Ratnagiri & Malvan

This was my first study tour Post College and job…. I was very excited when I came to know that the course which I am doing has study tours where we will get firsthand experience on things…. Our 3 day tour was in Ratnagiri and Malvan.I boarded a bus on 20th Dec ’10 for Ratnagiri…. Ratnagiri is a port city surrounded by Sahayadri Mountains in the east. The road trip was exciting, bus travelling on serpentine roads of the ghat… It was just beautiful….

I reached Ratnagiri on 21st Dec early morning (6:30 or so). Our booking was done at Hotel Swaroop on the Bunder road. The Hotel is 10 min away from the bus stop and the hotel tariff is reasonably cheap (double occupancy – Rs 700/- per room per day).

Post breakfast we had to go to Mumbai University Sub centre with our Course Director Deepak Apte for his lecture there. After which we started for Undi Beach, to study rocky shore assessment and habitat profiling.

A rocky shore is the area where rocks predominate. This intertidal zone consists of rocky ledges with pools of salt water which are biologically rich. One can observe a wide range of species and biological processes. The habitat profiling is done by transect method. A particular area is divided into no of quadrants and then each quadrant is studies for the organisms present… then the extrapolation is done for the number of species on that entire shore front.

We observed a variety of species present in that area and also we got an amazing experience snorkeling in rock pools. All in all this session was truly learning experience for me.

The next day we started for Malvan via Ambolgadh. Ambolgadh plateau which is a study site is almost 2 hours from Ratnagiri. The Jaitapur nuclear power plant project has been proposed which will affect the ecology in 100km area all across. This study site might also get disturbed so BNHS is proposing options that might reduce the thermal discharge and minimize the effects of it. We were explained in details about this project.

After this session we started for Malvan where we were to stay till 23rd. We had booked a homestay at Chivla beach. Post lunch we went on to the beach to study the species present in the area and the ecology of it.

On the last of our study tour we went to Sindhudurg fort. We went there again to study about the marine conservation projects and all. This was the last session of our study tour post which everyone departed for their respective places…

I stayed back for one more day to roam about a little. To start with let me first give you a little detail about the homestay, Chivla beach and the fort post which I will pen down about the other places I visited.

Homestay: The place where we stayed was Vasanti Bed & Breakfast which is on Chivla beach and near to Nath Pai Sevangan. The owner was Mr. Ramchandra Patil who is a retired air force veteran and his wife Vasanti Patil. The homestay is MTDC approved and the charges are Rs 500 - 550/- per room per day.

Chivla Beach: This beautiful arc shaped beach with clean sand and clear water offers total serenity and calmness. The best thing about this beach is that it’s not crowded and is ideal for homestay. Just loved the beach….

Sindhudurg Fort: It stands tall and impregnable on a rocky island barely a km from Malvan. The fort is approached by a boat through a navigable channel between 2 smaller islands of Dhontara and Padmagadh. Sindhudurg was built in 1664-67 AD by Shivaji Maharaj. The construction was done under the supervision of Hiroji Indulkar, an able architect. One of the best preserved forts of the Marathas, the 48 acre Sindhudurg fort has a four kms long zigzag line of 9 metres high and 3 metres wide rampart with 42 bastions. On the parapet, close to the entrance, beneath two small domes are the imprints of Shivaji’s palm and foot in dry lime. Also, in the fort there is the Shivaji temple 'Shri Shivarajeshwar temple’ the only one of its kind in the country where the image of Shivaji is without a beard.

The other places which I saw post our study tour was the Devbaug beach, Jai Ganesh Temple and rock garden.

Devbaug beach: A confluence of Karli river flowing into Arabian Sea can be observed from this beach. The beach is situated around 14 kms from Malvan. The beach offers an enchanting sight of hundreds of seagulls flying in a harmonized manner. The beach offers a picturesque view of the sunset. Because of its remote location, very few tourists venture here and as a result the beach is clean and the serene aspect of it has been maintained.

