Barasingha The Mascot Of Kanha

'Can you identify the animal in the picture below?

'Yes, it is a deer.'

'Which deer?'

'Don't know.'

'It is a Barasingha. Have you seen it?'

'Oh yes, I have seen it in a zoo', is the common response. Was it your response too?

Well, Ghumakkad takes you to the swamps of Kanha, where Barasinghas thrive. Barasingha is the official mascot of Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh India.

Why this name?

Barasingha means 'having twelve antlers'. This deer species found in the Indian sub-continent, has twelve or more antlers. An antler is a bony mass with sharp ends which grow from the front of the head of a male deer. See the picture below of a Barasingha taken in Kanha.

The Coat

Barasingha males have a woolly coat yellowish brown in colour. In summer, the coat becomes bright rufous-brown. Females are paler than males. The males blend with the grassland around the swamps and can only be spotted with their antlers jutting out of the grass. See the picture below.

The Food

Barasinghas live in herds and feed on aquatic plants and algae. We saw them grazing in the morning around the swamps at a distance. See the pictures taken against the morning Sun. But the scene had its own charm. You don't always visit a forest for a good shot, but just to soak in its freshness, silence, whisper of the cool breeze, the scent of the jungle and an occasional call of a deer or a langur indicating the presence of a tiger somewhere around.

Population

According to Wikipedia, the total population of Barasingha in India is estimated to be between 3,500 and 5,100. It is found in three regions of India: Central, Northeast, and Northern India. 

More from Kanha

Sharing below few more animals spotted in Kanha. They are all part of the food chain.

Mutualism

We also observed a common mynah taking a joyride on a Barasingha. See the picture below.

This behaviour is common among many animal and bird species. According to the Encyclopedia of Ecology, Mutualism is defined as an interaction between individuals of different species that results in positive (beneficial) effects on per capita reproduction and/or survival of the interacting populations. You may browse our earlier story titled 'Mutualism by Nature' for details. Sharing below few pictures from that story.

Cattle Egrets and Mynahs with Buffaloes. PC Yella Prakash Rao

Black Drongo with a Sheep. PC Umesh Mani Chennai

A cormorant riding a tortoise

Nature continues to amaze if you have the patience to observe. Do take a walk in a garden, park, jungle or if you have the time, go on a hike in a forest. It is sure to rejuvenate you and recharge your life's batteries.

We are sharing below the links to our other three stories on Kanha and the life around the forest.

Python Preservation by a Village near Kanha

Lakshmi The Tigress Teacher - How she teaches her cubs to cross a muddy path

Tigress Shirmilee - Who defies her name

We were four of us who visited Kanha and Pench in January 2025. CP and Manik Srivastavas from Hyderabad, Debashish Mukherjee (Debu) from Kolkata and Ghumakkad also from Hyderabad, can be seen on the Safari vehicle at the breakfast spot in Kanha. Thanks are due to Debu and CP for sharing their pictures.

Hope you got a glimpse of the beauty of a forest, its flora and fauna. As Rudyard Kipling said, 'In the jungle, life and food depend upon keeping your temper'. We should respect the residents of the jungle. They have the right of way!

Thanks for browsing

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad(Kanha  Jan 2025)/ Posted 28th March 2025

#kanhanationalpark #kanhathemascot #barasingha #swampdeer #bhoorsingh #antlers #MPTourism #wildlife #wildlifephotography #madhyapradesh #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #wwfindia 

Hindola Toran - Lesser Known India Series

Ever heard of 'Hindola Toran' हिंडोला तोरण ?

Even we hadn't! 

What does it mean?

Is it a monument?

Where is it located?

What is the significance?

This story answers all the above questions. To begin with, here is a present day picture of Hindola Toran.

Compare it with a picture dating back to 1871 taken by Joseph D Beglar and preserved in the British Library, UK. 

We visited Hindola Toran recently and were awed by its beauty. Even though in ruins, the sandstone sculpted structure is a marvel of 9th century AD in Gyaraspur tehsil of Vidisha district Madhya Pradesh India. The above picture taken in 1871 shows a higher ground level compared to the present day. It may be because of later excavation and soil run off over the years.

The historical write up held in the British library reads, "The building called Hindola is an ornamental entrance, or toran, leading to a Brahmanical temple. Hindola means simply a ''swing'', and the toran with its two upright pillars and cross-beams has sufficient resemblance to the common Indian swing to justify the people in calling it by this name. The pillars of the toran are carved on all four faces. In the lower panels are represented the ten incarnations of Vishnu, the tortoise and fish being placed together on one pillar, and Buddha, standing with the right shoulder bare, with a small Kalki Avatar on his horse beside him, on the other pillar. The ends of the bracket capitals are fashioned as lions' and elephants' heads, the former facing outwards and the latter inwards. All the figures which once stood on the brackets are now gone; but there are two projecting stones on each face of the architrave with round holes on the under side, showing how far the figures must have leaned inwards. On the south face of the central pinnacle, which represents a small temple, there is a figure of the boar incarnation of Vishnu in the lower panel."

