KODASA

WE SET OFF EXACTLY AT 3 IN THE AFTERNOON.......AND FROM NOW ONWARDS ITS IS ASSUMED THAT THE TEMPERATURE IS ALWAYS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF 450C AT ALL TIMES DURING THE DAY.
THE IDEA IS THAT THE ANIMALS GET HARASSED BY THE HEAT AND COME TO THE WATERING HOLES ....WHERE WE ARE WAITING TO SOPT THEM.
SOUNDS EASY................
HA HA NOW CONSIDER THIS..........
SOPTTING WILDLIFE IS AN ACTIVITY WHICH REQUIRES LUCK AND PATIENCE..........NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER.........
STALKING WILDLIFE IN SUMMER HS MORE ISSUES.......JUST IMAGINE SITTING INSIDE A CLOSED JEEP IN THAT HEAT SILENTLY FOR THE ANIMALS TO COME......THE SUN CONVERTS THE METAL VEHICLE INTO AN OVEN AND WE WERE GETTING GRILLED LIKE MEATBALLS INSIDE......SLOWWWWWW AND DEEPPPPPP......IN FACT I COULD FEEL THE FOOD IN MY BELLY GETTING RECOOKED .............
AND TO TOP IT ALL JUST HAVE A LOOK AT THE ATTIRE OF MY FRIENDS....... I DONT THINK ANY ANIMAL HOWSOEVER FEROCIOUS WILL DARE TO REVEAL ITSELF TO US......
SEE WE ALREADY HAVE A PINK PANTHER AND AN ORANGE ......( UNNAMED SPECIES)

KODASA

SIPPING TEA...........
FRANKLY THE TEA WAS A VILE CONCOCTION...........BUT THE LUNCH AND DINNER WERE GOOD.....SIMPLE AND TASTY RURAL COOKING......BROUGHT BACK SWEET MEMORIES OF MY SANGLI DAYS.......

KODASA

KODASA

THE GUEST HOUSE.......
WAS RELATIVELY WELL MAINTAINED AND WELL STAFFED.
AS USUAL THERE ARE THE PROBLEMS OF ERRATIC ELECTRIC SUPPLY........
AND IN THE SUMMER WHEN THE DAY TEMPERATURES REACH 470 C A FAN AND A COOLER SEEM TO BE THE BARE MINIMUM ESSENTIALS........OFCOURSE THERE IS A KEROSINE POWERED GENERATOR AVAILABLE BUT ONE HAS TO ARRANGE FOR THE KEROSENE OURSELF........
NO LANDLINES AND NO RANGE FOR MOBILES.......THE ONLY MEANS OF COMMUNICATION IS THE WIRELESS SET THAT THE GUARDS HAVE....AND IF THE BATTERIES RUN OUT??????.........YOU CAN ALWAYS USE THE DYNAMO TO POWER IT....
ALL IN ALL RELATIVE COMFORT IN A BLEAK AND REMOTE SURROUNDINGS......

KODASA

WE ENTERED THE PARK AT THIS GATE..........WE WERE STAYING AT KODASA FOREST GUEST HOUSE.
THE PARK IS CLOSED FOR VISITORS ON TUESDAYS AND THE PARK TIMINGS ARE STRICTLY FROM 6 AM TO 11 AM AND 3 PM TO 6 PM.NO VEHICLE IS ALLOWED TO ENTER AND LEAVE BETWEEN 11 TO 3 AND AFTER 6 PM.
VISITORS HAVE TO TAKE A PARK GUIDE IN THEIR VEHICLE. DIESEL VEHICLES OLDER THAN 5 YEARS OLD ARE NOT PERMITTED INSIDE.
VISITORS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ALIGHT FROM THEIR VEHICLES IN THE PARK .
COOKING NONVEG , SMOKING AND ALCOHOL ARE NOT ALLOWED INSIDE THE PARK PREMISES.

THESE RULES ARE STRICTLY FOLLOWED FOR COMMOM PEOPLE BUT ARE ROUTINELY FLOUTED FOR POLITICIANS.
JUST A DAY AGO A PROMINENT POLITICIAN FROM MUMBAI WHO HAS A PASSION FOR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY WAS THERE FOR TIGER PHOTOGRAPHY.ALL THESE RULES WERE RELAXED FOR HIM AND NIGHT SAFARIS WERE ARRANGED TOO. THERE WAS PROVISION FOR ALCOHOL AND MEAT TOO.( THIS WAS TOLD TO US BY A LOCAL ZILLA PARISHAD MEMBER FROM THE SAME PARTY.......INCIDENTLLY HE USES THE NATIONAL TIGER RESERVE AS A PERSONAL PICNIC SPOT ...............)

KODASA AND TADOBA TIGER RESERVES

TADOBA ANDHARI TIGER RESERVE