Jai Ganesh Mandir: The Ganesh idol is of pure gold. This main idol in the sanctum sanctorum is in the traditional pose with Riddhi- Siddhi (consorts of Lord) on both sides. The hall has eight idols of Ganesh carved in the ceiling. One gets a very comfortable feeling of Lord Ganesh looking generously from all the eight directions at his disciple. The interior of the temple is very rich and has used soothing colors.


On 24th Dec, I left from Malvan by bus and reached home on 25th around 5 am. I must say, that this trip I enjoyed thoroughly and I got to learn a lot from Mr. Apte. I would definitely love to go back to Malvan and experience the tranquility which the place offers again.

Gujarat

My travelogue about my visit to Gujarat. Hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Though not being in college anymore, I joined them for this trip. Luckily got to go with them. We started the excursion on 27^th Oct ’07 and came back on 5th Nov 2007. We departed from Mumbai (bandra terminus) on 27th Oct in the evening by Saurashtra express.

We reached Rajkot station at around 8am the other day i.e. on 28th. Our first halt was at Junagadh so had to take a bus ride from Rajkot to junagadh. We stayed there in dharamshala. The place was quite neat and serene. After lunch we went for local sight-seeing. A typical village, situated at the foot of Girnar hills. We visited Darbar Hall Museum (where there is a display of the interesting collection of weapons, thrones, silver articles, costumes, paintings, tapestries, and palanquins used by Nawab of Junagadh), Science Museum, Sakkarbaug Zoo (the oldest zoo of Gujarat & 3rd oldest in India. The rare Gir lions are bred here), and the Dattatray Temple. One has to climb 10,000 steps to reach the temple. Somehow we 15 students managed to climb 1000 steps in about half an hour. The temple is situated in a jungle so occasionally one can hear the calls of wild animals. A beautiful experience though a bit tiring. The very next day we left for Gir.

Early morning on 29th Oct we left Junagadh for Gir National Park. We were to stay there for 2 days & 2 nights. We stayed in a farm house which was far beautiful than we can have imagined. Located in a jungle, it was next to a river full of crocodiles and alligators and one can sight beautiful birds sitting in a machan built next to the farm house. First we went to Gir Interpretation Centre where information about the national park, animals and birds found there is been given.

Gir is the only home for pure Asiatic Lions. The area is divided into National Park which measures about 258 km² and Sanctuary which measures about 1153 km².The area was declared as protected 1900's by the then Nawab of Junagadh. This was done due to decline in number of lion which went as low as 15, because of game hunting.The park and the sanctuary remain open all year but the best visiting season would be late november and early-March.

Gir is the largest dry deciduous forest in western India, Teak being the main flora. The fauna consists of Asiatic lions, leopards, hyenas, marsh crocodile, chitals, being few of the fauna found here. The avian fauna includes Vultures, Crested Serpent Eagle, Great Horned Owl, Bush Quail, etc. Gir also has lion breeding programme which carries out studies of the behaviour of the Asiatic lions and also practices artificial insemination.

From there we went for an evening Safari & spotted 1 lion & 2 lioness sitting and other 2 lioness crossing our vehicle. It was such an experience to sight this magnificent animal in the wild.

After safari we went to a Crocodile Breeding Centre. The centre supports around 20 fully adult crocs along with their eggs and young ones. Luckily because of Hussein sir, the forest officer of Gir, I could hold a baby croc in my hands. It was such a cute baby though quite powerful. I was lucky to get such a chance.

The most fun part of the day or should I say the night was a tribal dance by Siddhi tribe. The people of this tribe are South Africans brought by the Nawab of Gujarat as slaves. The dance is based on nature and animals. After sometime even we joined them in their dance.

The next day i.e. on 30th Oct we went to Diu Fort. It is a beautiful fort once used as prison by britishers. On the very top one can see 4 canons. From there we went for CMFT (centre of marine fishery technology) visit. After a small seminar at the institute we headed for Somnath temple. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlings. The Somnath Temple is known as 'the Shrine Eternal', as although the temple has been destroyed 6 times it has been rebuilt every single time. The present temple is the 7th temple reconstructed on the original site. The present temple, Kailash Mahameru Prasada, is built in the built in the Chalukya style of temple architecture and reflects the skill of the Sompuras, Gujarat's master masons. We reached there on time for maha aarti at 7 pm. Such a divine place. We returned back to our farmhouse in gir that night.

