Felis Pardus - the scientific name for panther alias "Bibtya" as known in the Sahyadri ranges in Maharashtra.
We encountered this royal beast admist the dense forests in the Sahyadri ranges.
The trek to Rajmachi on 8th July, began with laughter & vigor as we - a group of 50 youngsters prayed for the blessings of Lord Ganesha for a joyful and tension free day out in the Sahyadris. We started off from Andheri station to CST by local train wherein we were literally ragged (yes, the IIT ragging funda applies here) by 3 beggar children who gave us great company till we reached CST. They called us "Kabootar", "Lukkha's" and stuff like that & also joined us in our Betaal/Besuri Antakshari. As our local approached CST, they clubbed together to pester us for money. Getting rid of them with the help of a Re. 10 note & hearing abuses from them like "Kanjoos kahi ke", we finally saw them off.
The journey from CST to Karjat was totally uneventful, hungry & sleepy. We reached Karjat station at 4 am in the morning with Dr. Oak's (trek organizer) call "Ale ka sagle.. he he he" in his typical nasal tone (my fellow trekkers reading this blog will definitely have a smile for this memory) & we replied like "Guni" students - "Hooooooo".
We walked upto Karjat bus depot stumbling in the dark & slept on the benches expecting yet another call from Dr. Oak for breakfast soon. The anticipated event occured at 6 am & after having our breakfast of Kande Pohe + Tea, we left Karjat depot to brace the adventure that laid ahead.
Karjat - Rajmachi - Karjat was our iternary for the day trek, which involved almost 40 kms walk to & fro and yes, a great deal of stamina too. Dr. Oak had referred to Panchang & weather department news for the rain forecast for 9th July. The trek had been planned for the supposedly rainiest day of the season. But as ever, the day turned out to be the hottest with the big ball of fire enthusiatic to show off it's lustre & also threaten our stamina. Lo behold! The weather department turned us down again.
We struggled with our supply of energy & H2O till almost 12 pm & there was no sign of Rajmachi base yet. Kindly note that our group was too slow since, it included Dr. Oak himself & not to be forgotten, some overweight savage eaters who stopped by every 5 mins to get their breath & the growling creatures in their abdomens in place. And then a shower of hope fell on us in the form of a big pitter patter rain drop & black clouds enveloped the sun. Everyone got up on their feet to welcome God Varun & accepted his blessings. Somewhere around 5 mins ahead, lay a huge white waterfall gushing it's way down in deep glory. We played a lot, maybe, for more than an hour, when our stomachs started getting signals from the brain for food.
We started on our way to Rajmachi base where lunch was arranged for us. The images of Pithla-Bhakri started haunting us but nature had it's own way of dealing with us. The rain had transformed the red land to marshes & people started struggling to walk smoothly without getting caught in there. I pulled a stunt here of trying to pull out a shoe & falling in there, but managed to get out somehow. Now, my clothes, my exposed body parts were all red & if the Discovery or Animal Planet would have been there, they would have an entire episode on a red monkey - me.
Finally at 3 pm, we reached the base of Rajmachi where we relaxed & had our lunch. We started off for the fort at 4 pm. The winds were strong & the overweight savages had an advantage now. We reached the top & the view above made us forget the tyranny of our journey.
Rajmachi (Udhewadi) is a small village in the rugged mountains of Sahyadris. There are two forts which were built by Shivaji Maharaj during 17th century. Rajmachi fort is a strategic fort overlooking Borghat (ghat between Mumbai and Pune) which was a historical trade route. Rajmachi peak has two fortified structures - the Shrivardhan & Manaranjan forts. Rajmachi can be reached by 2 ways, the tough route from Kondivade village near Karjat (our route) and the other easy but long way route from Lonavla.
Manranjan Fort - West part of the Rajmachi fort is Manranjan Fort. It's construction was strong so that no enemy could destroy it easily. The fort was built to have a watch on the plateau down the Manranjan hills. The fort has three entrances and also has a water tank at the top of the peak.Presently the fort is in ruins and the government and local authorities are taking necessary steps to preserve this historical fort. The fort offers an excellent panoramic view of the plateau. Fort is placed at the peak of the hill which is vibrant with thriving natural beauties.
