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We could start only by ten in the morning from Pune in a jeep and reached Bhimashankar by 3 PM, covering a distance of 70 kms. There is a gentle climb throughout, for Pune is at an altitude of 600 meters and Bhimashankar at 1100 meters. We had saved considerable time and fatigue by riding a powerful mechanical horse. However from Ghodgaon, from where the mountain and greenery really begins, I wished I could ride a real horse. The scenery reminded me of my horse ride from Harshil, on the bank of Bhagirathi, to Gangnani, at an altitude of 3000 meters. Ghodgaon is a small town on the bank of river Ghod. Bhimashankar, mountain and the forest is the catchment area for both the rivers - Bhima and Ghod.
While climbing from Ghodgaon, as greenery increases, so does the variety and number of birds. One continuously feels fresh as one sees mango, lemon, jamaun, kombar, senduri etc. trees enroute. In between one enjoys the grandeur and dignity of mighty Pipal and Banyan. At lower reaches silvery ringing songs of Black-headed Bulbuls and Red-whiskered Bulbuls with the water symphony of cascading Ghod provide a feast to ears and enhance the pleasures of nature watch. This site fascinated us and charmed us so we sat under a Banyan tree. House Swifts were performing such daredevil low flying on the cascading Ghod that an ace fighter pilot would be proud of. These agile fliers harvest their crop of insects on the wing. Their name in Sanskrit therefore is 'Watashi', one who lives on air, (I should add the word love to complete the proverb). What a double pleasure this petite flier enjoys - while playing it also gets its food, I suppose like to day's professional players ! I saw a few Magpie Robins perched on a Kanca tree. This tree is related to Kacnar (Bauhinia Variegata ). They seemed to be in a serious mood, perhaps brooding on the deteriorating human behaviour that cannot see that he is cutting the same very branch that he is sitting on. White-throated Flycatchers were catching insects on the wings, again a flight of dexterous fliers. We had reached the forest rest house at Bhimashankar around 3 PM. We immediately moved out for we had not gone there for rest, but to enjoy the forest. We changed in to dull coloured clothes. Our DFO friend advised us that we ought to respect the silence of a forest, and move in a single file with our mouth shut and eyes and ears open. Very soon we started for the thick forest. Nearby Anjani trees were providing beauty to the forest, for Anjani tree is as beautiful as a Mauli Shree tree, one of the five favourite trees of Kamdev, the god of love. The forest Guard informed us that from among the big predators, only Leopards are ruling this forest. There are Porcupines and Boars, and Sambars, Muntjeks (barking Deer), and mouse Deers ( a very small deer about 50 cms tall, with protruding canines like a Kasturi Deer) also love this forest. We may not be able to see any one of them, for they are very wary of this destructive biped and this kind forest provides them with all the cover that they need. Having noticed perhaps some disappointment on my face, he added that we would certainly get a glimpse of a special animal of Bhima – Giant Squirrels. We had crossed the infant Bhima that we had heard the loud clear and sweet warning, – 'Array array Kuturru Kuturru Kuturru…' I knew that I would not be able to spot Kuturru easily for he is s well camouflaged, but my eyes looked for him in those dense trees. There he was, mainly in a green 'safari suit' but the shoulder and head had a distinct red tinge, which very discreetly had given him a charm. There must be something special in its calls for in seven Indian languages it's name is 'Kuturru'. On either side of the wet footpath were Karvy shrubs, about a meter high. We asked our friend DFO if these had any special significance, for every living thing, so also matter, have some significance. I am sure he would have told us without asking, for Karvy is special. He said people generally say that Karvy is a septennial plant that is it flowers every seven years. It has many species; some are annual, some biennial, some quadrennial and some fourteen - yearly flowering. Beyond that septennial Karvy hedge, so to say, were lively mango, jamun, senduri, komber, karambu etc. Senduri trees bear pea size fruits which when ripe produce a red powder which has same colour as Sendur (vermilion) that married women in India use for a Bindi (dot) etc. I felt that I had seen a Karambu tree somewhere. DFO on asking informed that Karambu is a variety of wild olive. I was immediately teleported to Roma where I had several olive orchards. Italians are very fond of olive oil. Karambu does not yield much of oil, whereas Italian olive does. It is same as Indian mango which has been so developed by us that nowhere else a mango tastes half as delicious. Geeta had stopped near a pool and was looking at something. We also joined her. There was an empty carcass of a yellowish orange crab, about 10 cms long. While walking through a jungle we are used to seeing such carcasses and ignore them as a matter of routine. Forest Guard said, ' It is a carcass of a 'pi-uda kainkda'. There were 10 or so tiny younglings scurrying about within the carcass. 