Sharmilee The Tigress

Shirmilee - means a shy woman ! But Shirmilee the tigress of Kanha is far from being shy!

We experienced it today at Kanha National Park. While on a morning Safari in an open four wheel vehicle, we were stopped by another vehicle. Loaded with professional photographic equipment, the occupants dressed in forest fatigues, were making a documentary on one of the Tigers of Kanha NN - Neela Nalla. They asked our driver to stop, reverse and pull up on one side. Their vehicle came alongside and told us to wait for Shirmilee to cross over the road.

As if on cue, the tigress appeared from the bushes on the left, paused, started to cross over, paused again, growled at us twice and then walked into the bushes on the right. Leaving all four of us bewildered and thrilled at the same time. Three of us Debsashis, CP Srivastava and me recorded those fleeting moments on our cameras.

You can feel the excitement of our encounter with Shirmilee through the pictures and a video below.

The video clip below by CP has captured not only Shirmilee' walk but also her growl at us.

And after obliging us with her majestic walk, Shirmilee returned to where she belongs- the jungle. Debashis' picture below captured it so well.

We also saw Mahaveer the male tiger of Kanha. He did not come as close like Shirmilee. Yet we could catch a glimpse of his massive size.

Thanks Debu and CP for your pictures and the video clip.

There are many stories associated with Shirmilee. 

Once she chased a Forest Guard who was on foot patrol. He ran and climbed a tree. Being at a height, he could call his Beat colleagues  on phone. The tigress did not budge and kept waiting for her 'catch' to climb down. The rescue teams had to come on two elephant backs to bring their colleague to safety. Now, would you call Shirmilee a shy tigress?

Another time Shirmilee's cubs attacked three women who were plucking mushrooms from the forest during the monsoon. The women raised an alarm. The cubs got frightened and ran away to the mother who wasn't far away. The women rested the injured lady against a tree and ran to the huts to seek help.

In the meanwhile, Shirmilee came from behind and dragged the injured woman into the forest. Remains of her body were found two days later.

Shirmilee defies her name!

Such tales add to the thrill of being in a jungle! If you haven't been to one, do it now!

Readers may browse our earlier stories on Tigers.

Thanks for browsing.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Debu and CP/ Kanha/ 16th Jan 2025

#kanha #ShirmileeTheTigress #tigersighting #MPTourism #TheKingOfTheJungle #wildlifesafaris #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Zero Mile Nagpur

 What is Zero Mile in Nagpur?

Why is it called the Zero mile?

Ghumakkad along with three other Navy Veterans visited the Zero Mile in Nagpur today.

Zero Mile in Nagpur lies precisely at the center of undivided India with the Zero Mile Marker indicating the geographical center of India by the British in 1907. The Zero Mile Stone was used to measure all the distances. The Zero Mile Stone consists of four horses and a pillar made up of sandstone.

However, after India's partition, the center of the country shifted slightly northeastwards into what is now Madhya Pradesh. The actual location is now in a remote forest near Sihora, in a place called Karaundi. Two other villages in Madhya Pradesh, Barsali, also claim to be the geographical center of India.

The Zero Mile pillar and the horses are currently being restored. Here are a few pictures.

The milestone

A tourist spot in Nagpur.

The Zero Mile Pillar.

One of the hexagonal stones with distance marker to Baitool, aka Betul.

Majestic horses in sandstone

Sandstone carving.

The restoration of Zero Mile Pillar

A map of undivided India dating back to 1907, showing the triangulation survey. 

Fast forward to 2025. Nagpur Metro  is a thing of pride. Close to the Zero Mile pillar are the Shaheed Smarak and Freedom Park metro station. Few pictures 

The two Ghumakkads at the Freedom Park

We close with Makhan Lal Chaturvedi's immortal tribute to the fallen soldier.

We are on our way to Kanha tomorrow.  More from the Tiger kingdom soon.

Thanks for browsing 

-  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Debashis Mukherjee

Nagpur/14th Jan 2025

#zeromile #nagpur #triangulationsurvey #mapofindia1907 #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadhb 

President's Colours

President's Colours.

What does it mean? What is the significance? Does it apply only to the Armed Forces?

This short story explains all of the above and few more aspects of this rich tradition of Indian Armed Forces. It was prompted by the Presentation of President's Colours to the College of Defence Management Secunderabad by the President of India on 20th Dec 2024. Being an alumnus and former head of faculty of the college, I felt privileged to be invited to the ceremony. But due to security reasons, photography was not permitted. 

Significance

The President's Colour Award is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon any military unit of India. It is also known as Nishaan निशान. It signifies meritorious service rendered by the unit both in peace and/or war. President's Colours are also awarded to paramilitary units and state police forces. Picture below shows the format of the Colours of the three Services

After India became republic on 26th Jan 1950, Indian Navy was the first to receive the President's Colours on 27th May 1951. Prior to that 33 units of the Army, Navy and Air Force which had received the King's Colours were "laid up" at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun on 25th Jan 1950. Readers may refer Wikipedia for a list of units awarded thus far as well as more details about the Colours.

Colours lead the ceremonial parades of respective units or academies. Readers may browse our story  'Military Passing Out Parades- Rush of Adrenaline' to get a glimpse of the Colours at the Passing Out Parade of the Officers Training Academy at Madras.

Origin

Colours signify honour. In olden days, the highest point of a fort displayed the Dhwaj ध्वज of the maharaja or the king of that kingdom. When invaded by enemy forces, the battle was incomplete unless the existing dhwaj was replaced by that of the conquering forces. Readers may browse our story 'Kumbhalgarh The Pride of Mewar' which showed the kalash कलश of the Kumbhalgarh Fort in Rajasthan. Readers are advised to read the full story to get a feel of the valour of the Rajputs 400 years ago.

