If I have to describe this wonderous hidden place in a traditional manner, I would say, Dhanpari, a village near Jambughoda, is situated amidst the forest, in the lap of nature. But that wouldn’t do justice to the place or help the readers have a mental image of the site.
Dhanpari is basically a government eco-campsite, located in the Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary inviting travellers like you and me to spend our precious weekend by indulging ourselves in a short green trek covered with tall trees and sweet bird songs, a vast lake surrounded by lush valleys accompanied by a leisure walk around the borders of the same lake and by the end of the day a bed to relax your body in.
After learning the COVID cases in the district and getting ourselves vaccinated, we decided to go on this road trip to the Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary. Allow me to take you on a mental tour to this pollution-free getaway, as I move step by step on the soft yellow sand.
About 89 kilo-meters from Vadodara, there resides a village, popularly known as Dhanpari, in the Panchmahal District of Gujarat. We left in the early hours of a Saturday morning, when the city was still asleep and the sun was yet to walk through the sky. Since this was our first visit, Google was our only affordable guide who helped us navigate our way to the Eco-Campsite. Honestly, Google wheeled us down to a longer route but I would still suggest to drive down the same route, the road less travelled, since it was extremely picturesque and beautiful. The view outside our windows mainly consisted of few tall, few thick trees, slope farms, green canopies and a road cut through the hills, with walls of mountains on either side. You would see small brick houses in the farms and cows grazing in the fields. The road was narrow, as one would imagine but bordered with dreamy surroundings. As you roll down your car windows the fresh air would brush through your face, the gentle breeze would open your mind and you would hear a score of birds announcing your presence to the rest of the jungle, like a kid running in to tell his/her parents that their favourite guests have arrived. Few of the many flyers of the sky, glided ahead of our car, making us feel welcomed in their world. Either a drizzle or a cloudy sky, would add more to this heavenly road, hence I would suggest you to visit the campsite in or after the rain gods have blessed this area.
As we reached near the campsite, the singing of birds amplified, the air became cooler, the roads narrower. In front of us laid the entrance to the campsite that would take you in after a nominal charge of ₹40 per person if you have sported your way on a two-wheeler and ₹400 for a car. The road on the other end of the entry gate wasn’t very different from what we had just left behind. It was large enough for a single car to pass at a time, the sides were covered with trees and slopes, now with added beauty of a cloudy sky.
Hardly a kilometre after the entrance, we reached the campsite. To our left were Non-AC cottages, located at an elevated height. To our right laid the main area of the campsite, the office, the dining cottages, a main stage area under a canopy of trees, the souvenir shop, a Amul parlor and AC rooms. A little ahead was the parking area with a washroom (that needed cleaning) on it's side, a large tree with a cement sitting area around it but of course lush green trees.
After a two hour ride, who wouldn't want to stretch their legs and give themselves a rewarding breakfast! So we did just that! Our picnic baskets had the typical mouth-watering edibles; soft slices of bread with butter, a bowl of maggie and a 'kulhad' of steaming hot coffee. Although the campsite had breakfast and lunch facilities at mere cost of ₹150 per person, but since our stay was just until the afternoon, we decided to keep our wallets full. As we were done refueling ourselves, we went straight to the play area, just next to the parking-lot. The play-area was circled with a wooden canopy bridge which was exceedingly picturesque. The stairs to it were delicate, but once you step on the bridge, you can see the jungle stretched miles away, with two huge trees giving the bridge a serene look. We clicked bazillion pictures on the bridge itself and forgot all about our journey that still lay ahead of us. The ground below had a swing set, two see-saws, a merry-go-round, a slide and two benches to sit. Looking at our childhood rides, we transformed ourselves to the happy-excited kid and indulged in them till we realized we had to visit another place, for which Dhanpari attracts most of the travellers.
One kilometer away from Dhanpari, lies Kadi Dam, which is actually a lake. The road to it lies from the campsite itself, hence we walked our way through. The road was steep but short. They even had tent facilities near the dam which we hadn't explored. As you reach the top the view embraces you with it's gentle breeze. Few steps down and you find yourself on a two storey watch tower where we were left exposed to a view of a lifetime. The clean, calm lake had the jungle on it's side where we stood and hills on the opposite. We saw a couple walking along the side of the lake near the hills but we failed to find our way through it. So if you can, you definitely should! We went to the second floor which was basically a terrace and stood at the very end of it only to wish that if time ever decides to stop, it should be right now! I let the cold wind, the breath-taking view, the enormous scene take me away with it, into the serene world of mother earth.
After gulping down the beautiful panorama, we set out for our last destination for the day in the campsite. To the right of this two floored balcony laid the stairway to heaven. Few steps down, amidst the jungle, we spotted a bench to sit. We decided to try the view that it could gift, hence we detoured a few steps. Sitting on the bench right in the middle of jungle, I realized that what lies ahead, behind the branches, is the same lake, with a fishermen boat resting at the shore, but this time too near than before. We took a picture or two and went ahead on to the original track, which was basically a road between the lake and the jungle. To our left was the same lake, even nearer than before and to our right was the jungle, the mighty jungle. The road was covered with colourful butterflies, playing around us, flying from one shrub to another. We strolled on the path for a while and than sat on the edge of the lake side. As far as my eyes could see, I saw the calm waters, the mighty hills, the infinite sky and a soul walking in the air, submerging itself in the beauty of what eyes could only see. My heart was so full, had it ever before experienced catharsis, it would have felt like this, like the way it was feeling at that very moment.
After what seemed hours long, we decided to walk back to the campsite. On our way back we met a tiny velvet red bug, strolling in the midday sun, after watching the mister walk by for a while we resumed our retracing from yet another different path, in the middle of the forest, which turned out to be a short-cut. We saw few benches under the shed of trees and sat there for while, talking about life and nature with a hint of gossips in between. Our body growled for refueling hence we fulfilled it's wish and walked back to our cars, after a mini detour to souvenir shop.
On our way back, I peeped out of the window and waved a mental goodbye to the lake, the hills, the forest, the trees and the roads. I added a gratitude in the end of my goodbye and put on Kishor Da's melodious voice to make the return journey easier.
