I had been to Kaziranga National Park for the first time about 6 years ago but back then I just past through the park and except for rhino’s didn’t see much at all.

Then in March I landed up there again as a part of the Journeys with Meaning trip. This time though I wasn’t just passing through and I got to know the forest so much better.

There is so much I learned and experienced in a little over one day there. The night before the safari, Dr. Firoz Ahmed, a Wildlife Biologist at Aranyak made time to come and tell us about Kaziranga and answer our questions.

The Rhino

Dr. Firoz has spent many years in Kaziranga studying the Rhino and trying to save it. And they’ve achieved it! In spite of poaching, since the park was formed in 1904 rhino numbers have been steadily going up. There are over 2000 rhinos in Kaziranga today.

Kaziranga National Park is a combination of grassland, marshland, and dense tropical forests criss-crossed by 4 rivers. It supports not just the rhino but also a large number of other animal, bird and fish species that come together to form an excellent eco-system. Here an adult Rhino does not have any predators and lives 8-10 years. It’s horn and very sharp teeth keep it safe from most attacks. Even Tigers would think twice.

Poaching

However in spite of the skin of a rhino looking tough and like armour, it is delicate and very sensitive. One well placed shot from poachers can bring this beautiful beast to its knees and after that it’s just one or two hacks of an axe to get the horn. The entire operation is so quick that it’s almost impossible to catch the poachers.

Most poachers work hand in hand with locals. A local guide is needed for a successful slaughter. Aranyak works in this space, trying to educate the locals and protect the rhino.

The Horn

It is a myth that the rhino horn is used in Chinese medicine as a aphrodisiac. The truth is it is used in fever medicine. The horn can be harvested with out killing the rhino if it is not dug out but the rates for the horn (80 lakhs or so for 250gms) makes poachers want to take all of it, every single bit.

Rhino horns are used not just for medicine, but also as ornaments and status symbols. The extremists use them as a way to fund their activities, buying guns, ammunition and such.

Kaziranga has more rhino poaching than tiger poaching and tiger numbers here are high (over a 100). The tigers are pretty safe here as there is very little human-tiger conflict due to the large supply of water and prey in this extremely fertile land.

Continued Next week…

 
P.S. – Day Seventeen of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge.

I bought a Mekhla Chadar yesterday. A friend has opened an Ethnic Wear store (Ankh Creations) and I stopped by to wish them luck. While Pallavi showed me all the various types of sarees she had (Sambampur Silk, Bhagalpur Silk, Muga Silk and more), a red piece kept catching my eye. To satisfy my curiosity I asked to see it. It turned out to be a very pretty mekhla. All I knew about a mehkla is that its a traditional Assamese dress.

So what is a Mekhla Chadar?

Mekhla Chadar is the traditional attire of Assamese women and is made up of three pieces (like the South-Indian half saree) – a skirt like a sarong, a blouse and an additional piece of cloth draped over the shoulder. The mekhla skirt is a thicker garment whereas the chadar is lighter to make management easier.

The skirt is a wide cylinder of cloth that is folded into pleats to fit the waist. In the usual 6 yard saree the pleats are folded to the left but in a mekhla the pleats fold to the right. One end of the chaddar is tucked at the pleats, the rest is taken around the waist and thrown over the left shoulder.

The mekhla (or the skirt) is known for its shine that comes from the muga silk unique to Assam. In the good old days these were woven at home by the women. Girls were taught how to weave on a loom and handlooms were found in every household. It was a part of their training along with growing rice and vegetables. When you think about it, it makes sense – if you can grow your own food and make your own cloth, you are independent, you can take on the world 🙂

The mekhla has beautiful wide borders, the designs inspired by nature and is made in all colours. Red is a particular favourite for weddings. Traditionally it was made of cotton, muga silk or pat silk but today you also get it in synthetic mixes. In the old days each house wove its own unique designs on the mekla and gamcha (a towel-like garment), quite like the Scottish tweed.

The famous silks of Assam are grown at Sualkuchi 32km. from Guwahati. The entire village is engaged in weaving silks and it is often called the Manchester of the East. Apart from the Muga, other silks like Eri and Pat are also grown here.