'Are crabs cannibals ?', I asked . 'No, worse, they are eating away their mother', said Geeta. 'Oh oh', I said, 'Poor younglings, their mother has been a victim of some predator, and the poor things are so hungry that they are forced to eat their mother.' Geeta responded, ' No doubt that they are eating their mother, but it is not because some predator had killed her…' 'Then what ?', I was aghast. ' No they did not murder their mother. … Their mother sacrificed her self. It is their method of survival. Mother ensured the minimum growth for her offspring, after which they can look after themselves.' ' Oh yes', I recollected, ' there is widow spider, who eats the male after mating. In many species males are disposable, for once they have fertilized the eggs, they have no significant role left thereafter. But it is the mother here !!' Geeta said, ' you also know about salmon fish, both the parents die after the eggs are laid and fertilized.' I said, ' May be they are not in a position to take that long, risky and adventurous journey from the source of the river to the ocean and then back.' Geeta said, ' The question is why not?' DFO said, ' Let us proceed to the ocean of this forest and then we have to be back by sunset.' There are many reasons for enjoying nature, and the joy that comes from wonders of nature is wonderful! Meanwhile Geeta had gone to the other end of the pool, and she enticing some creatures by dangling a worm on a twig in the shallow waters. In a little while there were many little crabs homing on to the bait. These were not orange but ferruginous. These were even more amazing. They were right handed, well I cannot say right legged. Crabs belong to a group of crustaceans that have four pair of legs. Some species have evolved their first pair of legs to become a pair of powerful claws, with which they can not only hunt but also defend. Orange crabs we had seen earlier were left-handed. Some crabs are of course ambidextrous. One-handed crabs have one claw far bigger than the other. But these were even more amazing. They were all carrying a shell of a snail each, and had only two pairs of legs !' 'What about the fourth pair of legs ?', I asked. 'That is holding their home'. I agreed, ' Nothing like a home, of your own. But do they remain this small size through their life ?' Geeta said, ' Like Americans or many Indians, they do not mind changing their house as they grow in status !' ' Oh these are the hermit crabs', exclaimed the DFO. I objected to the name, ' Just because they carry their house they shouldn't be called hermits.' Geeta said, ' They live alone like hermits.' I said, I would call them in Hindi 'kuti kainkada' or even 'gharu kainkada' and not 'sadhu kainkada' as some dictionaries are prone to do. Geeta said, 'I do hope that your lonely voice would be heard by the translators'. |
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We had crossed the gently flowing nascent river Bhima. Our aim was the deep and
dark forest in front, at a raised level. We climbed the slippery red clay comfortably as the roots of mighty Anjani trees were holding the clay lovingly like a mother and child. As we quietly entered the thick forest, suddenly we heard
– 'Array array Kuturru Kuturru Kuturru' . Indeed a forest is ever alert, fully conscious. In fact a warning had been issued ' to whomsoever it may concern' of the entry of four destructive tall featherless bipeds. We were four of us viz. Self, my daughter Geetanjali, a friend DFO (divisional forest officer) and a Forest Guard. 
Bhimashankar is a many
splendoured thing, apart from being a sanctuary and a revered Jyotirling (a temple of Lord Shiv) out of the twelve in India. It is rather small sanctuary comprising 130 sq. km., its smallness should not mislead one. For one can find beauty and beast here that one may not find in big sanctuary. First of all what strikes a nature lover is that it is a green jungle island amidst an ocean of concrete jungle. It is surprising, for how has it withstood the onslaught of industrialization and population explosion ? Not long back these forests had continuity with main range of Sahyadri of western Ghats. On our journey I could notice that area before Ghodgaon was barren, and green afterwards. I thought the barrenness was because of basaltic and granite rocks, and the greenery was due to rich soil after Ghodgaon. But later on notice that region after Ghodgaon also had same rocky structure. So I was putting the cart before the horse. The area had become barren because it was deforested and had lost the thin layer of rich soil. The upper regions remained green because the forests were not felled. A forest not only protects the soil, inter-alia, it also nourishes it and thus both remain alive. The soil can withstand heavy rain, for it rains 300 cms in Bhimashankar every year.