The Elephants at Hampi

R and I decided to drive 400kms to visit Hampi in Bellary district which was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire and is a place of religious, mythological and cultural importance as well as being listed as a Unesco World Heritage site.Its the height of summer and temperatures are close to 40C but we like to visit places when its off season and there are less people around.  

I'm going to do a couple of posts on our trip to Hampi but I'm going to start with the elephants which were accorded great importance then as they are now and are depicted on so many of the monuments.   

At the Virupaksha Temple we bought bananas to feed the temple elephant but we ended up feeding the cows instead because the elephant had gone down to the river to bathe.

The plinth of the Mahanavami Dibba has depictions of elephants in various moods. The sculptors were keen observers of the form of the elephants and their moods. I wonder how they recorded their observations.No 16th century sketch books lying around. 

A procession of elephants in the Hazara Rama temple.

The Elephant Stables.

Elephants were mainly used for battle but there were eleven special elephants which were used during the Dussehra festival and had their own stable and keepers who had their quarters close at hand near the Zenana Enclosure.I haven't heard of this much importance accorded to elephants in any of the other dynasties which flourished in India.  

Must go back to Hampi to record the elephant in all its various moods which are depicted on all the monuments. That would probably require a life time or more because the excavations continue in Hampi.  

Elephas maximus - up close and personal

Our safaris into the jungle have always been rewarding with some spectacular sightings. So, it was with great anticipation that we drove down the Sigur Ghats in the Nilgiris to meet friends staying at Tusker Trails in Bandipur National Park.

Close to two hours and we had left the winding ghat roads and hairpin bends behind and R decided to stop and answer nature's call before we got to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. R got back rather quickly and told me there was a tusker standing behind a spindly tree. I turned and just then the large tusker stepped out onto the road and turned to face the back of the car.

I had the camera in my hand but it was forgotten as we watched to see whether the tusker would charge. Lone tuskers are unpredictable and therefore dangerous. We obviously weren't perceived as a threat because in thirty seconds it turned and crossed the road to the scrub land on the other side. That was a little too close for comfort but suprisingly both of us were calm and I remember there being some discussion about taking photographs.

It was a massive specimen with long tusks pretty much like the one in this picture and R didn't have even the slightest inkling of its presence just ten feet away from him, until, he happened to glance to his left to see if he could discover the source of a strong animal odour.

The evening safari brought more elephants. Cows with their young calves, not sure what to expect of the large contraption which heaves and jolts down the jungle tracks.

This little fellow came out of the thick jungle and was feeding quite happily, unperturbed by the rumblings of the open truck we were in.

Another pair of young mothers and calves at a salt lick. The calves are behind a thicket of bamboo.

This encounter with the elephant is another first for us and we hope it will stay that way. Any guesses what we were thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend?

Next post will be a tame one related to fiber and book making I promise.

Pachyderm

We didn't spot a tiger but we did see this splendid herd of seventeen elephants. Can you spot the teeny tiny calf in the photographs? My little point and shoot could not do justice to the magnificence of these grand beasts but we've been promised pictures from the lot which Thomas and Shilpi shot.

It was a wonderful change. We stayed at the Jungle Lodges & Resorts property in Bandipur.

The safaris into the jungle twice a day in open jeeps were great lessons in observation and the amazement at how well camouflaged the animals are in the jungle.

Bomma our driver and spotter did a great job and we got to see Wild Dog or Dhole, Gaur, a couple of Mongoose on two occasions who put on a great show for us rooting around the ground for food,Sambhar and huge herds of Spotted Deer. Thomas and Shilpi are keen bird watchers and photographers so we got a couple of lessons in ornithology as well when we spotted the Serpent Eagle, Changing Hawk Eagle, Green Bee Eater and a wild fig tree full of Copper Heads feasting on the ripe fruit.

Back and firmly ensconced in the urban jungle I have urban jungle matters to deal with.More tomorrow.

Elephants

When you drive up to the Nilgiris from Bangalore you pass through two wildlife parks. Its essentially one huge expanse of jungle but since its in two states its considered to be two. The portion in Karnataka is called the Bandipur National Park and the portion in Tamil Nadu is called the Mudumalai National Park.

The Flame of the Forest is in bloom.

On our drive up on Thursday we past through Mudumalai around 1.30 - 2 in the afternoon and we spotted a herd of elephants fairly close to the road. We stopped and watched them for a while and I managaed to get some pictures.

They are large but so silent and well camouflaged amidst the trees and undergrowth.

You need to drive slowly and keep a close watch of the jungle to be able to spot animals.

We didn't see any tuskers in this herd. The only movements were their ears and trunks. In the jungle they could well be overlooked and mistaken for large rocks.

You can see a herd of wild elephants a hundred times but its simply awesome each time you see them. They are spectacular beasts who you have to stop and watch and you will never ever tire of spotting a herd.You need to be alert because they are unpredictable especially if its a lone tusker or if there are calves in the herd. So there's no question of getting out of your vehicle and the engine must be kept running just in case they decide to charge.

These Langurs are striking don't you think.