Manas National Park- Where to Stay

Musa Jungle Retreat.
That was our home during our visit to Manas National Park in Assam.
Located close to the Park, it is an eco-friendly resort with lot of greenery and few geese also!

Here is the complete set of stories of our visit to Assam and Manas National Park. We were a team of 20 Navy veterans and spouses all in their late 60s. This set of stories should be read together. Quick links are given below:

1. Who were the travellers?
2. Guwahati the Gateway to North East India
3. Driving through the Bamboo land
4. MNP- When a Safari Vehicle Breaks Down!
5. MNP- Where crickets sing like Temple Bells
6. Bodo Village- Living with Nature
7. Where to Stay in Manas
8. Deepor Beel A Ramsar Site

Here is a photo-walk around the Retreat including few video clips. Let the pictures do the talking.

The Retreat has been built using local materials. You can see the roof of main lounge built using bamboo in the picture below.

With spacious lawns, the Retreat is ideal for evening functions during Reunions.

Since the Retreat is located adjacent to Manas National Park, the fencing had to be electrified to keep the animals away. See the pictures below with Indian ingenuity to provide electric insulation on existing iron pillars!

A wooden carving made from a single bark of a tree depicts all the animals found in Manas National Park. See the clip below.

Residents geese at the Retreat!

Here is a short video clip of Bodo Tribal Dance performed exclusively for Navy Veterans in Assam.

Our Reunion could happen only because of 'Dada' Animesh. See what his course-mates from the Navy and their spouses had to say in the video clip below.

Hope you agree that you are never too old to party or to drink or to dance! Haven't these Navy Veterans shown how to remain young?

Thanks for browsing
    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 28th August 2019
#assam #asom #manasnationalpark #bodovillage #Bodotribals #Nature #ecologicalbalance #Mudhouses #bamboo #localbuildingmaterial #bodofolkdance #navyveterans #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb #musajungleretreat #woodencarving #campfire

Fucraea aka Mauritius Hemp KBG-24

Plants also have look alikes.
Like we humans.
That is what happened with KBG-24, the 24th edition of Kaun Banega Ghumakkad online contest. Most readers responded with 'Agave' plant which is a look alike of Fucraea Foetida the correct answer! Fucraea plant is also known as the Mauritius Hemp.

You can't miss this ornamental plant in India although it is not indigenous. It grows in many other parts of the world. With sword shaped leaves which can grow upto 5 feet in length, the plant flowers once a year or so. 

The flower comes in the form of a long stem which grows almost two feet every night. The flowering stem can rise to 20 feet or more. The first picture above shows the flowering stem rising high.

The leaves are so broad that you can't hold it in your palm. See the picture showing the size of the leaves below.

Spiked leaves protect it from cattle and other animals from grazing.

We had more than 300 participants. Only two readers gave the correct answer. Our congratulations to both the winners.

1. Anshu Bhargava, Chartered Accountant and Fitness Enthusiast, Hyderabad
2. Mohini Paroolkar, Nature loving Granny, Goa

We also thank scores of readers who responded with Agave and other look alikes of Fucraea plant.

Special thanks go to Dr Chitra Shanker for her research guidance.

KBG-25 will bring you another wild flower growing all over! Stay connected.

    -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 22nd Aug 2019

We are grateful to Ramya Sriram of UK for KBG logo design.

#kbg #kaunbanegaghumakkad #contest24 #travellers #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #knowyourenvironment #wanderers #onlinecontest #photowalks #learningfromnature #plants #environment #nature #fucraea #mauritiushemp #agavelookalike

Which Plant KBG-24

Which plant is this?

Pretty common.
Not only in India but across the continents.
You would have seen it in the neighbourhood.
It is perennial and evergreen.

Any more clue required?
See the caption in the picture below.

Now, shoot your answer on any channel WA, FB, Insta or email <hbindia@gmail.com> and win KBG-24, the 24th edition of Kaun Banega Ghumakkad.
First three correct answers get featured in the next story.

Special thanks to Dr Chitra Shanker for research guidance.

Thanks for browsing.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 17th Aug 2019

We are grateful to Ramya Sriram of UK for KBG logo design.

#kbg #kaunbanegaghumakkad #contest24 #travellers #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #knowyourenvironment #wanderers #onlinecontest #photowalks #learningfromnature #plants #environment #nature

Brahma Kamal- The Magic Continues

Another monsoon month.
Another full moon night पूरणमासी। 
Brahma Kamal synchronises its blooming with full moon night mysteriously.
And magically too!

This year, we have more than 12 buds in our garden. One has bloomed tonight. Ghumakkad has tried to capture the full moon as well as the midnight bloom! Pictures for you.

 

Remaining buds will bloom over next two nights.

We had explained in detail the blooming pattern of Brahma Kamal flower in our earlier stories. Links are given below in case you haven't yet browsed it:
Brahma Kamal- The Queen of the Night
Brahma Kamal- The Plant with Intelligence

It is an easy to grow plant either in a flower bed or in a pot. Needs filtered light. Those in Hyderabad area can reach us to get one free of cost. No T&C :-)

Thanks for browsing.

    -    Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 15th August 2019

#BrahmaKamal #Flowers #MarvelsOfNature #MidnightBloom #PlantWithIntelligence #GhumakkadHarsh #GhumakkadHB  #Bloomsonceayear #bloomsatnight #queenofnight #synchronisationbynature 

Bhongir Fort KBG-23

A thousand year old fort.
Built atop a thousand foot high monolith.
Steep slopes. Almost invincible.
Not very far from Hyderabad.

Yes, we are talking about Bhongir Fort shown in KBG-23 the 23rd edition of Kaun Banega Ghumakkad. Bhongir Fort is about 60 kms from Hyderabad on NH-163 Hyd-Warrangal Highway. But surprisingly, most Hyderabadis could not spot the fort correctly.

The responses to KBG-23 ranged from the Forts at Golconda to Daulatabd. We have only two correct answers from the following readers:

1. Bharath Kommuri, MBA working at State Street HCL at Vijayawada
2. Parag Sharma, Former Air Commodore IAF, now settled in Nagpur. He has flown over Bhongir Fort number of times.

Our congratulations to both.

History

According to Wikipedia, the Fort was built in the 10th century on an isolated monolithic rock by the Western Chalukya ruler Tribhuvanamalla Vikramaditya VI and was thus named after him as Tribhuvanagiri. This name gradually became Bhuvanagiri and subsequently Bhongir. 

Rock Climbing School

The Tourism Department has started a Rock Climbing School at Bhongir. Its objective is to promote adventure tourism at the Bhongir Fort and to provide professional rock climbing training to enthusiasts. Also 300 ft & 600 ft rappelling is available for walk in tourists. The rock climbing school has been co-founded by Mr B Shekhar Babu, who has climbed Mt Everest solo. 

Another attraction close by is the famous Yadadrigutta temple. You can visit the Fort as well as the Temple in a day's outing from Hyderabad.

We thank all the participants. Stay connected. More KBGs are in the pipeline.

    -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 8th August 2019


We are grateful to Ramya Sriram of UK for KBG logo design.

#kbg #kaunbanegaghumakkad #contest23 #travellers #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #knowyourheritage #history #monuments #wanderers #onlinecontest #photowalks #travelisfun #bhongirfort #bhuvanagiri #yadadri #telanganatourism