KAZIRANGA 2024

Continuing from Alipurdwar....bidding farewell to Sonam and Rigzin, we got into the next car and began another long drive to Siliguri past beautifully green tea gardens and highly guarded Defence zones. Reaching Siliguri, we spent the night at The Loft, a fairly comfortable hotel not very far from Bagdogra Airport. 

Lunch was at the local Dominos outlet downstairs and dinner was at the in-house restaurant. 

Next morning, we boarded our flight to Lokpriya Gopinath Bordolai International Airport, Guwahati.  From there, we drove into the heart of the city towards....from where we had to collect our self-drive vehicle that came with a prior warning of not driving beyond 20 kmph, the speed limit in Kaziranga, the next destination in our vacation. 

Since husband was driving, we set our destination on Google Maps that indicated we had a good 4 hours to reach Kaziranga. Somewhere at the start of the long drive we stopped at Jaipur Rajasthan Bhojanalaya where we had noodles, paneer masala, rotis, lassi and coffee. 

Driving on, we passed some pretty little towns and open countryside. The roads are wide and in really good condition, making the drive quite a pleasant one. As we neared Kaziranga, husband suggested I should enter the name of the forest lodge we were staying at. I typed in the name, and, to our horror, maps shot up from 4 minutes to an additional few hours. Seeing we had another long drive ahead, we stopped for coffee before entering the Kaziranga Green Corridor, a busy highway that cuts through the National Park. It is here that speed limit must be maintained at 20kmph, but, as we saw, many vehicles, especially tourist vehicles, zooming by. Dear readers, this is quite irresponsible and reflects little to no concern for wildlife that might be crossing. The forest is their home and we must respect their lives and their space. 

Getting back on the road, we drove past vast stretches of forests, tiny pockets of human inhabitation in the form of quaint little villages and hamlets, and many forest lodges. 

It was well past sunset when we reached our lodge, The Habitas Rhino, located in the middle of the Diring Tea Estate, Kohora. 

The cottages are built in the traditional style using much of bamboo and cane. Rooms are comfortable and really pretty, especially at night. The restaurant is also built in similar lines and offers a nice variety of traditional north-eastern meals, including a sampling of Bhut Jolokia, or ghost pepper, certified by the Guiness Book of Records as the hottest chilli pepper in the world. 

I was quite taken in by my first sight of the lodge...looking all fairyland-like in the glow of the night lamps. And, looking up, you could see the stars. 

Early next morning, I also spotted a pair of Hornbills who, I was informed, were local residents of one of the nearby trees. The very talkative host shared with us, among other things, his love of all things north-eastern. He was all praise for our Seven Sisters and their rich cultural heritage. 

On the first morning, our jeep drove us towards the Bagori zone for our first ever Elephant Safari. A sizeable flock of tourists were already at the entry point and many more were steadily pouring in. Once inside, we had to climb a little podium and wait for our names to be called when an elephant was assigned to us. I must say an elephant ride is a bumpy affair and one must hold on for fear of sliding off. For most of the ride, I found myself wishing I had an extra pair of hands....two for clicking photographs and two to hold on for dear life! In the almost hour-long safari, we ambled along through the morning fog stopping ever so often to click pictures of water buffalo and Kaziranga's most famous resident, the Indian Rhinoceros, also known as the greater one-horned rhino. It is the second largest living rhinoceros species and is protected by both, the Indian and the Nepalese governments. 

Our assigned driver then drove us next door for breakfast before driving us back to the lodge. Post lunch, we were taken for a jeep safari in the Bagori zone itself. Once again, we spotted the Rhinoceros, water bufallo, and a couple of deer. We also caught sight of a fat, lazy lizard and a few variety of birds. Many were quite eager to spot a tiger, but we saw none. Not even a flash of tail in the tall grass.

The next morning, after breakfast, we left for our final jeep safari, this time in the Kohora zone itself. This one was a little disappointing as we spotted almost nothing save for a turtle and a cow elephant with her calf. The safari route itself is almost a straight, bumpy path with mostly tall grass on either side. And there's dust. Lots of dust. 

After checking our of Habitas Rhino, we drove all the way back towards Tangra Satra Road in Guwahati. Parking the car at the hotel, we walked down the street to see what was there to be seen. We discovered that there are some really nice cafés and restaurants such as Devil's Burgers, Kalita Spectrum, Café Coffee Day, Starbucks etc.  in the neighborhood offering a nice variety of options to suit your taste. 

Turning off the main street and re-entering the Tangra Satra Road, however, made us want to walk with our eyes firmly on our feet as they hurried along towards the hotel. Being a largely residential area, there are a couple of poultry shops on either side of the street and it was heart breaking to see not just chickens, but cute duckies also standing there, locked in cages, awaiting their fate. Heartbreaking!

The next day, still having the car at our disposal, we drove alongside the mighty Brahmaputra. There seemed to be a fair of sorts that morning with women in all their finery, flocking to the riverbank to celebrate Chatt Puja. We decided to visit the Kamakhya Devi Temple, the oldest and most revered centre of tantric practices, dedicated to the goddess Kamakhya. Offerings to the goddess are usually flowers, but the tradition of animal sacrifice continues here to this day, with devotees coming every morning with animals and birds to offer to the goddess. 

According to legend, this temple marks the spot where Sati used to retire in secret for a carnal union with Shiva, and it was also the place where her yoni (genitals and womb) fell after Shiva's tandav (dance of destruction) with the corpse of Sati. Within this temple, there is no idol of the presiding deity but she is worshipped in the form of a yoni-like stone instead over which a natural spring flows.

This temple is also the site of the Ambubachi Mela, a festival celebrating the menstruation of the goddess. During this time, the waters of the Brahmaputra river near the temple turn red for three days. The temple itself is closed for the three days after which, the goddess is bathed and other rituals are performed. 

While husband went ahead exploring the temple, I chose to stay by the entrance not wishing to be witness to the animal sacrifice. I did try venturing a little further, but the sight of animals being led/dragged for sacrifice and the distant thwwwack of metal hitting wood was enough to send me back towards the exit. Sitting there, I spent the time observing the many pilgrims and the priests in their bright kurtas and dhotis. The place was abuzz with activity. The women, I noticed, wore beautiful silver anklets and toerings, making me wonder where I could buy a pair. 

For lunch, we visited Tholgiri, as suggested by a colleague, a native of Guwahati. On entry, the place opens to a store selling all things Assamese - spices, preserves, sweets and handicrafts. The inner room with two very low tables and four couches serves as the dining area. The menu offers authentic Assamese cuisine, of which we chose a set meal that allowed us to sample a little of each of their basic preparations. 

For dessert, husband asked for Pitha, a traditional moderately sweet roll of rice filled with a layer of jaggery or sesame. I found it rather dry and, in taste, very similar to the Goan pinagr. 

That evening, we returned the car and took a local rickshaw back to the hotel. Along the way, we passed the local bazaar with its brightly lit shops and streetside stalls selling everything from vegetables to utensils, clothes and toys. If I had more time to spare, I'd have liked to walk through the market just to see what I could see. One can learn a lot about a place by walking through local bazaars instead of the malls and shopping centers. 

Very early, the next morning, we made our way to the airport. The vacation had come to a close and it had been an eventful one. Yes, it involved really long drives on multiple occasions, but as it often is, the journey is just as interesting as the destination. From Kolkata to Bhutan to Kaziranga to Guwahati....our experiences were varied and enriching, each place leaving a memorable mark of its own.