Shreevardhan Fort - Shreevardhan Fort, an ancient fort spotted with the history of Maratha rulers, is situated to the east region of Rajmachi. The construction of the fort has Maratha style architecture and the imposing entrance of the Shreevardhan fort has a semicircle. The fort is built at the pinnacle of one of the peaks in Rajamchi, so that one can view the movements of the downhill region. The view from the fort is breathtaking with wide greenish landscape and undulating hilly terrains.The fort encloses attractive Buddhist caves and two water tanks with plenty of water all through the year. Bhairavnath temple adds the attraction of the Shreevardhan fort.
It was finally 6 30 pm when we started the descent after adoring the nature & the insight of Shivaji Maharaj. It was already getting dark & the weather department's prediction was beginning to turn out true. The rain now pinched us with all it's force & the cold wind was getting to our bones causing goosebumps. Finally, we got down to Kondivade & had our share of tea & got ready for Karjat station. We asked the family if someone could accompany us for short distance till we get a hold of the direction. There was some discussion & from the muffled sounds, the wife was not too willing to let her husband go. Finally, the disagreement was over & the husband agreed to come with us. So began our journey to meet the Felis Pardus.
It was nearly 7 pm & darkness was setting all over the jungle & rain was pouring like cats & dogs. Our guide seemed nervous & jumped inches at even the slightest sound nearby. He guided us to a small hillock & told us to go straight crossing nearly 6-7 hills & according to him, we would be right on the tracks. Just then, our ears caught the unmistaken sound of a low growl. The guide gave a heart curdling cry & dashed off into the darkness. Before we could even sense what was happening, he was standing in front of us, blood in his eyes. My torch caught him thus & left us all standing still. He was fairly heavily built and his skin was richly marked with hollow black rings on a pale yellow background, a great royalty - Felis Pardus - The panther, commonly called 'Bibtya' in the region.
From whatever little my trekking experience had taught me, I could gather an arc that no panther had eaten a human being in the past, that was a relief but the question was how to rule him, make him fear us. A matchbox & a pack of cigarette helped us. The dampness only severed our desperate attempts to scare him away. No one knew how much time had passed & we had put aside our fear in the frustration of trying to light a cigarette. When we succeeded, we let out a cry of triumph & flashed my torch on him. But WHERE WAS HE? He had disappeared in the thin air & it was just us in that place. Something passed over an overweight savage's feet who screamed in fear. It was some little scaly black snake. There was no point in waiting there. We got our guts back & decided to move ahead as fast as we could.
No one spoke a word & walked as fast as legs could carry then. There were sounds of muffled sobbing but we had no time to search out who it was & his botherance. Suddenly we heard the sound of a huge waterfall & the sheer memory of morning came to our minds. We ran down the damp forest, kicking off scorpions on the way to the source of sound. We saw the waterfall in our torch lights, making its way down the mountain like a huge python. But something seemed wrong.
Careful observation yet again showed us that this waterfall seemed much larger than the one we had crossed. Have we lost our way? To add to our misery, he stood again against the thunder on the hillock adjacent staring at us. He was following us, as smooth as silk, without a sound. What was he upto? And then suddenly he leaped into the water & vanished. The 'facts' I had heard about a panther being afraid of flowing water & not crossing it turned into myths.
There was no guidance of the stars to help us find our way, he was strolling with us, rain had turned into our biggest enemy & the dense, damp unknown forest, no food, no water - all these factors made it a complete nightmare package.
