Ranthambore Rhapsody

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Sometimes when I am writing, I feel I have written the same before. Then I realise it has been playing so much on my mind for so long. Ranthambore seemed too special and personal a space at that time to share. We almost always do a wildlife sanctuary with our vacation. As a child, the only exposure to wildlife I had was in Calcutta Zoo. My Mom had taken me for the first time. It was so exciting and  a little picnic on the zoo grounds. I think my cousins and Masi were also there. Gir Forest was the first wild life sanctuary I had been to with my parents. I don't remember much of that though I do remember Somnath temple and Veraval. During the Travel and Tourism course, the college took us on a study educational tour to Bandhavgarh wildlife sanctuary. In the one year post graduate course, they taught us how to make an itinerary. It had to include a city with an airport, a wildlife sanctuary or some mystic natural beauty, a fort or a palace and some local art and craft shopping. It had to have a cultural program or a famous temple. A holiday cannot be just 'padey raho' which means reach your destination and don't move but  stay put in the hotel or beach and vegetate or tan yourself. 

Ranthambore is majestic. The railway station is Sawai Madhopur and an important junction. The town is just there outside the railway station. The hotels are one to five kilometres from the station. The Ranthambore Bagh is a quaint place. It is inside a state government dairy land. One of the office buildings or residential buildings has been converted to a hotel. It has lawns, tents and rooms on the first floor. It is really like staying in a friend's house. The drawing room, the TV room and the library is down. The bedrooms and the dining hall are own the first floor. The couple who runs the proper ty lives there. The first floor has a lounge to sit. The upholstery in all the seating areas is very home like. They have done their best to not give the public areas a hotel like feel and I must say they have succeeded. What better place to stay in a wildlife sanctuary hotel where the owner is a renowned wildlife photographer. He knows the names of all the tigers in the National Park. The wife is the lady who runs the show. She manages the hotel, food and finances. Their multi lingual child is playing around the place. The owner couple eat all their meals in the hotel and exactly the same food as the guests. Home like food and it is so much better than home. The breakfast room gets the early morning sun. It is a happy place. The lunch and dinner are in the lawns. The winter sun warming us as we eat 'Bajre Ki roti' made by a lady on the ' Mitti ka chulha' or the earthen stove.  The evenings has bon fire where all sit around. The way they take care is unbelievable . They packed our dinner for the train which was not a part of the deal. It was soft paratha rolls will aloo ki sabji and pickle inside . The owner lady instructed Ram Singh to make it the way as she takes the food on  her trips to Delhi. Ram Singh remembered to put lemon wedges separately for me as he had seen me having lime shots after my meals. 

Ranthambore has a beautiful Fort at the beginning of the forest. How did the Kings make such a big fort in the deep jungles centuries back? I am always amazed at the courage and the technological knowledge of Indians  even thousands of years back. The way the Fort stands tall is nothing short of a miracle. The hunting lodge is a beautiful structure near a lake. There is special windows for the Queen and other women folk of the palace. Thousand of people from nearby visit the Temple inside the Fort. We saw huge crowds on First January. There was Puja, Jagraata and Bhajans all over. People pray to Ganpat at the onset of the New Year for the year to go good without obstacles. 

Dastakaar is an NGO which makes lovely cotton clothes, bed sheets, bags, footwear and toys. You will not miss Jaipur shopping as Dastakaar will take care of all your shopping urges. Must visit place in Ranthambore and go to the main store little ahead of the National Park. 

Take in the fresh jungle air. Enjoy the wild side of nature. Be grateful for your life.







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