GIR NATIONAL FOREST

&

THE ROAD TO BHUJ

The overnight train from Ahmedabad to Veravel arrived a little before six in the morning.   The driver stowed my suitcase in the back bin of the three-wheeled tuk tuk, as I settled into the back seat to be uncomfortably jostled about for the next 20 kilometers. Departing the main road, we turned left on to a mean looking dirt track, little more than a lane bordered by a parched deciduous scrub forest.  After a bumpy ride along a long white wall, we turned into the Savaj Resort and I was deposited at the office entrance.   

Reaort's charming little cabins that the government does not
let Savaj open for tourists

My room on stage right. 

Savaj Resort is rated no. 3 among BBs and Inns near Gir National Forest on Trip Advisor.  Even with a reservation, my arrival was a surprise to the staff. Not only was I was a western, not their usual clientele; but also a ‘woman’, traveling alone.  I was assigned a very nice room and sent off to lunch. The resort price includes three meals a day, of course all Indian food.  Except for breakfast, their choices being somewhat of a trial – I enjoyed a bit of granola with my yogurt – lunch and dinner were very good. 

My actual room - comfortable with TV, internet on the
porch and private bath.

Kitchen manager and his staff who were very helpful and that feed me well

When I went to the government travel office in Ahmedabad, they neglected to inform me that I had to have a reservation to get into Gir National Forest.  This was a problem. Here I had booked four nights at this resort and I was blocked from the very reason I had come here, to see the forest and hopefully an Asiatic lion or two.

The staff said there was no way I could obtain a reservation into Gir at this late date.  I felt there must be some way to get entry, and that these young men who ran Savaj Resort were thwarting me because of my Gender.  During a visit to Rajasthan, I had experienced the same attitude among the young men in that Indian state as well.  (Note: An Indian female friend  told me, she too was treated like second-class citizen when traveling alone during her Rajasthani travels).  I was also nickel and dimed when ever I was hiring a car or a rickshaw (I learned later, transportation rates were set so each of the two young hotel mangers received a cut of the price charged).

Fortunately, I became friends with two Indian/American couples, each a Mr. and Mrs. Patel, both of whom had moved to the States during the 1960s.  Yearly, they came to Savaj Resort to holiday with Mr. Mohan Patel one of their family, and also their boyhood friend and his wife, also a Petal, who had remained in Gujarat and became a successful businessman in his home state.  After their groups’ visit at Savaj, they would all travel to their Gujarati family homes and enjoy the winter in the warm Indian climate until the New Jersey weather where they lived in the States became warm again.

Mr. and Mrs. Patel

Mr and Mrs. Patel

( All the Patel families are just lovely people.  I am so delighted to have been able to spend time with them all). 

 After these gentlemen kindly interceded for me with the staff, all of a sudden I was told there might be a way to see the Asiatic Lions.  There are two sections to this 600 square mile park. One section may be entered on a walk-in basis, the Devaliya Park, while the other Gir National Forest is entered reservations only. A rickshaw was hired and off I went on the third morning of my stay. The manger, who sent me off, told me the wrong amount of money necessary for the park entrance fee, but I negotiated a deal in which the difference would be left at the resort for the park mangers. The cost for westerns was $40, and 150 rupees or about $2 for Indians.  Ah! Now to see the lions!  I boarded a 24-seater bus, and off we went cameras in hand.  While traveling around for at least 20 minutes, other than some deer, the only animals we saw were caged leopards, who growled at our passing.  Finally, we came upon three lionesses feeding off a carcass, obviously placed in that spot for the tourist trade.   The young lionesses ate first, while the older one waited until the others were finished.  Although, they are lovely animals, it was a paltry show for $40 bucks. 

 

Lion eating at Devaliya Park

Leopard at Devaliya Park

On our way back to Savaj, I had my driver stop at the entrance to Gir (main) section of the park.  Inside, I approached a nice young man in an office to find out how to get a reservation.  After all, this was the crème-de la-crème of the two parks and I believed I would have a better chance of seeing, ‘the lion king’ here than in the other park.  I was sent to the head administrator’s office, and after waiting a half hour was escorted into the office of the assistant administrator.  He said he would have a place for me on the 3PM to five tour and to be back here at 2:30.  He also explained that the cost to me would be $90. Of course upon my arrival back my permit was not ready.  The gentleman I had met earlier called up to the main office and said, ‘after all, you promised her’, and the permit soon arrived. 

I was finally seated in the back of a jeep that carried six passengers and off we went.

