Wildlife Tour to Bandhavgad National Park

By Vidyut Kale on March 4, 2009

We will be going to the Bandhavgad National Park this April. This is a quick trip, more luxurious than our usual ventures and planned with the summer in mind. Travel and accommodation is air-conditioned (thank you, thank you!). Take a look.

Bandhavgarh National Park

Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the many wildlife sanctuaries in India. It is located in Madhya Pradesh, at about 197 km away north-east of Jabalpur. The name is derived from an ancient fort in the area. It belongs to the Vindhyan mountain ranges of central India and has the highest density of tiger population in the country.

It was a hunting reserve of the royal family of Rewa and was declared a park in 1968.Wild boar crossing the road

The other wild animals which can be sighted at Bandhavgarh NP include, Nilgai, Chausingha, Chital, Chinkara, Wild Boar and sometimes a Fox or Jackal.

Visitors to the park can enter in four wheelers or can also have a look on Elephant back.

About half the Bandhavgarh park is covered with fine trees of Sal, while mixed forests are found in the higher reaches of the hills. Stretches of bamboo and grasslands extend to the north.

Some more information about the park, is as follows :

Bandhavgarh National Park: Bandhavgarh National Park is spread at vindhya hills in Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh National Park consists of a core area of 105 sq km and a buffer area of approximately 400 sq km of topography varies between steep ridges, undulating, forest and open meadows. Bandhavgarh National Park is known for the Royal Bengal Tigers. The density of the Tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India. Bandhavgarh National Park was the former hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa and at present is a famous natural hub for White Tigers. White Tigers, now a major attraction around the world’s zoos, were first discovered in Rewa, not far from here. The terrain is broken, with rocky hill ranges, running roughly east west, interspersed with grassy swamps and forested valleys. Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the finest national park in the India and has the distinction of harboring the highest concentration of tigers per unit area of forest.


The Bandhavgarh National Park is spread over on area of 448 sq km with a cross area of 105 sq km. At the center of the park is the bandhavgarh hill; rising 811 meters above sea level and surrounding it are a sloping valleys, These valleys end in small, swampy meadows locally known as “bohera”.


Bandhavgarh was declared a national park in 1968. Since then many steps have been taken to retain Bandhavgarh National Park as an unspoiled national habitat for a variety of wildlife peculiar to the area. These include gaur (Indian bison), sloth bear, leopard, porcupine, wild boar, sambhar and spotted deer, among others and of course, the tiger.

Area : 450 sq. km (Core area: 105 sq. km)

Altitude : 800 m above sea level

Temperature range : 42°C to 2°C

Itinerary

Day 01: Katni – Bandhavgarh

Arrive Katni Railway Station by 17:30 Hrs & drive directly to Bandhavgarh National Park (approx 102 KM) Check In at your hotel on arrival for dinner. Overnight at Jungle Lodge

Day 02: Bandhavgarh National Park

Early morning, take Jeep safari to the national park for Tiger tracking. Return back to hotel for breakfast & relax rest of the day. After lunch, early evening, take afternoon Jeep safari inside park. Overnight at Jungle lodge.

Day 03: Bandhavgarh National Park

After breakfast, day free to relax or to avail additional sightseeing of Tribal Village & Wildlife Library. One can even go for Safari ride on their own. Late evening drive back to Katni Railway Station to board your train GKP LTT EXP by 21:20 Hrs departing for Mumbai

Tigers relaxing in the shade

Tour fees: Rs.9,950/-

Includes: Travel from Katni to Bandhavgad, accommodation, food, 4 jeep safaris.

Does not include any personal expenses or anything not specifically mentioned. Also does not include train fare to Katni, which can be booked as per choice – second class or AC, etc.

Please call Raka for information or booking your seats – 09869433342
Photographs courtesy Sushma Mishra.

Posted in , , | 4 Responses

Kailash Manasarovar Yatra

By Vidyut Kale on February 4, 2010

We are announcing a trip to Kailash Manasarovar this year, like we have been saying for a while now. The batches are planned for 15th-30th June and 19th July to 3rd August this year.

This is one of the classic Himalayan hikes with timeless appeal for a diverse range of people ranging from adventurers to nomads and artists to worshipers. In short, this legendary journey has the ability to enhance our being till whatever we are shines.

