Romancing the rain
It is 10 pm and I am in the middle of a rain forest. The only source of light is the night sky and the only sounds are those of crickets, cicadas and frogs. I shut my eyes for a minute. When I open them, the forest comes alive with hundreds of fireflies, a scene straight out of fantasies. This is just one of the many wonders the rain forest of Agumbe in Karnataka offers.
A tiny village in Shivamogga district, Agumbe is known as the Cherrapunji of the South and is part of the Western Ghat range. Tucked away in this tiny village is Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS). It was established in 2005 by Romulus Whitaker, the ‘snake man of India’. This is where I was headed for my weekend getaway.
The journey begins with a seven-hour bus ride from Bengaluru. Accompanying us is Sanjeev Padnekar, a herpetologist who will double as our guide.
The research station is a humble cottage in the middle of the jungle. The place has been home to pioneers of research on King Cobras in the country. “You have to be real lucky to spot a cobra. It took me months before I saw one,” says Sanjeev, who has been working with ARRS for the past eight years.
At the breakfast table, we are greeted by researchers who work at the station. We are told not to walk around after dark without torch or footwear, for you never know what is lurking on the floor. Nobody is allowed to handle any animal. Camouflage clothing is a big no, unless you want to get into serious trouble with the anti-Naxal squad patrolling the area.
Sanjeev shows us Citronella, a plant used in mosquito repellents such as Odomos; the brilliant architecture of anthills, and a snake skin. We then enter a section of the forest which is open to the public.
This place springs a surprise in every step (read leeches). As we traverse through the forest, we see the most unusual frogs, endemic to Western Ghats. Then, in a scene straight out of the TV series Man Vs Wild, Sanjeev identifies civets, wild dogs and a leopard, all from their faeces. We also spot a tree that oozes sap as red as blood.
It is then time to visit the village, home to some 100 families. The forest provides them with everything—from food to wood to honey, a big source of their income.We then arrive at a place that has been on my bucket list ever since I saw the series Malgudi Days.
This is the house where the series was shot. The 150-year-old architectural marvel called Doddamane (big house) is home to the Rao family. Kasthuri Jayanth Rao is the 71-year-old matriarch who takes care of the family business. Apart from being a popular home stay for the past four decades, the place is known for its Malnad food. Nothing comes with a price tag, be it food or the rooms.
Geared with a torch, we start our walk around the research station after dusk. We spot our first snake—a vine snake—coiled around a branch. By the end of the walk we have spotted three vine snakes, two water snakes, tarantulas, crabs, psychedelic-colored butterflies and a giant pregnant cricket.“Only if people see animals in the wild and experience forests will they appreciate what we have and make a conscious effort to protect our only home,” says Sanjeev.