Exploring the Monsoon World through Macro Photography

A Phallic Stinkhorn Mushroom grows on a fallen tree-trunk.

Most National parks shut down by the time the monsoons arrive and wildlife photographers have to take a break. However, a wonderful and amazing world opens up to the lens, colourful, exciting and simply waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately very few of us bother to look down at the ground to see an amazing world waiting to be discovered!

A Millipede approaches a Ganoderma mushroom.

Macro photography has its own specifics and requirements. You need to abandon your telescopic lens and instead choose a macro lens. I decided to experiment with a Canon-40mm F-2.8 pancake prime lens a lens that people more often use for street photography and portraits with amazing results. I abandoned my tripod and instead used a Manfrotto mini tripod in a folded state as a selfie stick or rather as a grip to point the camera through tight corners and angles.

A Millipede backs up on itself.

Millipedes and Phallic Stinkhorns have a very important function. They might be labelled as nature's recyclers. Millipedes feed on fallen leaves converting them into manure while Phallic Stinkhorns grow on fallen logs and tree stumps feeding on them and reducing them into assimilable material. Ganoderma mushrooms feed on living trees and often have a parasitic nature. Ganoderma Linzhi mushrooms have various health benefits and extracts made from them are sold as cures for cancers, and respiratory illnesses.  

It is indeed an amazing world waiting to be discovered. A study of the micro world teaches us about how micro organisms work hard to recycle organic waste like leaves and other objects. Mushrooms are fascinating and a joy to photograph. Amazingly, Stinkhorn Mushrooms have a distinctive stink while Ganoderma Linghzi Mushrooms have distinctly bright colours contrasting with an ice-cream white top surface.

Why do we need Social Emotional Learning Programs in Schools all over the World?

Increasing concerns associated with mental health related issues have forced educators and researchers to address it. Societal pressure, peer pressure, and parental pressure have exposed students to unprecedented stress levels! Even the hardest of metals, steel and Titanium included suffer from metal fatigue when stressed, so how much more can a child's mind tolerate? The mad rush for marks, qualifying in entrance exams, limited career options, and competition in the job market have impacted the mental health of all people, and mostly children. Children are more vulnerable to stress because of their growing minds. It is for this reason that all schools need to introduce SEL programs in their schools. Shared under are a few slides that can be used to introduce SEL programs in schools. To view the slides, kindly click on each slide and view it in its original form.

It is very important to have a plan, and teaching children to plan their days can help immensely. Short term plans, and long term plans, micro-planning and macro planning, all of them, essentials of Smart Goals have an important role to play in improving emotional and mental health. The slide posted below depicts how stressed out students can be, how planning can help them get into grips with their lives. Although the slide is meant to provide suggestions for better planning for exams, it can also be used to plan out the entire year.

There used to be a saying that stated, "All play and no work makes Jack a dull boy!' However the opposite has become true! Today a more apt saying would be, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!" The fact of the matter is that today our children do not know how to play with each other. Children find it difficult to connect with each other and if they do, then it is probably to gang up and bully others. Children today are strung up, they go to school, attend coaching classes, do home tuitions, and have hardly any time to live life like they are meant to. 

Why Visiting the Ranthambore National Park makes Sense!

Come the summer vacations, and everyone rushes to the hill stations! The greatest getaway is where you don't have to rub shoulders with others, there are no traffic jams, there is peace of mind, and of course, you get to stay in a resort that provides you with all the amenities and activities that you can enjoy while not on a safari! A second trip within a month was prompted by a desire to chill out, spot a tiger or two, and enjoy a dip in the swimming pool. A game of chess and a round of table tennis was a game-changer, especially when you were left with a pawn and forced your opponent into a stalemate was, indeed, the icing on the cake. I am not doing a paid promotion for The Sterling Bagh Resort at Sawai Madhopur, rather appreciating the fact that they fed us, pampered us, and humoured us! Besides all this, the resort has its own swimming pool and lots of birds, especially the Baya Weaver birds.

The 325-odd kilometers rolled away too fast as we bowled over the Mumbai-Vadodara at an easy 8--100 kilometers per hour, although the top speed is 120! It was a challenge for us to while away time since we left my residence in Palam Vihar at 6:30 a.m. and the check-in time at the resort was 2:00 p.m. So, on the way, we halted at one of the many restaurants, the Rajwada, for breakfast, which consisted of Aloo ke Parathe, Piaz ke Parathe, and Poori and Aloo ki Subzi. But then, even after we stopped at the eatery for about 45 minutes, we reached our destination at 11:30 a.m.! However, we were graciously given a room to rest in and keep all our stuff.

As ever before, we are grateful to Mr. Mohd. Mukim Khan for organizing the Safari and for accommodating us in a couple of premier rooms next to the swimming pool! He had earlier organised rooms and the Safari Canter for a larger group of 13 members at the beginning of the month. This time, there were four of us: my brother, I, and two brothers-in-law. It was amazing to see how a few rains had transformed what was once a rather tinder-dry landscape into a lush green backdrop with Peacocks dancing and spotted deer nibbling at the fresh growth. The so far dry riverbeds were now flowing with water, and the crocodiles were sunning themselves on the rocks. Spotting the elusive Indian Pitta Bird on the safari was a bonus.