The very next day i.e. on 31st in the morning we headed for Jamnagar via Okha, Porbandar& Diu. Okha is a fish landing centre where we had to go for a visit. But unfortunately we couldn’t observe any fish catch as the fishing boats had not yet arrived from the catch. Then we headed for Porbandar beach. The beach is an eye-treat gently rocked by the winds and the wave from the Arabian sea. The beach was not that clean but one can observe variety of organisms, algae and shells. We did collect lots of specimen for college purpose. After collection we headed towards Jamnagar where we were to stay till 4th Nov.

The next day i.e. on 1st Nov was a relaxed day as we did shopping and local sight-seeing at Jamnagar. In the evening we went to Baal Hanuman Temple, Lakhota Palace and Smashan, both of which are recorded in Limca Book of Awards. The story behind the temple is that a saint was looking for a place to built a temple for Rama and finally he found this spot which was a bushy area used for urinal purposes. He started to recite prayers from that time and is still going on from generations to generations without being stopped i.e. Akhanda Jap. It is now being going on for 19,979 days nonstop hence is being recorded in Limca Book of Awards. Whereas the Smashan bhoomi is the one of a kind due to inscription of complete Ramayan in the form of pictures. It was not scary but one could feel calmness in the air.

On 2nd we headed for Pirotan Island, the one of a kind Marine National Park in India. It is situated almost 22km, off the coast near Jamnagar. It is a 3 square km area of Island, and is covered with Mangroves. The Pirotan Island has beautiful scenarios, and magnificent view of sunrise and sunset. On our way to the island we saw a family of dolphins swimming parallel to our boat. It was one of a kind experience. They were least bothered by our presence. Our boats were anchored away from the shoreline so we had to jump in the water and walk towards the beach. It was fun walking in the water. The entire island have various marine lives like crabs (Neptune, Hermit crabs, Ghost crabs, etc), jelly fishes, sea snakes, sea slugs, sea anemone and nests variety of birds (Cranes, little and larger egrets, grey heron, etc). After a walk on the island and observing marine lives we headed for our boats. As it was a low tide we had to walk down on the sea bed towards our boat and had to wait for two hours for the water to come towards the shoreline. Till that time we had a little walk on the sea bed and sat their till the onset of high tide. We could actually see water slowly coming towards us. After 1 ½ hours we climbed the boats and waited our boat to drift in the water. We reached the mainland at around 8 in the night. The boat ride in the evening was soothing and calming. This trip to island is something I will cherish for a long time.

On 3rd we went to visit Jamnagar Fishery Institute where we saw Prawn & Lobster Culture and then went for Shore visit behind the institute itself. There again we observed various marine lives. From there we headed towards Dwarka. It is rated as one of the 7 most ancient cities in the country. The legendary city of Dwarka dwelling place of Krishna. It is believed that, due to damage and destruction by the sea, Dvaraka has submerged 6 times and modern Dwarka is the 7th city to be built in the area. It is on the mouth of the Gomti River into Gulf of Kutch. The Dwarka temple has 5 storey tower which was built by Sambha, who is the grandson of Lord Krishna. The temple was made of limestone and sand. There is a flag hoisted in the temple tower everyday which waves in air beautifully welcoming the pilgrims. There are two gateways namely Swarga Dwar where pilgrims enter and Moksha Dwar where pilgrims exit. From the temple one can view the Sangamam of River Gomati flowing towards the sea. While returning back to our hotel in jamnagar we had a dance party in the bus itself. It was crazy because everyone danced in such a cramped place including our professors. It was such a fun.

On 4th since we had to leave for mumbai in the afternoon, the morning time was spent in packing and in clicking group snaps. We boarded the train at 1:35 in the afternoon and reached mumbai on 5th at 5 am. The night was spent chit-chatting, playing cards, singing songs and all such stuffs.

