Hey, spring is back! It is a time of the year where flowers of various colours dance in the vernal wind and the green world returns after a long cold weather as mother earth is at its best. The cuckoo sings its melody, the busy-bee hums around while the gorgeous butterflies makes its appearance too.
The spring season in India usually commences around March every year when the sun starts warming up the cold weather. Days become longer with every passing day while nights become shorter.
Here, at Delhi from my dining room window, I have been noticing a tall tree over the past few months. Although I do not know its name, but had grabbed few still images at various stages of this marvelous tree.
The photographs can be viewed below.
The naked tree with only branches: January 2013
The same tree with signs of leaves blooming: Last week of February 2013
The alarm shrilled at 5:00 a.m. I groaned as the destroyer of sleep pinged me at the preset time. The chill of the dark pre-dawn tempted me to struggle deeper into the quilt. With a sigh, I remembered that I was at Corbett Park and colleagues from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai branches would be waiting to start our company off-site experience.
Five open back Maruti Gypsies arrived at Infinity Resort where we had been camping the previous night, ready to take us to experience the adrenaline rush of thrilling wild safari!
Armed with cameras, telephoto lens and binoculars, Avianites boarded the off-roaders and headed into the wilderness of Corbett National Park.
The scenery was undeniably picturesque, especially the sun rays penetrating through the majestic Oak, Sal and Eucalyptus trees into the deep woods. Exotic wild flowers and shrubs with floating dew drops created a heavenly rainbow-effect with the misty ambiance as a backdrop. It was quite magical to watch the jungle come alive.
Corbett National Park, located close to Ramnagar, is the first official national park of India. Hordes of adventure aficionados and wildlife lovers plan tours for witnessing the natural wealth of the park.
Home to over 488 different species of plants, 585 species of resident migratory birds, 33 species of reptiles, 37 species of dragonflies and 7 species of amphibians and fishes, Corbett National Park is undoubtedly a heaven for tourists.
I was seated in the back and at times standing up to get best possible view of the woods. It was tough to secure the camera and other equipment since the moving vehicle on a rough terrain causes violent jerks.
Many ventured into the riverside playing in the crystal clear water while others took turns posing for photographs.
When all other jeeps passed we stopped for few minutes at a nondescript hamlet to sip steaming cups of tea. Here we could listen to the sound of silence that filled our hearts with peace and bliss. We were the last of the fleet of jeeps, trying our best to spot some wildlife.
Our young guide and driver, Sher Bahadur suddenly slowed down and gradually brought the vehicle to a halt. He pointed out a herd of spotted deer crossing a rivulet far away. Within seconds they disappeared into the thick green bushes.
We were all optimistic to spot the king of jungle, but, the closest we got to see a tiger were some claw marks on a tree and a tiger poop!
Tiger paw marks
Our guide, led us few steps ahead towards a muddy surface which had paw marks. With his experience he carefully examined the trail of impressions and then revealed that the tiger had just passed this way less than an hour ago to quench its thirst!
At Sitavani, an ancient temple protected by the Archeological Survey of India we spotted two type of simians. The temple holds mythological importance to the Hindus. It is believed to be the place where Sita spent her years in exile and raised her children.
On our way back while coasting down in neutral, we noticed sudden violent movements of the bushes. Here we stopped once again for a while keeping our fingers crossed hopping to see what it was. After moving few steps towards edge of the road we spotted a couple of small deer racing to catch up with the herd.
The adventure at Corbett offsite has surely created a deeper bond with colleagues across branches, colleagues who have moved on to other organizations, yet in touch – thus leaving an everlasting impression in our minds.
Check on to the stills and video clips below which will take you all down through-the-memory lane. Do put on your headphones or connect to external speakers for sound effects!
New Delhi: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! And with this proverb in mind, Friday, the 13th January 2012 shall remain a spectacular day to remember when our Delhi office decided to take a short timeout in the afternoon.
With clear skies above and the winter sun at its best coupled with occasional chilling breeze from the north, it was a perfect day for an office picnic at the magnificent sprawling grounds of Lodhi Garden.
Dressed in smart casuals, Avianites headed to this venue situated near the famous Safdarjung Tomb. Earlier known as Lady Willington Park, the Lodhi Garden boasts of splendidly landscaped lawns, small water bodies, fountains, jogging track, among others. It is also a bird watchers paradise where one can see exotic birds like babblers, hornbills, kingfishers, mynahs, etc.
Crazy cricket, volley ball, football, flying saucer and blind-fold-eye games kept all to pump extra bit of adrenaline. In the heat of the moment, it was amazing to watch all rank and files burry their egos and focus on the games – thus, projecting the real child in each person within!
While many lazily basked under the sun sipping cokes and breezers, others strolled or sat around enjoying the nature and some ventured to explore the Bara and Sheesh Gumbads – tombs of rulers of the Sayyid Dynasty which are adorned with facades and turrets.
Yes, it was also a great forum for all to loosen up and enjoy themselves – particularly the new team members to rub shoulders with senior management and network with other co-workers which turned out a true morale booster of the organization. In general it was a good bonding experience for everyone.
Finally, a quick delivery of variety of mouth-watering pizzas kept the energy level high of all.
