Vision of Life; by Sanjay: Tar Road named Story Book of Tadoba!

“Life is not always perfect. Like a road, it has many bends, ups and down, but that’s its beauty.” ― Amit Ray

“The road that leads to nowhere for others might just be the road that leads to somewhere for you!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan

"I envy roads in the forest, it's so much of wildlife they got to see every day"…Me

Well, Amit Ray must not have definitely been to tadoba or else he would have said there is an exception for the road he was referring in his quote as here there are no bends or ups & down, straight patch of tar which starts from forest & merges in the forest, whether you look ahead or rear! And Mehmet, I agree with him, as on this road I am not worried about the destination as to travel on this road in itself is a destination for me! Well, if you are confused then this sharing is about wildlife & it is about tadoba (not exactly) rather roads in & around tadoba & one particular road about which I myself wonder how I have forgotten to share till now! Maybe there is a right time for everything so be this for my tribute to this road, here it is…

Tar Road of Tadoba!

Very few forests have got a tar road (डांबरी सडक) in their core area & Tadoba is one such. This road starts right from Moharli gate from Chandrapur side & ends at centre of tadoba core i.e. Tadoba Lake. Just a decade back there was a State Transport bus which used to pass from this road to Chimur from Kolara gate & I have ridden on it in monsoon when the core is closed for tourism. We always used to envy this bus’s driver as for free the guy gets to experience the wilderness of tadoba every day as this bus has been needed to stop quite a number of times as tigers roam freely on the tar road especially during non-tourism times! The famous & heritage monuments, “Tadoba Pillars” are aligned along this road which are nearly three to four hundred years old built brick masonry structures & their purpose is still a misery, though many of them now are in dilapidated condition yet they tell the story of Dynasties which ruled these jungles & are witness of so many wildlife of stories, which are untold! The tar road cuts through the entire core (and buffers also) with bamboo forest on both sides for major part & runs through plains & hills for a small section displaying wonderful habitats of tadoba & you can witness every animal which frequents this road & the breathtaking view it offers. For years tigers have inhabited this road as part of their kingdom & queendom too, Madhuri, Sonam, Lara, Roma & presently Collerwali along with C3 are few queens who have dominated this road! Baghdoh, Bajrang, Chota Dadhial are the names of kings (male tigers) who have also ruled this road! On the right side of the road while going to Tadoba centre, most area is bamboo forest & beyond that runs a parallel road also known as Fireline Road which connects Telia dam & meets Tar Road up ahead & there are two cross lanes which connects these two roads are one way. These lanes once had a wonderful canopy of green bamboo & to watch any animal under the canopy is something you won’t ever forget. Unfortunately, for fire hazards the canopy has been cut by the forest dept as well we will need to make more such cross lanes as there is large forest in between these two roads rather three roads as the third road Known as Waghdoh Road which runs on extreme edge of Moharli range & parallel to Andhari river which is border between Kolsa range & Moharli range, & one an animal cross any of these main roads & gets merged inside then its difficult to sight it , so few cross lanes can be made & these will help for patrolling as well for controlling fire also. As this entire stretch is with bamboo which carries fire-like packs of paper & such lanes can act as fire lines as well, making it easy for patrolling & tourists to connect all these roads for a better experience of safari. And anyway this area is open to tourism so you are not violating norms of 20% restriction (which is a joke, with due respect to the Hon Court & needed to be rethought but that's a separate story)!

