by Bilwa Sawant, 2nd BPTh
I went to Gujarat this Diwali, and I felt lighter than I had in months.
One thing I remember with fondness is that the people here are always kind; everyone is always willing to help you out. Smiles can be found in every little alley, in the pols and even in the jungles (we sighted a beatific nilgai).
Somnath Temple
Our first stop was Somnath. The Somnath temple is believed to be the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. The temple is situated at such a place that there is no land in a straight line between the Somnath seashore until Antarctica. An exceptional quality about the temples here is how disability friendly they are, replete with ramps and elevators. The temple is said to have been desecrated multiple times, but it has been rebuilt each time, and I like to think that I took back some of that resilience back home with me, echoing inside of the conch shell I bought from a quaint temple shop.
Diu
Next was Diu, which is a union territory. Diu has by default become a party destination as alcohol is legal here. It’s famous for its churches, and Portuguese architecture. The Diu fort is the most visited landmark in the district. Bearing big birder dreams in our hearts, we dropped by the Fudam Bird Sanctuary. However, we didn’t spot any of the rare species. Cattle egrets and Indian Spot-billed ducks are the staple population of these wetlands. Diu has pristine beaches and azure skies, wide horizons, and a great future.
River Hiran, Sasan Gir
Our last stop was Sasan Gir. Gir houses the Gir National Park and the Devalia Safari Park. Gir is the only abode in the world for the Asiatic Lion. We sighted chital, nilgai, and black bucks, apart from the magnificent lions, but the highlight was a Spotted Owl who decided to perch right in front of our jeep and stare at us rather disdainfully one early morning. We halted at Gir for three days and then left for home.
Kamleshwar Dam, Gir Forest
An Asiatic Lion, Gir Forest
An Asiatic Lioness, Gir Forest
A spotted Owl
Deer amongst Cattle Egrets
A Brown-capped Pgmy
The Surroundings of The Temple
On the way, by happenstance, we met an old tour guide who suggested a detour to an ancient Krishna Temple, which is built on the bank of the Hiran. The temple remains under water during the monsoons, and we were lucky we’d visited just after the rains had subsided. Photography was prohibited so we couldn’t capture it in our cameras, but I still remember the calm waters of the river, the greenery and the temple in the midst of it all, very vividly.
On this positive note, we got back in our car and speeded away with more love for Gujarat in our hearts than we had brought with us from Mumbai.
Glint 2020 