Pobitora Assam wildlife | Highest density of one horn Rhino in the world, Mayong village black magic
Namaskar Friends! Welcome to Visa2explore! This is your host, Harish Bali. You are aware that we are travelling in Assam right now. Today, we are going on a safari inside the Pobitora wildlife sanctuary. We took 1.5 hours to reach here from Guwahati. It is distance of 45 KM. You can do the jeep safari here anytime between 7 am and 3.30 pm.
The usual duration of this safari is about an hour. 12 to 1 pm is lunch time! Per person ticket is for Rs 1500, which also includes the toll and jeep charges. And Rs 50 per person is the extra entry charge. So, overall, the cost is Rs 1600 for two persons. A jeep can carry maximum of 4 persons. Apart from a driver, a guard accompanies you on this journey.
For us, this is the guard accompanying us. Shall we go? Yes! There are about 4 or 5 wild buffaloes. Yes! Can we take the jeep in heir direction? Yes, we will. Is it that? Yes Sir! In that direction? Yes! Finally, we were able to see the rhino with our own eyes. A short while ago, he was behind that tree. But now, he is chewing on the grass.
What a clear view! It is looking so good, right? Although we aren't able to see the horn of this rhino. One more thing that I've noticed is that... ...the trees on this side are so dense and close to each other... ...that the sunlight can't reach the ground surface. Let me share some important information about rhinos. Their average running speed is 45-50 KM/hour. This should give you an idea about how fast this animal runs. At this speed, if it runs into a vehicle like jeep...
...it could easily overturn the vehicle. The average weight range of rhinos is between 1600 and 2700 kg. In India, the one-horned rhinos are found in Assam, West Bengal and... ...to some extent in Uttar Pradesh. But the largest numbers are found in Assam. I can hear the sounds of lots of birds here. A total of 385 bird species are found in this sanctuary. Some of these are local species while most are migratory birds...
...who visit here between October and December. Beautiful! I can see rhinos too! What do you say? Yes sir, there are 3 Rhinos. This is wonderful! I never expected to watch 3 Rhinos together. From such a short distance. Just look at it! Uff! This is a golden view! I am really happy! Overall, our visit to Pobitora is a success! A little while ago, we also saw the Asiatic Wild Buffaloes in water.
Even now, there are 8-10 wild buffaloes in front of us. You must notice their horns. On top of that, we have these 3 Rhinos in front of us. We've come back to the starting point of jeep safari. Thank you very much. You helped us immensely on this jeep safari.
The main thing is that we got to see the Rhino at such close quarters. I enjoyed it! Very good! You've told me that wildlife visits are closed between... ...last week of April and last week of September. Due to monsoon, elephant and jeep safaris are discontinued. The time is 1.15 pm so it would be better to have lunch here.
Let us check out these nearby stalls. Would you like to join us? No Sir, we are on duty right now. Okay! Alright! Oh yes! This is safari time! Yes! Safaris go on till 3.30 pm.
Yes! Alright then! Thank you very much! Okay! Bye-bye! There are a few eateries here. You can see Hotel Pobitora! There are two more adjoining this one. I've visited all three and they all serve Assamese food. This is where we will be having lunch. Now I was thinking about what else we could do after lunch. One activity that we could go for is a boat ride.
During that boat ride, we could also see Dolphins. Second activity could be that we could visit a museum nearby. We cannot do both activities because it is already 1.45 pm.
By the time we will leave from here, it will be 2.30 or 2.45 pm. And by 4.30 pm, it is already dark here. Anyways, let us finish lunch and then decide our programme for... ...today and tomorrow. I will take a walk first and after that lunch! For lunch, I've got dal, rice papad and fish.
This fish is cooked with aloo (potatoes) and gobhi (cauliflower). This plate has salad, chutney, palak (spinach), achaar (pickle)... ...and beans & aloo! Good taste! While travelling in this region, I've understood that...
...the local food is light on spices! For instance, this dal has just salt in it. Absolutely no chili at all. Overall, a decent taste! Lai patta is very juicy! Lovely! Here, I've seen, the eggplant is smoked before being cooked. I ate it a few days ago and enjoyed it very much.
However, that taste is missing here a little bit. The food is simple and the price is reasonable - Rs. 120 per person. It is good! Let us finish lunch and I will join you again soon. Till then I will also decide what to do next. I've had my lunch. There is a hanging bridge built across this gate.
