travel – Page 56

The Step Well at Patan …

Gujerat is a dry state. In both ways … no alcohol and little rain. It is dry and sandy. Wells, therefore, had to be deep. A form of architecture evolved here where the wells would have steps down to the water, usually on just one side. They are mostly dug close to rivers or lakes and it came to be the case that providing such wells was seen as a meritorious act. The finest of them all is the Rani-ki-vav, or queen’s step well located just outside Patan close to the River Sarasvati. Once again it is a legacy of the Solanki dynasty. This one built by Queen Udayamati as a memorial to her late husband Bhimadeva I.

It is rectangular, the long axis runs east west and is 65m long 20 m wide and 27m deep. The well is at the west end. The walls are sheer except for the steps running down from the east end. It is large among step wells but the richness of the decoration places it above all others. In the lowest third of the rectangle there were a series of pavilions that braced the side walls. These have fallen into a state of disrepair, indeed the whole structure had fallen into disuse and debris had filled a good deal of the well. Considerable restoration has been undertaken.

There are more than 800 elaborate sculptures among seven galleries. The central theme is the Dasavataras, or ten incarnations of Vishnu, which are accompanied by sadhus, brahmins, and apsaras (celestial dancers dressed in their celestial dancing outfits). At water level, no longer open to the public, there is a carving of Vishnu, reclining on the thousand-hooded serpent Shesha, resting in the infinity between ages.

To negotiate the steps from terrace to terrace you turn left and right making patterns of progress as you choose your path. Long diagonals or short diagonals at your whim. Whenever you approach the walls you come close to the carvings including one of Queen Udayamati herself, seated on a cushion with a parasol held above her.

And a dancing girl to finish, take note of her plump beautifully formed owls.

This is part of a series that began with मुंबई … published 30/01/2014.

The Sun Temple at Modhera …

History starts when writing starts. Writing, I would venture, is a product of civilisation. We find the first great civilisations and writing springing into existence about 3,100 BC in Mesopotamia and in Egypt. About 500 years later the Indus Valley produced its own version which grew to cover a larger area than Egypt and Mesopotamia combined, built the major cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro and survived for more than a thousand years.

One of the finest archeological sites in India is at Dholavira, in the Kutch region of Gujerat. It is a Harappan site that was occupied from about 2650 BC until about 1450 BC. I hope that one day someone discovers there the earliest commercial brewery and distillery known to humanity.

In Australia we start slapping heritage listings on anything over fifty years old and our oldest buildings are barely pushing 200. Gujerat was there from the beginning of history.

My first glimpse of the glorious architecture of Gujerat was on one of the journeys onto the Little Rann. We passed the walled city of Zinzuwada. This was built in the eleventh century, a troubled time because of invasions from the north. The city has four magnificent gates, the best preserved is the Madapol Gate. I wish I could have had the time to explore it properly … next time.

I was able to do better at the Sun Temple at Modhera. This is dedicated to the Hindu Sun God, Surya.

According to the little guide book one can purchase at the gate, there is an inscription on the rear wall of the central hall naming king Bhola Bhimdev as the builder in the year 1027 AD. That is around the same time as Zinzuwada and by a king of the same dynasty, the Solanki.

The temple is in three parts. The weary traveller would first bathe in the pool, the Suryakund, then ascend the steps, pass between two columns to enter the Court or Dance gallery, Sabha Mandap. The next building is the main temple, Garbha-griha. Legend has it that it once contained a magnificent and bejewelled pure gold idol of the Sun God and his chariot drawn by seven horses. This sat atop a pit, fifteen feet deep, filled with gold coins. It was designed so that the rays of the rising and setting sun on the day of equinoxes (round about 20 March and 21 September) fell on the sculpture and filled the temple with radiance. This was taken away by the marauding Mahmud Ghaznavi who is credited with 17 raids on India, carried out for fun and profit. His last invasion, however, was supposedly in 1026. Clearly the legend needs a little tidying up before the insurance claim goes through.

