Two fluffy-ruffed cheetahs lounge under a tree, one bright-eyed and alert, the other lolling languorously, safe in the knowledge that its sibling is keeping watch. Beyond the dainty-looking duo, the scrubland stretches to the horizon. For any wildlife enthusiast, a safari in the 1,510 square kilometres of the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya is a bucket-list experience that's worth every rupee spent.
The walkie-talkie on our 4x4 Safari Land Cruiser crackles "Roja, Roja!" (that's how 'Roger' in the local accent sounds) every few seconds. Since the African savannah is so boundless and the animals so plentiful and used to human presence, the game drives here are not conducted in silence as we try to in India. All the safari drivers are constantly on their walkie-talkies, comparing notes and their chorus becomes a part of the gaming experience.
Safari, so good!
The big five lions, leopards, elephants, Cape buffaloes, and rhinos are quickly checked off our list, but we also see a whole host of many different species. Zebra, two types of giraffes, varieties of deer, gazelle, hippo, hyena, baboon, ostrich, and unique birds aplenty.
In the Mara, we get to experience lions in many different moods too. Huge ones with massive manes sleeping atop spindly acacia trees that seem like they can barely take the weight. A pride of 10 sleepy ones dozing in the shade, only one or two bothering to wake up to notice us. And then the exciting spectacle of a group of sprightly lionesses planning and executing a high-energy hunt together while the males wait lazily to see what will be served for dinner. The female of this species is certainly deadlier than the male!
Denne historien er fra January 01, 2024-utgaven av India Today.
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Denne historien er fra January 01, 2024-utgaven av India Today.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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He gave the beat to the world
He would pick up the rhythms of each experience of mobility and weave them into his taals. Thus it was that he reflected joy and laughter in rhythmic cycles...such was the magic of Zakir's fingersText and photographs by Raghu Rai
KERALA TOURISM CAMPAIGN, 1989 - TICKETS TO PARADISE
All it took was a catchy tagline-'God's Own Country'-for the world to discover Kerala's wealth of natural beauty. It remains among the best tourism ad campaigns, earning the state a place among top 10 international destinations
SPIRITUALITY - THE GURUS OF COOL
Among the cult Indian gurus, no one had a bigger hold on western minds than 'Osho' Rajneesh. He's also perhaps the role model for the enterprise-building gurus of today
RETAIL SHOPPING - THE MALL MANIA
Shopping malls, a 1990s innovation in India, changed the way the Indian middle class shops. Their success now lies in being 'shoppertainment' destinations, offering something for everyone
CULINARY RENAISSANCE, 1978 - TANDOORI NIGHTS
ITC's Bukhara and Dum Pukht turned the world to tandoori cuisine and had an enormous impact on the F&B industry. Decades on, they are still a pit-stop for celebrities and heads of state visiting Delhi
INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - REVENGE OF THE NATIVE
Rushdie lit the way but Indian writing in English has taken a life of its own in the past few decades, with translated Indian fiction most recently having its moment in the sun
INDIAN ART - A BRUSH WITH GOLD DUST
The 1990s economic liberalisation came as oxygen, lighting up the Indian art scene. Today, artworks by established masters routinely go for astronomical amounts
FESTIVAL OF INDIA, 1982 - CULTURE CAPITAL
The Festival of India grew into a symbol of our 'soft power', introducing our art and aesthetics to a global audience while also helping rebrand our domestic products
THE INDIPOP TREND - DISCO GOES DESI
For ages, the film song ruled. Nothing else was audible. Then came Nazia, charioteered by Biddu, and Indian ears went into a pleasant madness. Literally, Disco Deewane. A whole genre was born
SHOLAY 1975 - THE BIRTH OF THE FANDEMIC
India had seen hits before. But Sholay seared into its collective psyche like a badland bullet. The effect was on a scale never seen before- one film creating a new mass folk culture. And a trail of monster blockbusters that still continues