We decided on one direction atleast hoping to find a village on the way where we could accomodate ourselves for the night & get some water. We started walking with new vigor & hope. Time passed on & it was 12 am till we finally got some glimpse of a house ahead. We were thrilled beyond words & ran towards it. It indicated the start of little village. We knocked like mad but no one bothered to open the door. There was complete silence in the house. We tried knocking on the back door & there was a huge cry from the cattleshed alongside. We stood still & watched. His face appeared behind the bars of the window, blood on his moustaches. We were about to faint on that bloody sight. He gave us a cold blooded look & opened the door of the shed. The cattle were shivering, not a sound from them. The panther pulled the murdered carcass of the cow & started pulling it towards the forest.
He gave us another ferocious & threatening growl as if to say, "Dont dare" & he vanished in his abode. We gave a sigh of relief, full of sweat & goosebumps. We managed to find a Hanuman mandir where we stayed for the rest of night, full of memories of the panther, our trek & darkness. Though we were so tired, no one dared to close the eyelids, lest, he comes back again. It seemed his purpose was fulfilled, since, we never saw or heard him again.
At sunrise, when the rurals got up to get back to their chores, we found the way back with their help. We reached Karjat station at 9 am in the morning & shouted in unison with joy. The next journey was totally uneventful & we reached home safe & sound, thinking about the memories of the previous day when we thought "Will we ever get home?" We were awake for more than 48 hours & sleep took it's toll as soon as we had lunch at home.
The trek taught us more than we could imagine. It taught us courage, leadership & we got a confidence that would take us far ahead in life. It taught us how to live; live every moment of life; you never know what can happen, when. Nothing could be worse than the danger to life looming over your brain for such a long time. The trek proved to be an unforgettable memory, I believe, all of us would cherish till our very last breaths in this beautiful world.
Finally at 3 pm, we reached the base of Rajmachi where we relaxed & had our lunch. We started off for the fort at 4 pm. The winds were strong & the overweight savages had an advantage now. We reached the top & the view above made us forget the tyranny of our journey.
Rajmachi (Udhewadi) is a small village in the rugged mountains of Sahyadris. There are two forts which were built by Shivaji Maharaj during 17th century. Rajmachi fort is a strategic fort overlooking Borghat (ghat between Mumbai and Pune) which was a historical trade route. Rajmachi peak has two fortified structures - the Shrivardhan & Manaranjan forts. Rajmachi can be reached by 2 ways, the tough route from Kondivade village near Karjat (our route) and the other easy but long way route from Lonavla.
Manranjan Fort - West part of the Rajmachi fort is Manranjan Fort. It's construction was strong so that no enemy could destroy it easily. The fort was built to have a watch on the plateau down the Manranjan hills. The fort has three entrances and also has a water tank at the top of the peak.Presently the fort is in ruins and the government and local authorities are taking necessary steps to preserve this historical fort. The fort offers an excellent panoramic view of the plateau. Fort is placed at the peak of the hill which is vibrant with thriving natural beauties.
Shreevardhan Fort - Shreevardhan Fort, an ancient fort spotted with the history of Maratha rulers, is situated to the east region of Rajmachi. The construction of the fort has Maratha style architecture and the imposing entrance of the Shreevardhan fort has a semicircle. The fort is built at the pinnacle of one of the peaks in Rajamchi, so that one can view the movements of the downhill region. The view from the fort is breathtaking with wide greenish landscape and undulating hilly terrains.The fort encloses attractive Buddhist caves and two water tanks with plenty of water all through the year. Bhairavnath temple adds the attraction of the Shreevardhan fort.
It was finally 6 30 pm when we started the descent after adoring the nature & the insight of Shivaji Maharaj. It was already getting dark & the weather department's prediction was beginning to turn out true. The rain now pinched us with all it's force & the cold wind was getting to our bones causing goosebumps. Finally, we got down to Kondivade & had our share of tea & got ready for Karjat station. We asked the family if someone could accompany us for short distance till we get a hold of the direction. There was some discussion & from the muffled sounds, the wife was not too willing to let her husband go. Finally, the disagreement was over & the husband agreed to come with us. So began our journey to meet the Felis Pardus.
