri Hebbani Madayya. This version, published by Kannada University, Hampi (1997) contains, approximately, 20,000 lines, besides a good introduction and an extended interview with the singer. The English translation with a critical introduction and glossary is published by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi.


The epic (single-narrator version) has seven parts. After traditional invocation, the first
part narrates the immaculate birth, childhood, and instruction of Madeshwara. The second part narrates the ways through which Madeshwara gets a wealthy farmer, Junje Gowda, as his devotee to build him a temple on the Seven Hills. The next part is devoted to the destruction of the evil king, Shravanasura. Next we have the longest and most moving episode called Sankamma. This episode dramatizes the suffering of a proud woman called 'Sankamma,' and the ordeals that she successfully undergoes in order to retain her dignity as a virtuous wife. The fifth episode, slightly comic in tone, depicts the rise and fall of a vainglorious and miserly woman, called 'Bevinatti Kalamma.' The last but one episode narrates how Madeshwara gets two simple and god-fearing people, Moogayya and his wife, as his devotees. The concluding part, besides traditional ending with benediction, gives a brief summary of the entire epic.

The first part which narrates his birth throws light on the significance of Bhimankolli. (Documented by K.Keshavan Prasad – translated by C.N.Ramachandran and L.N.Bhat)

And sat in the hollow of a neem tree-
Of Halagappa, a Shepard by caste,
living in the village of Bhimanakolli,
Of Magga Maralli Heggadedevanakotte.( the villages Magga and Marali still exist they are nondescript and all visitors pass through them on their way to Kabini, Heggadedevanakotte is now a town about three kilometers from the main highway. )

The Charmer of the ninth incarnation,
Who was in the hollow of the neem tree,
Thought: if I sit here, I can’t save the world.
Then he entered the house of Halagappa,
The house that has twelve pillars,
And he went inside the house the Charmer,
And manifested himself there as a golden anthill.
When the golden anthill arose in the inner yard,
Halagappa and Muddamma, his wife, grew worried.
(They took it to be a bad omen and tried to consult astrologers but could find no one to
help them)
The Charmer then appeared before them in guise of a Brahmin and told them that there
was no bad omen, that the Charmer had come to them as a family deity and that they
should worship him and give up their home.
They then carried all their household things to the back of their hose and built a small hut
for themselves and in the morning took their bath and milked their cow and poured the
milk over the anthill.
(The story now takes a strange twist)
Then the Charmer of charmers,
Who was inside in the form of a small linga,
Thought thus: for the first time since I left Kailash,
I have had milk ablutions. From now on,
I should ameliorate the world.
But first I should get a festival
From this Halagappa and then begin my onward journey _
With these thoughts, to Magga, Maralli and Bhimananakolli,
In all these three villages
He caused a great famine – the Charmer
It was a terrible famine and the people of the three villages had to survive by eating all
the grain they had stored as seed for sowing. When the rains came they had no seed s for
sowing, except for Halagappa who had one granary of ragi.He promises the villagers
seeds after sowing his field. He proceeds to sow his field along with his son. However as
he sowed there arose small lingas on his footprints.
All the people are hungry in the village
Whatever I sowed
You have turned into a linga - he said.
Then the Charmer got a new name.
What was that name?
Linga in the temple, and
Linga around the temple.
O Mahadeva of the northern region.
You are born as linga.
Laying down the basket of seeds on the eastern balk,
And having prostrated himself to the mother earth,
He said – my son, go on with your ploughing,
I will return to the field.
After I measure out ragi
To the villagers to sow – so saying,
Halagappa then came to the village,
And gave away ragi for all for sowing.
Then he returned to his field and finished his own sowing.
Then the Charmer of all charmers
Entered the dream of Halagappa,
And said: Look here, Gowda,
You are honest people, both husband and wife.
All of you of the three villages,
Magga, Maralli and Bhimanakolli,
Come together once a year during Shivrathri,
And in the name of Bhimanakolli Madappa,
Organize a fair in his name,
He departed from Bhimanakolli – Mahadeva.

