The second day, Sunday the 16 Nov, was the day day we were 2 trek in da jungles of vaghari hills,

it was a day all those present will remember for a life time.

Well i woke up early before sun rise, as i wanted capture da sun rise from da dam..

I want 2 see da 1st glimpse of sun from da mountains!It was a wet winter morning, as soon i woke up i and a few of my friends went over da dam to capture da sun rise.IT was one of most memorable moments in life. Imagine da sun rising 4m da mountains and da reflection of all this seen da serene clam waters of da dam! it was a breath taking view, all around me was da winter mist, and among da mist rose da sun to provide da warmth, spreading lights all over da dark waters!

Well after an hr, i had got some great shots of da sunrise, we all head back to da guest house, we freshen up and had breakfast!

All the members were very excited abt da trek, and were anxious to see da karve flowers which blossom only once in seven yrs!

After a quick guideline given by our guide, we headed 2 da bus, to go to da place where we were to start trekking.

At first we saw da karve flowers, they were purple blue and very attractive. all of us were mesmerized by da sight of this very rare flower..

Then we all stared walking thru da forest, only after walking 4 sometime i spoted a plant wit da caterpillars of da BLUE TIGER BUTTERFLY,

This was indeed a great moment for me, i'm very found of butterflies and had captured da blue tiger butterfly many times. But spotting da catty was very special, also i found a pupa on da same plant. clicked soon good photos and moved on....

Sometime latter i spotted Hugh butterfly about 15 cms big... it was bight orange in color wit some black spots on it.. i had never seen dis butterfly before... i haven't yet identified it, i guess it is rustic. but?

On our way up hill it went on becoming cooler and cooler as we climbed higher and higher..

This is da 2nd largest peak in da state of GOA. 720mts..

But walking in da wild among da nature has a different sense of joy, its so exciting dat u forget da fatigue. after walking 4 about 4 hrs we finally reached da top of vagheri hills, on da way up we saw many rare flowers and of course a few moths, insects butterflies and a few monkeys...

ON da top all of a sudden da landscape changed and 4m thich talll trees, we found ourselves in vast open grassland, with keen level golden grass all around. It was as if we opened a secret door to a different world, but dis was true no dream! DA weather was very cool and view serene. whenever breeze bowled we felts as though someone had left a hug ac on!!!

After a short photo session i just lay falt on da damp ground, i just dint want 2 leave da place. I wished i could stop da time and just sleep in da lap of mother nature's gift to me.. but a few moments latter i saw something flying high above, wat was it? it looked like a small bird, but hey wait it was n't a bird in fact it was a big hugh butterfly!

IT WAS SOUTHERN BIRDWING! THE LARGEST BUTTERFLY IN SOUTHERN INDIA. IT WAS ABT 20 CM BIG!

I jumped in amazement and yell out to all others to c it..

everyone was thrilled by its sight. it shown a rare combi colors yellow, black and white, i just admired its beauty and i just thaked mother nature for this blessing.

Ah soon it was rime to leave, and we began walking further into da forest, by now everone in da group was aware of my love for da winged beauties. where ever they saw one they yell my name, 2 click a snap of it.

but there was loads of adventure still in sote for us. After walking for a mile or so eveyone started yelling my name loudly, i wasn't sure wat was it. i rushed to da site and....

AND I FOUND MYSELF AMONG A THOUSAND BUTTERFLIES! MAINLY BLUE TIGERS....

This is a peculiar behavior of da blue tigers to congregate in a small region. and this happens only in da winters and only in few parts of da forest!

I was very fortunate 2 be at da rite place, at da rite time.. Everything was so perfect! all da butterflies flying around me, seemed as though they were greeting me! I'm running out of words to express my thrill, my amazement my sheer delight at da very sight of them!!

Well we had 2 move on, regretfully i dragged my self 4m der..

bidding bye 2 my loved friends.....

After a while we saw da scared forest where we bowed down to da forest deity, and prayed that this adobe af nature remain like this for eternity! I prayed to forest GOD to save the forest from human encroachment! I prayed dat the GOD bless each and every human to respect love and preserver this gift of nature!!

