On the map of modern day India, this name is all but forgotten. Yet, since the time of the Mahabharat to the modern era as recently as 1956, Saurashtra was a name well known across the inhabited world. The crab-claw shaped region between the Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Khambat finds mention with names as varied as Sorath, Surashtra, Surastrene and Saraostus by the multitudes that visited it.
For the record
At the time of India’s independence, it constituted 217 princely states including that of Junagadh. Through exemplary statesmanship and political hard talk, Sardar Patel succeeded in getting all the princely states to sign accession into India. Initially named the United State of Kathiawar, it was renamed to the Saurashtra State and remained such until it was merged into the Bombay State in 1956. Following the split along linguistic lines and the creation of the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat in 1960, Saurashtra integrated into the state of Gujarat.
The region today is most famous as home to the Gir National Park – the last bastion of the Asiatic lions in India and the holy temple of Somnath with its phoenix like history. With the draw of such obvious magnificence of the king of the beasts and the jyotirlinga of Shiva, it is not surprising that these places are the first targets for leisure, thrill and devotion seekers.
And it is to these hordes that frequent those haunts that I say my thanks to. My visit to the exact same places was not possible because of them being overbooked. With a hint of disappointment quickly being overshadowed by the excitement of exploring possibly overlooked destinations, my hunt in Saurashtra expanded to its territories in the north and opened to me the wild side of Saurashtra’s land, water and air – rich, feisty, raw and splendid, beyond my expectations.
Jamnagar – a charming blend of the old and new
My journey started with Jamnagar – the capital city of present Jamnagar district and the erstwhile capital of the Nawanagar state established by Jam Rawal in 1540 AD. The current city was built up significantly by Maharaja Ranjitsinghji – one of the best batsmen of all time and in whose honour India’s first class cricket tourney is named. Though a young city by Indian standards, today, Jamnagar is popular as the ‘oil city of India’ with the world’s largest oil refinery set up in the district by Reliance and also home to Essar Oil.
The city of Jamnagar is a charming blend of the old and new. The swanky roads are lined with ancient buildings and broad pavements. Jamnagar is said to have been built around the man-made Ranmal lake built by the royal family. A popular saying echoes, “every road in Jamnagar leads to the Ranmal lake” aptly conveys that it is still the heart of Jamnagar and possibly the best area to relax and stroll around.
In the midst of the lake on an island is the Lakhota fort. Completed in the 19th century, it once was a palace for the Maharaja of Nawanagar. It definitely served a dual purpose of being both a palace and a fort as its structure and strategic placement indicates. The lake – built to meet people’s need of fresh water – serves as a moat and adds to the impressive fortifications. It is connected to the mainland by an arched stone bridge with an ornamental parapet called a balustrade. The building itself is now a museum with a great collection of sculptures from the 9th to the 18th century and pottery from medieval times unearthed from the surrounding area. A short causeway connects the banks of the lake to the museum.
Walking along the banks of the Lakhota lake in the morning is equivalent of walking along Marine Drive in Mumbai with the life of every-person on display as they go about doing their daily chores with only a glance to factor in the tourists rubbing shoulders with them for the day. People feeding the many gulls and ducks on the lake with some bits of flour being nabbed by the fish as well, others that are jogging past the gilded statue of the famous Shri Ranjitsinghji without a second glance at it and vendors selling everything from sweets to health drinks and diet juices. On the other side of the road, the Bala Hanuman temple stays alive with chants and prayers. The chant of ‘Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram’ is recited 24 hours a day since 1st August, 1964 – a feat for which it has earned the Guinness Book of Records.
With such hustle bustle along the pavement and the sun slowly lighting up the grand Lakhota Palace, it would have been quite possible to walk straight past the Bhujio Kotho, were it not for its sheer size and imposing presence. Even in its current dilapidated condition after braving the earthquake of 2001, it is a majestic sight. Built as additional fortifications in case of war, the Bhujio Kotho was once five storey tall. On the first floor, guns were placed along its walls, allowing for 360 degree vision and scope of attack. Holes in the walls allowed for rifles to be placed and bolster the defence in any one direction as per the needs of the war. The upper floors housed a large water tank to sustain troops during a long siege.