Overall my trip was fun, thrilling, exciting and above all a learning experience. I got to see various marine forms I knew but didn’t see. Overall it was a wonderful experience.

So that’s about my trip to Gujarat. Hope you enjoy reading my travelogue. See ya.

Mahabaleshwar

My travelogue about my visit to Mahabaleshwar. Hope you all enjoy reading it. A 3 day trip proved to be more enjoyable than we expected. Let us recount the memories of the trip.

We started our trip on 1st Dec 2006 by bus. We M.Sc students were allotted last 2 rows and ahead of us were Sy boys. We had lots of fun with them. They were quite enthusiastic playing and singing with us. By afternoon we reached Pratapgadh. Our bus stopped at foot of Pratapgadh where we first visited a small emporium and then we headed towards the fort. The walk till the fort was real fun.

Pratapgadh is 195km away from Mumbai & 25kms away from Mahabaleshwar. The majestic fort was built in 1656 by Moropant Trimak Pingle under the command of the Maratha ruler Shivaji. It was here that the mighty general of Bijapur, Afzal Khan was killed by Shivaji. One can visit the tomb of Afzal Khan at the foot of the fort. There is a temple of Goddess Bhavani. There is a statue of Shivaji Maharaj inside the fort called Bale killa. The fort has a great view.

From here we headed towards Mahabaleshwar. We reached quite late at night. We stayed in a hotel Mount Castle which lies at the starting of ghat heading towards Wai. It was a beautiful hotel.

Let me give u a short history of Mahabaleshwar as told by our tour guide. Mahabaleshwar is at height of 4500 feet above sea level. Mahabaleshwar is one of the most spectacular and the largest of Maharashtra's hill-stations. Maharaja Pratapsinha of Satara (1818 to 1839) engineered a scheme to develop Mahabaleshwar as health resort.

Sir John Malcolm, the first governor to visit Mahabaleshwar in 1828, established Mahabaleshwar in 1829. Sir Charles Malet, the first resident in Pune durbar of the Peshwas in 1791 happens to be the first European to step on this plateau. In the 19th century, as soon as the sanitarium was founded, an open jail detention center was established. Convicts from China & Malaysia were stationed here. Mahabaleshwar was the summer capital of the Governor of the old Bombay Presidency. The Britishers built various mansions, Cottages and bungalows around the town, lending it a charismatic, sophistication.

The next day i.e. on 2nd we started our sightseeing by Wilson point. It is also called as sunrise point. It is the highest pt of about 4710 ft above sea level. It is a vast plateau. From there we went to Helen’s point. River Solshi starts from this point with a small fall near her origin. Poetic blue valley will be in front of you. An amazing sight to see. In the afternoon we went to visit Apiculture centre. After a small demonstration of how the process of extracting honey is being done, we visited Lodwick point, Elphinstone point, Arthur’s seat, Tiger’s spring, the Window, Kates point & Echo point (all the 7 points together are known as 7 sisters).

Almost 1,240 meters above the sea level, Lodwick Point has a great view. There is a monument in memory of the general, erected by his son. Walking ahead towards the Arthur’s seat lays Elphinstone point. The point overlooks two valleys, Koyna on the left & Savitri on the right. It is named after a former Governor of Mumbai. Between Lodwick Point and Elphinstone Point lies the Dhobi waterfall. Lying at 1,348 mts above sea-level is the queen of all points, the Arthur's Seat. It is mesmerizing to see the barren deep valley Savitri on the left & shallow green valley on the right. It is more interesting to know that Arthur's seat is the only place showing geographical division of Kokan & Deccan, two territories of Mahabaleshwar, so clear & so near. To reach Tiger’s spring we have to go by steps for about a km. The spring is supposed to be the source of the river Savtri. Immediately below the seat is a small ledge known as Window point. One has to go deep by steps to reach the window point. From this point one can observe the glorious valleys. Between Window point & Echo point lays the Kates Point. It offers breathtaking view of Krishna valley & deep waters of the Dhom dam. From southern side it looks like an elephants head. The last point in this series is the Echo point. We had great fun at this point calling our names and did all idiotic stuffs.

