Conservation Of The Sea Turtles

A Citizen's Yeomen Effort To Protect Sea Turtles From Poachers

By Meera

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In our efforts to take a close peek at a sea turtle conservation centre, we managed a fleeting glimpse of the memorial to the 2004 tsunami victims. It is the nation's tribute to 50,000 people who perished in this country and it has been etched in copper and brass plates. However, we travelled along the blue coastal waters for more than 10 km, to spend a few hours at the Kosagoda turtle hatchery.

Memorial wall for Tsunami victims 

Saving Sea Turtles In A Unique Way

By Meera

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There are some unique experiences that we cannot forget at least in our life time. My thoughts forays back frequently to a special place in my travel to the island nation that is shaped like a teardrop. This sojourn and its recollections brings me immense happiness.

For me, it was an unbelievable experience to see long trail of turtles ambling on their tiny legs to lay eggs in the nests, spread out on the beach side of Kosgoda, a village on the southernmost tip of Sri Lanka. We were staying in Hikkaduwa to see the local sights as also absorb the unique marine life.  Most of our time was spent on the beach where the water was crystal clear and people were vying with one another to see the marine world including its coral gardens by hiring glass bottomed boats or go for scuba diving or snorkeling.

The Beautiful Passion Flower And Mythology

The Strange Ways Of The Exotic Krishna Kamal Flowers

By Meera

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The blooming of this passion flower has been captured on
camera by a retired Dy general manager of a bank B N Nagendra.

Along the hedgerows, on the edges of woods, in the thickets, tumbling over trellises, jumping over fences and snaking the open grounds – a strange and exotic flower when it blooms – it brings everlasting joy in one’s heart. It is called by so many names – wheel of fortune or passion flower or Krishna Kamal and even May Pop.

Noni - Heralding Good Health - Part II

By Tharangini

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A view of the greenhouse

The tour started at the greenhouse, which was lush and the uniform green had a soothing effect on the eyes. As we wandered through the greenhouse and then to the farms, Inchara introduced me to a lot of new plants, not just by name, but also by taste.  She kept feeding me leaves from various plants and I had to taste them and guess what it tasted like. She was also keenly watching my expressions, which I am sure was positively entertaining. I ate the leaves that tasted like Anise ( 'Saunf' ) and one that smelled like 'Vicks'. After a few more 'leaf tasting', we reached the young Noni trees, all having fruits in various sizes.

Noni - Heralding Good Health - Part I

By Tharangini

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Once upon a time, long long ago, according to the Hawaiian mythology, the demigod Maui attracted the wrath of the goddess of death and was killed.  He was brought back to life after being covered with Noni leaves.

The Goddess of volcano, Pele, is said to have diverted the flow of lava to spare Noni trees.

A young Noni tree

Noni is a fruit which is also known as the Indian Mulberry. It has been around for centuries and was known as Ayushka, which means 'lifespan enhancer', in ancient India. But various foreign invasions had removed our connection with Noni. It has however found its way back again to our lands.

The Irumbai Legend Comes True In Auroville Forests

By Meera

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Walking in the scorching heat of the Eastern Coast of  India on the outskirts of  Puducherry - I suddenly entered a ‘green oasis’ in the middle of old and ancient villages that was dusty and silent.

It was 11:30 in the morning and the East Coast Road was literally crawling with motor bikes and people honking unnecessarily when suddenly Loganathan our auto rickshaw driver took a sudden right turn into a marked dirt road.

The greening of wastelands

The Jagara Valley’s 400 Year Old Heritage

By Meera

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Continued from Bhadra Forests - In Its Full Bloom

For many years now, it has been my interest and passion to see anything that is old and ancient. Old buildings, carvings, motifs, inscriptions and temples have fascinated me.  Not just these, I have made it a point to look for natural heritage too. I have always wondered as to how they have managed to survive all these years amid the ravages of  time, changing climate and last but not the least, man’s greed.