Colours to CDM Secunderabad

College of Defence Management at Secunderabad India conducts various Leadership and Management programs for the officers from Indian Defence Services as well as friendly foreign countries. The flagship program called Higher Defence Management Course (HDMC) is a year-long full time residential program leading to a Masters Degree in Management. Established on 8th Dec 1970, the College has rendered yeoman service to the nation. In recognition of 54 years of dedicated and meritorious service, CDM is being awarded the President's Colours on 20th Dec 2024. Two pictures of the Invitation Card are reproduced below.

Since I will not be able to take any pictures of the event tomorrow, am posting this story in advance, particularly for non-military readers. I may add few pictures of the ceremony later.

Postscript (20th Dec 2024): Here are a few pictures of the event taken after the ceremony. TV grabs of the ceremony, though not very sharp,  sent by Adm Sanjay Datt, former Comdt of CDM are also included.

Talking about the President of India, Hyderabad is the winter retreat of the President. Rashtrapati Nilayam becomes the President's office-cum-home for few weeks. Readers  may browse our story 'Tunnel Tourism' to get a glimpse of the historical Rashtrapati Nilayam in Hyderabad.

To conclude, the whole ceremony of Colours Presentation was conducted with josh and elan, the hallmark of the Armed Forces of India.

Jai Hind.

Thanks for browsing.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Secunderabad/ 19th Dec 2024

#PresidentofIndia #PresidentsColours #IndianArmedForces #CDM #CollegeOfDefenceManagement #Secunderabad #honour #recognition #nishaan #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Tunnel Tourism

Eco-tourism, wildlife-tourism, adventure-tourism, medical-tourism- now what is tunnel-tourism? As the name signifies, it is a kind of tourism centered around a tunnel which attracts tourists from far and wide! Do we have tunnel tourism in India? Where else in the world?

Ghumakkad takes you on a tunnel tour not in a hill range or under a fort or a palace, but in a tunnel which is part of the Presidential retreat in India. In Secunderabad to be precise. Yes, we take you to राष्ट्रपति निलायम (Rashtrapapti Nilayam) which means the President's House or retreat. Located in Secunderabad, it is the winter retreat of the President of India. An imposing building dating back to 1860 when it was called The Residency, it is surrounded by acres of greenery. It has a 163-feet long tunnel which connects the kitchen with the Presidential dining hall. This kitchen tunnel which was in disuse, was restored in 2023 and thrown open to the public. It soon became a tourist attraction in Secunderabad.

Ghumakkad brings you a picture story based on a recent visit to the tunnel and Rashtrapapti Nilayam.

Hope you enjoyed visiting the kitchen tunnel in the President's Retreat in Secunderabad.

There are many other tunnels in India which give you a thrill while transiting. Whether by road or train, crossing a tunnel evokes mixed reactions. While the elderly may sit quietly, the younger generation likes to shriek and whistle (you can sample their loud excitement in a short video embedded in the story below). On the other hand, those afraid of darkness start praying fervently on entering a tunnel. 

Readers may browse the stories listed below to get a feel of railway tunnels through the Eastern Ghats as well as the Vindhyachal ranges.

Going through a railway tunnel in the Eastern Ghats - Don't miss the loud shrieks and yelling by the teenagers in the train

Tunnels through the Vindhyachal Ranges in India  

We also have the Atal Tunnel under the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh India which is considered an engineering marvel. The longest tunnel in the world is in Norway. Another notable tunnel is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in Virginia USA which goes under the sea. Similarly The Chunnel goes under the English Channel connecting England and France.

Tunnels and Caves

Tunnels have two open ends whereas caves have a single entry/exit. Ghumakkad has been to many caves which offer excitement to the visitors. You may browse the stories on caves listed below:

Undavalli Caves- An architectural marvel in Andhra Pradesh. Monolith rock cut caves with four-stories having a reclining Vishnu idol.

Next, we have Borra Caves in the Eastern Ghats in India, 90-kms north of Vishakhapatnam. But these are natural caves formed because of rich limestone rocks. Spectacular to see, specially when lighted up. Stalactite and Stalagmite create surreal shapes. You may read the following picture story.

Beauty of Darkness - Magic created 150-million years ago by Stalactites and Stalagmites

Another cave which offers a bit of thrill and adventure is the Narsing Temple near Bidar in Karnataka. You have to wade through chest high water for half a km or so, to reach the deity in the cave. Pretty scary to say the least. Browse the last part of the story linked below to feel the thrill:

Wading through Chest-high water in a Cave - Narsing cave temple near Bidar in Karnataka India

The next story takes you to Belum Caves in Andhra Pradesh India. These caves have been crafted by Nature over millions of years. Being limestone caves, flowing underground river has chiselled its way through the rocks. Like the tentacles of an octopus, underground caves also spread in multiple directions. Click here to browse the full picture story.

Parting Thought

Our mind is also like a tunnel, or multiple tunnels. Some thoughts enter our mind and exit easily. Some other concerns can't find an easy exit. In this context, we are reminded of a quote by Michael Josephson who said "The light at the end of the tunnel is your life; it's the tunnel that's temporary"

Thanks for browsing. Do visit the Kitchen Tunnel in The President's Retreat in Secunderabad, India to appreciate the restoration work and promotion of centuries-old Cheriyal art.

Stay connected

  - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Akanksha Bhargava/ Secunderabad/ 1st Nov 2024

#tunnels #tourism #rashtrapatinilayam #secunderabad #restoration #kitchentunnel #cheriyalart #scrollpainting #mural #vaulktedtunnel #skylight #submarine #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #caves