Late evening we visited Mapro. We visited the factory where we could observe the process and effort put into it to make delicious fruit jams, crushes & syrups. We had ice-cream there which was too yummy. Mapro has a very beautiful garden of colorful and amazing flowers.

After coming back to our hotel few of us along with Nayak sir & Vikrant sir walked down to the market to have soup. There while having soup unknowingly Vikrant sir told me about some surprise party which was planned at mid-night. Everyone present there was angry b’coz the surprise party was meant for me. After reaching hotel at around 11:30pm I went to my room and went off to sleep as if I never knew about the plan. 10min prior midnight I was woken up by Sy guys and they took me to the lawn where we sat talking. At midnight I called home after which everyone took me to the party room where we had a blast. I was thoroughly moved by the gesture and also missed my family and friends. I had a great time.

On 3rd we started off for a Venna lake. The place wasn’t happening at all. Actually few of us got pretty bored. Others went of for boating and all but we chose to sit in the dhaba next to the lake. After sometimes we wandered around to explore the place. Later in the evening we went to Panchgini market where I gave an ice-cream treat to M.Sc and Sy boys. I must say I really missed friends.

On 4th we headed to Wai, my native place. This was the first time I had being to my native place. It is 88 Kms. from Pune. Wai is situated at the banks of Krishna river. It is famous for temples. We visited the Sericulture institute of Wai where we were shown the process of extracting silk from the silkworms. Next we visited the famous Dholya Ganapati temple. It is considered as the important temple of Maharashtra. The idol of Lord Ganesh is very big. The temple is situated on the beautiful ghats of river Krishna. After spending time at the temple we headed back to Mumbai.

Goa - Beyond the Beaches

Goa, known as the land of beaches, is not only limited to the beaches but is also the bliss for the nature lovers. It is cozily nestled between the deep waves of Arabian sea and rising hump of western ghats. Goa provides a natural habitat to a range of birds and animals in midst of rich vegetation, well preserved as wildlife sanctuaries. So let’s start the journey to the mystical world of Goa.

The college excursion was from 24th Oct to 1st Nov '06. The next day i.e. 25th Oct we reached Mollem station from where we headed towards Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary where we were to stay for the rest of the days. We were put up in Dudhsagar wildlife Resort, a lovely place in midst of nature. It was a great place to stay. Before I proceed further let me brief you about this sanctuary.

Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary along with Mollem National Park is a 240 km² protected area located 57km east of Panji . Earlier it was game park and was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1969. The core zone of 107 km² came to be known as The Mollem National Park in 1978. It is a Semi Evergreen and Moist Deciduous forest. It is a shelter for animals like Barking deer, Leopard, Flying Squirrel, Gaur, Chital, etc. But most important are the Malabar Gaint Squirrel and Slender Loris which are classified as endangered species. Avian species include Golden oriole, Greater indian hornbill, Malabar grey hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill, Paradise flycatcher, Racket-tailed drongo, Ruby-throated yellow bulbul (the Goa state bird), Shrikes, etc. It also hosts butterflies (Blue Mormon, Common Mormon, Common Wanderer, Crimson Rose, Plain Tiger) and reptiles (king cobra, cat snake, indian rock python, malabar pit viper, rat snake, russell's viper, Indian cobra and common krait).

After breakfast we headed to Dudhsagar Falls. It is a 10 km trek from mollem along the river to the base of this splendid milky white cascade of water. It falls down 306 mts in two segments. A bridge of South Central Railway passes right through the waterfalls and makes a fantastic scene. It is a major part of the Goa ecosystem. After returning to our rooms we had our lunch and then we were taken for an Evening Trail to Mollem National Park. Mollem NP and Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary jointly cover an area of 240 sq kms. The forest ranges from moist deciduous to evergreen and provides ample cover to wildlife. Though we couldn’t see anything other than insects, spiders and birds it was a nice experience.

After the trail we headed for Nature Interpretation Centre. It is a store house of information on nature, environment and wildlife. The centre has pugmarks of different animals like tiger, leopard, hyena, wild dog, jackal & sloth bear. It also had exhibits of antlers, limb bones of gaur, the mandible of an elephant & crocodile skin.

