Sunday, December 29, 2013

Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Karnataka, India

The Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery-
Golden temple
In my recent visit to Coorg in Karnataka, I discovered that Coorg has a little Tibet in it. In fact it is one of the largest settlements of Tibetans in India .Very colourful and serene, the Tibetan settlement is near a place called "Kushalnagar" in Coorg. Kushalnagar will take you around 4-5 hours to reach by road if you are driving from Bengaluru.

I found out from Wikipedia that "The Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery" happens to be the largest teaching centre of Nyingmapa in the World.

Here is a video which will give you a glimpse into the beautiful Golden temple in the monastery complex. More on Coorg in my next post.






Sunday, December 22, 2013

Nature: Random images

I am sharing some pictures from my garden; the pictures are not good, but it is nice to see flowers blooming and birds chirping.

Wish you a merry Christmas and a very happy new 2014!




Tailorbird
Tailorbird


Magpie Robin
Bulbul


Saturday, December 14, 2013

Khichan in Rajasthan, India: A must visit for nature enthusiasts

Demoiselle cranes, Khichan
Tucked away in a rather remote area of Rajasthan is a village called Khichan. Khichan is not a place that usually features in a tourist's list. It is one of those off-the beaten destinations that is well-worth visiting though.

You will likely hear of this place from birding enthusiasts, in fact  that is how I came to know of  Khichan. My  cousin Soma, who is an active birder told me about the existence of this place. She went there last winter and clicked some awesome pictures. Khichan is a must visit if you wish to witness quite an unusual sight.

Would you like to see hundreds of Demoiselle cranes in one place?
Khichan is where you can witness this amazingly beautiful and unusual sight.

Flocks Demoiselle cranes
Khichan
Demoiselle cranes
Rajasthan, India

This migration has been happening since a very long time.The locals have helped in conserving and protecting this area. The cranes are fed grains every day and that is a lot of food! This has been possible because of monitory support from locals and donations from visitors and other organisations who are helping in preserving and conserving this natural phenomenon.

How to reach Khichan : From Jodhpur- You can take a train to Jodhpur in Rajasthan and hire a car from Jodhpur. Keechan is around 145 kms from Jodhpur. You can plan a day trip. Keechan will be on your way to Jaisalmer from Jodhpur. Jodhppur to Jaisalmer is around 285 kms and will take around 4 hours. There will be slight detour to Khichan but that is the best way to go if you plan to go from Jodhpur. The journey from Jodhpur to Keechan will take you around 2.5 hours. Keechan is not far from Pokhran which is around 66 kms away (around 1 hour).

Best time to Visit: Winter (October to March): November to February is the best season

Sharing some pictures from my cousin's trip to Khichan.

Demoiselle cranes, Khichan, Rajasthan,India
Khichan, Rajasthan, Demoiselle cranes 



Demoiselle crane Khichan

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Bhitarkanika National Park, Odisha, India

Bhitarkanika National Park
Odisha, India
If you are fond of Wildlife sanctuaries and have not visited Bhitarkanika yet, it should feature in your list of places to visit. Bhitarkanika National Park is a national park located in Odisha in India.Located in Kendrapara District of Odisha, Bhitarkanika is best known for the Olive Ridley turtles and endangered salt water crocodiles.

The best time to visit Bhitarkanika is during Summers and winters.Though winters are much more pleasant and preferable. The best way to reach Bhitarkanika is from Bhubaneswar. Bhubaneswar has an airport and rail station as well. Bhitarkanika is around 160 kms from Bhubaneswar.

The mangrove forest reminds me of Sunderbans in West Bengal. If you are lucky you might get to sight king cobras, black ibis, and many other reptiles and birds.

The link below will provide you more information on Bhitarkanika:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhitarkanika_National_Park
https://www.bhitarkanikanationalpark.com

I am posting some pictures from Bhitarkanika; Credit for the pictures go to Soma Jha.


Mangrove forest of
Bhitarkanika
Crocodile at
Bhitarkanika


Black-capped Kingfisher
Bhitarkanika
Brown winged Kingfisher
Bhitarkanika


Collared Kingfisher
Bhitarkanika
White bellied Sea Eagle,
Bhitarkanika


Water Moniter Bhitarkanika
Odisha