I must admit. I have been to 3 different wildlife sanctuaries, Pench and Corbett. And every time I ended up disappointed for not having had sighted the big cat! Well, not every time. But the first two times. This time when I stepped out of Kaziranga, I did miss the opportunity again, however, have been ruminating over some of my thoughts that occurred to me in Kaziranga National Park. While there are some fascinating stories, heart-breaking interactions I have had at Kaziranga- that are a story for another post, but this one’s a jotting of my favorite thoughts and realizations.
MAY ALL YOUR WEEDS BE WILDFLOWERS:
In a society where we are conditioned to “be accepted”, to “be recognized”, to “be assimilated”, this view from of the jungle reminded me to be true to myself and stand for what I believe. As we passed a dirt track, muddy road, dotted with crooked tall trees on both the planks, this alone tree, standing by the Bramhaputra that traverses through the green scapes of Kaziranga, reminded me of who I am. I am the WILDFLOWER.
BEAUTY BEHIND THE OBVIOUS:
“I want to see the tiger”, cried a kid aloud on the track safari that followed my vehicle. Obviously, the child was repeating what was reinforced to him by the so called belief system of his parents, families, friends- that jungle is all about the Tiger. As my Jeep slowly snaked across the rugged terrain of the wild, I decided to stop being that kid and instead focus on what is not obvious to my eyes. Result? I did not get to see the tiger. However, I ended up with memories of this beautiful guy!
Image Credit: Anu Haak
YOU FIND HAPPINESS, WHEN YOU AREN’T LOOKING FOR IT:
That one lesson, with which I walked away with pride out of Kaziranga- I would say- happiness! No really! I mean- all my life I wanted to be happy. I got a new job, I got a promotion, I got a blog of my own, I moved to a new apartment. I got new clothes. But the happiness didn’t quite last long. I mean it was all for that one moment. But the happiness I experienced seeing a mother and a baby elephant walk together in the wild– Immense. It brings a smile to my face, even today as, I write this entry. Anybody for happiness that lasts?
WE CAN CO-EXIST IF WE TRY:
These days, waking up to news of a terrorist attack somewhere, or developing sectarian unrest, news of sexual assault is the norm. We, atleast I in particular (And Yes, I am guilty of this) have all been accustomed to whatever is happening around. Sure- this is all happening because we are different. We have differences of opinion. But does that mean we can’t co-exist together peacefully? If you think yes- bravo. If you think otherwise- here’s some inspiration for you!
Did I sound a bit dramatic? Have you been to any of the wildlife sanctuaries? Have you had any fascinating stories or reflections? Share them with me in comments? 🙂
Feet on the map 
Lovely post..beautifully presented..keep them coming
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thank you 🙂
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wow… you managed to see quite a lot…
My Kaziranga visit was worse with poor sightings and overpriced facilities…
And spotting a big cat in the wild is almost impossible…
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Yes you are right. But almost everyone goes to the parks expecting to see the big cat 🙂
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Beautiful pictures. Lovely reflections.
The forest is a great teacher. You definitely learn to listen to songs of the wild, start appreciating the biodiversities of the jungle and look beyond the orange and black coat 🙂
Was very lucky in ranthambore though, saw tigers in every safari 🙂
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That’s great Divyakshi.. Hopefully some day I would too 🙂
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Oooooo! You make miss home 😦
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🙂 Assam is beautiful.. One trip back makes sense
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Oh totally! During the monsoons when everything is lush and green, even more 😉
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Lovely pictures and sentiment. I agree that most people go for the big catch – the tiger. Was lucky to have seen one in Kanha and am sharing the story of the sighting, which reflects some of your thoughts as well – https://pixelvoyages.wordpress.com/2016/06/10/kanha-national-park-the-dynamics-of-a-tiger-safari/
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Thanks for stopping by Vibha and yes… big cat watching must be a different experience all together 🙂
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My pleasure. It’s just a little surreal.
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Whoa! These are terrific captures. And you are right it is not about big cats always.
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Thanks Indrani for your kind words. And I am so glad that more and more people see it that way now 🙂
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Well, there are those that I know who go all the way to see butterflies or fireflies or snakes 🙂 So it depends on which lovely form of life captures our heart 🙂
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🙂
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Looks like such a special place! Great post Deepika 🙂
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Thanks so much Ellen 🙂 You must try and visit this place. It’s a UNESCO heritage site.
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Travel, create new stories and find a home at Backpacker Panda hostels. Find the perfect and hospitable hostels here: https://backpackerpanda.com
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