Let us see the hanging bridge. After that we will go for the boat safari. This hanging bridge is a tourist attraction in itself. A while ago, I saw a number of tourists clicking photographs here. They were clicking selfies too! It is nice to be on this bridge. Because there is water down below.
You can spend good time here. And it is called hanging because it moves a little as you walk on it. When 10-15 persons walk at the same time, the bridge moves a little. You can also see elephants taking bath around here.
This tells us that if you come here in the afternoon... ...like right now it is 2.40 pm... ...you might see the elephants taking a bath here. However, the problem is how to reach that spot. Because this gate on the other end is closed. This is from where they take you for an elephant safari. Now let us go for the boat safari. We will try to catch the sunset while on the safari.
We've purchased a ticket from this counter for boat safari. Rs 2000 is the charge! You will accompany us. What is your name? Chintu! Chintu! How far are we going? 3 KM! We will travel upto 3 KM and from there the boat safari begins? Yes! You can come with us in our car! Chintu told me that this river is called "Pakodia." Right? Out there is the Brahmaputra river. Both these rivers are meeting there, in the distance.
We will go through the Sangam point? Yes, we will! It is good that we are doing it at this time of the day. Along with the dolphins, we will also get to see the sunset. Isn't it so? Yes Sir! Alright, Let's go! Shall we sit here? Yes! How good does it look to see two rivers meeting right here! How deep is the water here? (inaudible) 20 feet! We've been standing here for the past 20 minutes. I can see Dolphins, alright! But let me tell you how that is happening. We need four persons to look in four different directions! That is because by the time we point out Dolphins at one spot...
...they have moved to another spot. And they appear at a distance from the boat. At 100-150 m distance, you can see dolphins. They jump out of water and jump back in right away! By the time you focus on them, they are back inside water.
But this experience is good! It may seem like we are standing over calm waters... ...but Chintu tells me the undercurrent of the river is quite fast. How deep would the water be here? It must be 30-40 feet! 30-40 feet! Yes, it is that deep. So, what is the reason for the presence of so many dolphins at this spot? They get to eat a lot of smaller fishes here. Is that so? Alright.
Now let us move to some other spot on this river. Yes Sir, we will get down at this island to watch the sunset. We will watch the sunset from this island? Yes Sir! We've reached the island. You can see those mountains and the sun in the middle. In another 5 minutes, the sun will set. And in this part of the sky, you can see the moon.
The moon is clearly visible in the sky. This tells us that the pollution levels are very low in this area. There are some boats here. Are these fishing boats? Yes! Okay! Let us walk till there.
After another 10-15 minutes, we will go back. The sun had set by 4.20 pm. That should give you an idea about the sunset.
The sun rises early too. This is the area where we are standing right now. Its top surface is made of sand. And all these plants that you see, Chintu has told me... ...these are all groundnut plants. We will spend some 5 more minutes here before heading back. We have to go to Pobitora, where we will drop Chintu as well.
We've booked a room at Pobitora Prashanti... ... Tourist Lodge for tonight's stay. Let us go and see the room. This is the room where we will be staying. Its tariff is Rs 1800 on double occupancy basis. Today's journey ends here.
We will now meet again tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will show you the surroundings of this property. Tomorrow, we want to go for an elephant safari. Its timings are 6.30 am and 7.30 am. We will go for the 7.30 am safari because early morning is foggy.
We will do local sightseeing for the rest of the day and then... ...by evening we have to reach Guwahati. Alright then, bye for now. And Good Night! Good morning! It is 6.55 am and we are ready to go on an Elephant safari. I had told you we are staying at Prashanti Tourist Lodge. Right now, I am standing outside that building. Our luggage has been loaded on to our car.
Last night, I could not show you the location from outside. It isn't as clear even now because of the fog. But you can still see whatever possible.
This is the building from outside and its surroundings. The entry gate to wildlife sanctuary is at a walking distance. I mean to say that we can walk upto the place where we are going...
....because it is hardly half a km away. This board has information about the kind of animals here. The main animal is rhino and everyone knows about it. Besides, there is Asiatic Wild Buffalo, Leopard,... ...Jungle cat and jackal here. The density of one-horned rhino in ths sanctuary is... ...the hightest in the world. It means there is a 99% chance that you will get to see...
...rhino when you'll visit here. There are full chances of coming across a rhino... ...during this one-hour safari. There are total of 102 rhinos here. Let us go for Elephant safari now.
