Welcome to Serenity Jungle Retreat

Central India has close to 450 species of birds spread over its beautiful landscapes. It also has the benefit of falling in the path of some major flyways of Asia, Africa and Australia. The post-monsoon months give us the chance to better gauge the migratory patterns of the birds of this region and, as such, a good pair of binoculars and a spotting scope come in extremely handy to observe the size, colour and plumage of the birds. These aviators have mesmerised the human psyche for thousands of years and their existence has been immortalised through the works of artists, poets and historians alike. A Young Specimen of the Oriental White-Eye A morning walk around the lush campus of Serenity Jungle Retreat gives the Birder ample opportunities to get familiar with the resident birds of Kanha National Park. I woke up at 5:30 am yet again and having gathered my equipment went about the business of watching, observing and photographing these winged friends. Seen in the picture ab

A filtered sunrise on a misty morning in Kanha National Park My alarm went off at five thirty this morning. Groggy and half-eyed, I stepped out of the bed and pulled the blinds off from my bedroom window. A pall of dark blue with a faint promise of the oncoming sun. Good. As I began to take in the morning light, the gentle taps of a purple sunbird against the window pane reminded me why I had actually risen so early today in the first place, Butterfly-watching.  Now, this is no ordinary instance, for I am staying at a nature resort in the pristine environs of Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh, India. Kanha is famous all over the world for its charming Sal forests and Savanna meadows in which live the mighty Royal Bengal Tigers. Surprisingly, it is also the only ecosystem in the world that supports a healthy population of the Hard-ground Swamp Deer - Barasingha. But, regardless of the usual hullabaloo over must-see animals, I was here for the lesser greeted denizen

The Baiga Artists in their traditional attire. The indigenous ‘Baiga’ tribal community inhabits the forested regions of eastern and southern Madhya Pradesh. While the geopolitical pressures during the British Raj restricted their sovereignty to especially demarcated reservations, the Forest Protection Act of 1980 resulted in forceful eviction of several tribal communities from the ‘core’ zones of the proposed National Parks. The non-voluntary displacement and staggering government rehabilitation programmes enforced dynamic shifts in the lifestyles, material culture, and art forms of the Baiga people. They have had to adapt with industrial zest and acute foresightedness in order to eke out a dignified survival in today’s times.  Tribal artists performing at the welcome of lodge guests. One particularly striking adaptation which I wished to document is the active Commercialization of the  karma  dance - a prominent form of Baiga performing arts - alon