During the winter there is scant rain, some leaves were still hang limp on their weathered branches, tearfully weeping from lack of water. While others had given up and lay dead, strewn around the base of the weakened trees on the now gray cracked earth, devoid of nature’s nourishment to feed its normally beautiful appendages.  I was told that for three months of the year, in the summer, the monsoon rain turns the forest in to a verdant green, and it creates a canopy over the dark moist soil beneath its lush green branches. With foolish abandoned, now it was almost a graveyard of its summer eminence.

 

A road in Gir 

A view of what most of the Gir landscape
is like

A small settlement within the Gir National Forest

A mother and her cubs in Gir National Forest

As we rode up the hill on our right, we observed a small primitive Maldharis settlement, one of the few left in the confines of the Forest.  For almost two hours we wandered seeing a deer, four horned antelope, black bucks, a peacock, a mongoose, numerous birds, but no lions.  Finally near the end of our tour, we were taken to an area where again meat had been put out by the park staff, so a mother lion and her cubs could be seen feeding in the distance.  As we rode back to the park entrance rangers in another jeep stopped to tell us that a male lion was drinking at the water troft but even as we rushed, he was no longer there when we arrived.

etheral Gir Forest view

Obviously, I will never go to Gir National Forest again.  What a rip off.  Since my return home, I have learned that both Mumbai and Bangalore have ride through animal parks both of which have Asiatic Lions. Also, most lions sleep19 to 20 hours a day and do not come out until about 10 PM.  In 1900, there were only 20 lions left alive, victims of hunters and poachers.  A local ‘prince’ decided they were worth protecting, and because of his efforts there are now 500 lions, in the 600 square mile forest.  Unfortunately because of the increase in their numbers the six hundred square miles is not a large enough area to sustain the lions’ survival.  Currently, it is not unusual for a pride of lions to show up in a village and eat a cow or water buffalo, but never a local. The lions stay away from the villagers’ barking dogs, as they are the prey of the leopards. Rather, the lions live side by side with the villagers and never attack people, unless they or their young are threatened. 

Although I would again stay at Savaj Resort, (the rooms and grounds are very nice, and the staff really did try to make me comfortable),  my best advice to the traveler who must go to Gir National Forest, is find a nearby village where the lions are likely to visit, rent a room from a local, and hang out there until the lions arrive.  A more clever choice is to go on an African Safari.   African lions are the larger of the two species, but bottom line - a lion is a lion.  

 Lady walking through a local village

Drop In  Here! - a Savaj trash container found through out the resort.

I had arranged to leave for Bhuz the next morning, and the hoteliers guaranteed that the driver would be ‘English speaking.  Of course he was not. Non-the-less, I was on another adventure, off to see one of India’s main centers of handmade Indian Textile production, and the Kutch. 

AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT

&

THE CALICO TEXTILE MUSEUM

After my brief stop in London to change airlines, and to visit the ‘Fabric of India’ exhibition at he V&A, I flew to Ahmedabad via Mumbai  (The locals still call it Bombay) to visit the Calico Textile Museum, and then travel on to my major destination, Gir National Forest. I had already picked a basic, well-recommended hotel; an easy transition from the airport to what I thought would be a good night’s sleep.  But no, not only was it not clean, the children who were also staying at the hotel ran up and down the halls well after midnight, and their parents were ruckus as well, long into the night. Early the next morning I went back to Trip Advisor and found The Grand Ambience Hotel.  I called on Skype, arranged to move and was ensconced there before nine AM. 

Upon securing my new room, I immediately got an auto rickshaw to make my 10 o’clock appointment at the Calico Textile Museum (appointments are necessary, so plan ahead if you decide to go). I got there a little late but I was still was able to join the tour.

The museum is located in the old Havel or home of the Sarabhai family, the original owners of the museum foundation.  This group of old buildings has uneven stairs and a labyrinth of rooms.  Unlike the V& A exhibit which was a highly organized ‘curated’ presentation of the artifacts, the Calico had what seemed to be randomly ‘wallpapered’ room after room of court textiles from the Mughal era, ‘19^th century regional embroideries,’ a prephoria of different examples of tie-die, and religious materials made by craftsmen from various Indian states, showcasing the unique styles and patterns of the Indian textile industry.  Our group was guided through the collection by a docent, who in each section gave a somewhat robotic commentary. The woman was extremely knowledgeable about the museum collection, but at times her English was not easily understood, and she moved so fast through the rooms and information, there was little time for questions.  The museum allows no, cameras or cell phones, into their exhibition rooms. If you want pictures or artifacts, there is a museum store at the end of the tour.   

