Jabalpur to Kanha Via Mandla - Road To Tiger Heaven

The Journey on Road to Mandla

The jerks and bumps are unbearable and the ride long. These are the travails of a bus journey  to Kanha.  Who cares? I am going to the tiger heaven.

Mandla Fields

Jabalpur to Mandla Road is being built since ages, and I am used to the rough patches that arrive intermittently but with a stressful certainty. The sight of broken culverts, rocks and gravel and piles of sand alert you in advance as to what is about to come. The terrible jerks. OOf!

The crowd inside is bone crushing, and my lungs heave as bodies pile up on me whenever the bus vacillates on the rough patches. The beautiful landscape is a solace as the bus moves forward painstakingly on a non existing road. 

Banzar River

I sit tight on a badly designed seat that could challenge the best of the designers to rectify. You can see the cushion rotting, brittle, yellowed by age as it peers through the jagged edges.  

The whole picture is that of absurdity since the rattle is called a luxury bus. 

It stops every now and then to pick roadside passengers, some in small groups. The conductor pushes them all inside to the back where there is no space. They are duped easily, the rustic rural populace. 

"Go back there are empty seats behind" his standard speak every time he loads the bus. There are none, the travellers are mercilessly cramped up in the little suffocating passage between the rows of the seats - two on left and three rows on the right. 

Kanha Village

I am lucky for being on seat with kids beside who barely occupy much. In summers it gets worse with heat insulated between those on board and windows too small to let fresh air in. Anyway it gets too dusty hence people keep the windows closed most of the time. 

When I look outside, I see no work going on. The idle machinery - caterpillars and road rollers tell a sad story of indefinite delays in Government managed projects. This means more such horrible experience till the highway is eventually complete. The finished patches in between are like a breath of fresh air and future travel seems promising on the cement structure that will let ply the vehicles to and forth. Bus rolls smoothly as if on a rink...too difficult to believe.  Then the next patch awakens you out of the reviere. 

Mandla Village

The journey over unfinished patches is an absolute shock, and tests my body whence catapulted towards the roof and back onto the seat. Thanks to a long association with this road to Mandla, I have gained expertise in twisting and turning on time, and using these very acrobatic skills I always land back safely on the seat - me and my laptop and yes the baggage. But nobody is perfect many a times my goggles and hat are thrown astray and crushed under the unruly impending feet. They are all around. 

The bus stops for few minutes for refreshment at a market place called Narayanganj a small filthy town still living in the past. I go for tea and samosa from the roadside cart making sure they are hot. It is a hurried affair, the small shops well some of them selling eatables pass on adulterated stuff since there would be no fight back by unsatisfied customers due to lack of time. The toilet facilities are non existent, I hope they build some along with this new highway.     

After a hot cup of tea and samosas, I feel bit relaxed and this gives space to my cramped feet. In fact the stop is good to unwind my whole body ....crushed as it is.    

The bus journey ahead is as terrible and throws you into throes of convulsions. The twists and turns are more severe, and after frequent stoppages the bus is jam packed. The luxury bus I mean. There is no more halts worth their time only pick ups now and if you are feeling like it hold on tight.  The smell of edible lingers on for a long time in the cramped space of the rattle and an occasional burp  from the passenger smells like a bad fart! 

The journey is nevertheless amusing with wide variety of crowd that has mingled inside in perfect harmony. In India it is the crowded places that open up the region's culture. You learn how people carry on in adversity unbearable. I do not experience the World when I travel to Kanha National Park in a luxury SUV! All I experience is sleep and little shop talk with my clients...those which land at Jabalpur Airport. 

Mandla Township

After what seems an eternity full of bone breaking experience I land, lock, stock and barrel in one mutilated piece after three hours and run to the next bus. Sometimes the connecting bus to Kanha is late, and I get time to freshen up and for a cuppa chai!

Courtyard House Kanha

The journey to Kanha from Mandla onwards appears to be luxurious whence compared with the earlier one. Yet it is a painfully slow journey with innumerable halts. Eventually I reach Mocha township in the buffer from where I am picked up to take me to Courtyard House Kanha wildlife resort at Patpara Village. This is a high end property and I will get the much needed rest. I freelance here as a naturalist in the tiger heaven and love my work immensely. 

Bus ride anyone? 
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Uday is naturalist, a writer and loves to blog on travel and wildlife.
He provides SEO Service and Website Contents in English.
He Teaches Internet Marketing in Jabalpur in Summer
Contact: pateluday90@hotmail.com
09755089323

Road to Nagpur

The journey was in fact much extended right up to Pune. The Jabalpur beginning was as troublesome as  the ending at Nagpur. The journey begins in a rickety old bus paradoxically called luxury bus.

"Which Bus to Nagpur?"  

"Check Your Ticket!"

The bus has a characteristic scarred exterior with peals of paint with lost bindings. The interior does not look inviting either. Oh! Well one more weather beaten body inside.    

I twist and turn in order to avoid the ladder that leads to the sleeper bed on top. Eventually I manage to get into my seat, pull the lever and stretch myself maximum. The sun hits my face directly causing discomfort. The bus is warm and humid from inside, though it is October, but the parking is right under the sun. 

I wait in expectation for the bus to begin its journey onwards. The driver finally alights and begins chatting with the cleaner. The conductor is leaning out from the exit door. "Nagpur! Nagpur! Chalo Nagpur!