Sure enough the fair is organized by all three villages to this day. They have now been
relocated and are separated by the reservoir. There is a further modern day addition to the story. It seemed that there was a Muslim gentleman who used to do the lighting
arrangements for the fair and suffered from stomach ulcers .He made a vow that if he got cured he would not charge the temple for his services. He did get cured and to this day his son continues to do the lighting arrangements for free!

The Luv Kush Legend of Karapura.

All of us have been brought up on stories from Indian Mythology especially the Ramayana and so we will all be familiar with of Sita’s banishment from Ayodhya .However what we do not know is the connection between this episode of the Ramayana and Kabini .
There is an interesting local legend in Karapura village about Sita and her children Luv and Kush. The legend goes like this. After being banished by Ram , Sita was forced to wander the forests with her children Luv and Kush. During her wanderings, one night tired and hungry they took refuge under a tree. The children were tired and hungry after a long days walk and asked their mother for food. Sita was hard pressed to provide food at that time as she too had no time to either cook or procure material to do so. In the distance, Sita saw a light flickering and decided to investigate with the hope of getting some food for the children .He told the children to wait until she came back with some food. She forbade them to move from the place.
She went towards the light which happened to be a flickering lamp from a temple. The priest in the temple was surprised to see a lone woman out in the wilderness so late in the night and engaged her in conversation .After hearing her story and realizing that she was tired he asked her to rest and assured her that he would take some food to the children.
When he eventually found them, they started to complain about the delay and demanded to be taken to their mother before they ate. He promised them that if they were good children and ate their food he would do that.
The people of Karapura celebrate this legend every year when on a particular date two children from the village dress up as Luv and Kush and are taken in procession from the tree where the priest found them to the temple where they are reunited with their mother. The Kabini dam now submerges the original temple but the deity was relocated to Karapura Village. A small makeshift simple temple exists at the base of the tree where they were found. This simple temple , no more than a simple stone at the base of a tree , very much like a Hero stone but without any carving or inscription. It is quite popular among the residents of Karapura who frequently visit it to offer prayers. There is no presiding priest and devotes are left to their own devises.

Now we all know that Sita took refuge in Valmikis ashram and never came so far south. This is an excellent example of how Aryan influence spread into the south. The transplanting of legends or the adoption of the legends of the dominant culture by the other is a way of currying favor and being accepted by the dominant culture much like us aping the US.
Khedda.
The banks of the Kabini were also the staging grounds of the famous Mysore Khedda. Before I elaborate on it we must have an understanding of what Khedda is all about. It is a method of capturing wild elephants.
The capturing of elephants from the wild for domestication and subsequent use by man was in all probability pioneered in the Indian sub continent. The earliest evidence can be found in the writings of Megasthenes the Greek ambassador in the Gupta Empire. References to elephant capture can also be found in the Ramayana. Elephant capturing scenes have been carved on the walls of the famous Konark temple.

Various methods were used to capture elephants and over a period of time certain methods became associated with certain areas of the country. Sanskrit literature is a rich source of information on the methods employed. Five methods are well described.

The Khedda method was perfected and used successfully in the eastern parts of the country. In this method an entire wild herd was driven and beaten into a wooden stockade. With this method a large number of elephants could be captured but it was extremely time consuming and needed large resources to carry out successfully. Different methods of Khedda evolved in different parts of the sub- continent and the writings of Megasthenes describe the method used in Northern India.

One of the most common methods and also one requiring great skill was Mela shikar or the lassoing of wild elephants from the back of a trained elephant or Kumki. This method has been in practice in the north east of the country. The mahout or elephant rider would be accompanied by a man who did the actual lassoing also called a Phandi. A Phandi was a mahout of the highest caliber and enjoyed iconic status in the folklore of the north east. This method was used to capture single animals by first isolating it from the herd. The Phandis were men of great courage and well steeped in elephant lore.

Byle shikar is an adaptation of Mela shikar where teams of phandis work together to capture a large number of individual elephants. This is definitely the most dangerous and risky of all.

Snaring was also used. Nooses would be set on elephant paths and generally young animals would be caught this way.

