Tourist season in Kaziranga is about to start.

The tourist season of Kaziranga is on its way. Preparations have already started for the various safaries to go inside the park. Meetings are being held among the park authorities, elephant and jeep safari agents for the smooth running of the safaries during the season time. Bookings for rooms to stay in Kaziranga have also begun. Kaziranga is becoming dry. The flood waters have all receded leaving behind lakes and plain land. The forest authorities will mark out a possible route in each range for jeep safari. Along these routes roads will be made although they will be left unpitched. The routes for safaries are so marked so that tourists can have a good view of most parts of the jungle, while also keeping the safety of the tourists in mind. For elephant safari, elephants which were until now employed in other activities in other places will be hired and brought to Kaziranga. Responsible park officers will evaluate the suitability of the elephants for safari. The park will be ceremoniously opened for tourists on November 1st. And thereafter everybody concerned with the park will be very busy for the next 6 months. It is a unique kind of job that they do, which allows them to rest for 6 months and work for the other 6 months. In one way you have more holidays than any other occupation. But during the season time you have no respite either. Then there are no Sundays or Saturdays. The park is open everyday.

Kaziranga in Summer

Well, Kaziranga is a world famous wildlife sanctuary. During the dry days there is no count to the number of people who come to visit it. But does anyone know what it is like to be here in summer.
        As the hot summer day ends and evening surrounds us, the sound of the cricket and the frog engulfs everything. Almost every light bulb lit in the open gets covered by thousands of insects the names of most of which have never been catalogued. Suddenly a tiny crawling creature appears on the floor under the bright ceiling light. It is a small insect, but if it bites it might cause a lot of pain. And the story goes on....
       This is a picture most people might fear of. But the people who know and like nature care the least. As summer is half way through, the situation is more different. The jungle is covered with flood water. The bigger animals like the deer, rhinos, buffaloes, elephants and others begin to have a tough time. The grass which is the main food of these animals goes under water. Some of the animals come out of the jungle into human habitation and cause a lot of confusion.
       It is said that there is a reason why flood occurs in Assam. Many decades ago, in the year 1950, a very powerful earthquake shook Assam. In that earthquake massive blocks of land were moved. Wide cracks appeared on the ground. One hill actually slided into the Brahmaputra river blocking the water flow. It is believed that after this the riverbed rose and the river began to widen. When there is more water during the rainy season, flood occurred.
       Not only Kaziranga, but the whole of Assam suffer huge losses every year due to flood. Every problem has an end. Probably there would be a solution to our problem too. But when.

The less known Burapahar range elephant safari.

Elephant safari is a favorite activity among all the tourists who visit Kaziranga. It is also a good way to get into the forest which takes one to the actual habitat where animals live, without disturbing them. But few travelers know how to get the elephant safari. While it is easy to have a seat booked through a hotel or resort, people are often left helpless as to which range should they choose for the ride. The 3 ranges seem to be quite different. All know the central, and some think it is the only one. A few know the Bagori range and most often they are given this range. But the fact is that there is another very good range where also elephant safari can be got. It is called the Burapahar range. One can get the seat booked there.
        Burapahar elephant safari is unique for the fact that the ride here has a duration of 1 full hour. There are 3 elephants which take the tourists through an undulating terrain with marshy areas, streams and grassy level ground. For the most part the elephant carries the riders through thickly forested areas. There are different species of deer, rhinos, buffaloes, wild hen and birds which can be seen from the elephant. The animals often hide behind the elephant grass. But the elephant takes the riders close to the animals. Ultimately everyone appreciates this ride. It is a heart quenching elephant ride one has ever had. People often complain of the short duration of the elephant safari. But this is not the case here. I personally went in such a trip. What I found was extraordinary. It was like a beautiful dream, a great movie which I watched, only that it was in real life. You shall have the same experience, I can assure.