Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve

Here she comes now...
Tigress approaching waterhole.

This was one vacation I was really looking forward to specially after the fiasco of plans to spend a weekend in Pench.  17 years of togetherness, friends and jungle – nothing beats the combination and we did have whale of a time. NH7 was a pleasure to drive and I averaged 60km and covered 180 km distance in 3 hours. That meant driving at 140km/hr for some distance but then the roads were clear and smooth and Innova lends itself wonderfully to highway driving.

We were at the park in peak summer and the heat was unbearable (mid day temperature was about 44° C) and there was very little water available -so most of the wild action was at concentrated around the water holes.

A tigress came to the water hole with four of her cubs to quench her thirst and cool herself down while down the same road  another water saucer, made by the forest department saw a barking deer patiently waiting his turn to drink water while the bigger grazer, a Sambhar deer quenched his thirst.

In smaller puddles birds frolicked in territorial displays and fought with each other while the butterflies that were mud puddling became meals of the fly catchers. We saw one handsome orange headed thrush in an extremely bad mood shooing another one of his own species till a white-browed fan-tail fly catcher got better of him and claimed the place as his own territory.

Barking deer, waiting for his turn to quench his thirst.
Hierarchy : Barking deer waiting for his turn.

Not far away was another family of tigers, two adults, a male and a female with two cubs frolicking in mud and playing tag on the bund of a small water body.

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जुनूने-शौक अब भी कम नहीं है

11th May, 1994. 17 years to being married to my beloved… All I can quote in this ashar of Majaz अभी बज़्मे-तरब से क्या उठूँ मैं अभी तो आँख भी पुरनम नहीं है — मजाज़

शक्ल धुधंली सी – एक अाज़ाद ग़ज़ल

शक्ल धुधंली सी है शीशे में निखर जायेगी, मेरे अहसास की गर्मी से संवर जायेगी अाज वो काली घटाओं पे हैं नाज़ां लेकिन, चाँद सी रौशनी बालों में उतर अायेगी जिन्दगी मर्हला-ए-दार-ओ-रस्ल हो जैसे दिल की बेचारगी ता-वक्त सहर जायेगी ज़ौक तरकीब से थी कोख़ सदफ़ की महरूम कैसा अंधेरा है ये बात मगर अब्र … Continue reading शक्ल धुधंली सी – एक अाज़ाद ग़ज़ल

ग़ज़ल

फिर चाख गिरेबाँ होने लगा और मौत का सामाँ होने लगा कुछ अश्क थमे थे ए हमदम फिर दीदा-ए-गिरियाँ होने लगा फिर साज़े आहे शबीना पर हाथ अपना रक्सां होने लगा गुलज़रे लाला-ए-दिल पर अब लय दर्द-ए-बहाराँ होने लगा अब लज़्जते ग़म पर ए ‘ज़ारी’ दिल अपना नाज़ाँ होने लगा — ज़रीना सानी चाख गिरेबाँ … Continue reading ग़ज़ल

मायाजाल

मायाजाल न तोड़ा जाये लोभी मन मुझको ललचाये मिल जाये तो रोग है दुनिया मिल न सके तो मन ललचाये मेरे अाँसू उनका दामन रेत पे झरना सूखा जाये ताश के महलों में हरदम काँच की चूड़ी खनकी जाये प्यार मुहब्बत रिश्ते नाते ‘सानी’ कुछ भी काम न अाये — ज़रीना सानी Dr. Zarina Sani … Continue reading मायाजाल

वही ताजमहल

अाहट हुयी हौले-हौले कदमों की दिल की हर तह में उतरती चली गयी एक नशा सा छा गया वास्तविकता से स्वपन की दूरी कम हो चली लगा, हर पल चाँदनी से सुसज्जित है चमकते, दमकते ये पल मेरी स्वपननगरी ने अाज फिर एक नये ताजमहल का निर्माण किया श्वेत, शुद्ध, पाकीज़ा मेरा अपना महल -ताजमहल … Continue reading वही ताजमहल

Kalidas Festival 2011

After many years Tarique and I  attended  Kalidas Festival this year and not just for our love of music. For the first time, Arayan Wachan (literally translates to watching the jungles) and Parasailing were organized as a part of the festival at Ramtek on 28th February (about 40kms from Nagpur) by Amol Khante of CAC … Continue reading Kalidas Festival 2011

I Want! by Zarina Sani

The boon of youth is a life of immense and infinite possibilities ahead. The bane of old age is that you are left with just the satisfaction or regret of a life well lived or not so well lived.  The old age satisfaction of a life well led cannot  rival the excitement of what lies … Continue reading I Want! by Zarina Sani

43 years back.

It’s been 43 years, am closer to 45 than I am to 40. I have even started ticking things off my bucket list, but I don’t feel 43 kyonki….. abhee to main jawan hoon….

तुम अपनी करनी कर गुज़रो

Very few poets move me as much as Faiz Ahmed Faiz does. His poetry pierces my heart, bleeds it and then heals it and inspires it. What can I say more.. I keep searching for words to describe my emotions, my feelings and then all I have to do is open a book and read … Continue reading तुम अपनी करनी कर गुज़रो