The Pit method was peculiar to the southern part of the country. Concealed pits would be dug on elephant paths and the animals would fall into them. This method was critised as the trapped elephant would sustain a lot of injuries. This is the cheapest method of capturing wild elephants.

Decoying by using a female kumki to lure a male elephant was the most dangerous. The male would be lassoed by a Phandi.
Among all the methods employed the Khedda was the most spectacular and widely practiced usually under royal patronage as it was also the most expensive. It was used extensively in the north before becoming synonymous with the east especially in Bengal, Assam. And what is now Bangladesh.

The Roping Operation was carried out once the elephants were captured in the stockade. The animals found suitable for use had to be roped, secured and separated from the rest. Kumkis would enter the stockade and the mahouts with their helpers would secure the desired animals with ropes. Paradoxically the sight of Kumkis moving among the captured wild elephants had a calming effect on them. Taking advantage of this several Kumkis working as a team would isolate individual wild elephants and would gradually sandwich them between two Kumkies. On doing this the helper seated behind the mahout would slip off and prod the wild elephant with a rod. The wild elephant would raise its leg and the helper would deftly slip a rope around it, the other end of which would be tied to a Kumki. In this manner all four legs would be secured. The last rope to be fastened would be the one around the wild elephant’s neck. Once secured the wild elephant would be removed from the stockade and tied up outside to a tree in an area demarcated for this purpose.
As can be imagined this was an extremely dangerous mission and usually involved a great degree of cruelty. A British forest officer named A.J.T.Milroy laid down strict rules for roping and eliminated all forms of cruelty. His name is legendary in the state of Assam and his manual for the capture and treatment of elephants became the standard in British India. He was given the title of Gaon Burra or wise man in Assam. The Raja of Gauripur , the famous Lalji Barua made the capture of elephants into a family enterprise and his daughter Parviti Barua still practices the art. Her services are much valued by the Forest Departments of Bengal and Assam to capture problem elephants. She employs the Mela shikar method as it is the most suitable for capturing individual animals.

The Kakankote or Mysore Khedda.

The Khedda became symnonomys with the Mysore State during the reign of the Wodeyars when they regained the throne after the defeat of Tipu Sultan by the British.Hyder Ali, the father of Tipu Sultan, organized kheddas to try and capture elephants for his army in the seventeenth century. His attempts to do so were unsuccessful. After the Wodeyars regained the throne, the first attempt by a Col. Pearson, a British Army officer also resulted in failure. The first successful khedda was carried out in the Mysore state by another British forest officer G.P.Sanderson at Kardihalli in the year 1873-74. After that khedda became a regular feature in the Mysore State. A total of 36 kheddas were conducted till the last one in 1970 – 71.

The Kakankote forest , now the D.B.Kuppe Wildlife Range of Nagarhole , became a favored staging ground for the khedda and as many as twenty four kheddas were staged there. The Kakankote forest comprised of tropical moist deciduous forest with a good amount of bamboo. They extended over large tracts and, along with the Begur forest, now part of the Bandipur National Park , on the opposite bank of the Kabini River were home to vast herds of wild elephants. The last khedda was conducted in 1970-71 and thereafter with the completion of the Kabini dam the site of the khedda was submerged.

The unique feature of a Kakankote khedda was the river drive which was first designed and carried out by G.P.Sanderson in honour of The Grand Duke of Russia during his visit to Mysore in 1891. In the river drive the elephants were driven across the Kabini river into the stockade and this proved to be a popular spectacle with special visitors gallery being set up to allow people to witness the grand finale of a Kakankote khedda.

The actual operation was an elaborate affair and preparations would start months in advance. Elephant herds would be identified and a count of the animals in the herd would be taken. Those herds with the most desirable animals would be chosen and encircled by human beaters. The surround could be kilometers away from the actual stockade and the herds would be gently forced to move towards the stockade site in carefully planned stages. Efforts were made to ensure that the herds were unaware of what was happening until the surround got narrowed down for the final push.
Special poojas would be offered at the Mastigudi temple before the start. The temple and the site are now submerged by the Kabini dam and are only exposed when the waters recede during the summer.