The Jagara Teak

Bhadra Forests - In Its Full Bloom

By Meera

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Any visit to the hill district of Chikkamagaluru is incomplete if one does not catch a glimpse of the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary (also a tiger reserve) which is home to big as well as small animals including tigers, leopards, elephants, gaurs, deers and a host of other species. I not only wanted to see the Sanctuary through the eyes of noted wildlife conservationist D V Girish but also wanted to understand and imbibe what went behind Bhadra’s conservation all these decades. Girish picked me and Tharangini from our hotel in Chikkamagaluru town at 5.15 am on a pleasant morning in the month of January.

Surrounded by hill ranges, Bhadra in its verdant beauty

Discovering Life on the Mighty Mekong

By Meera

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Hopping in and out of South East Asia, one fine morning, I landed in the tiny landlocked country of Laos PDR. This is an ancient land having ties with India dating back 2000 years. Although not on the regular tourist map of any visitor, my interest in its culture and its simple people made me hop on to a four day trip and I flew quietly into the quaint capital city of Vientiane.

Vientiane, capital of Laos PDR

The Koppal Habitat - An Immensely Grounding Experience - II

By Tharangini

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Part II

In case you have missed out on Part I , click here.

The vast expanse of the Sanganal landscape

During the second half of the day with warm sunshine to keep us company, we moved to Sanganal. This is  the area of black cotton soil, now painted green during the farming season.  It was green as far as eyes could see and the same would be black once the crops were harvested. This was the choice habitat for the blackbucks. The uneven path of the undulating terrain through the vast  green stretches tossed us around in the vehicle. We were shaken, stirred and had our bones rearranged multiple times during our journey through Sanganal. The blackbucks were nowhere to be seen.

The Koppal Habitat - An Immensely Grounding Experience - I

By Tharangini

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Part I

The warm Wednesday afternoon had just transformed into a cool comfortable and almost chill evening. Entering into Hagedhal as guests of Indrajit Ghorpade in his farmhouse, the first thought was to breathe in and store as much oxygen as  possible during the couple of days we were going to be there. 

We were here to learn a bit about Koppal, the precious inmates of this unique habitat and the efforts of Indrajit Ghorpade and his DCF (Deccan Conservation Foundation) team in their conservation efforts to protect the region.

After being welcomed by Durganna and Suraj, a nice warm dinner of local North Karnataka cuisine  awaited our hungry stomachs. The dinner was outdoors, set to an orchestra of a thousand insects under the shimmering night sky. Warm food, chill evening breeze, a sea of stars, music of nature - I was in the embrace of heaven for sure. The enamor  of the night sky and the entire ambience took my breath away even as the others chatted. This was the perfect recipe to get grounded and connect with mother earth.

Jigme Dorji National Park

By Meera

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The Misty Mountainous Land With Its Many Hidden Colours And Life

The entrance to the Park

If you want to soak in unbelievable views, breathe pure and mountainous air that too at high altitudes, then take a trip down the royal kingdom of Bhutan. Even as such in this nation, when traversing from place to place, we have to either go up or down continuously. If you are nature lover and also freak on trekking and have young legs, this is the ultimate destination.

Narihalla : A Breathtaking Landscape With Fabulous Views

By Meera

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Music: https://www.bensound.com

No, this is not the famous Ha Long Bay of Vietnam but Narihalla River and its reservoir situated in the central regions of Karnataka state. The damming of the Narihalla River, a tributary of Tungabhadra in this landscape has produced a unique sight where red craggy hills inter cut it beautifully at many places.

Nallur, Holding On To A Forgotten Past

By Meera

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In the past, the sacred groves in India were a natural sanctuary for trees where none could fell them or even kill the precious wildlife abounding here. It was a divine abode where precious trees were
worshiped and protected.

Fallen trees and their new prodigies

The Tungabhadra Weaving Her Magic At Anegundi

By Meera

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Music: https://www.bensound.com 

She is so serene and mesmerizing that she beckons one to her lap, inviting them to play and enjoy in her gentle and white waters. She is none other than the mighty Tungabhadra River flowing in the mystical land of Kishkinda (now known as Anegundi) near the World Heritage Site of Hampi in Karnataka, India.