Considerable damage was wrought on the temple by the Sultan of Northern India, Alauddin Khilji, during his reign from 1296 to 1316. Gujerat was one of the first territories he conquered and annexed.

What we have left though is still magnificent. Symbolism is everywhere, just as the sun in its passage causes the lotus flower to open and close so the temple form follows that of the lotus. All the gods are represented in their appropriate forms in their appropriate places with their appropriate vehicles. Various manipulations of the calendar determine the number of pillars, the number of elephants and so on.

As can be seen from the photos, the stone work is intricately carved. Many of the panels depict what the little guidebook quaintly calls “sexual and amorous acts”…

This was all completed without the aid of cranes or engines. Once each layer was completed it was filled with sand. Elephants were used to drag the stones up ramps to the new level. Once the building was finished the sand was removed.

Prayers are no longer offered at the temple. The Garbha-griha is now the daytime roost of Greater Mouse-tailed and other bats.

Little Rann of Kutch …

My name is Robert and I am still in Gujerat …

The next destination is Dasada and the Little Rann of Kutch. The Arabian Sea once extended into the belly of Gujerat in two shallow arms. Over time these have silted up to form the Great and Little Ranns of Kutch. Rann meaning saline desert and Kutch being the name of the region. These are inundated in the monsoon and steadily dry out through the remainder of the year. Some grass survives around the margins and within the marsh there are some low islands, called Bates, on which mesquite and some grasses persist but most of the Rann is utterly devoid of vegetation. Beyond the ancient coastline is the Thar desert.

This place is not as sterile as it seems. It is the stronghold of the Khur or Wild Ass Equus hemionus khur. This was formerly widespread and numerous but has suffered from loss of habitat to the mesquite and herdsmen and also from some diseases. Recently given protection its population and range are currently increasing. Once the only place to see it, this is still the best place to see it. They feed mainly early morning and in the evening. They are more elegant than one might expect of an ass and can gallop at up to 80 km/hr, an impressive beast.

The Hoopoe Lark is another denizen of this empty landscape whilst the bates provide good habitat for Macqueen’s Bustard. Where there is water in an arid landscape one can be sure of a concentration of birds. We got as far as the tidal reaches of the sea and enjoyed Flamingoes, Ruff, Little Stints, Kentish Plover, Common Cranes, Greylag Goose and some Gulls and Terns.

There are even people who can make a living out here. When the Rann is flooded it becomes a prawn fishery. As it dries out it can be exploited for salt production.

It appears to run as a small family enterprise with the family living a very humble and remote life right next to the pans.

Velavadar …

After a last morning safari at Gir it’s on the road to Velavadar.

The journey takes us about 206 km north-east through countryside that is fairly flat and intensively farmed with the aid of extensive irrigation. From time to time we pass cotton processing plants with little mountains of cotton waiting for the gin (just to remind us that Gujerat is a dry state … it’s been four days now). There is still plenty of cotton awaiting harvest in the fields. Other crops include Castor, Millet and Mustard. Later in the year it will be time to plant Sorghum.

The roads are fair but busy. The trucks tend to be small by Australian standards and mobile works of art. As well as cars, they have to contend with tractor hauled carts, camel hauled carts, oxen hauled carts and a strange hybrid of motorcycle and cart called a chakra. Motorbikes and motor scooters are numerous and generally low powered. I will need to undertake a great deal more study before I can explain the system by which all these vehicles avoid collision but initial observations reveal that a good horn, good brakes and good luck are vital ingredients. An average speed of 50 km an hour would be a pretty good achievement and four or five hours of that should bring you to the verge of exhaustion.

In former times the region we are headed to was an extensive open grassland. Much of the area has given way to agriculture or been lost to the encroachment of Mesquite, Prosopis juliflora, a native of the americas. It was introduced to provide fuel wood, which it has and it is also used to make fences. It has ferocious thorns and grows as dense thickets. Overall it has been much too successful. An area of 34.52 sq.km. has been preserved as Blackbuck National Park.