The Mysore Khedda also threw up the first Indian star in Hollywood. In 1935 Robert Flaherty arrived in Mysore to make a film called “ Elephant Boy “ based on a story by Rudyard Kipling called “ Toomai of the Elephants “ from his “ Jungle Book “. The film was produced by the legendary producer Alexander Korda .The part of Toomai was played by a boy called Saboo . He was born in Karapura village on the banks of the Kabini. He was the son of a mahout and was raised among domestic elephants. His mother died early and legend has it that a female elephant rocked his cradle. His father died soon after and he was raised by the Mysore State. The movie was shot in the forests along the banks of the Kabini and included a Khedda , which was specially staged for the movie shoot. After location shooting, Saboo accompanied the unit to London to complete the film at the Korda,s studio . After a while Saboo moved to Hollywood where he stared in various movies such as The Jungle Book , The Drum and The Thief of Bagdad. He returned to Mysore , driving a Cadillac ,in 1952 .

Even though the Kabini River flows through three Protected Areas, the casual visitor or tourist can only access it from the Nagarhole side. Our Protected Areas are divided into zones i.e. Buffer, Tourism and Core and the Tourism zones are the only areas that are open to the tourist. The tourism zone that encompasses the Kabini is the Sunkadakatte tourism zone of the Nagarhole National Park. The Nagarhole National Park is situated in the Mysore and Coorg districts of Karnataka and is also known as the Rajiv Gandhi National Park. It has a total area of 644 sq km and has two tourism zones where game viewing by tourists is permitted. On the south western side of the park lies the Sunkadakatte tourism zone which is approximately 60 sq km in size. This includes a stretch of the Kabini River.

It is this zone that tourists are familiar with and is casually referred to as Kabini by them. Safaris or Game drives are organised by the resorts that are located there. Two drives per day are allowed of approximately three hour duration, one in the morning and one in the evening, no tourism is permitted during the rest of the day. Another point to be noted is that safaris are available only to the guests staying in designated resorts. Safaris are not available for the day visitor.

The Sunkandakatte tourism zone is representative of the forest types of the region having a mix of dry and moist deciduous forests and also includes the famed backwaters of the Kabini which is a unique micro – habitat on its own. This zone is located in the D.B Kuppe and Antarasante Wildlife Ranges. As this is a tourism zone certain measures have been taken to facilitate wildlife viewing. Measures that are not taken in the other parts of the Park. This includes a good network of game roads which enable the tourists to cover all the forest types in the region. About 30 meters on both sides of these roads are cleared of undergrowth to improve visibility. A large number of artificial salt licks are maintained by the Forest Department all along these roads which attract a large number of herbivores. The Department has also created water holes close to these roads. Two of these water holes namely Bisalwadi and Tiger Tank ( so named due to the frequent sightings of the famous feline that occur here)have watch towers that can be used by tourists with prior permission from the Forest Department. As the Bisalwadi watch tower is usually available for viewing during the game drive, it can get quite crowed at times which usually takes away from the experience. Enquiries can be made at the Tourist Lodges for permission to use them outside of the usual safari timings. However as the rules change quite frequently it will also be possible to make use of it. All this makes this zone an excellent place for viewing wildlife.

The area called the Russell Line, name after a British Forest Officer, and is representative of the Dry deciduous type of forest where the Axel wood tree or Anogeissus latifolia dominates the landscape. The wood of this tree used to be used in the construction of bullock carts and agricultural implements hence its common name. The undergrowth here is sparser than the other areas of the zone. A waterhole called the Nainji Katte is located here. This waterhole tends to dry up during the summer. This is the only place within the tourism zone that includes the habitat favored by the Four – Horned Antelope, the only species of antelope in Nagarhole; however it is very rarely seen. Due to the extremely dry nature of the forest here, safari jeeps tend to neglect going here. However this area is a personal favorite and is highly recommended as it gives the discerning visitor a feel of a Dry Deciduous forest. Close to the Russell Line is the Temple road, so called because it passes an old tribal temple. This road leads to the G.K.Tank (waterhole) and passes through some excellent bamboo patches.

