Come monsoon, many of us start thinking about getting wet in the first showers, going to an enchanted forest, trekking to get lost in the clouds of mist and see the waterfalls . Melghat is one such pace in central India - the only hill station of the region surrounded by a thriving Tiger reserve and generally a heaven on earth kind of location.
It is to this destination that I am headed over this weekend.
Many of you on this forum will know me as a maverick Cardiologist from Nagpur with a penchant for 4x4 vehicles and a deep love for the forests, heading over to Pench or Tadoba Tiger reserves over almost every weekend to seriously pursue my deep interest in Wildlife Photography. Well, this weekend my destination is to a lesser explored Tiger reserve.
The forest in Melghat acquires fresh green colors with the first showers.
Yet, these remote villages though surrounded by bountiful nature, are home to several malnourished children. It is difficult to comprehend how malnutrition, caused by insufficient food during the summer and further complicated by the communicable diseases that spread during the monsoon, can exist amidst such natural beauty.
A brief introduction :
Melghat means 'meeting of the ghats' which is just what the area is, a large tract of unending hills and ravines scarred by jagged cliffs and steep climbs. The exquisite hill forests, thick undergrowth and moss-covered trees underscore its virgin confines. It lies at the northern extreme of the Amravati District on the border of Madhya Pradesh, in the southwestern Satpura mountain ranges. If its tigers were not so famous, Melghat might best be known as a 'raptor' or eagle sanctuary! It is, in any event, a birdwatcher's dream come true. Remember too, that though you may not easily see them, this forest is part of one of India's most vital tiger breeding habitats. As a whole Melghat encompasses an area of 1,676.93 sq. km. which includes the 788.75 sq. km. Melghat Sanctuary and the 361.28 sq. km. Gugarnal National Park in the Vidharba region of Maharashtra. The rest of the buffer zone includes 526.90 sq. km. of reserve forest. Located in the catchment area of the River Tapti, Melghat, a water harvesting forest, supplies 30 per cent of all the fresh water available to the people living in the vicinity.
History:
There are passes in Melghat that invaders from the north traversed to reach Berar where the Imad Shahi dynasty was founded in 1484.
Two historic forts called Narnala and Gawilgarh guard the main east-west ridge. In 1803, in the Second Maharatta War, Colonel Arthur Wellesley, who later became the Duke of Wellington, captured the Gawilgarh fort from the Maharattas. Melghat was an automatic choice when Project Tiger was launched in 1973.
'Bhavai Puja' is one of the local customs of the Korku adivasis, and is performed annually at the onset of the monsoons. Children between 10-12 years of age carry out the puja. They bathe in the nalla or river near the village, catch a frog and bring it back to the Hanuman temple, where the frog is put in a small pot of water. The direction in which the water splashes is believed to indicate the direction from which the rains will come. The children then put the frog in a bamboo basket after smearing it with wet mud and go house-to-house singing that the pools have all dried up. People who hear their song, come out of their houses and pour water over them. In the evening, the frog is brought back to the temple and released into the nalla or river the following day.
Habitat :
Melghat lies at the southern end of the Satpura ranges. The river Tapti, which is the northern limit of the reserve, branches into five major tributaries – Khandu, Khapra, Sipna, Gadga and Dolar – all of which flow through the reserve, with the Sipna and Dolar flowing through the core. Several pools and streams course through the area, but in the summer only a few small water sources remain. A few perennial streams ensure both water and pasture for herbivores. Small traditional earthen dams are constructed every year to augment the water sources and conserve the soil.
Melghat's rugged topography is characterised by steep cliffs and rocky ravines and more than forest guards, this is what protects it from encroachers. The hills are between 200 to 1,500 m. high with Vairat Devi Point being the tallest at 1,178 m. An irregular succession of hills and valleys vary in altitude and gradient, with numerous spurs branching off from the main ridge. Between plateau and hills are fodder-rich saddles used extensively by wild animals. Teak forests and bamboo thickets combine here to form prime tiger habitat… remnants of the once grand forests of Central India.
