My India Vacations

As an amateur wildlife photographer, I have been covering wildlife in India for the past ten years. During this period, I have visited some of the best known protected forests in the country, thanks to the several India wildlife tour packages. It is well known that India has one of the most diverse wildlife in the world. Personally, I would always prefer wildlife in India as my subjects than go to any other country. Corbett, Sariska, Ranthambore, Bandhavgah and Periyar are my personal favorites, and my flash cards are full of images I am yet to edit from my last visit to Periyar in February. During my last few India wildlife tours, I have learnt to look beyond the obvious in the jungles of India. I have found out that the most intriguing moments that go beyond the simple snapshots of the wildlife make far better subjects. For example, while covering Gir, the last refuge of the Asiatic Lion, I came to know of tribal people called Siddis. They speak the local language, but are of African origin, their Negroid features giving away their origin. The pictures of these people have received more positive comments from most of my friends and colleagues. Similarly, during my last visit to Bhandhavgarh in Central India, one of my Indian friends advised me to do a feature on the tribes of a place called Bastar. Some of those pictures found their way to a photography salon in Kolkata that year. These and a few other experiences have made me realize that there is more to wildlife in India than the animals, plants and birds. These tribes have coexisted with the animals since the prehistoric ages, and it is sad to see some of these tribes being relocated to unknown territory to make way for wildlife sanctuaries. By looking beyond the forests, I have also learnt to understand the intricate relations between the various factors that make up a region’s eco-system. Hopefully, in the up-coming visits to some of the forests in South India, I can capture some more subjects that go beyond the obvious attractions of the wild. I also aspire to use these images as tools of awareness about these lesser known aspects of wildlife in India.