KABINI RIVER LODGE (Karnataka, India)

We woke up at the Kabini River Lodge in the foothills of the Western Ghats to the pleasant sounds of birds and animals greeting the dawn. A langur call in the distance and the full throated cry of a crow pheasant just outside our rooms were a welcome change from blaring horns and screeching brakes- the sounds of city life.

Set in well-landscaped lawns with zinnias in full bloom was the decrepit yet charming hunting lodge of the Mahraraja of Mysore. And alongside it lay the viceroy's Lodge where the Maharaja played host to European and Indian royalty and other dignitaries. In the memorabilia of the lodge are photographs of Russian Grand Dukes at breakfast. There is also a photograph of the visit in 1920 of the Prince of Wales accompanied by Lord Louis Mountbatten, then a youthful lieutenant and ADC of the Prince. Lord Minto, we are told, stayed at the lodge. Lord Harding came here to fish for Mahaseer, the pride of the Kabini River. A more recent visitor was Goldie Hawn who was fortunate enough to spot four tigers on the range. According to John (Papa) Wakefield, the irrepressible Director of Jungle Lodges, "It is debatable whether she saw the tigers, or the tigers came to see her."

Our lodge, built in the 1980s reflected the splendor of the Maharaja and the Vice regal lodges.

Spacious rooms with high teakwood ceilings, wooden paneling, a fireplace, and even an old style bathtub contributed to an ambience that was charmingly period. Electricity, hot showers, anti-mosquito meshes to the windows, a modern plumbing minimized the rigors of wildlife expeditions. From the windows we caught a glimpse of the Kabini Lake through a thicket of trees. But it was not to soak in history or to luxuriate in the comforts of our quarters that we were at Kabini. The jungle beckoned. At six a.m. the room boy came to our door to wake us up with some coffee and biscuits. We hit the trail by 6.30 a.m.

We had arrived at Kabini River Lodge the previous day after a five-hour drive from Bangalore via the historic city of Mysore. Our patience was worn thin by the indifferent roads and we were delayed by frequent narayal pani (tender coconut water) stops along the route. The weariness lifted as we entered the Karapur forest. Kabini Lodge was a couple of kilometers away and the lush green forests, vibrant and alive after the monsoons, spread tranquility all around. Our spirits soared when we reached Kabini Lodge and were shown our rooms. Truly a home away from home.

After a simple but delicious lunch, served piping hot, buffet style, we were driven out to the range by 'papa' himself. Visitors to Kabini acknowledge (Papa) John's ability to get the best game sighting in the forest. He changed into his fatigues and issued us instructions that there would be no smoking on the range and minimal talking.

It was with a sense of anticipation that we hit the trail. The previous day a sloth bear with a cub had been sighted in the forest; a couple of days earlier a langur had been killed by a leopard; wild dogs preying on a spotted deer had been sighted near the Bisalawadi waterhole.

Barely had we hit the range when six gaurs (Indian bison) darted for cover in the thick undergrowth, their "white stockinged" feet distinct against their deep brown bodies. A female bison and her calf grazed non-chalantly as we drove by. There were spotted deer (chital) in large numbers, langurs swaying from tree to tree, birds flying away from their perches as we passed by, alone sambar slaked his thirst at the Bisalawadi waterhole. We felt our jeep was intruding in these forests untouched by civilization. The tranquility was enchanting and intoxicating.

We had expressed our eagerness to see the big game tigers, leopards and elephants. But the post-monsoon luxurious undergrowth made it possible for a tiger to sit camouflaged even a bare 10 yards from us. 'Papa' John drove on determinedly, looking out for marks on the soft mud. It seemed that we were out of luck. It was already sunset when we returned to the Lodge. There was the inevitable sound of the crickets, sometimes reaching\ a high pitch, as we drove back. Now and then a black napped hare or wild fowl would dart past us. 'Papa' John dropped us at our lodge after inviting us to a screening of one of the video films from his rich library at the viceroy Lodge. We pitched in for 'land of the Tiger', a National Geographical Society Production.

We went to dinner at the Gol Ghar, a circular open structure with a thatched roof overlooking the Kabini River. Across the river, silhouetted against a moonlit sky, were the peaks of the Begur and Bandipur ranges. There was a distinct nip in the air and the bonfire in the Gol Ghar, which is lit every evening, provided the very welcome warmth.

No account of Kabini would be complete without a tribute to 'Papa' John's capabilities as a raconteur, holding his after-dinner audience spell-bound by his interesting narratives spiced with an easy humor, of his own experiences at various wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in India.

