South India

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word India? It is the food? Tigers, monsoons, Mount Everest in the Himilayas? What? What is the first thing that comes to mind?

The Flag and the Shape of
Subcontinental India.

When I first heard I was going on a holiday to India, my first thought was 'We get to see Tigers at Christmas?' My brothers' reaction was 'We're going to miss Christmas!' That about summed it all up. My family and I were spending the Christmas school holidays in Southern India to see an Annular Eclipse.

Fun fact: most Indians believe its a cursed time, filled with evil spirits, so hardly anyone apart from the tour group my family was in turned up. The tour only lasted ten days, which is a relief as it takes you two days to fly to India, and two days to return to the UK. The jetlag is killer!

India is definitely a country you visit once and never again.

First Half: Annular Eclipse.

Around the start of the Eclipse.

What an experience! and I do mean that. I'd never seen an eclipse before.

The Peak of the Eclipse - lunar.
Sun is seen showing around the
outline of the moon.

A few years ago, when I was still at high school, there was a partial eclipse but I never got to see it, for two reasons. 1) there was a shortage of special sun filter glassess, and 2) an announcement went out to the entire school and so they crowded around the Sixth Form Centre because it was the best spot to see the event. Before that, I was too young and when there was an eclipse, the cloud overcast blocked the view.

So yeah, never seen one.

It starting to finish.

So this time, I was hyped for the chance to see one. Unfortunately, it wasn't until Boxing Day, so Christmas Day - spent in a two-three hour meeting, looking at a Powerpoint Presentation. I mean come on. An extradordinary event is happening tomorrow and you want to do into the technicalities of an annular eclipse using Powerpoint?!  I nearly laughed. Whilst the footage videos and the history around how the Indian people view lunar, annular and solar eclipses etc. was fascinating, it honestly made me feel like I was back in Sixth Form learning about Shakesperean English & Tudor culture in the Arts.

And while it's sort of harsh and I apologise for that, it doesn't change the fact it was how I felt at the time. But that's not what this blog or post is about - so we focus on the annular eclipse.

Kerala Map.

The eclipse itself only lasted around two hours, from 08:20 to 10:20. Its peak was around 09:00 in the morning their time. India is five and a half hours ahead of us here in the UK, and it did take some readjustment. We, meaning the tour, watched it from 08:45 to around 09:30, 10:00, as Subcontinental India gets very hot and humid, and seeing as we were on the south western coast outside the city of Kerala, we also had to avoid the tides coming in. The surf there isn't as gentle as the waters surrounding our Island so we were well warned to stay away from the sealine. As we stood there, I was surprised by the lack of natives joining us to watch until our tour guide and the Professor, who joined us on both Christmas and Boxing Day explained. Native Indians don't watch the eclipse as they believe eclipses release bad omens and spirits unto the people. Before you all shout in, that eclipses are nothing nefarious, I'm going to stay neutral. Yes, I agree with this view, but having been to South India and seeing how little turnout of native Indians watched, I can accept their beliefs.

Like I said, its the first eclipse I've seen in my 22/23 years so I'm allowed to rant.

Map of Nagarhole National Park -
Government Protected Park.

Second Half: Nagarhole Tiger Reserve.

Nagarhole Park Welcome Sign.

The excitement, the wonder at seeing these endangered cats, at seeing so many different species of the Animal Kingdom in one place. Nagarhole is filled with endless sounds. Its definitely an once in a lifetime opportunity. Located in Mysore, it is one of the largest of the governmental protected parks in the country. There are Indian Dogs (Dhole) - which are rarer than the Tigers, Elephants, Mongoose, Leopards and, of course, Tigers. Nagarhole is one of those places that no matter what, the experience stays with you. During the hours, there are two tours, one in the morning (6-9am) and one in the early evening (3-6pm), and you could go by land - truck, or by water - boat. Going on both tours are always a plus, seeing as there is always the chance of spotting the elusive big cats, but if only if you can stomach being woken up at 5:15 every morning through the duration of your stay, which you can recover in the six hours between tours.

Mongoose.

I say both morning and afternoon tours are worth going on, because its true. If you're determined enough, the long wait may or may not be rewarded. It depends. For me, I was lucky enough to be on one of the morning tours when a small tiger family were spotted walking through the undergrowth.

Elephant - seen on boat afternoon
trip.

When the experienced locals in charge of the tours received some confirmation of something relating to the tigers, they hyped up the excitement, the suspense of waiting, and previously it bothered me when it was proven to be in vain. But the morning of December 31st was a big thing. When they did walk out, I felt like I could breath again after holding for the last few days. I hadn't dared to hope before then, even though it was warned that there was a chance we wouldn't be able to spot them in the time we were staying at the Park resort hotel.

Tiger family - Mum and her two
cubs (on right, one hidden by bush),
spotted on morning of December
31st, 2019. 

Indian Dog (Dhole), seen on first trip,
December 27th, 2019, between 3-6pm.
Rarer than the tiger. 

So, what do you think? Do you think you'll give Southern India a chance, see Tigers in their natarul habitat, or stick with going to a zoo or safari park, where yiou can spend more time seeing them? Post your comments below!