After dinner we went for Night Trail. It was breathtaking experience walking in the wild not knowing the dangers in the path. It was amazing feeling to hear the sounds of the wild. During the trail we saw different insects and a tree frog. Though we couldn’t see even few animals but the trail was fantastic.

The next day i.e. 26th Oct we started our day with the visit to Dona Paula. It is situated 7kms from Panjim. This is the place where Zuari and Mandovi meet the Arabian sea, with a fine view of the Marmagoa Harbour . According to what we heard from the locals, the Viceroy's daughter Dona Paula de Menezes after facing objections from her family about her love affair with a poor fisherman jumped of the cliff. There is a statue of the lovers on the cliff hence the place is also known as the Lovers Paradise. Some locals even believe that she emerges from the moonlitwaves wearing only a pearl necklace.

From here we went for a visit to National Institute of Oceanography(NIO). It was set up in the 1960s. The NIO investigates not only marine biology, but also integrates almost all the major branches of coastal and marine oceanography. The major attraction of the institute is its Marine Biology Museum and Taxonomy Reference Center.

After having done our lunch at NIO we headed to Goa Science Centre. It was opened to the public from 19th December, 2001. Main features of the Science Centre are its interactive exhibition galleries; Science Park specially designed programs and activities.

In the evening we went for an River Cruise. It was fun as the cruise had dance performances by the locals on the traditional Goan & Portuguese songs and also by the people on the cruise. It was great fun. After heading to the resort and after dinner we played tug of war & dog and bone. It was fun playing the whole night.

On 27th Oct we started our journey by visiting a church, The Chapel of Three Kings. A secluded chapel in midst of nowhere, is surrounded by dense vegetation. Though we couldn’t see the chapel from inside as it was closed, we enjoyed the vicinity. According to the locals the chapel shouldn’t be visited after 5pm as the spirits can be seen inside the chapel. Many told us that they have seen the spirits at the window of the chapel and even if u want to visit to should not look back while leaving as there are chances of the person losing his mental balance. If you ignore these rumors you can enjoy the pure serenity of the place.

From the chapel we headed for the Naval Aviation Centre. It was set up in Vasco around the year 1998. It is one of its kinds in India and is a major tourist attraction in Goa. The place has a museum that showcases the rich history and the development of the Indian naval aircrafts, different aircrafts that are used, weapons, arms, etc.

The next stop was at National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research(NCAOR). It was established as an autonomous R & D Institution of the Department of Ocean Development (DOD) on the 25th May 1998. The jewel in the NCAOR’s scientific crown is the upkeep of the year round Indian station in Antarctica, ‘Maitri’. Maitri was established in 1989 and allows Indian scientists to conduct critical studies across all areas of polar research. The best part of this visit apart from an presentation of the ongoing projects was the visit to the lab which has the Antarctic ice kept in it. Just 3 of us and our 2 professors were allowed to get in this restricted area. First we had to go through decontamination chamber and after wearing apt shoes were first taken to a lab (10 C) where the instruments for research are kept, then to another lab (20 C) where some work was on and finally in to the store room which was at 40 C for 5 min where the ice slabs brought in from Antarctic were kept. I must say that it was a chilling & experience.

Then we headed for Fishery Survey of India(FSI). Here we saw some fish specimens and the making of the nets.

The last stop was at Sada Beach. A very secluded beach where very few tourist turn up. It was great to see sunset sitting on the beach and hearing beautiful sound of waves and chirping of birds. A must see beach.

On 28th Oct we started our day by visiting Basalt Rock Temple of Mahadev.

It is the most ancient temple in the whole of Goa, located at a place called Tambi Surla which is approximately 12 kms from the border crossing post of Mollem. The temple was built in Jain style in the 12th century. The temple faces east so that the rays of the rising sun fall on the deity at the crack of dawn. There is a headless Nandi in the centre of the mandap, surrounded by four matching columns. There is a linga mounted on a plinth inside the inner sanctum and local legend has it that a huge King Cobra is in permanent residence in the dimly lit interior, though we couldn’t see one. There are 4 rocks in the vicinity which are the symbols of 4 elephants guarding all the 4 directions.

