Adventures - Part I
Enroute to Khimser,we drive towards Khichan,on the Jodhpur road. Over lunch at jaisalmer,I was told of the large number of demoiselle crane that inhabit Khichan…a one horse town-off the main track.”What? Make a detour and lose time?I murmured. You will not be sorry,reiterated a local. My driver,sullen-faced,stopped many times for directions. On reaching a small sleepy town,we saw a broken placard that said Khuraj and pointed left towards a dirt track,driwing along which we came across two large ponds.
On reaching , all we could see was a peacock that sat on edge preening its feathers… there was no much else. Disappointedly we turned to leave,when a strangel loud whirring sound accompanied by a continuous calling “krok-krok”filled the air. All of a sudden, thousand of demoiselle cranes flew in,from the direction of village,led by a single crane,forming a V cross the sky; they settled down to intermingle with the other birds already there. It was an unbelievable sight. I learnt that earlier only a few dozen would migrate here from their original habitat,the plains and steppes of Eurasia and Mongolia. But now because of the loving care and food provided by the human population here,about six thousand descend every year by post monsoon. I also learnt that the flight,a female leads the flock of birds,followed closely by two adults and then it is brought up by the rest of the clan.
Kuraj(their local name) are revered by the population and all donate to provide 500 quintals of grain per day to the splendid seasonal guests. I ventured close to photograph them, but they took off in a noisy flurry of their dark wings fluttering in unison. I was totally mesmerised by their awesome beauty. They have captured the attention of bird lovers far and wide and Khichan,I realise,will become one of the landmarks of this region, in times to come.
Driving from Khichan to Khimser,on the scenic Jodhpur highway wee got to see Rajasthan. Perched on the edge of the great Thar Desert,lies a unique 16th century fort,buit by Rao Karamsi-the eighth prince of Jodha-the founder Maharaja of Jodhpur,who began the royal dynasty of Khimser. It has housed royalty since the 18th century,who recently opened its doors to visitors,to share their regal hospitality with them. One section still carries scars from previous battles and makes for a charming dining experience,with candlelight flickering on the ancient walls. This fort is in close proximity to the villages of the Bishnois,the custodian of the black buck, an endangered species and an awesome and captivating animal.