I am attaching two files Kailash Manasarovar itinerary and information and Kailash Manasarovar slideshow

Get in touch with Raka +91-9892469127 if you want to come. We are planning to finalize batches by end of February.

Posted in , | Leave a response

Naneghat Jivdhan Khada Parsi – Hike, Valley Crossing and Rappelling

By Vidyut Kale on February 4, 2010

Jivdhan Fort and Khada Parsi pinnacle

We are planning a weekend high adventure at Jivdhan, at the end of one of the most charming hikes near Mumbai – the Naneghat. This will be a two day programme. We are planning two batches – 19th-20th Feb and 20th and 21st Feb 2010. We will meet at Kalyan station and take local transport to the base of Naneghat and begin the hike up to Naneghat and Jivdhan fort. Naneghat is pass from the deccan to the konkan and on an ancient trade route from Junnar to Kalyan and Nalasopara. It is surrounded by the four forts – Hadsar, Chavand, Shivneri and Jivdhan, of which Jivdhan is the closest and our destination for the night. We stay in an ancient grain store. valley crossingOn the next morning post breakfast, we do a tyrolean traverse from Jivdhan fort across to Khada Parsi on Naneghat and then rappel down from there. This is very similar to what we did on the Kokankada, except that the exposure and stretches are lesser. Lunch will be served wherever you are. We aim to wind up the activities post noon, say around 3pm, earlier if possible. After a quick rest, we hike back down to the road head and take local transport back to Kalyan station. Please note that this is not a luxury experience, and we will be trekking, experiencing adventure activities, eating simple food, and traveling in local vehicles.

Schedule

rappellingDay 1: 7am – Leave from Kalyan Station 10am – Reach the base of Naneghat after having had breakfast on the way. Start hiking to Naneghat 2pm – Reach Naneghat and have lunch (this will be carried by participants – not provided). Start the hike to Jivdhan. Participants from Pune will join us at Ghatghar. 5pm – Reach Jivdhan fort, settle in, tea and snacks followed by some free time to explore the fort if you choose. 8:30pm Dinner and sleep Day 2 6am – Bed tea and biscuits 7am – leave for the valley crossing location and initial activity briefing 8:30am – breakfast and begin activity. Lunch will be served at approximately 1pm to the participants at whatever location they have reached in the course of the activities. 2pm - conclude activity at the base of Khada Parsi. From here it is about a half hours walk to the Naneghat cave. 3pm – after a brief rest, participants from Mumbai start walking down to the road head and return to Kalyan station. Participants from Pune can leave for Ghatghar.

Participants from Pune

Participants from Pune can join us directly at Ghatghar on the Deccan side of Naneghat at 3pm. They will have to organize their own transportation, but we can help co-ordinate. Take the road from Pune to Junnar and take a right turn from “Junnar phata”. You will pass “Apatale” and “Sawant” villages. There is a fort near Sawant village and the road proceeds along it to Ghatghar. Vehicles can be parked at Ghatghar. It should take approximately 3 hours or so from Pune, so we recommend leaving around 11am to accommodate any food halts or asking for directions. Fees for this trip are Rs.1,950/- per head from Kalyan (Mumbai) and Rs.1,800/- from Ghatghar (Pune). Includes:

  • Breakfast (only Mumbai participants), tea and snacks and dinner on the first day and breakfast and lunch on the second.
  • Instructors and equipment.
  • Local transport (big rickshaw/jeep) for participants from Kalyan

Does not include:

  • Lunch on the first day
  • Travel upto Kalyan for participants from Mumbai and travel upto Ghatghar for participants from Pune.

Payments can be made by the following methods:

  • Online Funds Transfer (Name: Wide Aware, HDFC Bank, Current account no: 02278310000028, RTGS/NEFT IFSC:HDFC0000227)
  • Deposit cheque into our HDFC Account (Name: Wide Aware, HDFC Bank, Curret account no: 02278310000028, Branch: Nehru Road, Vile Parle East)

Please contact us/SMS Raka (+91-9869433342) with transaction IDs or other deposit information, name of participants and age and contact information on completion of payment. Please call up Raka immediately if you wish to come, as there is considerable interest and bookings on the 20th and 21st (in particular) cannot be secured by any method other than first come, first serve. General process is that you find out if there is availability to participate on the batch of your choice and complete payment and confirm.