After visit to temple, we went for a small trek near the temple, where the river Surla flows. One can reach this river via a flight of stone steps. It was a beautiful & quiet trek where we saw various stunning butterflies (pansies, cruiser, crimson rose fly, black mormon,etc), scorpion, tree frog, whip spider, etc. We even managed to see skink - a reptile which has resemblance with the snake but is actually a lizard. It is a semi-poisonous creature, whose poisan is fatal to animals but not to humans. It was really an awesome animal. We had a great fun walking through the river and watching natural exhibition of these exquisite animals.

After this, we headed for Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary. It covers an area of 7.98 sq kms. Though we couldn’t visit the sanctuary, we managed to visit the Mini Zoo & Formal Gardens. There are numerous endangered species which provides the visitors to see them. The animals one can see are elephants, sambhar, crocodiles, snakes (pit vipers, wine snake, cobra, king cobra, rock python, etc), gaur, sloth bears, leopard, etc. Then we visited Nature Education Centre and lastly went for a walk in the garden. The garden had spacious lawns, variety of flowers and in between there was a idol of the deity Gajalakshmi belonging to the period of between 6th & 8th century.

On 29th we headed for Ajobachi Rai-The Sacred Groves. The groves are an important part of Goa's natural heritage. A sacred grove is the patch of untouched forest area where traditional worship of local deities or forest spirits, as well as of plants and animals, has been carried out in since ancient times. Strong taboos prohibit the cutting of trees and plants or harming of any form of life within this protected area. The fear of punishment by the spirits residing in the groves has kept the forest in a near-natural state. Sacred groves have numerous medicinal plants & the waters of the springs have medicinal properties. Ajobachi Rai, the largest of them all is situated in the village of Keri, in Sattari Taluka. These sacred groves are considered to be sacred area and one should follow rules like removing footwear and not disturbing any life forms when visiting the groves.

After spending some quality time hiking up on the groves we headed for Paykecha Sada. It is a beautiful waterfall in midst of bondla ws. It is the life line of the sanctuary and cascades down beautifully. We rested here for an hour or so before heading back to our resort. Here we observed a very classic Malabar Pit Viper and experienced most stunning sunset.

The next day (30th Oct) we visited Basilica of Bom Jesus. Bom Jesus is the name used for the infant Jesus. The church is located in Old Goa, about 10 km from the city of Panjim. It contains the body of St. Francis Xavier; a member of the Society of Jesus. After his death during sea voyage in 1552, his remains were brought to Goa, in accordance with his wishes. The church is beautifully constructed with amazing interiors and calm vicinity.

After this we headed for Dr.Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary. It is one of the smallest bird sanctuaries having an area of merely 1.8 sq kms. Though small, the sanctuary homes around 400 species of birds, both local and migratory. It is located on island of Chorao near Mandovi River. One has to take ferry from Ribandar ferry dock to reach the sanctuary. Because the island of Chorao is full of mangrove swamps, the region produces exceptional cover and vegetation for many different breeds of local coastal bird as well as the perfect resting ground for migrating birds from all around the world. Besides a rich diversity of exotic birds, one may catch a glimpse of wild animals like crocodiles, foxes, and jackals. The sanctuary is open throughout the year, though it is better to avoid it during the monsoons and summers when it can get really hot and humid.

Our last day i.e. 31st Oct we were to visit Mangeshi, Mahalsa & Shantadurga temple. Of all three I visited only Mahalsa temple as it was not commercialized. The temple is dedicated to goddess Mahalsa, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The reason for my visiting this temple was a six-storied 'deepstambha' in the courtyard. This splendid pillar is 40 feet in height and has 21 rings of a hundred fifty small lamps.

After going back to the resort and after having our lunch we shot a small film on the students. The film is great to watch with comments and crazy remarks. We headed to mollem station to cah our train.

An Amazing trip came to an end with happy note.