Arriving in Chennai mid December, I found myself sitting in all my favourite spots in our house, enjoying the familiar sounds. I had entered this house after my marriage, 40 years ago. I felt so lucky for its constant presence in my life and living through its different iterations. So many people had breathed within its walls. I felt engulfed in their spirit. This is the best one of all the beautiful spaces I get to call my home. The house beckons with a “you belong here”. Among other places where I can lay my head to rest with a sense of home are my place in Toronto, my mother’s in Chennai, my daughter’s in London and those of my two sisters’ in Chennai and Dubai., respectively. I am so grateful that my sphere of reference is so vast on God’s green earth, spanning 3 continents.
Our trip to Chennai was fraught with emotions that ran deep and rocked my composure. So many memories came flooding back of when I was someone’s wife. I was careful not to wallow and stayed present o appreciate all that there is. After 4 days with close family we were Rajasthan bound really not knowing what to expect!
On Tuesday, the 19th of December, we boarded the AI flight to Jaipur enroute Mumbai. I realized I may have overpacked given the confusion around the weather at our destination! Anyway it was going to be mostly linens, with a vest, shawl and jacket for reinforcement! I also packed 4 pairs of shoes besides the one I was wearing! Hiking, walking, running and house slippers. We flew to Mumbai and had a short transfer to Jaipur. The flights were both pleasant and all seemed to be going well. Fast forward. Uttara’s bag did not arrive. It was in a hold in Mumbai and they could not tell us why they had held it and when or how it would come! We had not been called to check the contents of the bag for anything suspicious given our short transfer. Not a great way to start our holiday! I was distraught over how this situation would resolve. First her laptop’s damaged computer screen on the flight from London to Chennai, and now this! We took a detour to buy some clothes at the mall in Jaipur and I kept trying Air India for an update, with no response.
Then I realized the benefit of engaging a company to manage our tour. We were engulfed in a circle of comfort by Travelscope folks. The driver was kind and reassuring as was the contact who picked us up at the Jaipur airport and our anchor(s) in Delhi. Despite that I carried on with a niggling unease as to whether it bode well for our trip/adventure. Then, we stopped for tea. I went into the washroom and there, staring into the mirror offered up a prayer. In an instant, I went from agitated to calm and curious. My willingness to surrender and stay open, had an impact on the mood of everyone around me. We pressed on chatting with our kind and reassuring driver, Devi Singh, who ended up becoming a good friend! We were now happily bound for Hotel Khem Vilas, in the middle of the Ranthambore jungle. I had poor reception in the middle of the jungle. I relaxed into unknowing trusting in the folks who were following up on our behalf! After all there was no point in not enjoying what was in front of us.
The air had a nip so we took out our shawls and vests and headed for dinner after a quick shower in our cottage where the heat had been set high giving it an ultra cozy vibe. The cottage had an ornate outer door that led into a private courtyard. You had to turn left to climb a few stairs to a sit-out and the glass entrance doors to our room. Civilizing in the heart of the jungle where leopards roamed! The cement floors had cotton rugs on them for relief from the cold. There were 2 twin beds set close together. The glass windows on either side and at the entrance provided a wide view of the vegetation around. The property abutted the forest reserve where tigers, leopards, hyenas, even sloth bears roam alongside, deer, sambal, monkeys, snakes and hundreds of species of birds. This was our escape into the jungle. Other unique features of this cottage were a large outdoor tub adjoining the bathroom, and on the far side of the cottage, a traditional fabric woven cot that served as a lounging seat reminiscent of a time when people sat around in their courtyards sharing the latest gossip of the day. All very charming.
The dining area was open and they had little chulas (coal stoves) on the floor by each table. Dinner was a buffet. You picked up your large copper plates and cups and served yourself the vegetarian delicacies, red beans in gravy, spinach with cottage cheese, potato cauliflower and yoghurt, pickles and pappad. Hot breads were served at the table. The simple vegetarian fare which tasted home-cooked, mild and wholesome, made our tongues sing. Satisfied, we went to bed for a restful sleep before our wake up for an early morning sighting of wildlife within a small sliver of the 1400 sq km of forest in Ranthambore, Rajasthan, our reason for being there. We were up at 6 a.m. then hurriedly dressed, drank coffee, picked up a bag of cheese sandwiches and water that the resort provided and were safari bound. It was a bumpy jeep ride through Zone 4 of the Ranthambore forest. We had a knowledgeable and passionate guide who wanted to be the first to spot a tiger from among all the jeeps that were allowed in that day. We had had to book months in advance and there had been uncertainty around whether the safaris would be allowed on the days we had earmarked for our adventure into the jungle. We also heard that tiger spottings were not common and it would take luck. Our driver had said on the previous day, “luck by chance. I will pray for you”. There were just 80 tigers in that vast jungle. The odds were indeed stacked against us. No wonder. Again a prayer and an intentional surrender to whatever was. Within minutes the guide in the jeep ahead waved to us and there in front of us was the resplendent tiger #120. Seeing him was life changing. So gorgeous and strong he was as he lay there licking his wounds, resulting from his fight with his brother a few days prior. He then rolled over and stood up and walked as though to mark his territory. He did not seem to care about us human voyeurs, just 15 feet away, watching his every move, mesmerized by his magnificence. There was something so childlike and pure, and yet princely and powerful about him. It turned out that he is popularly known as Ganesh. And in these parts it is auspicious to worship Ganesh on this day, a Wednesday! We could not take our eyes off him, even worship him (!) till he got up and walked away. Then we raced to where he was headed to catch another sight and then to another area to spot a female and her cubs. No more sightings. We had enjoyed our share of luck with Ganesh - so we returned happy. In retrospect witnessing Ganesh in his habitat, at such proximity, for those brief minutes, was transformative and set the tone for our holiday. We were humbled by this extraordinary beauty of nature that was so unselfconscious. I felt so insignificant and my problems so minor!
Just by the forest and hills surrounding it, the Ranthambore fort is 1000 years old and stands pretty sturdy and strong. It has been classified a heritage property (Archealogical Survey of India) and hence has undergone some repairs and fortifications! We hiked up with considerable ease although we had to scale more than 200 steps that were spaced and wide. After seeing the fort remains and the spectacular views of the forest, where our tiger friends roamed, in the hills around us, we went to the Ganesh temple on this hill. We prayed to the only Trinetra (three eyed) Ganesh idol in the world. One who grants all wishes. Again who knew? I can only believe that Ganesh both the beast and the idol ensured an auspicious start to our holiday. Hindus usually start an activity after praying to Lord Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles and without any plan we had been brought before Him. At the next altar, of Shiva and Devi, the priest tied a protective thread around each of our wrists, to ward off evil, (!) and we went along with his good intentions! It was past 12 when we arrived at our hotel and settled till lunch was served at 1. The bags were forgotten and our hearts were full. We got to the hotel to receive news that the bag had arrived the previous night and had been picked up by our travel representative and sent to Samodhe Haveli, in Jaipur, our next stop. The holiday had gotten off to a good start after all!
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