Posted in , | Leave a response

Simple wisdom

By Vidyut Kale on December 14, 2009

I talk by Anupam Mishra on Ted reflects much of my beliefs about sustaining existing wisdom and building on it, rather than rushing in with new ideas that negate the old and beginning fresh each time. He speaks of water harvesting systems of the desert of Rajasthan and the efficient engineering marvels that merge seamlessly with art and cultural beliefs that have consistently delivered precious life-giving water for centuries to one of the driest places in the world, and definitely the driest in India.

He makes a comparison with the government tunnels that drew water from the Himalaya to the desert and brings insight on how the latest technology often cannot achieve what we casually assume to be old-fashioned and out-dated. We need more people like this, sure.

What we really need is for each one of us to look deep inside ourselves and find that part of us that values what is, treasures it, and builds on it rather than leave everything behind and have serial fresh starts becoming an orphan each time.

He refers to a picture being worth a thousand words, and here I present the entire video. Really, you must take the time to watch this.

Posted in | Leave a response

Trash Dash – Clean Up Drive at the Borivali National Park

By Vidyut Kale on September 22, 2009

The annual Independence Day trash dash this year had to be postponed and will be taking place on the 2nd of October 2009. We urge everyone who can, to attend. Here is the email from Avishkar of NOET:

For the fourth consecutive year, this 2nd of October, the Natura Outdoor Education Trust (NOET), will host the I-Day Trash Dash for Mumbaikars to do their bit for the country’s forests and enjoy themselves while doing it. The Trash Dash is essentially a crazy-fun Clean-up Marathon in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park(SGNP), which sees people of all ages scramble through the forest, trying to collect the most amount of garbage; while at the same time having themselves a great time with the many games and activities along the way. This year, Trash Dash aims to involve 500 participants in clearing out almost 3 tonnes of garbage out of our city’s precious forests.

The Trash Dash History:noet idtd 2008 01 23b Trash Dash Clean Up Drive at the Borivali National Park

Trash Dash began with just 40 people coming together to clean up their beloved forest. They managed to collect about 175 kg of garbage. The next year the number grew to 75 and the collections swelled up to 320kgs. Last year the 3rd Trash Dash saw more than 200 participants collecting, in a span of just 5 hours, One Thousand and Ten Kilograms (1010 Kgs) of trash being hauled out of the National Park. This year, therefore we would like to take the figures up to 500 participants and 3000 kgs of garbage!

Why the National Park?

Simply because its time Mumbai-ites realised that the 104-sq km National Park is the only one of its kind in the midst of any megapolis in the world and that it provides us the clean air we breathe and the water we drink. Its about time Mumbai’s citizens helped in healing the lungs of our city.

Why the Independence Day?

For years now, our national holiday had been reduced to blaring patriotic songs, plastic flags at traffic signals and extensions to long weekends. The Trash Dash has been held on this day simply to remind people of the many ways do their bit for the country. Though, This Year  we decided to postpone the IDTD to a further date from the usual 15th August . We did this out of respect for the city’s concern over a public congregation amidst the fears of a H1N1 pandemic in Mumbai. After days of deliberating on the next perfect date for the Trash Dash, we’re happy to announce the rescheduled date of the I-Day Trash Dash as the 2nd of October 2009.

The Plan This Year;

The Trash Dash this year will be, in effect, 2 simultaneous events at 2 ends of the SGNP. At Borivali, 350 participants will clean out the most impacted areas; while in Yeoor, Thane, 150 individuals will clear out the main public access area. At both the events, the clean-up marathon will be dotted with numerous activity stations letting the crowds indulge in some quick fun to keep the tempo high throughout. Loads of prizes will be given out to the people who collect the most garbage as well as loads of freebies to almost everyone taking their time out for Trash Dash.

Life after the Trash Dash:

Following up on this event, we’ll be involving a corps of ParaForest Volunteers to assist the Forest Department with the day-to-day running of the park, whether by participating in an anti-liquor patrol or by educating visitors to the park about the perils of littering. This way, instead of becoming a once-a-year event of little consequence, NOET’s Trash Dash promises to be a starting point in encouraging Mumbaikars to take responsibility for our magnificent National Park.

Phone: +91-22-65259195
Facebook: Independence Day Trash Dash
Looking forward to seeing you at the 4th I-Day Trash Dash ’09!