Early next morning we left for a coracle ride on the river. A circular bamboo boat lined with buffalo hide, the coracle is a very common means of transport on the Kabini and the Kaveri rivers. The bouncy buffalo hide is said to make the craft resilient to bumps against underwater rocks On encountering currents or hitting an obstacle the coracle takes a spin. The riverside tribes of the region use this craft (called 'harigolu' in Kannada after its round shape) for fishing and transporting men and livestock across the river.

Just as we reached the Mastigudi area we spotted a cow elephant with a calf. The pachyderms were barely 15 yards from us and the cow elephant demonstrated menacingly as the lensmn in our group clicked furiously, the deep engine kept running ready for a quick takeoff. It was with mixed feelings of relief (some of us were in a cold sweat) as well as excitement at this close encounter with an elephant that we eventually drove off towards the lake for the coracle ride. With some trepidation we climbed into the 'harigolu'. Vishakant and Sunny, our guides from lodge, reassured us-" It is safe. If it develops a leak you can plug it with your finger. If the hole is bigger, plug your shirt and carry on". None of us was looking forward to this contingency.

We were heading towards Ballae, two kilometers away, for an elephant ride. The mist was gradually lifting and Vishakant passed his binoculars around to enable us to see the birds. Cormorants, osprey, white breasted kingfishers and pied kingfishers flapping their wings in mid-air before diving to catch the fish. A purple heron and bronze winged jacana cruised overhead. On a tree trunk, a grey-headed fishing eagle sat imposingly- this bird is a rare sight in this area.

The vast expanse of water, undisturbed except for the oarman's paddle; the distant peaks of Begur and Bandipur now a deep green against the morning sky; silence punctuated only by bird calls and a distant langur establishing territorial rights; in all a breathtaking experience. It was an encounter with the raw power of nature- bewitching and awesome.

We returned to base for a breakfast of omelettes and carp cutlets. We picked up some titbits about the wildlife in the area and about the Kabini River Lodge. The entire area but for the hunting lodges had been under forest cover until a significant area near the lodge was felled a to resettle villagers displaced by the damming of the Kabini river. The Kabini River Lodge had modest beginnings with accommodation in tents. The guest lodge came later. In order not to disturb the wildlife, the number of rooms at the lodge was restricted to 14. But with the increasing popularity of this riverine lodge, it has been decided to have six tents to accommodate 12 more guests.

The Kakanakote range, where Kabini River Lodge is situated, is a part of the Nagarhole National Park, home to some 284 varieties of birds and many wild animals- tigers, leopards, wild dogs, elephants spotted deer, sambars and the malabar squirrel. Kalankote is where the famous khedda operations were conducted. Amidst beating of drums and bursting of crackers, wild elephants were frightened into a camouflage of stockade. The elephants suited for work or ceremonial purposes were then picked out. The practice has now been discontinued with the khedda submerged under water. In summer when the waters of the Kabini recede, traces of the stockade may still be seen.

The best seasons for visiting Kabini River Lodge are probably between October and December and January and March. From October to December, the jungle is still luxuriously green after the monsoons, but the animals are more likely to come to the larger waterholes. Herds of elephants are then often seen coming to drink at the Kabini Lake or the Bisalawadi water tank. In the first quarter of the year, the vegetarian is mainly dry as the summer sets in and visibility is better in the forests. You are more likely to spot a tiger or a leopard then, which we were unfortunate to have missed.

GETTING THERE

By Air
Nearest airport is Mysore- 80 kilometers away.

By Rail
Nearest railhead is Mysore.

By Road
Mysore to Kabini River Lodge-80 kilometers. Bangalore to Mysore Kabini River Lodge-220 kilometers. You can take the train to Mysore from Bangalore and then cover the rest of the journey by road.

Places of interest

Kaveri Fishing Camp: 117 kilometers from Bangalore at Bhimeswari. The river abounds in fish including the camatic carp and the mahaseer. Accommodation in tents with camp toilet, shower and kitchen.

Mysore: 180 kilometer from Bangalore on the route to Kabini River Lodge. The seat of the former princely State of Mysore is redolent with buildings of historical religious and architectural significance. The most remarkable is the Indo-Saracenic palace of the Mysore Maharaja built in 1915. The graceful St. Philomena's Church and the Mysore Zoo are other places to visit.
 
Srirangapatnam: 16 kilometers from Mysore. The capital of the famous Mysore Kings, Haider Ali Khan and Tipu Sultan. Places to visit are the Daria Daulat Bagh, Tipu Sultan's summer palace in the Indo-Saracenic style; Gumbaz which is Tipu Sultan's mausoleum, and the ancient Sri Ranganatha Temple.

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary: Five kilometers from Mysore is situated on one of the three islands in the Kaveri River. A heaven for several species of birds.