We had already booked our tickets. We will now see you again at the entry gate. You see that gate behind me? The jeep safari begins outside that gate.
We've come to this place. If we cross this hanging bridge, we will reach the... ...point from where the elephant safari begins. Whenever you visit here, for Elephant safari,...
...you must book your tickets in advance. Especially if it is a weekend. You must book your safari in advance even during weekdays... ...because that is what tourists usually do. There are two batches of safari - 6.30 am and 7.30 am. For that you need to report half an hour early. Let us cross this hanging bridge. We've reached the elephant riding point.
We will go with you? Alright! From up there? Let's go! How long before we see a Rhino? 20 minutes! 20 minutes. Since the mornings are foggy, it is better to come here after 7.30 am. The main advantage of an elephant ride is that you can get... ...closer to the animals. This is because the elephants walk on a pre-designated path. We can see a Rhino in at a distance. However it is hidden in the tall grass.
Is it Rhino? Just see, how close it is! Can we go in there? Yes! There is a baby rhino too? Oh yes! look at that! A rhino with a baby! It is huge in size! Huge! One thing is there we didn't pass through grass during jeep safari. But here, both Rhino and we are walking through this grass. How wonderful! The Rhinos must be aware of the presence of tourists too! (Laughter) The rhinos must've learnt to pose for photographs by now! Are all Rhinos here one-horned? Yes! See! A bird atop a Rhino! There are two more rhinos.
Right in front of us. What a view! We are so close! It feels like they are also watching us. There is one more Rhino here.
Amazing! This is the 11th Rhino that we've seen in the last 40 minutes. In just one hour of safari! Ohh! Two Rhinos together! Look at that! Jayanta bhai, tell me how many Rhinos have you seen on a single trip? About 8-10! 8-10 rhinos at one place? Our safari is complete and we are heading out now. Look at that rhino, standing away from the grass. It is a clear view of the animal. We can also see the horn clearly.
Wonderful! One Rhino is there in the grass and this one is by the tree. Great! Terrific experience! We got to see one more rhino on our way out. Hardly 30 m away! It is going away from the Elephant. Would we have seen as many Rhinos during the afternoon... ...as we see in the morning? (inaudible) You mean rhinos are visible throughout the day? Yes! it is their birthplace! It is their birthplace? Yes! What time do they go to sleep? Does it sleep during the day? Yes, it does! And it feeds during the night. And how many hours does it sleep? Haven't you calculated that ever? Look at my question - how many hours does Rhino sleep for? What a question!!! Have you ever touched a Rhino? Like when the doctor comes for a check up, etc.
Yes! What does its skin feel like? You would know! Its skin is 2 inches thick layer! 2 inch thick? Yes! It must feel hot during summer season? Yes, it does! That is why it prefers to stay in a marsh. Closer to the water! So far, I've felt that jeep safari and Elephant safari... ...are unique experiences in themselves. Yes! During elephant safari, Rhinos are visible through tall grass. It was a matter of chance that we got to see it in front of us. But during jeep safari, you see rhinos out in the open. We're at Ogri village, about 5 KM from Pobitora.
Right now, we are travelling in a region called Mayong. We are at the home of Kabiraj Prabin Saikia ji. Namaskar! We are glad to meet you. I want to know from you more about Meyong. There are many Tantriks (occult practitioners)...
...active in this area. We want to understand from you more about tantra knowledge. can we discuss that here? No! It won't be right to discuss it here. Let us talk inside. There I can show you some objects as well. We will talk inside? Yes! Alright! If I say you are a Tantrik (occult practitioner) would that be right? Yes, people can call me tantrik! Since I indulge in tantra practices. I've been told that about 20 or 30 years ago, in Guwahati,... ...if someone said I will go to Mayong... ...he wasn't allowed to do so. It was believed that if anyone came to Mayong...
...he or she would be turned into a bakri (goat). Yes, it is right. And after they are turned into a bakri, they are tied by a tree here. Yes! So, this belief...
Yes, it existed earlier. Is it true that a human could be turned into a goat? Yes, it is true! I can demonstrate it to you even today. (laughter) No, I don't want to turn into a goat! (laughter) You mean it is possible with tantra-mantra? Yes, it is possible. I've also heard about a mantra (chant)... ...called "Mohini or Manmohini." Yes! With that mantra, you could control somebody's mind too. Yes, it is possible.