Thank You Sincerely Avishkar Tendle – 9869460871 Managing Trustee

So folks, come one, come all, and if possible with health and doctor approvals, Nisarg, our newborn son may make a brief appearance. Can’t think of a better first outing of his life.

Posted in , , , | Leave a response

Harishchandragad trek and Kokankada Rappelling

By Vidyut Kale on September 16, 2009

In this year’s post-Christmas glow, add in the sparkle of adventure.

Wide Aware announces a three day high adventure experience to charge your spirit – valley crossing and rappelling on the tallest rock face in Maharashtra – the Kokankada.

Yep, you got that right. This is the tallest rock face in Maharashtra – a breathtaking exposure of 1800ft under your fragile body held to safety by a rope and altitude of 4671ft above sea level. You do a 1200ft long valley crossing and then descend by means of a series of rappels to the base of the face. Believe me, you don’t want to miss this. Seats limited, so get in touch with Raka immediately if you are planning on coming – 09869433342.

The schedule is as follows:

Day 1: Mumbai to Khireshwar by bus and trek to the top of Harishchandragad

Leave Mumbai at 7am from Dadar, have breakfast at Saralgaon at 9am and reach Khireshwar by 12noon. Begin the 4-5 hour trek to the top of Harishchandragad. Have lunch on the way and reach at the top of the fort by the evening tea.  Harishchandragad is one of the more challenging of the most popular hikes in this region. The fort has historical significance and a temple of Harishchandreshwar with a stone water tank in front of it. Accommodation is in caves. A short orientation walk later, settle into your cave for the day, and have an early night post dinner in preparation for the next days excitement.

Day 2: Valley Crossing across the Kokankada and Rappelling down from Bhavanidhar

After an early morning and breakfast we have a quick instruction session with the equipment and techniques explained for both the long and technical activities to follow. This is followed by the traverse. Kokankada is in a C shape, and the traverse is set across its two ends. Thus, during the valley crossing, you have the highest exposure possible in Maharashtra, without actually flying. The wind, the sheer scale of the surroundings, and most of all, the swaying rope holding our life safe present an unforgettable physical and emotional challenge. This is followed by a long rappel down the rock face – so long that you have to do it in stages to be able to maintain technique and safety. This day is an experience in the insignificance of man in front of a mountain, as well as the determination in man that makes him conquer one. We spend the night under the sky at the base of the Kokankada.

Day3: Trek back to road head and return to Mumbai

Wake up to nature, and hike for an hour or two back to the road  head. From here, the bus will take us back to Mumbai. Expect to be back by evening.

Dates: Three day batches starting everyday from the 26th to 30th December 2009 (Fri, Sat, Sun)

Charges: Rs. 3,0valley crossing Harishchandragad trek and Kokankada Rappelling00/- per head (inclusive of travel – Dadar to Dadar, stay and food, adventure activities – equipment, instruction and safety support). Does not include lunch on the first day which will have to be brought by participants.

Booking procedure: Call/SMS RAKA on 09869433342 or VIDYUT on 09892469127.This will reserve your seat for 2 days till you complete your payment. Registration will be confirmed only after complete payment and we are not responsible for any availability problems in case of delayed payments.

Payment information:

Choose whatever option is the most convenient.

  1. Courier a cheque (payable in Mumbai) made out in the name of “Wide Aware” (Address: A32/501 Yogi Park, Yogi Nagar, Borivali West, Mumbai 400091)
  2. Deposit cheque into our HDFC Account (Name: Wide Aware, HDFC Bank, Current account no: 02278310000028, Branch: Nehru Road, Vile Parle East)

Please do not deposit cash into the account without first speaking with us. Please inform Raka whenever you initiate payment – whether it is a cheque sent by courier or depositing a cheque into the account. This communication needs to clarify the mode of payment, amount and participant names and total number of participants.

Registrations strictly on first come first serve basis, as the batch size is limited.

Posted in , , | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a response

Celebrating a New Era in our lives

By Vidyut Kale on September 12, 2009

Whoever is regular here has probably noticed that I’ve been missing in action for a while here. The reason is glorious.

Raka and I became delighted parents a little ahead of schedule on the 2nd Sept 2009. Its a beautiful boy.

Needless to say, we are so happy, we have no words expressive enough to be worthy of the news. Check out the pictures.

Our newborn son

Our newborn son

Posted in | 1 Response

Next »