Well then we moved on.. after a while we found dat we were almost lost in da forest, i say almost because we knew da way out but it was covered with thick vegetation with hardly any place 2 move ahead! also the slope was very very steep, if we lost balance we would fall in da valley!!! It was rocky terrain and we had to move down clutching da trees and creepers, occasionally one of the creepers would break of.. so we da to be very careful!! some of the experienced trekkers made way thru da thick growth and after a very exciting trek but filled wit fear we manged to come out unhurt and safe!!

WELL I'LL CONCLUDE BY SAYING THAT THIS WAS ONE OF MY MOST MEMORABLE TREKS, FILLED WITH ADVENTURE, RARE SIGHTING OF BUTTERFLIES, AND OF COURSE DA SCARED FOREST!!

LOOKING FORWARD FOR MANY MORE EXCITING EXPLORATION OF DA WILD MYSTERIOUS FOREST!

HELLO FRIENDS,

I'm back from an exciting adventurous trek into da thick jungles of the western ghats. Westrern ghats are  situated in the souther west region of INDIA. I Live in a samll state of goa located in da south west of INDIA.

WELL, VAGHERI HILL IS THE SECOND LARGEST PEAK IN GOA. ITS HT OS 720 MTS. IT WAS AN OVER NITE TREK ORGANISE BY YOUTH HOSTEL GOA(YHA).

WE ARRIVED AT 5 PM ON THE EVE OF THE TREK AT KERI IN SATTARI TALUKA. WE STAYED AT AN EXOTIC LOCATION, FROM THIS PLACE WE HAD A GREAT VIEW OF ANJUNEM DAM. THE GUEST HOUSE WAS SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS. WE WERE IN DA ABODE OF NATURE. AFTER A LIGHT SNACKS WERE WENT OVER TO SEE DA DAM. IT WAS ENORMOUS. ON THREE SIDES IT WAS SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS, IT WAS A HUGE MAN MADE LAKE. WE CLICKED SOME SECTACULAR PHOTOS AND RETURNED..

LATTER AT NITE WE HAD CAMP FIRE. WE AT YHA HAV A PRACTICE OF HAVING CAMP FIRE BUT WE DONT BURN WOOD, AS IT AMOUNTS 2 CUTTING TREES 4 OUR PLEASURE. INSTEAST WE  LIGHT A SMALL CANDLE AND GATHER ARROUND FOR A CAMP FIRE.

AT THE CAMP FIRE WE ENJOY EACH OTHERS COMPANY, WE INTERACT WE NEW PEOPLE AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS. MOST IMPORTANTLY WE DISCUSS THE ENVIRONMETAL PROBLEMS AND THE SOLUTIONS FOR THEM..

BUT TODAY I  WAS  VERY FORUNATE TO MEET A LEDING ENVIRONMENTALIST RAJENDRA KERKAR.

HE ENLIGHTENED US ABT THE BIODIVERSITY OF THE REGION. HE TOLD US ABT THE VILLAGERS AND THEIR HEALTHY HABITS OF CONSERVING THE ENVIRONMENT.

THERE IS A BELIEF OF SACRED FORESTS HERE. IN THE SACRED  FOREST NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO CUT A TREE, LET ALONE CUTTING, NO ONE CAN EVEN TAKE A FALLEN LEAF OUT OF THE FOREST..

OR ELSE THE FOREST DIETY WILL CAUSE HARM. BECAUSE OF SUCH STRONG BELIEF MANY OF THE FOREST AREA IN GOA ARE PROECTED IN THE MOST PRESTINE FORM. I BELIVE IF THIS SYSTEM OF WORSHIPING FOREST GOD IS FOLLOWED ELSE WHERE THEN SURELY WE CAN SAVE A NO OF FOREST.

ONE MORE INTERESTING THING KERKAR SIR TOLD US WAS THAT THERE IS A FROWER IN WILD WHICH BLOOMS ONLY ONCE IN SEVEN YEARS, ITS CALLED KARVE. AND WE WERE THE FORTUNATE ONES TO SEE THIS BLOOMING THIS YEAR. LAST THEY HAD BLOOMED WAS IN 2001!

