Asola After the Rains

By Mohd. Salman

With the scorching sun keeping most of us indoors in the summertime, the rains have brought Delhi much needed respite. The prospect of a day in the outdoors no longer elicits fear, but enthusiasm, and nothing about Delhi is as unbeatable as its greens, this time of the year.

The gigantic metropolis that is Delhi also holds many an ecological surprise. The rains wash over patches of forest scattered over different parts of the city, turning them into hotspots for the ardent walker and nature enthusiast.

One such hotspot exists near the Karni Singh Shooting Range on the Surajkund Road, known as the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary. Home to a wide array of birds as well as a smattering of reptiles, amphibians and mammals, the sanctuary offers a tryst up close with nature to those who want a reprieve from the city life.

Walk in, and less than a hundred metres inwards, you will find the Conservation Education Centre {CEC}, run by the Bombay Natural History Society. They organize walks and expeditions into Asola and other biodiversity treasurehouses in Delhi every week. Meet Sajeev T.K. there, who runs the centre and would be glad to show you around the place whenever you go.

Lose yourself in the myriad bird-calls as nature composes its little symphony in this bubble of green, and take a good look at the nesting-boxes around the CEC. Ask for the stories surrounding each, they are interesting as well as funny.

There are babblers, warblers, sparrows, bulbuls, white-eyes and many others in the foliage. There are kites that hover overhead, and fierce shikras that send all the little birds screaming as they dart in and out of the trees on their hunts. The sweet calls of the koel are unmistakeable, as is the rain-dance of the peacock if you’re having a lucky day.

{Drongo}

{Bullfrog}

{Babbler}

Watch out for the little nilgai herds, as well as the impressive termite hills dotted throughout the park. Soak in the atmosphere as the sounds of the city get muffled as you walk deeper in, and come closer to nature.

For pre-planned nature walks, join the CEC’s facebook page at

http://www.facebook.com/groups/naturewalksdelhincr/

There are regular updates with details, and a great experience is usually guaranteed.

Do try and make it.

Getting there |

It is located in South Delhi Distt. all along the Delhi Haryana, Faridabad and Gurgaon interstate border.

From Tughlaqabad {Mehrauli-Badarpur Road} to Surajkund Road {2 km} near Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range OR

From Mehrauli via Chattarpur Temple {6 km} near Sanjay Colony {Bhatti Area}, near Tuglaqabad Fort, on the way to the Surajkund Mela.

Don’t forget to wear/carry |

Full length trousers, comfortable shoes, a bottle of water, a notebook & a pen, binoculars & your camera {of course}!