It seems like the lockdown due to Corona Virus has got to everyone and I am no exception!!
31st May 2020, it was around 3:00 am and sleep seemed far away. It’s been 3 months that I haven’t stepped out of the home and yet the lockdown doesn’t seem to end soon. Staying indoors is a real difficult task for people who love to travel and see new places, but the wait continues…
Luckily, I am blessed with a home overlooking a wide clear sky and mountains at a distance. As I lay on my bed staring out of the window at the star studded sky, I could see fog passing over the mountains far away.
Background:
Karnala fort is a hill fort in Raigad District of Maharashtra, India and about 65km from Mumbai city, situated along the Mumbai-Goa highway. This stunning quaint fort is one of the best specimens of the 13th-century constructions. Currently, it is a protected place lying within the Karnala Bird Sanctuary. The fort of Karnala is famous for its strange pinnacle and the bird sanctuary that is set up amidst the forest. Today, the ruins of the fort are a popular destination for trekking. This Fort is at a height of approx. 1500 ft. It is a great trek for beginners and an opportunity to be closest to Mother Nature.
During the monsoons, you can see songbirds like the paradise flycatcher, magpie robin and the Malabar whistling Thrush. There is also the racket-tailed Drongo that can be seen there. The best time to see migratory birds at the Karnala is between the months of October and April.
A variety of colourful birds such as the ashy minivet, red-breasted flycatcher, blackbird, black-headed cuckoo-shrike, blue-throat, Green Bee-eater, chestnut headed green bee-eater, blue-tailed bee-eater, Purple Rumped Sunbird, Coppersmith Barbet, Tailor Bird, White Spotted Fantail, Golden Oriole, Red Vented Bulbul, Red Whiskered Bulbul, White-throated Kingfisher, Cattle Egret and the blue-headed rock thrush can be spotted. The surrounding landscapes are hauntingly beautiful as the pinnacle is draped by the clouds and mist during monsoon.
I closed my eyes and instantly got goose bumps. I was standing on the peak of Karnala Fort with clouds just passing through me like freezing cold water droplets from a flowing river. That feeling was totally out of the world. At that moment, I had truly forgotten everything; the pain, tiredness of trekking, people accompanying me, everything... I could just feel some strange positive energy that made me overwhelmed with happiness. May be that’s why people call it heaven!!
10th August 2003 – Yessss, 17 years back….the first trek of my life to Karnala fort and bird sanctuary. It was the most memorable trek of my life that I remember the exact date as well even without getting reminder of memories from Facebook.
In 2003, I had no phone, no camera; but I was just living in the moment and everything was captured in my memories. Till date whenever I feel stressed out or tired, I just close my eyes and imagine myself in that moment. And when I remember that feeling, I still get goose bumps even after 17 years.
It was a 2 hours climb from the base through the dense jungle to the top of Karnala Fort. There was continuous heavy rain, however the huge trees were acting as a shield from the freezing rain hitting us directly. Due to the rain the entire trail became mushy, making it a bit difficult for us to climb. But being my first trekking experience, it was a combination of feelings of excitement and adventure. The last bit of the trek to the peak was the most difficult part, but truly worth it. The scene as soon as I reached on top took away all the tiredness, fear and made me feel like in heaven. Totally worth it!!!
We spent about 2 hours up there which actually felt like seconds. Soon it was time for the descend from the fort. I was a bit scared, but the happiness in me from what I had experienced up there on the peak helped me to forget my fear and move ahead. It was a smooth climb down. Few spots were absolutely slippery where we had to literally slide down. Overall, the entire trip was fun filled and engraved it’s memories inside me forever. It sometimes surprises me that even 17 years down the line, I can still re-live this memory as if it was just yesterday.
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