Conservation History :
Melghat area was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1974. Presently, the total area of the Reserve is around 1677 sq. km. The core area of the Reserve, the Gugarnal National Park with an area of 361.28 sq. km., and buffer area of the Reserve, the Melghat Tiger Sanctuary with an area of 788.28 sq. km. (of which 21.39 sq. km. is non-forest), were together re-notified by the state government in 1994 as Melghat Sanctuary. The remaining area is managed as a 'multiple use area'. Previously, Melghat Tiger Sanctuary was created in 1985 with an area of 1597.23 sq. km. Gugarnal National Park was carved out of this Sanctuary in 1987.
Flora and Fauna :
Melghat is a prime habitat of the Royal Bengal Tiger, Panthera tigris.
However, it isn't easy to spot a tiger in Melghat, so look for remnants of kills or scratch marks on trees or pugmarks as signs of the presence of the great cat. And if you see one, consider yourself twice blessed, for the real joy is being in the tiger's home in the first place.
Leopards and jungle cats thrive here, and the area is also home to the rusty spotted cat. Packs of dholes roam through the forest, and wild pig root about in the luxuriant undergrowth. Jackals and hyenas scavenge fresh kills. Foxes and wolves have also been seen, though less frequently. The Indian bison or gaur is another important animal of the reserve.
The tiger's staple diet is deer, predominantly sambar. Barking deer or muntjac, chinkara, chausingha and chital are plentiful. Blackbuck are also resident as are mouse deer and nilgai. You can spot langurs in the trees, or hear their alarm calls in the jungles. They share their high-rise homes with tree shrews, flying squirrels and bats.
Ratels, sloth bear, palm civet, small Indian civet and porcupines are other creatures found in the reserve. The Tapti river harbours a small population of otters, several species of frogs and over 24 species of fish.
There are 16 species of snakes that have been documented including the green vine snake, python and the cobra. Fat-tailed geckos, forest calotes, lizards and several species of fresh water turtles are also found here.
Over 250 species of birds have been listed in Melghat, but it is most importantly a raptor paradise.
Forest Owlet [ Heteroglaux blewitti ] :
Until its rediscovery in 1997,[7][3] this owl was known from only seven specimens collected in the nineteenth century. http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publ...King-Owlet.pdf
In 2000, a survey of 14 forest areas across its former range located 25 birds at four sites in northern Maharashtra and south-western Madhya Pradesh
Today, the Forest Owlet remains critically endangered, and the current population has been estimated at less than 50. One of my objectives of this trip is to try to sight this enigmatic bird. Archaeological Richness :
The Gavilgarh fort on the Chikhaldara plateau and Narnala fort abetting southeastern part of Melghat Tiger Reserve add to the aesthetic value of the area. Visitors to these archaeological monuments enjoy the serene forests in the backdrop.
The darker side of this heaven Melghat: a synonym for malnutrition
Malnutrition is a byword in the forested hills of the Melghat region inhabited mostly by Korku Adivasis. Every year 400-500 children between the ages of 0 and 6 die in the region, comprising Chikhaldhara and Dharni taluks, according to official figures from 2005.
The Problem:
Thousands of kids die every year in the tribal area of Melghat (Maharashtra, India) due to lack of medical attention and nutritional support. Increased incidence and rapid spread of infectious diseases such as pneumonia, typhoid, and dysentery are primary cause of high child mortality.
Situation worsens during monsoon when the food supplies are low and the communicable diseases are at their peak. 
A mother with her malnourished child in Melghat. Important points to plan a trip to this place:
Permits to trek can be obtained from the Conservator of Forests and Field Director, Project Tiger, Melghat. You may not see any large carnivores on your trip. But, if you are alert for tracks and droppings, especially on the dry riverbed of the Sipna river, the thrill of decoding the signs they leave behind and enhancing them visually with your imagination, may well match the real thing.
If you do have permission to walk at dusk, arm yourself with a stout bamboo to hit the ground on as you move to communicate your presence to ground-dwelling creatures like snakes that may be about. If you do see a large predator on foot it is advisable to move slowly away to allow it right of way. Then stay still. Do not panic or run.
Since the fire hazard at Melghat is a serious problem, please do not smoke, and carefully put out every last timber in your campfire before leaving.
