Desert Wheatear at Sambhar salt lake

 On a chilly morning of early January when the temperature was dipping to new lows I caught an early morning bus to Sambhar salt lake from Jaipur. Though my watch indicated 6am but it seems midnight, pitch dark made sinister by drooling fog, a rickety two hour ride and I was in Sambhar town. The fog had cleared and behold, what a sunny day. Few minutes’ walk, you pass salt museum which looks like a mausoleum, and enter open ground that stretch into miles and miles. It is not like desert sand of Jaisalmer but firm dry ground, a mix of maroon and white that cracks as you walk, white made brighter by the morning sun, no living thing nearby not even a shrub it was absolutely barren. It is as if you are on a beach and the ocean has retreated to where the eye couldn’t see. Strange mix of chilly wind, warm sun and blinding whiteness that stretched like a surreal canvas that is perfectly plain. For a moment I was reminded of Bergman’s movie and the old man’s dream. It was so exhilarating that I walk few kilometers in, till the vague feeling get confirming that I am loosing sense of direction. After standing still for few minute, where you truly are middle of nowhere –it could even be some other planet, I made a hasty retreat. It was one of its kind experiences. I strongly suggest it. 

I hear whistle of an approaching train and wait…and wait. No train and you think the surreal surrounding has started to play its trick in your mind. O my god its happening I am going mad! You forget about the train and look at the horizon, its shimmering you think its water and expect the flamingoes to emerge but realize it’s a mirage, alright I had enough of this. As I was walking back I hear a distinct noise of train, I tell myself I am not going to fall for it this time, and keep walking. The lumbering train though real looks unbelievable in the surrounding as it cuts through the lake like an gigantic millipede.  

  

The lake, that has a circumference of about 100Km, is completely dry with little patches where the salt is cultivated, pool of brine could be seen, another patch had gotten maroon as the water had evaporated leaving last hint of moisture. Then the incredible sight of children playing cricket, you hit the ball and the ball keeps rolling as there is nothing to stop!! It possibly is the best ground for sports; I thought they should be playing football than the lazy man’s game and waste their health and keenness. No game dulls the sense as cricket, quite appropriately it is doing well in Indian subcontinent. 

There is narrow gauge line that criss cross the lake meant to carry the salt from the pans to processing unit. The salt wagon as they pass make hell of a noise, and you think it may topple down. The miracle of momentum pushes it further from disaster and so it goes on. It though is a riveting sight. Salt from the lake is being produced for more than 2500 years, so much salt is produced even now that Rajasthan is the third largest producer of salt because of Sambhar salt. Nearby is also the sight for largest solar based power project in the world. Bravo to that!!

There is a PIL submitted in the court that says the lake “has a great potential to support large population of flamingos, other water birds and faunal diversity. Hence, it requires proper focus and attention for its conservation. This has become all the more necessary because Sambhar Lake is facing serious threats due to large scale top soil removal by private salt industries, heavy vehicular trespass by villagers, small dam construction in the catchment areas restricting the water supply of the lake, mushrooming of private salt industries on the northern belt of the lake…”

It was while I was walking along the track on the way back that this bird makes his bold move and land right in front of me. He stretches his head out to look at something, completely ignoring me. The Desert Wheatears is quite a charmer and I was locked in for next half an hour or so. Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) is a winter migrant from central Asia and could be seen in the patch from Rajasthan to Gujarat.

Later as I was strolling along the meandering alleys of the town to anchor for breakfast, least expecting anything proper (as mentioned earlier breakfast in north India is always a horrible experience mostly you have to go without or maybe munch some fruits) people asked whether some ‘shooting’ was to happen? Interacting with them I gathered that Sambhar town as well as the lake has seen some popular movies being shot. Indeed the narrow alleys were converted into Chandni Chowk for the hindi movie Delhi 6!! I just couldn’t believe that a rather quite town could be converted into noisy crowded old delhi but yes when you look around there is essential framework. I made a mental note to watch the movie, since it is difficult to watch complete movies in TV, atleast the scenes. On a lighter note there were too many people asking about impending shooting that I succumbed to the temptation ‘yes yes. I cannot reveal it now’. ‘Who is the hero?’ was a query that hit right where it hurt. Gosh I couldn’t recollect names of any of recent Hindi movie actors!! Few people throng around me as i sipped the sugary tea. Later someone with a glint in his eyes said ‘it must be bike ad’. ‘Sure it is…how did you know?...I cannot reveal much as there is too much competition!’. I guess cooking good stories does compensate for breakfast. I had my revenge!    

From the scribble pad..

To see the nothing

Every moment nature reveals a mystery. 

A tale to tell.

An anecdote to share.

The startling breeze on a silent night

drops in a word of ageless sight,

Little flutters flaps in a sentence of earnest on a bright day,

Knits paragraph of diligence with tireless eight legs,

Slithers on the trail as a phrase of insight,

Croaks from pond the moral of wild,

Spreads its bloom as colorful dots of wisdom,

A moment here is never too short.

I, the silly, miss it all the while.

Look at the dry leaf and speculate the tree.

Isn’t that a flycatcher or is it a warbler?

Which spider specie is that, I consider?

Ah the snake, reckon is poisonous.

The irritant frogs.

And wild flowers, just the right one to shoot.

Or maybe there is nothing.

The zephyr is a moment in time.

Sound is to listen.

Sight is see. 

Mind a thought.