This is supposed to be a luxury bus, and only those with reserved tickets are allowed to embark. Who cares? "Nagpur" Nagpur!" 

Stuffed to the brim the contraption eventually moves forward. Amidst that sea of humanity, I try to close my eyes and relax for the seven hours tormenting journey onwards. The seat is not ergonomically designed, well  for a two hundred Rs fare one should not expect too much Luxuryyyyyyyyy. 

Throughout the journey I squirm like an acrobat to offer a comforting angle to my aching back and limbs. This does not work out much and discomfort continues. The bus traverses through picturesque surroundings of what where once dense forests. 

Its nothing new, the bad road condition, but the jerks break your bones and torment your muscles no end. You have to be careful so that you do not land on your neighbor. I peak from my window and see no sane piece of tar, only pot holes ravaged continuously by marauding wheels of buses and trucks. With each pounding the hole becomes larger and provides more space for the wheels. There are large stretches of road that contain nothing but loose sand and pebbles. There is no sign of any repair work throughout the National Highway. It is evident that proper ratio of material has not been used. The road is in utter state of neglect. Shameless! 

The extreme cataclysmic movement does not bother those in lofty seat as much, most of them are lulled by the rhythmic jerks that pass through the cross section like seismic waves. The unfortunate seat less travelers without a reserve ticket are engaged in constant maneuver to balance their bodies. And to save themselves from surrounding metal objects. Their journey is short hence they stand through. Years of discomforting travel has taught them how to hold one self  against life threatening thuds as the wheel falls into the pothole.   

In spite of the badly scarred road the driver pushes the accelerator to get the maximum thrust. The heat worsens as the sun rises and at each stop it is "Nagpur" "Chalo Nagpur". At each stop one lot disembarks  another alights to maintain the equilibrium. The inside smells of sweat, bad breath, oily snacks and garlic chutney all around. In India people eat throughout the journey, perhaps an instant source of energy that makes the body fight the hardship of travel better.            

The bus passes through small isolated hamlets that remain standstill, frozen back in time, centuries past, unconcerned with the changing pace of urbanity. The arid fields, rickety cows and goats are means of survival nothing exists beyond, most certainly the urban surroundings and its inhabitants. A lot which has discovered alien life and learned to ignore. The small towns on the way are engaged in a battle of survival between different eras, a conglomeration of rustic and modern structures. Noisy Baazars, loud blaring speakers and constant rant of the vendors characterize Indian townships. Stray cows, dogs and pigs are ubiquitous commensal  of man.   

The largest town half way through is Seoni made famous by Rudyard Kipling and his Jungle Book. Mowgli's Home, Pench National Park resides in the confines of Seoni and Chindware District close to the town.

The bus barely manages to drag itself uphill and the sharp turns make the ride more bumpy and troublesome.

The discomfort is compensated by the amazing scape of this National Park. The entrance to Pench is at Khawasa about 50 km from Seoni Township. At Khawasa the bus crosses over from MP to Maharashtra after a brief stop for tea, snacks, pan/bidi/cigarette and of course passenger exchange. "Nagpur" Nagpur!"    

We The People 

Roads in Maharashtra are better but not on this stretch, the journey lasts for another four hours exchange stops included. The passengers in seat wait eagerly for Nagpur to arrive. As decent law abiding citizens none has taken note of the road condition, a motley lot that represents all of us. A chalta hai lot that is voiceless and suffers in silence. The politician contractor nexus survives because of our silence since ages.

Perhaps the lot could teach those trying to turn turtles against the corrupt system. How not to confront? Chalta Hai Yaar hum bhi to khateein hain many would say.         

How India Travels!

People in India travel a lot especially during festivals, in weddings, on holy occasions and in holidays. The most eager traveler is the rural folks who are not privileged enough to go on holidays.  The people of the country are tradition keepers hence change does not come fast. 

India still travels in rail. The Indian Railway provides the most popular mode of transport to the people. Incidentally it is the cheapest as well as most networked system. No wonder Indian rail journeys are most written about. The journey can be very comfortable if you are traveling in air conditioned class with a reserved berth. But not many can afford it.  

The largest number of travelers crowd the trains and buses during holy occasions like the Kumbh Mela.  This is followed by those going in to attend a political rally. Seasonal travel during holidays - Diwali, Post Exam (summer), Holi, Marriages, create the worst kind of rush in the trains. The tickets are booked in advance and it is very difficult to step in the sleeper class.  

Bus is another mode of cheap transport in the land - and worst. Most of the state run buses are ill equipped for luxury and comfort but then they are the cheapest. For luxury and comfort the answer is luxury bus services. They are costly but nevertheless preferred by upper class since travel by personal car is costlier. 

Air Travel is unthinkable if you have less money or your company does not sanction. Most of the air travelers are Government employees, Employees of big companies and the jet set who have fat load of money. The middle class flies only in emergency or during pressing need for quick travel.     

It is the only way. If you wish to experience the land from close train travel is the best followed by a bus or  taxi. Taxi is very costly used only by corporate big wigs and tourists on holiday. For holiday makers from foreign countries taxi is most recommended. It is most comfortable to travel for short distances from one destination to another. Car Rentals and Motor Home rentals are available as well but it is not yet very popular in India.