Best season : For the adventurous sort, the rainy season is an excellent challenge to be there.
The summers temperatures can cross 40º C. In winter, Melghat is cool with temperatures dropping below 15º C! Between 1,000 to 2,250 mm. of rain falls during the monsoons. But the quantum received by different valleys varies because some of these fall in rain shadow belts.
December to May is the best season to visit Melghat. In summer, the forests are thin and the visibility good. In winter, it is more difficult to sight animals because of the profusion of reeds, grasses and weeds like lantana but this is when animals are in their prime condition making wildlife viewing a pleasure. When the grass is tall, animals could lie as close as within three metres of forest trails and still remain successfully hidden.
Accommodation :
Chikaldara Convention Complex [MTDC]. The place is located 20 km. from the reserve, away from the eastern border in Amravati District. Tel.: 0721-20234/ 20263. The Semadoh Tourist Complex situated inside Melghat, is run by the Forest Department.
For reservations, contact:Field Director, Project Tiger, Paratwada, Dist. Amravati, Maharashtra-444805. Tel.: 0721-662792. Fax: 0721-62493.
The rest house at Kolkaz is a favourite with staunch wildlifers and provides a beautiful view of the forests around. Book in advance. The facilities are not extravagant. For reservations, contact Divisional Forest Officer, East Melghat, Dist. Amravati. One could also choose to stay at the rest house at Dhakna. For reservations, contact the Divisional Forest Officer, West Melghat, Chikaldhara, Dist. Amravati.
Transport :
By Air: The closest airports are Akola (160 km.) and Nagpur (260 km.)
By Rail: Badnera is the nearest railhead. The Bombay-Howrah Express, Ahmedabad-Madras Navjeevan Express, Ahmedabad-Howrah Express arrive here. Within Maharashtra: the Kolhapur-Nagpur Maharashtra Express and the Bhusaval-Nagpur Passenger Train can be taken.
By Road: Chikaldara, a popular hill station, is connected to several major towns and cities. It is about 763 km. from Mumbai and 25 km. from the reserve. Nagpur (230 km.) and Amravati (100 km.) are closer, and State Transport buses are available from these cities to Chilkaldara. All buses going via Paratwada to Dharni and Burhanpur stop at the Tourist Centre in Semadoh. MTDC also organises excursions to the reserve. One can travel by jeeps arranged by the Forest Department on the forest roads within the reserve. Camping and trekking arrangements within the reserve can be made at Semadoh Tourist Centre.
Useful contacts :
The Field Director, Project Tiger, Melghat Tiger Reserve,
East Melghat Division, Amravati - 444602,
Maharashtra. Tel.:0721-662792/07223-20214 (Paratwada).
My route :
I'll be taking this unconventional route to go :
Nagpur-57kms-Katol-42kms-Warud-96kms-Paratwada-67kms-Semadoh 
The other route is the excellent NH6 via Amravati.
My route on google maps: Nagpur, Maharashtra 440001, India to Semadoh, Maharashtra, India - Google Maps Semadoh Forest rest house - i'll stay here : Wikimapia - Let's describe the whole world! 
Sun Rising over hills of Melghat Tiger Reserve 
Life's interesting when lived on the edge, because that's where you aren't silhouetted by the mass of miscellaneous things... on the edge, its just you and the wide horizon; that is where freedom is a reality.
It is to this yonder I am headed in a coupe of hours.
I will continue my chronicle when I return back on Sunday night.
regards,
Dr. A Ghosh Brothers in Arms (File Photo) 
Hey Doc, Nice pictures as always.
Remember me? The Kodak Z612 guy :D.
Excellent narration doc. I spent my childhood in a small town of Yavatmal district surrounded by Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctury so the forests of central india are close to my heart. The lush green teak and bamboo forests in monsoon is treat to eyes. Melghat is a hidden diamond not known to many of us leaving in concrete jungle. Lack of development has its positives and negatives and Melghat is no exception. It surely is heaven and hell at the same place.
Eagerly waiting for your trip log.
Doc, amazing pics there.What's the kit? And yes of course, waiting for more to be dished out.