The very top was also once decorated with a life size peacock, of which nothing remains. Those who visited prior to the earthquake speak effusive praises of the view of the lake from its top. Visitors are no longer allowed to enter the structure for reasons of safety. Another victim of the earthquake is the Pratap Vilas Palace, built by Jam Ranjitsinghji as his personal residence. It stands out due to its distinct European architecture with Indian carvings. It was built to mimic the Victoria Memorial of Kolkata but with domes in Indian style, three of which are made of glass. Unfortunately, the entry here too, is restricted due to concerns of safety.
Jamnagar also holds the distinction of having the first statutory Ayurvedic University at the national and international level. Earlier called Dhanvantri Mandir after the Indian God of Ayurvedic medicine – Deva Dhanvantri, it now has the rather austere title of Gujarat Ayurved University.
The most interesting building to catch my attention was the solarium or the Ranjit Institute of Poly-Radio Therapy. Built in collaboration with an expert from France, it was a slow revolving tower providing sunlight all day long for the treatment of skin diseases. It is believed that it is probably the only one of its kind surviving in the world and most certainly in Asia after the destruction of the remaining two in France during World War II. Of course, it is obsolete given the leaps in medical science and treatment practices, yet it does strike as strange the need for a solarium in the hot, semi-arid climate of Saurashtra.
Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary – Aer
Even before arriving in Jamnagar, I had read about the Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary which is located at a distance of 12 km. from the city. I had read that Dr. Salim Ali – India’s top ornithologist – had visited here in 1984 and spotted 104 species of birds in a single day. It was exciting to hear that but the enthusiasm was tempered by the 30 years that had passed in between and very few natural reserves have in the last three decades stayed the same or bettered.
Most, as any avid nature watcher will tell you, have only degraded. The significant presence of birds within Jamnagar and on the way to the sanctuary buoyed my expectations, but absolutely nothing would have prepared me to hope for the wonderful sightings and experience I had in the next two days.
The Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary is quite unique in its location and its features. Before independence, a check dam was built on the river Ruparel and Kalinri to arrest the fresh water from draining into the sea and also to stop the ingress of saline water from the seaside. The bunds have created two separate fresh water lakes which are named for the villages near which they are located. One section is called Dhunvav and the other Jambuda. On the other side of the bund the large creeks flowing from the Gulf of Kutch are located along with the salt pan, mangroves and marshes. This has created salt water and related biodiversity on one side and freshwater and related biodiversity on the other, with some species sharing both.
Given the large number of resident and migratory birds attracted to the wetland because of its unique habitat structure, the area was declared a bird sanctuary in May 1981. Over a period of time, this high diversity in landscapes has provided the sanctuary with the rare distinction of having a very high bird density of 258 species in the space of just 6.05 sq. kms.
This diversity has a special conservation value as it has several globally threatened species such as Dalmatian pelican, Darter, Asian open bill stork, black necked stork, black headed ibis, Eurasian spoonbill, Pallas’s fish eagle, Pallid harrier, Indian skimmer, Osprey etc.
The sea side of the bunds supports mangrove and other marine vegetation while on the landward side, the desi baval, gando baval, piloo and other plant life flourishes. In the warmer seasons, once the water dries out, the area turns into a grassland eco-system and sustains many insects, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and herbivores like the blue bull.
It comes as no surprise that the sanctuary is fast becoming a popular zone for bird watchers and nature enthusiasts. The brilliant show that the sanctuary puts up even for a lay observer is commendable. The increased praise and attention is also bringing new people to bird watching in droves to the sites.
While this is great news for promoting awareness about our feathered friends, I thought a little more effort from the authorities would go a long way in promoting responsible wildlife tourism. Simple steps like manning the routes and/or accompanying each group that is let in to familiarise them with the do’s and dont’s of being in a sanctuary along with providing information about the birds and plants they see has a great chance of creating life long nature lovers and bird watchers. Just that little bit more is required. The pristine avifauna in its large numbers does the rest.
The Marine National Park – Aqua
To be honest, I did not know what to expect when I had heard the term marine national park. I will not embarrass myself by documenting some of the more outlandish visions that the name conjured up in my head. Largely, it is exactly what any normal person would imagine – an almost unending open air aquarium, fed by the open seas. However, unlike the normal displays in an aquarium with tanks for various fish, what one gets to see here is based solely on the whims and fancies of Lady Luck. This luck can be highly bolstered by making sure you visit with an experienced guide.