Further north, past the Bisalwadi waterhole, is the Kymara road that takes you to the Bar- Balle area which is representative of the moist deciduous forest type and is dominated by tree species like Teak Tectona grandis and Nandi Lagrestreomia lanceolata. Being a higher rainfall area, the trees here are larger and taller than in the Dry Deciduous areas. The undergrowth is also much denser. The terrain here is also very different from the rest of the tourism zone, being a little hilly in nature. The game roads follows the course of the Balle River, a rain fed stream that is a tributary of the Kabini. At one point a check dam has been built across the Balle River. This is a good spot to stop and watch wildlife.

There is a high tension power line that cuts across this part of the zone, starting from the Mysore – Manathavadi road and proceeding north towards Kerala. There is a game road that runs alongside, commonly referred to as “Power line “. If one drives the entire length of this road one can experience the gradual change in forest type from Dry Deciduous to Moist Deciduous .Sections of this road are favored by the Naturalist from the lodges , especially the section between the Tiger Tank and the road leading to the K.V . Tank for the excellent wildlife viewing opportunities.


The backwaters of the Kabini needs no introduction, the river is dominated by the Giant Bamboo Bambusa arundinacea. This area of the tourism zone also contains extensive Teak plantations that were raised by clear felling large areas; this practice has now fortunately been stopped. The area falls within the moist zone and contains good specimens of Rosewood Dalbergia latifolia, the stately Yellow Teak Adena cordifolia, the Crocodile Bark Tree Terminalia tomentosa and members of the Ficus family. During the summer when the water levels recede it turns into a vast grassland and wildlife viewing at that time is more akin to Africa than India. This grassland plays host to the largest congregation of Asiatic elephants in the world. It is also at this time when the Mastigudi temple emerges from the receding waters. The old Kaknakote State Forest, the venue of the famous Mysore Kheddas, boarders this area. Most often driving along the banks is not allowed as it disturbs the wildlife especially the elephants. Nevertheless there are certain points along the backwaters where can stop the jeep and enjoy the spectacular wildlife. The Sunset Point offers probably the best panoramic view of the backwaters with the setting sun in the background. This is the best place to end an evening safari. Other places of note along the backwaters are Boating Point or Mastigudi, the Presidents Road, the Nilgiri Plantation and the Old M M Road. The Kumbalavali road is in many ways very similar to Bar Balle, with undulating terrain and large trees.


The tourism zone has a lot of flowering trees and by far the most spectacular is the aptly named Flame of the Forest Butea monosperma. This tree flowers during the month of January heralding the coming of summer and is a vital source of nutrition for a large number of birds and animals. Legend has it that this tree sprung from an eagle’s feather that was dipped in Soma .The Red Silk Cotton tree Bombax ceiba and the Indian Coral Tree Erythrina indica flower during the month of February. Both adding a dash of colour to the by now dry and leafless forest. Next it is the turn of the Indian Laburnum Cassia fistula to sprout its beautiful yellow flowers in March. By this time summer is well and truly set in. The fragrant white flowers of the Padri Radermachera xylocarpa add to the beauty of the forest during the months of March and April.

The best way to view wildlife in Kabini especially during the dry season is by boat. Boat safaris are conducted both in the morning and evening. During the dry season, water is let out for irrigation and the lake dries out leaving only the main river visible. Many small islands are formed and petrified trees rise out of the waters giving a surreal effect to the entire landscape. These temporary islands are favored by both crocodiles and elephants. The fresh succulent grass on these islands is what attracts the elephants and it is a common sight to see these magnificent animals swimming across the river to get to them. These islands become the exclusive preserve of the elephants as no other herbivore can gain access to them. However the elephants have competition from an unlikely source – River Terns. These birds build their nests on the ground and are always wary of them getting trampled by elephants. It is quite a common sight to see a large number of River Terns mobbing the elephants and driving them away from the islands.

