Destination Pench Tiger Reserve

Wildlife viewing in India is exciting with many tiger reserves and National Parks hosting the tiger and other enchanting animals. Most of the tourists arrive here to see the tiger in the wild. But let me tell there are many other enchanting animals and birds that should be the focus of the tourists as well.  

wild boar - John Matthai

Well this article refers to Pench Tiger Reserve

A long time back a vagrant child called Mowgli was lost in the Jungle probably deserted by his parents. Some say they were killed by the tiger....well anybody's guess.  The child was adopted by Akela the leader of the wolf pack in the Seoni Hills in Central India. He was introduced to the pack and soon became part of it. The story by Rudyard Kipling called "Jungle Book" narrates the antics of the wolf child and about the jungle life of Seoni Hills now called Pench Tiger Reserve. 

Bengal Tiger - Clive

Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh or Central India is now a popular tiger safari destination. The characters of Jungle Book come to life whence you visit the park. Mowgli the wolf child is no more but many Mowglis can be encountered in the villages near the forests. Kaa, Akela, Baloo, Sher Khan, Bandar log all can be seen on a jungle safari in the tiger reserve.   

Eagle - Clive

The pristine forests of Pench are most enchanting with awe-inspiring unspoiled landscapes. The River Pench snakes through dense jungles according to life as a support system for all the life forms. The vivid and diverse profile supports amazing habitats for innumerable flora and fauna. The impressive biodiversity has been preserved for eternity as it is a protected area with an inviolate core.   

The reserve is a biodiversity hub and a conservation unit with a focus on the big cat. Nevertheless, all life forms are conserved because of strict protection and protected area status.      

Tourism is organized by the forest department of MP and a permit can be availed for excursions or tiger safaris in the core area of the reserve. Safaris are conducted in the day and evening on jeeps as on-foot excursions are not allowed. The reserve is closed during the monsoon period from July to September but safaris in the buffer area are allowed.      

Pench Jungle Home

There are many resorts that provide luxury stay in the buffer area of Pench National Park. The closest access is from Nagpur Airport at a distance of eighty kilometers while Jabalpur Airport is at a distance of four hours. The tiger reserve is connected by five hour's drive with Kanha National Park in Central India.  

Ardhnareshwar - A Passionaate Goddess of True Love

Ardhnareshwar or half female and half male is a human representation in Indian mythology prominent figurative speech in Hinduism.  The representation is of Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti combined into one to form Ardhnareshwar. This also refers to split half in language of romance as mentioned in the book - A Passionaate Goddess of True Love.  

Moh Lal Rai is of firm belief that her find or her true love Gaurang whom she comes across in Chennai is her split half as Shiva and Shakti were. The personification of male and female unison of two is in realty one human being with aspect of both male and female. Biological we are created as male and female but in truth it is the same biology that governs us all. The differentiation arises for the task of procreation where in minor changes facilitate two figures to give birth to a new human being for propagation of the species.   This androgynous form finds mention in Greek myths as well as in Puranic literature of India. 

Perhaps this places men and women in equal footing in the minds of misogynists those who delve in supremacy of the male form.  

In the romantic novel Poonam Uppal, the Indian Author based in India justifies Moh's affiliation with Gaurang on principles based on the Ardhnareshwar concept. This composite form of male and female split down the middle speaks if genetic compatibility and hence further justifies the inseparability of split halves as we find in the narration of A Passionate Gospel of True Love. 

Lord Shiva and Parvati are inseparable and the author describes them as the perfect couple. This made of each other couple also relates to a destined relationship and the body and mind are always in search of its other half. The unison in such cases exhibits a high degree of compatibility and harmonious existence. That is why it is said that marriages are made in heaven.    

Author Poonam Uppal 

In the romantic novel, the book writer Author Poonam Uppal mentions split halves and soul mate concept much prevalent amongst true lovers. This also delivers an esoteric twist to the romantic interlude between Moh and Guarang. The popular book writer has born and bred in India and is a devout Hindu. She is an ardent devotee of Goddess Maa Durga the consort of Shiva. She now lives in the USA with her family. 

Khajuraho Temples - Of Treatise on Stone

Twenty-Five Temples now exist in the Temple Town Khajuraho in the State of Madhya Pradesh in India. A popular tourist destination visited from all over the Globe. 

Khajuraho Through The lens of Romantic Novel based in India

Salvation is the ultimate goal of humans especially those professing Oriental religions that originated in India.  The ultimate deliverance is through Karmic deeds that are supposed to be based on following the path of truth, sacrifice, and piety.  

Khajuraho Temples

Religiosity is central to achieving salvation and eventually escaping the frequent torturous cycle of life, death and rebirth.  

Khajuraho Carvings  

The path to salvation does not have any mandatory manifestations and it is not necessary to relinquish Worldly pleasures or satiation of our sensory apparatus. This is why treatises like Vatsyayana’s   Kama Sutra came into being and became so popular. 

Temples of Khajuraho 

In the romantic novel A Passionaate Gospel of True Love this is what Moh Lal Rai discovers.  Right at the doorsteps of the famous Khajuraho Temples Moh is surprised to see intense erotic sculptures on the outer walls.

Built by the Chandela Rajput Kings between the 9th to 11th centuries they were not a lascivious representation of the physical attributes of humans. Sexual gratification, true love, and emotional attachments were pathways to achieving a fulfilled life and for the soul to come to rest. 

Physical gratification is never tarnished in the image of ancient people as being lascivious, lewd, or lecherous.           

Perhaps this was the intent of Goddess Maa Durga through the premonition to guide Moh Lal Rai to Khajuraho Temples. She was in India to fulfill her destiny a coming together of true lovers as prophesied during the fashion show in Las Vegas in the USA.