One the left-hand side of Tar Road while you travel towards Tadoba, there is a very small stretch which is open for tourism & has some wonderful water holes which ensures the sighting of many wild animals. Tigers, leopards, sloth bears often cross the tar road in search of water, food from one side to another & this is the thrill of travelling on the tar road as you don’t know who will give you darshan 9sighting & when! As, because of dense bamboo unless the animal comes out of thickest & on road it's impossible to sight it & in summers the yellow grey bamboo & grass just melts animals like tiger & leopard in it! If the right side of tar road is of bamboo forest, then the left side has varied landscape with mixed trees & water bodies making it a perfect place for resting for wild animals. Here as the other end is non-tourism zones the lanes which cut in these parts turn back from water bodies or are barricaded at some distance so you have to turn back. These lanes are like forest trails & here you can suddenly encounter a sloth bear walking in its mood or a shy leopard trying to find some food! After witnessing such a thrill, you are back on tar road & move ahead where you come across Khatoda gate which used to be the second entry gate (don’t ask why second entry was necessary) & now it’s a check post as well, here you can have breakfast & use washrooms! To freshen up! Here at Khatoda gate two roads also meet tar road, one comes from Khutwanda gate & another from kolasa & Palasgaon villages which have been now relocated from core. A decade back you could go to kolsa range from moharli but now that road has been closed making it mandatory for you to go out of park, take entry from zari or pangadi & then enter in kolsa range, again a not tourism friendly move! Like Kanaha where you can enter in any zone from any gate, why can’t we keep the option open to enter in kolsa zone from tar road (moharli gate) is something only forest dept can answer, so be it, hope someone will read this & think & take right steps!

After khatoda the tar road heads straight ahead & now the bamboo forest gets replaced by mix forest with tall trees, creepers hanging on them & suddenly the landscape changes. Here also one road diverts right after khatoda gate known as Gosekhanar road & meets tar road near centre of tadoba which is end of tar road. This Gosekhanar road was ruled by legendary tigress Choti tara & other end of tar road was ruled by none other than Maya! Nearly for eight years these two tigresses were inseparable part of these two roads giving tourists best of their wildlife memories & sadly now both of them have departed from tadoba, due to age & hardships of wildlife! Now these two roads are ruled by daughters of Choti tara, gosekhanar road is with Bijli & tar road is by Roma.

I have many wonderful memories of travelling on this Tar Road but one is carved on my mind (though most of them are), it was nearly two decades back & that was not era of Insta or FB, I was working on water management for forest dept & we were returning from kolsa to tadoba centre at night. Suddenly the driver saw a huge male tiger walking ahead on tar road, right in the centre of the road which was one fourth of the present road width. We drove silently behind him to wait for getting side but he was walking in own mood & showed no sign of getting down from the road. Just as some signal, I looked back, it was dark yet in moon light I saw a female tiger walking behind our gypsy, the pair must be in mating & we were in between them, today it feels thrilling but in the darkness of night, knowing you are alone in the forest & caught between two tigers, suddenly the Tar Road seemed not that existing. Fortunately, the male tiger went into the forest adjoining & we zoomed past leaving the mating pair on their own! Later, in the daytime I had wonderful encounters with many animals on the tar road but that night one I will remember forever! I have been fortunate to watch Maya walk on Tar Road & I am sure the road also must be missing Maya & her walk very much.

The beauty of Tar Road keeps changing in every season, in winter the entire road is clad in all shades of greens but I love Tar Road most in early summers, where Palash & Amaltash flowers paint it in red & yellow while the fresh leaves of Mahua, Tendu, Jamun, Behada, & many such tress paint the surrounding with every known shade of colours & the Tar Road passes through like a magical land!

And if this is about a portion of road in core then the road’s part out moharli gate which leads to Chandrapur is now part of buffer forest & is equally happening with tigers sighting in day time also on the road! And here not only tourists as the locals also use this road, encounters (take it in right spirit) of wild animals & humans are common on this road & the road is a living example of coexistence, as tigers & humans both use this road, giving each other respect & space! That way every road in & around tadoba are lie story books & its very easy to stay in our safe concrete jungles with all security & safety but imagine about people who has to walk on feet or on cycle without any protection & the same road is being used by a tiger, sloth bear or India gaur, and you will understand how brave the people living around these roads are!

Agreed, life in the forest is most practical, it doesn’t have any sorrows but just live by the present day yet if the road could speak, I am sure the Tar Road would have been the best storyteller of all the roads! The Tar Road of tadoba is not mere some road taking people from one place to another, it’s a very special wildlife story book of tadoba where every safari has a new story & an adventure; every time I leave tadoba, I only wish to be back on the tar road as soon as I can & I think that’s the best tribute I can give to it, adios with this note!!

Here are a few of the stories I witnessed on the Tar Road of Tadoba, check the link...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/coexistance_is_the_key/albums/72177720333155187

Sanjay Deshpande

smd156812@gmail.com

Sanjeevani Dev.

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