I cannot stress more on the need for taking along someone who is acquainted with this marine realm. It is, as cliched as it may sound, a whole new world – completely and totally unlike anything you would have ever experienced. But, I am getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the very beginning – in the same way that I was introduced to life underwater.
A marine national park is an area that is sea protected and set aside to preserve a specific habitat and ensure the ecosystem is sustained for the organisms that exist there. Saurashtra and Gujarat continued to surprise in the knowledge that out of the 7300 km long Indian coastline, Gujarat has the largest share of 1600 sq. km and on its back, it has the second largest mangrove forests after the Sunderbans of Bengal.
The Gulf of Kutch and especially its southern part supports a huge wealth of marine life and in due deference to this, in 1980, an area of 458 sq.km between Okha and Jodiya was declared as a marine sanctuary. Two years later, a core area of 163 sq. km was declared a marine national park under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. The Gulf of Kutch national park is 58 km wide on the seaward western side and 170 km on the eastern side. Besides the scattered and non-specific boundary zone of the sanctuary areas on the coasts, the gulf itself holds an archipelago of 42 islands (locally called bets), which are part of the marine national park. Some of the best known islands are those of Pirotan, Karubhar, Narara and Poshitra. This marine reserve become the first marine national park in India and signalled a quantum leap in societal and governmental consciousness about dealing with the natural world.
Coming back to where I digressed from earlier, the world that the receding tide exposes is so unlike anything known to us land dwellers, whose interaction with the ocean is at best some polluted beaches, that it requires someone with knowledge of the sea world and an eye to point out the darting shadows in the waters and name the exotic and colourful patterns and shapes that dot the waterscape. I had the unassailable advantage of actually being there and having a resource person walk me through these amazing new life forms. I will do my best to recreate that magic with mere words and pictures.
The first word that is always mentioned with respect to any marine national park and site praised for marine diversity is coral. A coral is basically made of millions of colourful little animals called polyps which are bound together by algae and other plants in a shocking extravagance of unimaginable shapes and formations. Polyps are themselves soft bodied organisms with a hard protective limestone skeleton called calicle. A polyp attaches itself to a rock or sea bed and then divides or buds into thousands of clones. These calicoes connect to one another through the symbiotic relationship with the algae, creating a colony that acts like a single organism.
The rate of growth is extremely slow. A centimetre in a year is quite rare and considered a hare-like pace in the marine world. Over many thousands of years, these multiplying colonies become reefs. Some of the coral reefs in existence today probably started building as much as 50 million years ago. The world famous Great Barrier Reef of Australia is one such coral reef.
Corals are found only in tropical waters – waters within 23 degrees of the equator – between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Coral reefs can be formed only when sunlight reaches the algae and as such less than one percent of the ocean bed is covered with corals. Yet, by many estimates, they support as much as 25 percent of all marine creatures. And this is why they are so important.
In the natural world on land, the tropical rain forests are considered extremely vital for the ecology because of the high rate at which nutrients are created and used. This nutrient cycle is called nutrient turnover. In the marine world, the polyps themselves release carbon dioxide, while the binding plants devour this and release oxygen creating a nutrient turnover rate rivalling tropical rain forests. The coral reefs are the equivalent of underwater tropical forests and perhaps hold in ways we do not yet fully comprehend, the keys to so much we do not know about life on earth. This particular area is home to 52 coral species – 42 of them hard and 10 soft corals.
As opposed to most other marine national parks which are submerged under water and require either a glass bottom boat or in other cases know-how of specific techniques like snorkelling or scuba diving to satisfactorily explore and appreciate, the marine national park of the Gulf of Kutch is exceptional in that it can be explored by simply walking around.
It is one of those rare places where one can walk through coral reefs taking in their beauty without being submerged in water. The Gulf is itself a comparatively shallow water body and the national park is situated in an inter-tidal zone. Due to this typical placement, the area which is under water during the high tides is exposed during low tide which provides the unique opportunity to observe some of the richest diversity of marine habitat by strolling into the shallow waters.
