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 Sunday, March 16th

It's a beautiful warm morning and we set out to see the forest from afar.  Today, we will not go in, for an elephant walked our way a few hours ago and is in there somewhere.

Somewhere in those hundred-odd acres that once belonged to a Jagirdar, but is now protected, the result of which is the sort of biodiversity we dream to see.

The flowering of jalaari -Shorea roxburghii - is an annual dream-come-alive, as this little forest responds with a burst of colour, fragrance and, to a fervent imagination, delightful melody, for the bees and the wings sing.  It is short and ineffably sweet, as indeed all good things must be.  

This year, it's done.  Fresh bright green leaves have taken the space left by the spectacular flowers that now cover the ground in a brown crunchy layer.  Perhaps there is philosophy there too - ashes to ashes, dust to dust, as that old one on Lillee and Thommo, those fast bowling relics of the '70s, goes.  

In the distance, we see a tree-in-red: that is the coral tree, Erythrina indica, in full bloom and it is a rich and fiery colour.  The lemon-yellow that is closer?  That is a favourite, the laburnum or konnapoo tree offered to the Gods in about a month from now during the lovely festival of Vishu.  This tree has bloomed well and is getting a rich dressing on its canopy as it awaits the real summer......

And amidst this cornucopia is a tree shorn of flowers and leaves; the fruits dangle with the bareness of deciduous magnificence.  This is Diospyros melanoxylon, thubre mara, and we savour the pulpy, tangy, astringent fruit and chat and laze around and pray that forest fires and human desires keep away.  Close by is a tree with astonishingly similar fruits that can give you a hard time if consumed, maggari mara or Catunaregam spinosa, fruits that in those days gone by were used to work up a solution to wash clothes.

Next week, elephant permitting, we will wander in on a fine morning.

For the forest is home.