It was nearly 7 pm & darkness was setting all over the jungle & rain was pouring like cats & dogs. Our guide seemed nervous & jumped inches at even the slightest sound nearby. He guided us to a small hillock & told us to go straight crossing nearly 6-7 hills & according to him, we would be right on the tracks. Just then, our ears caught the unmistaken sound of a low growl. The guide gave a heart curdling cry & dashed off into the darkness. Before we could even sense what was happening, he was standing in front of us, blood in his eyes. My torch caught him thus & left us all standing still. He was fairly heavily built and his skin was richly marked with hollow black rings on a pale yellow background, a great royalty - Felis Pardus - The panther, commonly called 'Bibtya' in the region.
From whatever little my trekking experience had taught me, I could gather an arc that no panther had eaten a human being in the past, that was a relief but the question was how to rule him, make him fear us. A matchbox & a pack of cigarette helped us. The dampness only severed our desperate attempts to scare him away. No one knew how much time had passed & we had put aside our fear in the frustration of trying to light a cigarette. When we succeeded, we let out a cry of triumph & flashed my torch on him. But WHERE WAS HE? He had disappeared in the thin air & it was just us in that place. Something passed over an overweight savage's feet who screamed in fear. It was some little scaly black snake. There was no point in waiting there. We got our guts back & decided to move ahead as fast as we could.
No one spoke a word & walked as fast as legs could carry then. There were sounds of muffled sobbing but we had no time to search out who it was & his botherance. Suddenly we heard the sound of a huge waterfall & the sheer memory of morning came to our minds. We ran down the damp forest, kicking off scorpions on the way to the source of sound. We saw the waterfall in our torch lights, making its way down the mountain like a huge python. But something seemed wrong.
Careful observation yet again showed us that this waterfall seemed much larger than the one we had crossed. Have we lost our way? To add to our misery, he stood again against the thunder on the hillock adjacent staring at us. He was following us, as smooth as silk, without a sound. What was he upto? And then suddenly he leaped into the water & vanished. The 'facts' I had heard about a panther being afraid of flowing water & not crossing it turned into myths.
There was no guidance of the stars to help us find our way, he was strolling with us, rain had turned into our biggest enemy & the dense, damp unknown forest, no food, no water - all these factors made it a complete nightmare package.
We decided on one direction atleast hoping to find a village on the way where we could accomodate ourselves for the night & get some water. We started walking with new vigor & hope. Time passed on & it was 12 am till we finally got some glimpse of a house ahead. We were thrilled beyond words & ran towards it. It indicated the start of little village. We knocked like mad but no one bothered to open the door. There was complete silence in the house. We tried knocking on the back door & there was a huge cry from the cattleshed alongside. We stood still & watched. His face appeared behind the bars of the window, blood on his moustaches. We were about to faint on that bloody sight. He gave us a cold blooded look & opened the door of the shed. The cattle were shivering, not a sound from them. The panther pulled the murdered carcass of the cow & started pulling it towards the forest.
He gave us another ferocious & threatening growl as if to say, "Dont dare" & he vanished in his abode. We gave a sigh of relief, full of sweat & goosebumps. We managed to find a Hanuman mandir where we stayed for the rest of night, full of memories of the panther, our trek & darkness. Though we were so tired, no one dared to close the eyelids, lest, he comes back again. It seemed his purpose was fulfilled, since, we never saw or heard him again.
At sunrise, when the rurals got up to get back to their chores, we found the way back with their help. We reached Karjat station at 9 am in the morning & shouted in unison with joy. The next journey was totally uneventful & we reached home safe & sound, thinking about the memories of the previous day when we thought "Will we ever get home?" We were awake for more than 48 hours & sleep took it's toll as soon as we had lunch at home.
The trek taught us more than we could imagine. It taught us courage, leadership & we got a confidence that would take us far ahead in life. It taught us how to live; live every moment of life; you never know what can happen, when. Nothing could be worse than the danger to life looming over your brain for such a long time. The trek proved to be an unforgettable memory, I believe, all of us would cherish till our very last breaths in this beautiful world.