Along with the often electrifying colours that the corals surprise you with, equally sudden is the startled movement of various life forms that shelter and breed amongst the corals, concealing themselves from the various skilled predators which stalk this hunting ground. With the understandable desire to relate things with one that is familiar with, many of the sea creatures are given names representing something else humans are familiar with on land.
In my visit, I waded the waters at Narara Bet which used to be an island but is now connected by a motorable road from the mainland. In the shallow waters and amidst the rock pools, I met several species of sponges, a starfish, wooly and hermit crab, a sea cucumber – which ejects its body parts to distract a predator, sea slug, mudskippers and several worms. Three particular species stood out for me in a grand manner for their oddities and similarities to my world above water.
The first was the sea anemone. An anemone on land is a type of flower and it is due to its similarity of shape and colours that these are named after them. They are also called the flowers on the sea bed and are basically a different type of polyp. They harbour a particular shrimp in their folds, known as the anemone shrimp and the two exchange food for protection in an amazing symbiosis.
Of the second, I saw many individuals, but still shake my head in wonderment at the amazing response it has developed to scare off predators. It is a rather innocuous looking fish which you would smile and let through, happy to be able to observe the intricate details of how a fish swims. Our guide immediately pressed the fish to the sea bed and the fish started inflating like a balloon! He whisked it out, making sure that there was always adequate water on the gills to display a nature’s marvel in surviving techniques – the Puffer Fish. This fish puffs itself up to dramatically increase its size to scare away any predator it may chance upon. The many spikes, though tolerable to the human skin, can definitely be quite grievous to sea creatures. If latched onto, this puffing action causes the predator to have a wider hold on it and the wily fish suddenly deflates and darts away in the little window the sudden size difference creates. Quite curiously, this move is astonishingly similar to Judo and other martial art moves to help loosen an attackers grip and gain distance. As if this were not all, hidden within the pouting lips is an exceptionally strong parrot-like beak which can chomp right through a finger. So handle, if at all, with care.
The last encounter, just a little distance away from the coast on the return journey was that of the sting ray. Notorious worldwide since the accidental death of Australian wildlife expert Steve Irwin, the sting rays have received much bad press and it does cause a few palpitations to have one swim a couple of feet from you, especially if you know they are related to the same family as sharks. However, these brickbats are ill warranted. Sting rays will generally steer clear of humans and most stings occur when the rays are accidentally stepped upon. If it does happen, the injury is definitely painful but seldom life threatening, unless it pierces a vital area, as in Steve’s case where it pierced the chest wall, causing massive trauma.
Along with highly valuable coral and other threatened species, the national park is also a preserve for seven species of mangroves. Much awe and new found respect has been accorded to these otherwise ignored species of trees which flourish in the highly saline coastlines of the country. Post the 2004 tsunami, it was noticed that globally, the few areas that remained protected were those shielded by a healthy growth of mangroves.
Mangroves along with coral reefs have great benefits not just for the local environment but on a macro level for the diversity of the planet and the stability of coastal areas. Mangrove trees along a coastal area can best be identified by the many roots that jut out of the sandy mud and water in search of nutrients. Mangrove forests act as a buffer against the salty ocean and the inland fresh water while dissuading soil erosion from the coasts. They are also breeding grounds for a large number of fish, threatened species of birds and other organisms. While this knowledge is fast spreading and praises are sung unequivocally, mangroves across the planet continue to be destroyed and damaged for short term, petty gains of real estate.
Much like the abused mangroves, the coral reefs too are threatened by various factors including pollution, explosion of commercial activities and even grazing by cattle. Along with local problems, sweeping worldwide phenomena like climate change and the resultant sudden change in the temperature of the sea waters are disrupting and halting the formation of new corals which are very sensitive to temperature. There are alarming studies which predict the destruction of as much as 30 percent of corals worldwide in the next 30 years.
The guide and other members of the group I was with had visited Narara at various times in the last couple of decades. Despite the quite abundant marine life, they lamented the scarcity of it. The guide spoke nostalgically of days in the not so distant past where much bigger specimens and in lot many more numbers could be found only a few hundred metres from the shore and not the two kilometres we covered. Haltingly and in low whispers there is talk of how the big oil refineries may be affecting the marine life in the gulf.
