Holiday Diaries: BANDHAVGARH! #2 The Journey To An Exotic Forest!

The Diwali vacations were round the corner and I was excited to go on holiday! Though, our school spared not even a week for us to thoroughly enjoy ourselves, we children (and teachers) were still looking forward to this much-needed break from varying degrees of stress in our lives. My family was in the process of finalising a holiday destination and were debating upon whether we should go to Delhi. I; for one, was thrilled! I had been wanting to visit the capital for some time now, so when the topic of vacationing arose, I was the first to pipe up and suggest Delhi. Seeing the various, stunning monuments would have been enjoyable as well as an excellent learning experience!
However, much to my disappointment, we collectively agreed to the cancellation due to the terrible pollution (which can already be observed and felt), but which would increase during Diwali.
My father told us that he'd booked tickets for our stay in Jabalpur and Bandhavgarh. I'll admit it: when I first heard the news, I wasn't very anticipative of the coming trip and my excitement levels didn't soar. All I knew about Bandhavgarh was that it was a national park and I really didn't know anything much about the city of Jabalpur itself; except for the fact that the famed Bhedaghat was located about a half hour away from it's heart.
We booked train tickets and readied ourselves for a long journey. However, as they still hadn't been confirmed the day before we were supposed to leave, we settled for the ultimate resort: our car.
By now, my spirits had sunk even lower and I was not at all eager to travel the long 10 hour journey by road that seemed to stretch out endlessly before us. I usually do enjoy road trips, but limited to a 5-6 hour period. I felt that just sitting with absolutely nothing to do would bore me to death!

Although the long trip to Jabalpur was tiring and trying as well, I was surprised and overjoyed that I had not let boredom get the better of me! The scenery and avenues along some of the roads were picturesque; calm and serene. Fields of corn swayed in the gentle breeze and farmers toiled away under the brutally hot sun. Eucalyptus trees loomed on either side and their unusual, white barks looked pale in the white sunlight.

An enormous number of storks were basking themselves in the sun near small spoutings of water, splashing about and dampening their white feathers.

During the course of our journey, we also accidentally drove past our intended crossing a few kilometres, but though it made us fall back on time, we were fortunate to gaze out onto a stunning water body whose ripples gave me the feeling I might have had if I were standing on a sandy beach. The wind whipped through our hair and also blew through the leaves of the diverse types of trees that were growing through the water! Never had I seen such a unique phenomena!

We stopped at 'The Sol Retreat' on the way. A spacious restaurant of sorts, it's rear had a gigantic wall which looked out onto a beautiful lawn, lined with potted plants. Tiny pink, magenta and white flowers grew in clusters which adorned the bushes leading up to the stairs.

A miniature palm tree surrounded by small pots stood in the entryway, spreading its magnificent leaves streaked with yellow and green.

                                                                           
                                                                            *

We had only planned to stay the night at Jabalpur as we were to return to sightsee after holidaying in Bandhavgarh. The trip was 3 hours long. I hoped that the ride would not be a bumpy one as we had experienced patches of ill-maintained roads during our journey to Jabalpur.
However, once we began to leave the city behind us, the road began to transform before our eyes. All traces of traffic and honking disappeared, a beautiful road taking its rightful place; stretching away in front of us for miles together. The condition of the road was impeccable! To my utter and utmost surprise, not a single board of a toll booth that so frequently blocked even the most terrible of roads was to be seen! The maintenance was beyond excellent.

We began to notice small bunches of yellow flowers blossoming along the sides. Their occurrences were frequent, which had us thinking that they were indeed wild flowers. The clusters started becoming larger and larger and suddenly there blossomed entire meadows of those beautiful flowers, their golden petals shining in the sunlight. They dappled tiny hilltops, grew in wild fields of their own and covered expanses of land beyond valleys, as far as the eye could see.

It was one of the most scenic and beautiful sights I'd seen and their glistening heads continued to smile up towards us for a long part of our trip.

                                                                             *
The signboard displaying 'BANDHAVGARH' heartily welcomed us and we sped through its gates and into the forest. The road had already been beautifully smooth hitherto but this road was on a different level altogether; mainly due to the enchanting trees that rose up on both sides of the road. The beautiful green leaves stood upright on the branches which encased the sky above, forming a see-through canopy. The roads were cast in shade and we drove on, oblivious to the harsh rays of the sun overhead.
My father had informed me of our forest resort's location, supposedly it was located in the jungle itself. I had been impressed but I had imagined that a large clearing would have been made where the trees were torn down and a spread of cottages erected in their place.
Boy, was I wrong! I was certainly in for a massive surprise! Out of nowhere, a board showing the way to our hotel, 'The Roaring SalVan County' emerged on one side of the road. A narrow bumpy trail cut into the forest, abruptly turning right from the highway. We followed the dusty track for a few metres till the place where we were to spend the next few days rose above the shrubs and undergrowth.

I was smacked with a pleasant realisation! The trees were intact and only few patches of the forest had been cleared; space only for a few square metres of the dining pavilion, pool and the cottages. It truly had the feel of having set up camp in the heart of the jungle. The manager had done little to modify the space; and rightly so; for it felt amazing to be standing and gazing at the beauty of the forest; untouched by the destructive human hand. I was pleased to have been proved wrong!
We were told that the staff were locals and they gave us a warm welcome, wishing us a happy and comfortable stay. My earlier mindset had completely changed by then and I was exuberant at the thought of spending my holiday without the dirt-filled traces of city life contaminating the purity of Nature. And if the staff were going to pamper us as they were busy doing when we arrived, then I was all-set to discover and explore beautiful things!