Nirvana

Our lives, like nature, are full of surprises. We never know what's going to happen next. I used to go on hikes in the woods to get away from all of the materialistic realities. I submerged myself in nature and found happiness on a journey to Thenmala, in the heart of the Western Ghats.

By the afternoon, we had secured permission to enter Shendurnni Wildlife Sanctuary as part of the annual Bird survey. To assist us with the survey, the forest department arranged for two field guides. Our field location was Rockwood Estate, which is located at an elevation of 1300 metres. The field guides described it as "one of a kind," which piqued my interest.

Our adventure to this lovely site began with a jerky jeep ride that took around 2 hours to reach the base camp.

As we progressed farther into the estate, we began to notice the true beauty of the wild, which was filled with Gluta Travancore, an endemic tree of the region known locally as the shendurney tree. Those in the immediate vicinity experienced a microclimate that was radically different from that of the estate. Our base camp, which was really beautiful, was placed in the middle of the dense forest, surrounded by the Shendurney tree. 

We were pleasantly welcomed by the wild's tranquillity. My thoughts were jumbled together in my head. Nature always forgives us for our wrongdoings and provides us with the chance to make amends. My soul was engulfed in the beauty of nature as I sat in a wonderful rock chair with a cup of hot black tea, and the melodies of birds were quite a delight for ears. 

The next morning, at 6 A.M., we went birding and began recording bird sounds while wandering and appreciating all of nature's lovely creations. The number of red-whiskered bulbuls and Malabar parakeets were at an all-time high, and we were able to record a variety of birds. 

Bison

Malabar Giant Squirrels 

The majestic Black Eagle and the crested serpent and crested hawk-eagle were among the birds of prey on display.

Crested serpent eagle

We observed tiger tracks on the route and a herd of Bisons off in the distance. We recorded approximately 60 birds unique to that location, including the great hornbill, during the morning birding. It was the fruiting season of ficus, the hornbills' favourite fruit, and my pulse was pumping to view this majestic bird for the first time.

Great Hornbill

We hiked back to our camp after the morning birding session and spoke about our intriguing findings, and we decided to have a bath in the nearby creek. 

Our physical aches and pains from the hike were relieved by a nice shower in a natural stream.

When we returned from the stream after the shower, our field cook had already cooked delectable lunches for us, which were among the best I'd had in recent memory. We decided to take a brief walk along the stream at twilight to record nocturnal birds, and we were fortunate enough to record great eared nightjars, jungle nightjars, mottled wood owls, and Indian eagle owls. We heard the roar of a tiger in the distance, which terrified me to my core. Even though the tiger was roaring from a great distance away, the strength of the growl in the pitch dark wilderness can rock your soul. We returned to the camp without wasting much time. We built a fire back at the camp and spoke about all the strange things we'd seen in the woods. One of the guides' anecdotes gave me goosebumps. 

In the centre of the forest, there is a haunted and highly eerie chapel built by British colonialists two centuries ago and the burial of a British couple. Many estate workers claim to have seen the ghosts, and one of the field guides had a disturbing experience once in the middle of the night when the camp door was frightfully banged. When he opened the door, no one was standing, and it has happened a few times to various persons staying at the camp. This sparked our curiosity to see the church, and we requested the guides to take us there the next day.

The next day we started our survey early in the morning, and we followed a different trail. After an hour walk, we arrived at a spot where we could see a century-old church that had been entirely destroyed, as well as funerals for British couples. Even though our Field Guides told us not to go there since they are frightening locations, Our curiosity compelled us to venture there and look around.

 

This chapel was quite eerie, and I didn't want that old lady knocking on my door, so I didn't stay long. It was also cloudy, so I didn't explore much.

All the surroundings were leftover from the British; their garage, storeroom, and towers all gave me the pinch of colonial rule in India. On the way back to the camp, we saw a very unexpected guest who is very rare and endemic to the region. That was a large-eyed bronze back, which is non-venomous and a species of colubrid snake. In general, seeing a snake in the wild makes me nervous but seeing her was a joyous occasion, and she was incredibly photogenic. With all of these lifelong memories and grace, I began gathering my belongings to leave the camp, and the jeep was waiting for us. We said our goodbyes to all of the forest guards who work tirelessly to protect nature's gifts every day of their lives. I left paradise with peace in my heart. 

Nature is full of surprises, as I already stated. I began my voyage with a heavy heart, but everything turned out to be fine in the end. Learn from nature and make the most of your life!

The large-eyed Bronze snake