In meeting her destined lover Gaurang a number of questions had arisen especially with the relationship as both were already tied in a conjugal bond with others. The guidance was a journey of discovery as she found out the concept of all absorbing love between true lovers or split halves. 

The treatise of Kama Sutra is not limited to the aspect of physical love it goes much deeper and is the soulful manifestation of an aspect of life that is often shunned as being sinful by the unaware. This could be termed as the higher purpose of Khajuraho Temples in connection with the Kama Sutra Treatise.   

A Passionaate Gospel of True Love is a manifestation of liberal thoughts that justifies relationships beyond the norms we have come to understand. The orthodox injunctions towards love and romance are age-old. It is this romantic saga that dares to explore the unconventional through the truth hidden in our sacred texts and treatise.           

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Ranthambhore Where Tigers Rule

Hunting Reserve of an erstwhile Maharajahs, the ruins strike awe as the jeep rolls down the rugged terrain. Ranthambore is well known for its tigers, and the ancient temples, forts, chattris, and hunting lodges are all now throttled down by forests. Decay and withering is the telltale sign of once magnificent structures exhibition of pomp and glory of the Maharajahs of Jaipur - now a bustling capital of Rajasthan.   

Tiger

The rot has not set in for the forests and wild denizens they thrive well. Tigers now occupy the biodiversity-rich region, and tourist flock to admire them. The big cats can be seen here in all their glory in the natural habitat - and who would not like to see them. 

Popular for tiger safaris the ancient ruins and splendorous lakes of the National Park are the jewels of this niche habitat of wild denizens. Not to be left behind, the tourist lodges at Ranthambore are among the finest with a rich tradition of hospitality that equals the days of the Maharajahs living in their opulent palaces and forts.       

Tiger

Besides being home to the big cats, the reserve boasts a wide array of mammals and an amazing flock of avians. Safaris are thrilling, be it on a jeep or a canter, the excitement never mitigates as you get one experience after another, a tiger on the hunt, crocodile basking, and shrill alarms of deer and the Nilgai. 

Tucked away in the chain of Aravali Hills the erstwhile hunting reserve is now the mainstay of tourism in Rajasthan. The big cats have created history after returning from near extinction. Legends (tigers) now eternal have ruled the dazzling heights of the ramparts and the lush green meadows inundated by magnificent lakes large and small.      

Resort Ranthambhore

High-End Hotel 

Luxury Hotel Ranthambore

The canopy, water bodies, grasslands, and torturous terrain create their own niche in which species survive. One of the best places to see tigers in the wild, Ranthambore is the most visited in India. Entrenched in the itinerary of the Golden Triangle many holidays are made here. 

Male Tiger 

Ancient Temple

Lake

Situated near Sawai Madhopur three hours drive from Jaipur the reserve is easy to access. The tourism infrastructure is sound with many five-star and luxury hotels for a memorable stay. Tigers abound and you can see and photograph them with ease. A few days of safaris will offer an experience that no other venue will offer in India.   

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve

Tadoba Gate

Situated on the banks of the Andhari River the sylvan retreat is a spectacular tiger landscape. Tigers in this wilderness roam free amidst the verdant forests hills and valleys. Tadoba is named after tribal Taru whom the residents still venerate. He was a chieftain who was killed in an encounter with a tiger. A shrine is dedicated to him in the verdant confines of the forest under a large tree near Tadoba Lake.       

Map of Tadoba 

Jeep Safari

The rich biodiversity region is situated in the Indian State of Maharashtra near Chandrapur. Chandrapur is at a distance of approximately one hundred forty kilometers from Nagpur City. The reserve is an amalgamation of Tadoba National Park and Andhari River Wildlife Sanctuary. It is now under the aegis of Project Tiger Program and hence is known as tiger reserve.  

Tiger

The predominately Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests contain diverse flora and fauna. The diversity is incredible in this cradle of  Chimur Hills, Kolsa, and Moharli Ranges. The wide expanse of forests is contained by the Lake which divides the dense canopy from the region containing farmlands and human habitation. The lake is a birder's dream come true with a wide assemblage of shore and wetland birds. The colorful avian is a delight to one's eye, and the melange of colors that they are adorned with is simply striking. Marsh crocodiles make their last stand here after facing persecution all over Maharashtra.      

A safari in the forests of Tadoba is an exciting proposition, especially for wildlife enthusiasts on a holiday. Wildlife at its best can be seen frolicking on the dusty jungle pathways that intersect the forests. Nilgai, sambar,  chital, and barking deer. An exciting encounter with a tiger is what all holidaymakers yearn for, but no less of a thrill is the sight of a slot bear ambling around or a wild dog packing on a hunt. 

Among the other carnivores that inhabit these forests are the leopards one of the World's most enigmatic creatures.  Together the leopard and the tiger constitute a thrilling find on the safari but the jungles of Tadoba have much more to offer. A holistic experience is what enlightened tourists yearn for and I believe the reserve is spectacular.      

For tourism purposes, the park is divided into many zones with dedicated entry gates. Booking a permit in advance is much advisable. This can be done from the office of the DFO at Chandrapur or at the respective entry gates.    

Most of the hotels and resorts are situated around the entry gates. They offer a wide variety of amenities in the remote jungle. You can avail of accommodation in a budget resort or a five-star hotel depending upon the choice and your pocket. Accommodation is also available at State-run MTDC and guest houses belonging to various departments.    

Tourism is controlled in Tadoba Tiger Reserve in India and limited entry is available. For making a holiday here advance planning is a must. In order to reach the preserve one has to arrive at Nagpur and then drive to Chandrapur or the respective gates.