Off beaten track

I wrote this essay five years ago based on my memories of a very significant period of my military life. In 1987 the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was deployed in Sri Lanka to underwrite the Sri Lanka Accord signed in July that year. But the situation quickly spiralled out of control, and by October the Indian Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was locked in what would be a three-year armed conflict. Up to 80,000 Indian troops served on the island, but despite relatively large numbers of casualties and the importance of the conflict in the region, the episode remained an undeclared war and has been treated as a postscript to Indian military history. Killed or wounded soldiers were seldom given their due, but those who fought there will not forget. A serviceman remembers the trenches of that war. Coming in over Mullaitivu Town in a helicopter. The approach was usually over water to avoid ground fire.  It was a beautiful beach, with the seabed dropping deep very

It is here that the beautiful mountains have witnessed the most humiliating military debacle inflicted on modern India; the drive is redolent with the valiant deeds of long fallen heroes, now enshrined in the many memorials big and small.  Do spend a silent moment at these memorials and honour those who made the supreme sacrifice in the discharge of their duty.  Arunachal Pradesh is the state formed from the erstwhile North East Frontier Agency (then commonly referred to as NEFA) and a drive through West Kameng is quite representative of the lives these hardy people of the mountains live.  An inner line permit is required to ener the state, this is best got at Delhi or Guwahati.  Our drive followed the popular route Tezpur � Bhalukpong (the state border) � Tenga � Bomdila � Se La � Jung � Tawang � Bum La and back the same way.  A journey we performed in an easy 10 days, staying for 2 � 3 days at places en route. The entire journey can be done by bus, but if you do hire a vehicle ensure

The abode of the clouds, so aptly named.    Do not go to Meghalaya with a plan for a hectic �been there done that� kind of schedule crammed with plans for sight seeing.    This is a state which you have to just soak in ( pun intended); rambling through verdant hills, waterfalls and lakes.    The beauty here is a vivid green kaleidoscope of forested hills, water and clouds. One can arrive at Guwahati by train or plane and then motor up to  Shillong , the capital of the state.    This town used to be the capital of  Assam  in the old days and the layout and buildings are still redolent of the Raj. Using  Shillong  as a base one should motor around the state as far afield as one desires.    There is plenty of accommodation in  Shillong  ranging from the budget friendly to the exotic and expensive. The three hour drive up from Guwahati is a precursor of scenes to come, lush green rain forests, and quaint villages with huts that have woven bamboo walls. It is sad though also to see the numb

The Indian One Horned Rhino   Kaziranga   National Park  is synonymous with the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, the only place in the world where you can see such large numbers of this battle tank like behemoth.    The park is in  Assam  and covers an area of 430 Sq kms along the river  Brahmaputra  on the North and the Karbi Anglong hills on the South. The best way to get there would be via Guwahati and Tezpur.    The many places to stay around the park would suit most budgets and levels of luxury. I recommend staying as close to the park as possible to get in an early morning elephant safari.   There is a view point on the highway approaching the park from where one gets a magnificent preview of the wildlife one is about to experience. From here one sees an enormous expanse of wetland with myriad birds and varieties of animals peacefully coexisting; we saw rhino, wild buffalo, a variety of deer and even a fox all at the same time, quite a Garden of Eden image.    The park is larg

Here is the kit packed and ready to carry The stuff I carry in it Here are two pictures of my Personal Pocket Kit, PPK. Most forums refer to this as a PSK personal survival kit, but that's a bit too dramatic for me. Been carrying this kit in my pocket for all my fresh air activities in and around Mumbai and forests elsewhere. I try and keep a few essentials (and some not so essential but dramatic) stuff in this tiny 10x6.5 cm peppermint box. On this box I have used ranger bands to fix a Boker Gnome. Contents: Small SAK (Swiss Army Knife) Micro torch Fire starter flint and Vaseline soaked cotton (dramatic stuff!) Plastic tube containing  -needle with dental floss threaded, this is a very versatile combo,  as it is very strong,  repairs just about anything from clothes to shoes and even skin in an emergency. -a few fishing hooks and line (more dramatic stuff!) -small safety pins Medical -tabs for loose motion, body ache and disprin. Small tube of antiseptic cream and loads of Bandaid

Blue Whistling Thrush ...... .....greeting a new  day An iced caterpillar a juvenile flycatcher contemplates the end of the day Trapped! A hungry female beetle trapped in the slime of a slug Every cloud has a golden lining a Grey Bushchat female peeks at us coyly...... .....now she gets bolder a male Grey Bushchat greets the dawn..... .....looking for an early worm Reaching out to the sky ....even slugs make out a Streaked Laughing Thrush flirts among the rocks A golden end to another day 

B rig (retd.) Xerxes P Adrianwalla  spends a day in the monsoons driving from Lonavala past the many waterfalls that line the drive to walk up to Koraigarh fort. He recommends it as a perfect family outing. I t looms out of the mist like the prow of the Titanic; enigmatic and majestic, caped in the monsoon green so typical of the region. Koraigarh (or Korigarh), in the vicinity of Lonavala, is a day's nature walk, ideal for the monsoon season when it is a verdant green, swathed in chill mist at the top. F rom Lonavala towards Aamby Valley is a 20 km drive past innumerable waterfalls, till one reaches Shahpur (Shivpur) village where you park your car and pay a local shop keeper to look after it. From there it is an hour's easy, but fascinating, walk up the hill. A round the base of the fort there is dense jungle. A path through it takes one to the steps of a fort. This jungle, with dense bamboo thickets, abounds in flora and a fascinating variety of birds and insects. The steps

The Dhauladhars offer a very different vista compared to the higher ranges in the Himalayas.  Not very high and therefore a wide range of vegetation offers a variety of experiences, views and bird sightings. It is an easy trek that for the young and fit, and can be done in a day, however an overnight stay at Snowline, further on, allows one �to smell the roses� and enjoy the view while walking. Our trek started from Dharamkot, a laid back hamlet on the outskirts of McLeodganj near Dharamshala. We were staying in a homestay, of which there are many and most don�t appear on the web so you could literally shop around and find a place to stay that suits your budget. Almost every resident who has a house advertises a place to stay, from tiny rooms with common toilets to reasonably well appointed places with en suite rooms.  Prices vary from a few hundred rupees to about Rs1500 per night. Remember this is a hill town and beyond Mcleodganj one has to walk to most homestays.  Therefore the sol