Let the pictures speak. You may corelate the above historical write up with the pictures below.

Talking about pillars, we have the famous thousand pillar temple in Hanamkonda village near Warangal in Telangana state. We had featured another story of eight pillars also in Gyaraspur called 'Aath Khmba' earlier. 

Over the centuries, the village settlements have moved closer to the monument. See the picture below.

We met a daily wage earner employed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for keeping the area clean. He readily shared his knowledge about the 9th century structure. See the video below or click the YouTube link here.

After the hectic hike, it was time for all three generations of the hikers to have a bite. What better place than the dried up lawn in the compound of Hindola Toran!

Hindola Toran and its beauty have attracted many feature film makers. A recent Punjabi film has a song sequence shot around Hindola Toran and Mala Devi Temple (story to follow), both in Gyaraspur. Readers may enjoy the film song by either clicking the thumbnail below or the YouTube link here.

Gyaraspur has numerous monuments dating back to the 9th century AD. We had earlier featured the Aath Khamba Temple in a picture story. More of these lesser-known treasures of India will follow in our future posts.

Location

Hindola Toran is located about 37 kms north-east of Vidisha town. See the maps below courtesy Google Maps.

 

Some of our other stories featuring the lesser-known architectural marvels or tourist spots of India are listed below. Just click to browse the picture story of your choice.

Ruins of Jahazpur Fort in Rajasthan

Devarakonda Fort in Telangana Needs your Support

Gooty Fort in Andhra Pradesh

Kuntala Water Falls in Telangana

There are many more such hidden spots in India. We will share one by one in subsequent stories.
Stay connected and thanks for browsing.

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Bharat Ladha/ 22nd March 2023

#vidisha #MPTourism #incredibleindia #lesserknownindia #hindolatoran #athkhamba #gyaraspur #9thcenturyAD #redsandstone #sculptures #carvings #lordvishnu #tenavatars #archway #swing #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #fourpillars

Ath Khamba - Lesser Known India Series

Ath-khamba – meaning eight pillars - are the remains of once a magnificent temple in Gyaraspur, near Vidisha in MP India. It is locally known as Ath-khambha because of the eight surviving pillars standing since 9th Century AD. Rest of the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva has not survived the ravages of the invaders and natural erosion. In Warangal Telangana State, we have the famous 1000-pillar temple. But eight-pillar temple has its own beauty as you will shortly see.

A stone plaque erected by the MP Tourism department describes Ath Khamba thus "The Ath-Khamba or a group of eight pillars of the mandapa and the antarala leading to the sanctum doorway constitute the remains of an ornate Saiva temple. The doorway and the pillars bear a pilgrim record of AD 982."

The red sandstone structure has withered 1200 years of weather and destruction by the invaders. The sculptures and carvings are stunning to say the least. The pictures below will convince you. The next time you are planning a trip to Madhya Pradesh, do include Ath Khamba.

Location: Ath Khmba is located near the bus stand in Gyaraspur in Vidisha district, Madhya Pradesh. See the two maps below courtesy Google Maps.

Gyaraspur is 36 kms north-east of Vidisha.

Ghumakkad was not aware of the lesser known treasures like Ath Khmaba but for Bharat Ladha who lives in Vidisha. He is a living encyclopedia of the region including wheat farming. My engineering batch mate from BITS Pilani and a buddy, Bharat Bhai is a farmer. More on his farming pursuits in another story. Thanks Bharat Bhai and family for three wonderful days of discovery in MP.

More in the series 'Lesser Known India' will follow.

We end with a quotation by Carl Sagan who said 'You have to know the past to understand the present'.

Stay connected and thanks for browsing.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Bharat Ladha/ 16th March 2023

Postscript: Our reader Kishor Thakre commented:

"अब तुम भी ज़रा हुस्न-ए-जहाँ-सोज़ को रोको 

हम तो दिल-ए-बेताब को समझाए हुए हैं 

 - कैफ़ी चिरययाकोटी 

हुस्न-ए-जहाँ-सोज़ - beauty which singes the world."

#vidisha #MPTourism #incredibleindia #lesserknownindia #athkhamba #gyaraspur #9thcenturyAD #redsandstone #sculptures #carvings #khajuraho #shivatemple #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #eightpillars