Everyone agrees that oil and the industrialisation that came with it has been good for the locals and the country and yet some are brave and selfless enough to raise the reality that the earth and everything in it is not our inheritance from our ancestors but is on loan from our children. And in the face of that statement, it is definitely necessary to make some unpopular and hard decisions to avoid a looming disaster many of us will live to see. It is inexplicably sad to leave a place of such wonderful experiences and new insights about the world we live in with a heavy heart and the disquieting defeated feeling that none of these may survive by the time I get a chance to come here again.
The Little Rann of Kutch
A very close friend has this trick she implements when life seems to be getting a little too heavy to bear or when dark thoughts cloud her outlook. She brings back from memory images and faces of the animals she has met or seen in her life, and then she imagines them grinning at her, all teeth on display. It never fails to bring a smile to her face. And it is this trick that I applied to the faces of the Indian Wild Ass that I had seen online and it worked. The enthusiasm to go into the desert and meet this endangered animal, locally known as ‘khur’ caught on and a lighter mood reigned supreme.
The last wild side of Saurashtra was that of land in the most unlikely location – the desert of the Little Rann of Kutch which borders to the north. Rann in the local language means a desert and that is what this vast expanse is – a salty desert. Though the word ‘little’ is more than a little out of place. Stretching for 5000 sq. km. the only way it is little, is in comparison to the Great Rann Of Kutch which lies further west and stretches 7500 sq. km. towards the border with Pakistan.
At one time, the Indian Wild Ass spread across western India, the Sindh and Baluchistan regions of southern Pakistan, south eastern Iran and even Afghanistan. Today, the Wild Ass Sanctuary in the Little Rann is famous as the world’s last refuge of the Indian Wild Ass. Various providers and every hotel or campsite can make arrangements for a jeep safari in the rann to see the wild ass. Sightings are almost guaranteed these days as the population has had a mini resurgence with some herds being found in the Greater Rann as well as parts of southern Rajasthan, ending Gujarat’s monopoly over this threatened sub-species of wild ass.
The reason for the Indian Wild Ass’s near extinction scenario where the numbers dipped to below 1000 members has never been completely understood. While the British did not hunt these for sport, there are records of the Mughals doing so.
However, in 1958-1960, a South African Horse Sickness epidemic is also attributed to have contributed to a dramatic decline of the wild ass population. The numbers have shown a positive trend and the sightings outside the core sanctuary area are encouraging signs for the population. However, experts warn that due to the drought prone area and a decreasing habitat due to salt activities, the population could again decline very suddenly. For now, though, all is well.
I had mentally prepared to be able to acquaint myself only with the wild ass and was keeping my expectations low. Lady luck continued to shower her benevolence on me and I had the fortune of spotting a pair of gazelle, herds of nilgai, wild boar, a jungle cat and a desert fox.
Both the Ranns at least in the time of Alexander the Great reaching the subcontinent (326 BC); were not desert but navigable water bodies, with most of today’s Kutch being an island. The river Ghaggar which now empties into the desert in Rajasthan earlier drained into the Rann. The Luni and Rupen rivers of Rajasthan still empty in this desert and during the monsoon and for some time to come, many parts of the desert transform into a marshland which plays host to several endangered migratory birds. The watering holes of the marshlands and the Nava Talao (lake) are happy destinations for bird watchers. The greater and lesser flamingoes, cranes, pelicans, geese, ducks, francolins and bustards amongst many others take over the wetlands in the winter. The enduring sight from my last evening at a marshland watching as thousands of flamingoes turned the dusk sky ablaze in their hues of pink while relocating to another area on the lake is my mental picture postcard for the trip. It is perhaps an all too frequent event for the locals there. But to have a pink blanket thrown over the sky – even for a few moments – is something I hope I never get used to. Something I pray it will always take my breath away.
A bird sanctuary to my delight lived up to my hesitant expectations from it. A unique marine national park that even while I was on the shore in my own element left me gasping for breath at the immeasurable diversity on display. The last stop was a desert and for what is assumed to be a place generally reduced, if not devoid of life, it was quite palpably teeming with life.
The wild side of Saurashtra will definitely give Gir and Somnath temples a run for their money the next time I recommend this part of the world to someone or even when I travel here again. Meanwhile, my recollection of joyous furry faces and feathered graces will provide solace through many moons.
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Akul Tripathi
The writer is a media professional and freelance writer.[/column]