The crik-crik-crik of the Malabar gliding frog fills the still air of the Forestry College Horticulture Garden. We skirt around the pond in our pyjamas, the dogs sniffing busily at our heels, taking care to not startle any snake that might be out on the hunt. Up ahead is a palm with lovely arching fronds.…
The kuk-kuk-kuk of the swamphen carves through the otherwise-silent night. The Phragmites rustles in the gentle breeze, creaking like old wooden stairs. We pad along the bundt, silent as panthers, flashlights off, Subas da in the lead. Himaja yawns, already bored before the watch has begun. Slowly, my eyes adjust to the lack of light;…
The mud path abruptly narrows and we brake sharply. Looks like the car won't go any further. We park it off the path in some shrubby vegetation, narrowly avoiding an army of procession ants (never ever let these little guys bite you; you'll be itching for days) as we climb out and tie on our…
A swamp at the edge of a road leaves Priya with a sense of urgency. Explore Venkateshteertha through her eyes as she learns more about this sacred swamp...
Just a few kilometers ahead of Kathalekan along the Siddapur-Honnavar highway, a hidden swamp wallows in the low-lying dense forests of the Sharavathi. Malemane (literally "forest-house" or "house in the forest") falls along the Kathalekan belt of swamps, an interconnected series of Myristica swamps along a perennial stream. Each successive swamp collects runoff from the…
Meet the whistling schoolboy in the depths of a mysterious forest of the Western Ghats
Sacrality is a fascinating concept to explore, and many swamps in my study area of Uttara Kannada are considered sacred by local communities. One of these swamps is Chaare, a lovely, fenced swamp nestled in the crook of wet evergreen forest and (surprise, surprise) an arecanut plantation. Named for the small village that borders it,…
When interviewing locals to learn about their knowledge of swamps, Rohan and I stumbled across the legend of the krishnasarpa. But what is the krishnasarpa?
Deep in the heart of lion-tailed macaque country lie multiple hidden Myristica swamps. Rohan and I spent hours driving the (surprisingly) well-maintained roads, past faded signposts and countless towering arecanut plantations, past colourful houses and dry brown paddy fields, past patches of dry deciduous forest interspersed by cool, wet evergreen forests, until we finally reached…
The landscape of the Sharavathi river valley is unparallelled in its beauty. Lush forests line the tarred roads, descending deep into the valley to where the mighty Sharavathi roars. From the winding road, the wind whipping through my hair, I can smell the river and its rich soil from kilometres away. I close my eyes,…
On Life and Wildlife 