On the safari later, we spotted a hidden male tiger in the undergrowth, and although all we could spot was its back and one of its paws. Although it was a partial glimpse, we felt assured that there were tigers in zone 2, which is where Arrowhead had once ruled the area. However, we were later rewarded when we were able to glimpse Ridhi the tigress, relaxing in the cool stream.

The address of the Sterling Bagh resort is Ranthambore Road, Opposite Sawai Madhopur Dairy Office, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan - 322001, Landline Number: 07462294072. The Email Id is: accounts.ranthambore@sterlingholidays.com

Spotted Ridhi, the Tigress at the Ranthambore National Park today

It was a pleasant surprise to spot Ridhi, the tigress, today at Ranthambore National Park. It was overcast and had rained the whole previous night. We spotted crocodiles, spotted deer, and the occasional Pitta bird. As we were returning, we came across Ridhi cooling herself in the shallow waters of a stream.

In an earlier post, I had written about Bacchi, the daughter of Ridhi, not knowing that in a few weeks I would be able to spot her mother, a fully grown seven-year-old tigress. Ridhi, incidentally, was not very amenable about being photographed, and so she ambled away after a little while.

Ridhi is a well-known resident of Ranthambore National Park, having given birth to many offspring. One wonders if she will take up the mantle of Machli. The death of Arrowhead has left a vacuum in the National Park that needs to be filled; till then, I guess, we need to wait and watch.

Meet Ganesh and Bacchi, the tigers at The Ranthambore National Park

Bacchi is an unnamed Tigress, the Daughter of Riddhi

A short trip to Ranthambore, taken by driving down the Mumbai Expressway from Gurgaon the day after the Summer Holidays started, proved to be a boon for us. I am glad that we decided to cancel our trip to Jim Corbett Park in favour of the Ranthambore National Park, where there are better chances of spotting tigers.

Ganesh, the dominant Male, rests after a fight with another tiger.

Ganesh had to be treated for injuries incurred during a fight.

Bacchi, a dreamer, keeps wondering whether to eat or not.

Ganesh, the dominant male in zones 4 and 5, had entered into a fight with another male tiger, and in the process, one of his eyes was injured. Forest officials then tranquilised him and it is said they treated his eye. Ganesh had also hurt one of his paws and had to be treated for it.

To Eat or Not to Eat, that's Bacchi for you!

We started at 5:30 a.m. and caught up with my cousin and his wife on the Mumbai Expressway. A steady 120 kilometers one hour, and 355 kilometers later, we reached the Sterling Resort by 10:30, a good one and a half hour before check-in time. The drive down the Mumbai Expressway, uneventful though it might be, can result in Highway hypnosis because of the rather too straight drive. Stopping at any one of the numerous food courts, however, can help break the monotony of driving on the expressway.

One interesting place to visit while at Ranthambore is the Rajive Gandhi Regional Museum of History. This museum is dedicated to Nature and History. I spotted a rather cute-looking Leopard in the museum (of course, they are all Taxidermy exhibits).

But then, a visit to Ranthambore would be a waste if you didn't go on the Safari! On the Safari, you would be able to spot not just tigers, but also a number of exotic species of birds and animals. For me, it was a joy to finally spot a Nightjar bird and photograph it. Nightjar birds are very difficult to spot because of their camouflage, and I am grateful to Raees and Sumit who accompanied us on our Safari because they very patiently stopped the Canter (for that is what we took) to point out various species of birds and animals hidden in the bushes.

An Asian Rabbit warms up for the day!

A Male Night Heron looks for food while its mate nests

A Female Night Heron nests while its mate gets food.

Roufus Treepie birds are very bold birds, and they come right up to you, settling on the roll bars or grab rails of vehicles, demanding food. However, visitors to the park are advised not to feed any of the inhabitants any food. The guide, Sumit, told us that Roufus Treepie birds act as dentists to the tigers, cleaning their teeth. I wonder, however, if this might be true.

Sambur Deer are large antelopes, a bit more stout than the Asian Antelope or the Neel Gai. Sambur Deer shed their winter coats in the summer months, giving them a rather bedraggled appearance. The Male Sambur Deer also sheds their horns. The horns have a rather soft coating, which might be scraped off by your thumbnails. Spotted deer can be found in large numbers in the Ranthambore forest area.

Last but not least, a big thanks to Raees, the driver of the Canter truck, and Sumit, the Guide during the Safari. They were both very patient and pointed out important birds and animals, including giving us time to photograph the Tigers. They can be contacted on the following numbers: Raees: Mobile No. 9982130251 and Sumit: Mobile No. 9314147308. Chef Deepak at the Sterling Resort did some magic with the food served to us.

A Snap with Chef Deepak

Raees and Sumit our driver and guide

That is me, of course!