The grassland is home to the very elegant Blackbuck and also Asia’s largest antelope, the Nilgai. In winter it is visited by large numbers of Montague’s and Pallid Harriers, in the monsoon it provides a refuge for the small and endangered bustard, the Lesser Florican. There is a wetland in the park that can amuse the birdwatcher for hours with such creatures as pelicans, cranes, avocets and flamingoes, although they can be sure that the other occupants of the vehicle will drag them away in pursuit of wolves and hyena.

The wolf was in possession of a buffalo leg.

The obvious place to stay in Velavadar is the very comfortable Blackbuck Lodge situated only a couple of kilometres from the park gates …

and as you watch the sun go down over the mesquite you can contemplate a couple of lines from the Blackbuck National Park website …

The Park provides one of the world’s best roosting sites to thousands of Harriers that arrive here from Central Europe for wintering …

… An entirely different experience of the wildlife begins to transcend as the darkness falls. The persistent howls of jackal add to the feeling of true wilderness. The long, deep and threatening howls of wolves, occasionally penetrate the darkness .

… such a pity that the visitors had to be out of the park an hour or so earlier and won’t see the thousands of Harriers at their roost or be able to feel a shiver run down their spine as a wolf howls nearby.

Gir …

From Mumbai to Gir.

Security is tight at Indian airports. To get into the departure terminal you must show a printed itinerary showing your name, destination, flight number, date and time, accompanied by your ID, which for foreigners means your passport. Your friends say their goodbyes on the pavement.

My destination was Gir which is in the state of Gujarat immediately north of Maharashta of which Mumbai is the capital. The nearest airport is Diu, the flight takes about an hour.

India is composed of 28 states and seven union territories. Daman and Diu together make up one of the territories. Along with Goa, Daman and Diu were excised from India by the Portuguese. When India gained control the trio were governed as a single territory, Goa was given statehood in 1987 leaving the two small enclaves of Daman and Diu, 198 kilometers apart, each surrounded by Gujarat. This has enormous practical importance, Diu is a small but busy seaside resort, Gujarat is a dry state. Lunch was accompanied by a couple of refreshing beers.

Then the drive to Gir, as a passenger of course.

No palatial accommodation for me here, although that isn’t to say that good hotels aren’t available. For me one of these tents …

This is the Lion Safari Camp near the small town of Sasan Gir. The lions are a respectable distance away and the tents come with en suite facilities, hot and cold water and plenty of headroom. The camp is situated on the banks of a river, you don’t have to go far to find plenty of birds, the laundry, swimming pool and the odd Mugger Crocodile.

It’s reported that the Mugger is more famous for its tool use than it is for eating people. It is known to balance sticks on its head, birds, especially in the breeding season are tempted to take the sticks … swirl of water, snap, lunch.

I spent the next three nights at the camp making seven forays into Gir National Park and any spare daylight time birding around the river.

Coming soon … the lions of Gir National Park.

Elephanta …

I caught the boat to Elephanta from just across the road from the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. It’s a 10km trip. Photography is forbidden on the boat because the journey takes you past the naval docks. The navy was in town in a big way in readiness for the national day celebrations on the 26th of January, by a strange coincidence the same date as Australia’s.

The island is the site of seven caves that were carved out of the basalt rocks probably between the fifth and eighth centuries. There is a cluster of five Hindu caves and away from them there are two Buddhist caves. The journey from the pier to the caves takes you up a fairly steep stepped slope between stalls. The weary traveller is shaded from the sun by tarpaulins. For those that are too weary to walk there are sedan chairs …

Chadstone Shopping Centre may not have Beware of the Monkeys signs or sedan chairs but there is at least one thing in common – just as Chadstone boasts 500 shops which really equates to five shops 100 times over, so too with the stalls, the same few themes again and again.