HE EVEN TOLD US ABOUT THE NAME VAGHERI HILLS MEANS LION'S HILL. IN THE PAST THERE WERE MANY LIONS IN THE REGION, BUT NOW ONLY 4 REMAIN.

HE ALSO INFORMED US ABT THE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF BUTTERFLIES WE WOULD BE ABLE 2 SPOT THERE.

BUTTERFIES BEING MY MAIN INTEREST I LISTENED 2 HIM CAREFULLY, LARGEST BUTTERFLY IN DA SOUTHERN INDIA SOUTHERN BIRD WING CAN BE SPOTED HERE. OTHRES INCLUDE BLUE TIGER, COMMON INDIAN CROW, BLUE MORMON.......

AFTER HIS ENLIGHTENTING WORDS WE HAD  DINNER N WENT 2  BED AS WE HAD 2 GET READY EARLY FOR THE TREK 2MORO...

Well friends, this is my first blog, and i really dont know how to start with....

BUTTERFLY!

Yes you might wonder wats so facinating abt butterfly? BUT let me tell you one thing this tiny  winged beauties has change my life!

Bird watching has been a  hobby with me for a very long  time. But as every naturalist or aperson with a wild side would agree, when you are out watching birds, you cannnot help but observe other denizens of the forest. And who could miss the winged beauties-THE BUTTERFIES...

Slowly butterfly watching also caught up wit me. I dont hav an slr or any other  professional camera, but i hav a cameraphone and i started  photographying them.. Trying to photograph rare tiny elusive and espicially active  butterfies, i was compelled to study more abt them.Knowing their habitat, their behaviour has helped me photograph them effectively..

Butterfly photography is not easy.. They are very active and constantly in fight. but my endurance patience and skill has made it possible to capture a variey of them in a short time.This hobby has take me  places and areas not usually visited by common man and those are the days in my life which i shall always remember and cherish..

Well within a very short time of 3-4 months i hav been able 2 capture  around 40 ciffetnt species of the 90 species reported 4m my state-GOA...   

Well one of my main reasons for photographying them is 2 keep a documentation of the total number of butterfies found in a perticular area, and even to note the seasonal variations...

MORE IMPORTANTLY, BUTTERLIES ARE INDICATOR OF A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, THEY ARE VERY SENSITIVE CREATURES...

EVEN A SLIGHT IMBALANCE IN THE ECOLOGY OF A REGION THE BUTTERFIES FROM THAT REGION DISAPPEAR. SO I FEAR THAT  MANY CHANGES IN THRE GLOBAL CLIMATE  MIGHT AFFECT MY DEAR FRIENDS. I DONT WANT 2 LOOSE THEM. SO PHOTODOCUMENTATION IS A WAY OF PRESERVING THEM IN MY MEMORY.

MY passion for butterflies has won me A NATIONAL PRIZE..

I WON 2ND PALCE  THE SONY ERICSSON MOBILE PHONE PHOTO CONTEST ORGANISED RESENTLY, WHICH ENDED ON 18 NOV!!!

http://www.sonyericsson.com/worldview/GlobalWinners.aspx?cc=in&lc=en

CHECK THIS LINK 4 INDIA WINNERS. I'M 2ND OUT OF 1000s OF PHOTOS.

MORE OVER  i hav stared the awareness and conservation programe of butterflies in my college..

I have even given an interview for a local DAlLY NEWSPAPER, so that the message can be spread wide around.

FOR THIER CONSERVATION MAIN THINGS TO DO IS TO MAINTAIN THE ECOLOGICAL BALANCE AS IT IS, THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE BY REDUCING OUR HAZARDOUS  IMPACT ON MOTHER NATURE.

Let me end by qouting "The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough..." Time  enough to allow me get close up photograph. Time Enough to make my day by just showing up from nowhere. Time Enough to make me sit back and smile at the days spent with them. Time enough to inspire everyone to apprieciate these marfvelous creations of Mother Nature, contribute to more in depth study and aid in conservation...

"A FLAP OF A BUTTERFLY HAS CHAGED MY LIFE"