One of the many therapeutic effects that travel has on me is making me more aware of and grateful for Nature and all that it has to offer. Spending time in the outdoors, experiencing its raw wilderness, instils a sense of humility in me that I seldom feel anywhere else.
These days, the minute I enter the forest grounds or the buffer zone, my ears tune in to the sounds of nature and my eyes focus on the cues and tell-tale signs left by animals. More than the desperation for a sighting, the sheer excitement while being suddenly alert and aware, injects a new lease of life inside of me – something I had never experienced during my past days as a travel enthusiast. What has changed since then is that now, I am more in awe of Nature and wildlife, taking nothing for granted while in the jungle.
I first experienced this inexplicable oneness with nature during a recent trip- an evening spent along the Feeder Canal Road in Sethumadai, a route I have traveled-by, a countless times.The place has never felt the same twice. Despite forming the buffer zone, adjacent to the core of Anamalai Tiger Reserve, the tract has rich, unique experiences to offer for a nature enthusiast at any point of time. The evening started off with exciting news from a worker at the coconut farm where the crops had been recently raided by a herd of wild elephants. He informed us that an elephant herd of 12 had encamped in the forest nearby and one of them had delivered a new calf, a week ago. Since then, the herd had been venturing out into the mango grove nearby in search of food. An incredible rush of excitement ran through my body, as the thought of possibly sighting them that evening crossed my mind. I was brimming with enthusiasm and started to pray for that moment to become a reality.
As we got down to inspect, the usual telltale signs of elephant footprints, stamped all over the tilled red soil, the smell of fresh dung and urine alerted us of their presence nearby! Being close to the jungle has a way of heightening sensations.
“Eyesight-sharper, sense of smell- keener, and the world around seems more in focus.”
We retreated for some distance, anticipating that the elephants would come out to the open patch of land. The light was getting poorer every second and with a good 15 minutes before it got completely dark, we heard a trumpet. It was almost like an announcement of their presence to us.
Within a few seconds they slowly started to emerge from inside the forest – one by one, all of them came out and stood in the open patch just as we wished. I stood there watching the elephants as they sprayed the red sand on themselves, not believing my luck. As they slowly made their way into the forest again, we parked the SUV at a safe distance, pulled out our camp chairs and sat there sipping some hot tea. As the light faded, the clear, serene, star-lit sky formed the backdrop, silhouetting the hills of the Anamalais.
We spent the night star-gazing, exploring and witnessing the infinite beauty of the clear skies, away from the city glow! My thoughts began to sedate, the voices around me slowly faded and at that moment I felt a deep sense of humility. A humility that made me aware, admire and be in awe of the reality (Nature) outside of me. I have only had few experiences as mesmerizing and absorbing as this.
I strongly believe that traveling with a purpose to understand, discern and admire Nature and wildlife makes our experiences rich and soul-satisfying. More importantly, it propels the urge for conservation in each one of us. All we need to do is develop the tryst to acquire knowledge from Nature’s infinite wisdom.
“Not everything needs to make sense at all times. Let’s just be aware of our surroundings, be at harmony with the outside world and wonder!”