Taking a safari in Kabini is an exhilarating experience if done properly. To fully enjoy and experience nature the visitor needs to be extremely sensitive to his surroundings and display a large measure of patience and self-discipline. A safari can be best described as a sojourn into the wild and there are many ways to do so. Most parks in India, Kabini included, offer jeep rides into the park and these are one of the best ways to do so. The advantage of a jeep ride is that one is able to cover a lot of ground in the shortest possible time thus maximizing ones chances of seeing wildlife. However, most jeep safaris turn out to just mindless driving in the forest. One needs to stop every now and then especially near ecological features that attract game like waterholes etc. A discerning guide is necessary on any safari and he should not be pressured to show animals, as no one is a magician to be able to conjure up game. Sounds play an important role and one must be willing to stop and spend time listening.

An elephant safari is probably the best way to get up close and personal with nature and in certain habitats, such as the tall elephant grass habitats, it is the only way to go about. The advantages of elephants are that wildlife accepts them as animals and does not associate them with an alien presence. With the result, that one can usually get very close to wildlife. The other advantage is that there is no noise pollution and one can get to listen to the jungle sounds, which are usually drowned out in the roar of a jeep engine. The elephant also give you a vantage point and visibility is much improved adding to the overall experience. However elephant safaris are not available in Kabini. Elephant rides are available during the morning safari. This is more of a joy ride of about fifteen to twenty minute duration and even though they are conducted in the Park, they are best avoided.



Trekking in protected areas is discouraged in India and Kabini is no exception. The average tourist does not possess the skills required to survive in the forest and is thus most vulnerable while on foot. Fitness levels and the ability to climb trees play an important role is escaping danger while on foot and as these are hard to assess it is best to avoid going into the forest on foot. However most lodges offer Nature Walks or Bird watching walks which are conducted both within their well wooded premises , along the river bank ( outside the Park ) and through agricultural fields. These are very rewarding experiences especially for avid birdwatchers and are highly recommended. If one is a keen birdwatcher it is recommended that he asks the resort Naturalist to allow him to indulge in a night walk in and around their properties. As most lodges are well wooded there are extremely good chances to spot owls and other nocturnal species like Nightjars.

Last week I found myself back on the road heading to Kabini , this time to facilitate an audit. Yes, you read right an audit ! Now I am not what one would call good with numbers and therefore a word of explanation might be in order.

This was not an ordinary audit to balance the books this was the PUG Audit an initiative by TOFT (Travel Operators for Tigers). One might ask what is TOFT ? Well TOFT is a unique campaign founded by a group of concerned Tour Operators, which has expanded to become a pioneering International ‘collective action’ campaign, run by Travel Professionals, aimed at those within the nature travel industry and all visitors to India’s wildlife parks, to advocate, endorse and support more responsible use of wilderness areas in India, and the Indian sub continent.TOFT have developed a unique system of rating the ‘footprint’ of individual lodges and hotels in wilderness regions, which is the PUG rating. If you are a visitor to any National Park, you can now use the best lodges to ensure you travel with the lightest footprint and put the most back into preserving India’s wildlife. If you are an International travel agent or Indian ground handler, you can also use these ratings to make judgements on which lodges you use too!

I first heard about this campaign from its founder Julian Matthew who visit Kabini and stayed with us sometime in 2005 or was it 2004 ? He was referred to us by Dr.Ullas Karanth who was also associated with them at that point of time. At that time during their initial years they concentrated on Central India where the majority of wildlife tourism in India takes place.I kept a close eye on their activities as I felt that it was a much needed initiative.

When I moved to Orange County , I bought them to the notice of the management who responded positively and asked me to get them to audit the property. They however were not in a position to expand their activities at that point of time. However Orange County asked me to keep in touch and to let them know that when they were ready to come down south , Orange County was waiting for them.

It was therefore a very pleasant surprise when Orange County called me up and informed me that TOFT were finally ready to carry out the PUG Audit and that they (Orange County)wanted me to accompany the audit team to Kabini to help facilitate the audit as I was part of the core team that formulated and implemented their Responsible Tourism Policy.I must say that Orange County has been very kind to me.