Looking down on textile hangings

MUSEUM IN FORMER SARBHAI HEVAL

Even bull cart and their animals were covered in beautiul textiles

The museum for all its simplicity is a beautiful display of Indian textiles.  They hang in the museum like tapestries honoring an Indian art as ancient as the Pharaohs and the Chinese dynasties, both of which were customers.  I was told the afternoon tour, although not as good, is quite different from the morning one. The Calico Textile Museum is definitely worth another visit.

I was late for the museum because the rickshaw driver had no idea of the museum’s location.  After driving around we finally stopped to ask directions.  There, I found a driver who knew the city and spoke English.  After the museum, the new driver took me to the train station where I bought a ticket to my next destination near Gir National Forest. 

 My new hotel was not only cheaper, nicer and quieter, it was also in a great location.  Next door was the LEMON multi cuisines restaurant, which served excellent food at ridiculously low prices; on the other side an ATM.  Catty-cornered across the street was the Oldest mosque in Ahmedabad, and one block down the street was The House of HG, Ahmedabad’s local state Heritage Hotel.  Their restaurant, although pricey compared to the LEMON, served excellent food, and on the Hotel’s second floor was a small yet lovely textile museum.   

 

A young Gandhi and his wife

I had allowed myself two extra days to see Ahmedabad, and the next morning I was off to Satyagaha Ashram, Gandhi’s home from 1917 to 1930.  This is a fascinating place, where Gandhi took the ashram’s name, Satyagaha meaning truth, non-violence, celebibacey, and non-possession and added many additional vows such as ‘eradication of untouchability’, and ‘respect for all religions’, to list two. After his arrival the name of the complex was changed to Sambamati Ashram (not really clear to me why – maybe a reader can help).  It was also here that his thoughts influenced the use of a spinning wheel on India’s national flag because of the people’s tradition of the making textiles as their major livelihood throughout the centuries.

 

A museum plaque 

Gandhi's little house on the Ashram grounds

A photo of the Gandhi we know

Next, I visited the Huthlee Singh Jain Temple, which is considered on the of finest in all of India.  It is named after the Jain merchant who had it built in 1850, entirely out of white marble.  I was there during a temple ceremony, and although the public is not allowed to film religious rituals, they made an exception for me. ???

 

Entry to the Huthlee Singh Jain Temple
Note massive repairs

One of the temple's beautiful walkways

Part of the Jain Temple ceremony

Another view of the Jain ceremony

Later in the afternoon, we continued to the local spice and food market, which I am sure amazes most tourists, but having ‘done that been there’ in many other Indian cities and villages, except for the people themselves, I had little interest. 

Dressed for the day

On the street

She was also in the market

That evening I went to the House of BD and savored their wonderful Nutty Veggie Salad. After dinner I ended my evening by going upstairs to their small textile museum. 

The next day we traveled 16 kilometers out of Ahmedabad to the Stepwell, known as the Queen’s Stepwell, a UNESCO site built in the 11^th century.  It is really an inverted temple to honor the sanctity of water in the somewhat dry blighted Gujarati landscape. 

The depth of the Stepwell

Pool at the bottom

One of the balconies

Closeup of some Stepwell carvings

In this hot land, as I went deeper and deeper into the Stepwell, the heat dissipated, and at the deepest point the temperature became exceedingly cool to cold.  The sculptures and the building are beautiful, however it was so crowded being there was almost unpleasant.  Unfortunately, because the Stepwell has become such a major tourist attraction as well as a ‘hang-out’ for locals I found the sellers and atmosphere around it as interesting as the artifact itself.

Outside the Stepwell

Working hard to sell stuff

Hanging out

Weighting the price

Jama Masjid

 After the long hot ride back to Ahmedabad, I visited the Jama Masjid. I have visited many mosques but this is the first where I have seen Arabic written on the walls.  For me it was an example of beautiful art, but I am sure for believers it is a religious message of great signifance. 

 

Beautiful

Also lovely

At the end of the tour, my driver Soni invited me to his home to meet his wife.  

With Son;'s wife

Soni at lunch

Goodbye

Then I returned to my hotel for another great dinner at the LEMON, packing and preparing for my next adventure, Gir National Forest.

Just an added note:  In an earlier post I explained about the market in India and Nepal of Beetle Nut which is mixed with coffee for sale legally on the Indian market. Below is a packet of the mixture, which is used by Soni  and many, many others a number of times a day.  Beetle Nut is what Bloody Mary in the play

South Pacific chewed daily.