The main cave is a Hindu cave dedicated to Shiva. The central hall is a little over 25 metres by 25 metres, containing carvings and shrines. You can find more detail and a map <HERE>. The carvings have suffered over the centuries but are still very impressive …

Above is the Trimurti, to be found on the rear wall. Below is the Linga which is set on a raised platform in a shrine …

It is of striking size, much bigger than mine although I do think mine has more pleasing proportions.

Outside the cave one can make the acquaintance of the local Bonnet macaques, Macaca radiata. These guys are serious snatch and grab artists, it is unwise to be holding food or even bottled water. They unscrew bottle tops in exactly the same way as we do, drink the contents and then toss the empty aside.

Travelling with a group you may be pushed through here at a faster pace than the island deserves. Travelling independently the bird watcher would be well rewarded by spending some time at the fringing mangroves where there are some waders, egrets and kingfishers to see. The odd Brahminy Kite passes over and Flamingoes are occasional visitors.

मुंबई …

I pinched the heading from Wikipedia and I hope that it reads as Mumbai to the initiated. Please accept my apologies if it means anything unintended.

I emerged from the airport there late at night, the hotel transfer got me to the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in the wee hours of the following morning. The very first impression was the number of people on the streets, many working, some walking but the majority seemed to be eating, at midnight, in little restaurants and cafes opening onto the street.

Security was fairly tight at the hotel. This was one of the buildings attacked by a group of Pakistani terrorists in November 2008. Retractable bollards now prevent vehicles from reaching the main entrance until the underneath has been scanned using mirrors and the bonnet, boot and interior have been given the once over. To get into the lobby you must pass through a metal detector whilst your hand luggage is x-rayed. Your suitcase will also be x-rayed before it is delivered to your room. No worse than airport security and although a sad reflection on the modern world, worth it. That attack on Mumbai was carried out by 10 men and lasted three days. They killed 164, of those about 30 died in the Taj.

The welcome is very gracious. The arriving guest is draped with a garland of flowers, a small red dot is placed on the forehead. The room looked out over the Gates of India onto the sea. A luxurious start to my trip, and since I was going bush after two nights, I thought it likely to be the only real luxury to expect.

Mumbai previously known as Bombay, is the capital city of the state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million. The conurbation is one of the most populous urban regions in the world. Situated on the west coast of India Mumbai has a deep natural harbour. It is also the wealthiest city in India, and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West or Central Asia. Mumbai is, of course, Bollywood.

Mumbai is built on what was once an archipelago of seven islands that have been inhabited since the Stone Age initially by fisher folk. From 1782 to 1784, the city was reshaped with large-scale civil engineering projects aimed at merging all the seven islands into a single amalgamated mass. The problems of getting around the place continue to be solved, the Western Express highway runs across a long causeway, road building and flyover construction continue apace.

The Portuguese ruled the city from about 1534, the British from about 1661 until independence in 1947. Depending on which newspaper you read, it is now ruled by the Mafia or corrupt politicians or a combination of both.

Mumbai has a tropical climate with seven months of dryness and a monsoon that peaks in July. December to February is the cool season. In January the mean high temperature is 30.6°C, the mean low is 16.4°C. Rain is unlikely. Air quality is not real flash.

The Mumbai Mafia reach the peak of their notoriety in the building industry, little different from Australia really. Building collapses made the news whilst I was in India but by Mumbai standards they were relatively small-scale events. One of the collapses in 2013 killed 72. Mumbai’s slums are said to provide housing for approximately 60% of the city’s population.

Some how I survived the night and I wasn’t thinking about any of Mumbai’s problems as I watched the sunrise from my hotel balcony …

Next up … Elephanta.

Broome …

The Kimberley adventure brought us finally back to Broome. We finished the trip at the Broome Bird Observatory.

One of the trio still needed a few mangrove birds for his Aussie list and Little Crab Creek, not far from the observatory, would be the place to find them. A tour of Broome including the Port, the playing fields and the sewage works is birding heaven. Add the proximity of Roebuck Bay, which even over winter holds a wonderful trove of migratory waders, Pindan woodland and open plains and a hundred species in a day can be seen with relative ease. I gave a guarantee that I would deliver the White-breasted Whistler and the Dusky Gerygone.

