On The Prowl

Some travellers swear by the wonders of the wild; others consider safaris a snoozefest. On a wildlife trip to Ranthambore National Park, Bayar Jain tries to find out which half of the crowd she fits into.

- Bayar Jain

WE SAW SULTANA drinking water earlier this morning.’ I overhear, while sipping on lemonade. ‘Lucky you! Last time I visited, no one knew where she was,’ adds a fellow diner.

Ordinarily, such whispers would raise eyebrows, with speculations of a stalker on the loose. At Ranthambore National Park, however, these conversations are regular teatime topics. The desire to spot a tiger while at this wildlife reserve in Rajasthan can border on obsessive. For a safari novice like me, it can tip towards annoying and baffling in equal parts. After all, what’s the big deal in seeing big cats going about their day as normal? Or so I thought.

My first sighting is in an unexpected set-up: the artdraped, vibrant hallways of Bookmark Resorts, Jogi Mahal, Ranthambore. I’m treated to a coconut cooler after a five-hour-long road trip from New Delhi. The ideal tonic to help melt traveller’s fatigue, I think as I gulp the drink. The colourful paintings around me take me straight to the wild; luckily, the indoor air conditioning shields me from the sweltering summer sun. The two tiger murals behind the reception keep a watchful eye as I check in, assuring everything is smooth. “That’s a painting of Machli, the tigress queen of Ranthambore,” the team tells me. Then, it hits me. I may be indoors, but I’m in the company of many wild friends gracing the walls. There are elephants, leopards, and even deer peeking out of lush green artwork. Ranthambore’s love for the wild, I realise, is no secret.