Apart from the auditing process I was also looking forward to going on a couple of safaris which is a courtesy the Orange County management always extends to me. I was looking forward to seeing the elephant congregation from the boat , which you might have guessed is the highlight of my stay in Kabini , from a wildlife point of view. The first safari was a morning jeep safari and we saw the mandatory leopard . It was sitting on a tree very far away and I was able to get very decent shots with my 70 - 200 , which has now got me thinking - do I really need a 500mm lens ?



I was a little disappointed that we did not get to see many elephants during the drive apart from a small tusker. I however managed to get very good shots of a Bonnet Macaque who was more than happy to pose for me.









I love watching troops of monkeys especially Bonnet Macaques , they are fascinating and I am sure they think that we look a lot like them !

One of my fellow guests on that safari was the Director- Marketing who is also an avid photographer and the brains behind the Lifescapes programme

http://www.orangecounty.in/lifescapes/

I have been desperately trying to break into the programme as a photographer ( I am there as a Wildlife Guru ) but have not met with any success , I am hoping that after seeing my results as compared to his I might be able to break some new ground.

After breakfast I got down to the main business at hand and really pushed the team to complete the entire audit process well before safari time. I was successful and only released the pressure on the team when I was sure that we had it in the bag. The safari that evening was the boat safari and I had a few objectives in mind. I wanted to try and get the following snaps
1. Mother and child interaction
2.Tusker in good light
3. Makhana
4.A shot of a particular corner where the light and angle are perfect for a moody snap.
This is what I got.









I was unable to get the Makhana but did get a shot of a crocodile making a dash for the water. Little did I realize that this would lead to an unique event the next morning.



Well satisfied with the days work ( I have never been able to achieve so many of my photographic goals in such a short time ) I retired to my room to watch India defeat Pakistan in the semi-finals.

Next morning I was up early hoping to enjoy a glorious morning on the water. Morning boat safaris are Kabini's best kept secret.I cant for the life of me understand why people have such an aversion to the morning boat safari. Sure enough everybody backed out except for me and another couple.We set off with me in an excellent frame of mind and the first sighting was that of a Makhana feeding on bamboo !



I was able to catch him in a lovely pose . Further ahead we caught a family enjoying an early morning dip .



Unfortunately we seemed to have disturbed them and they went up onto one of the many islands that appear during this time of the year.





One part of an elephants body that fascinates me is the trunk. The family soon settled down to graze and I took the opportunity to take a few close ups of that fascinating and versatile tool in action.









And now the highlight of the trip ! We went to where we saw the crocodile making a dash for the water. It was an lovely rocky area and a crocodile would look really good in such a setting. However we saw no trace of the crocodile. Two Stripe Necked Mongooses were busy digging up a patch of soft earth between the rocks . What were they up to ? The boat driver Shivraj ventured an opinion - digging up the crocodiles nest to feed on its eggs ? My mind reeled , could it be ? I had never heard or read of anything like this before.Where was the mother crocodile surely she must be around to protect her nest ? I wished I had the 500mm ! A long detailed look through the binoculars revealed the fact that Shivarj was right. We spent a long time watching them go about their work through our binoculars. Finally I could take it no more and picked up my camera. I had to get some shots - no one would believe us. I used my only lens 70 - 200 , I would have to crop heavily but I had to get this recorded on film. When I processed the photographs I was shocked at the results . Is there really a need for the 500 ? Please help me decide.





I almost forgot I also managed to get two egrets fighting after the took the photograph of the Makhana.



I am providing a link to the TOFT website. Please take a look and my humble request is that you please try and use their ratings when you decide on your travel plans.

http://www.toftigers.org/

There seems to be a calculation error in the Tiger Census. These are the actual numbers.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/52302137/Census

I personally don't think there is much to be read into it , it does however reflect very badly on the entire process. The state of Orissa claims that they are more Tigers there than officially announced. My good friend a naturalist from Orissa feels the same way.

The positive is that the Tiger Census seems to have erred on the side of caution which means that there are more Tigers than we think.