The first morning saw us in the mangroves beating off the mozzies. The whistler duly surrendered and what’s more, the first one to parade for us was a beautiful male, usually much harder to find than the drabber females and young males. But no Dusky Gerygone. Then off to Nimilaica, Barred Creek and back up the Derby Road to Taylor’s lagoon. A great day, some great birds but …

Dawn of day two and we were back in the mangroves, swatting the mozzies, ignoring the White-breasted Whistler, the Broad-billed Flycatchers, Yellow White-eyes, Mangrove Grey Fantails, Sacred Kingfishers, Brahminy Kites and the rest, reputation is at stake, I have never dipped on the gerygone, ever.

The Dusky Gerygone is found only in the mangroves from about Broome, south west along the WA coast to about Shark Bay. Gerygones are little birds, often grey or brown or greyish-brown, distinguished by subtleties of eyebrow or tail tip, and amongst all these the Dusky is distinguished by its lack of distinction, no contrasting tail tip, the subtlest of eyebrows. The clinching detail is the pale iris! You need a good look.

My colleague slapped another mozzie, I distinctly heard him muttering about trusting me instead of trying Streeter’s Jetty. Everybody gets them at Streeter’s Jetty.

A Yellow White-eye peeked out …

Dime a dozen. Mangrove Golden Whistlers are much harder to find, I doubt that one has ever been dismissed as lightly as this one …

More muttering, then …

Reputation rescued.

Geological diversions …

After leaving the Bungles our first stop was the frontier town of Halls Creek where we bought some light beer and groceries.

Then it was off to China Wall which is about 6km away via the Duncan Highway.

The more resistant quartz has weathered out of the softer surrounding rock to produce a miniature version of the Great Wall of China. It snakes through the country for several kilometres.

Maintaining the geological theme we then headed 150 km down the Tanamai to the Wolfe Creek Crater.

Some time in the Pleistocene 50,000 tonnes worth of meteorite came to visit. It’s about 875 metres in diameter and 60 metres from the present crater floor to the rim.

As fascinating as these landforms are our motives were not entirely geological. The creek at China Wall is a known drinking spot for Painted Finch, which sadly we did not see, and one of our number had not seen Grey-fronted Honeyeater which we hoped to find on the Tanamai, and in that we were successful.

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The Bungle Bungles …

After leaving Home Valley it wasn’t long before our wheels hit the bitumen. I’m sure all four of them were very relieved but for the us on board it signalled a hiatus in the adventure. Straight ahead would have taken us to Kununurra but that held no attraction for us. We turned right onto the Great Northern Highway. The scenery is impressive but the country is drier than along the Gibb River Road. A couple of hours later we turned left to head for the Bungle Bungles in Purnululu National Park.

The park is open between April and December 15 provided the weather permits. The road in is moderately rugged. There are a few river crossings along its 50 km. It is not suitable for two wheel drive vehicles or caravans.The longtitudinal chassis members on this camper had fractured …

Had they made it in they would have had two camping areas to choose from, the one to the south (Walardi) is closer to the more spectacular beehive formations, the larger northern site (Kurrajong) is handy for the Echidna Chasm. The distance between the camps is not great. Either could serve as a base for both areas.

The Bungles are not only hard on camper vans, this is a place where you could easily wear out your camera …

The distinctive beehive-shaped towers of the Bungle Bungles are made up of sandstones and conglomerates that were deposited into the Ord Basin 375 to 350 million years ago. Uplift and erosion in more recent times (the last 20 million years) have produced what we see today. The horizontal bands are alternating layers that are more and less porous. Where the water penetrates algae can grow and produce a dark colour, the red bands are due to a covering of iron and manganese oxides.

There are short walks but for the more active let me recommend Whipsnake Gorge in the south and Echidna Chasm in the north. The light is best early and late, go extra early and beat the crowds. Carry water.

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