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,…
The Tamil Sangam period in history is characterized by eloquent poetry and elegant wordplay, much like the myriad landscapes of Tamil Nadu. While at the ACCC, I heard a word thrown around a lot - ‘ainthinai.’ When broken down, it simply means five (“ain”) landscapes (“thinai”). The five landscapes refer to both the varied topography…
A dramatic return to the magical wet evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, heralded by the birds and wildlife that call this landscape home.
Documenting days of watching birds in the rain in Bengaluru....with a kitten on my shoulder for company!
Cloaked in sleek night and windy stripes, Slinking, barely rustling, an arrow taut in the string of a bow, A heady scent on the breeze, old blood and rotting flesh, Cheetal bark, tails flashing, legs leaping, Fangs flash silver, hunting knives, Rounded pugmarks pressed into the moist earth, a promise. Whiplash! A snake-like tail flashes…
Hello folks! Thanks for following me and being such a wonderful support system over the past 4 years since I got this blog - now my personal/professional website - up and running! It really means a lot to me. Life has been overwhelmingly busy these past few months. I was lucky enough to be surrounded…
"And I knew that as long as I responded, in both a physical and mystical way, to the natural world-sea, sun, earth, moon and stars – I would never feel lonely upon this planet."Ruskin Bond As an ecologist, I adore the natural world. Fieldwork – true back-breaking, exhausting fieldwork – fuels me and pushes me…
On Life and Wildlife 