Using that chant, one could even rob someone of their belongings. Yeah! So, does it happen so fast, within 5 seconds!! What usually happens is that a person could chant this mantra... ...for about a lakh times and imbibe it in his spirit. After that, you just need to think about it... ...and the effect would take place. In five seconds, you could control someone's mind. Yes, you can! How many people practice this around here? About 6 or so! Around 6 persons! Yes! From what I've understood, tantra-mantra is a sort of energy.
A power! Yes, power! It can be used for good as well as for bad means. Yes! So, do you use tantra knowledge for both purposes? No! For Negative impact, there is Negative tantra knowledge. For positive, it is positive. The negative knowledge would bring you negative results.
The positive knowledge would bring you good results. How long have you been doing this work? Since 1969! It has been very long. Hmm! When we reached here to meet you... ...I saw 12-15 people were waiting to see you. Hmm! They come to you with their problems? Of course, people who have problems seek my help. Why would someone with no problems in life come to me? People, who cannot get their problems resolved elsewhere...
...visit me. When you started this practice, how many people... ...practiced tantra vidya in Meyong? A lot! There was one such person in each family here. And the number dwindled with the passage of time. Yes! Does the younger generation want to learn this knowledge? Those who want to learn it don't find it so easy.
It requires a lot of hard work and time, which... ...the younger generation doesn't have. But still, would you like to teach it to others? That doesn't matter. What is more important is that the... ...person wanting to learn this knowledge must be good. Okay. From what you've said, I've understood is that suppose...
...someone said something to me and I am short-tempered... ...I might end up doing more harm than good. Yes! And those already practicing the occult realise that... ...it isn't for the short-tempered. Yes! Meaning it is a job only for the most patient people? Yes! Usually we've seen tantriks dressed in black. Yes, black color clothes. With two sticks in his hands. Yeah! And a human skull in which he often eats food as well? Yes! So, are such people around in Meyong? There were, but not anymore.
Earlier, there were? Yes! How long have people been practicing occult here? I have no idea at all. As per legends, it has been here since ancient times. You mean since... Times immemorial! It has been so many years! Yes! There are so many types of mantras that we know. You have that knowledge but you don't practice it? Right! I don't do all that! I am a devotee of Lord Vishnu. I don't do animal sacrifices and all that.
You mean the knowledge is there. But some use it for the greater good and some... ...use it for nefarious activities. Yes! It felt good meeting you here. You shared such priceless information about... ...the occult practices of Mayong. We need to go to Chanak. Is it called Chanak or Chanaka? It is Chanaka! Chanaka! We have to go there. How far is it?
Around 3 KM from here. It is close? Yes! Okay! So, we will take your leave now! Thank you! Thank you! We've reached Chanaka. The road leading to this place is quite narrow...
....still the drive is comfortable. Look at these huge boulders! If you see in this direction... ...this is the view for which we are here. It is the Brahmaputra river. From here, the river looks at least 2 to 2.5 KM away. There is a large sandy area beyond the river. The surroundings are peaceful.
On my way here, I saw a lot of banners announcing eco-camps. That means this area is popular among tourists. About 6 years back, this area had no road connectivity. However, at present, whoever comes to Pobitora... ...to watch wildlife, is automatically tempted to come here as well. Most of the tourists come to spend a couple of hours here...
...before carrying on with the rest of their journey. That is good! Parking is about a kilometer ahead. Here you will pay entry charge of Rs. 100 per vehicle. After that you can go on.
Let us go to parking now. We will see the view from there and then come back. We travelled half a km further from where we were earlier. The view from here is spectacular. Earlier, I thought the river is closer. But someone told me that that is not the case.
It would take at least an hour or more of walking in the sand... ...to reach the river point. A lot of people come here for picnic. Nice! Let us walk a bit more towards the river.
After that, we will return. Being here, I can say that this destination is already developed. There are a lot of restaurants here. Some of these are resorts and some are eco-camps. Like this is the Resort Beach Fire. Let us take a look inside.
Brother, do you have accommodation facility? Yes! What are the charges? Charges are Rs. 3500 and Rs. 4000. Alright. This includes meals as well? Yes, of course! Alright! Overall it feels good here! Some people are playing loud music. So, if you are here for peace and tranquility... ...I think that would be a bit difficult to experience. Now we are going to visit the museum.
It is 5 KM away. After that, off to Guwahati airport! Is there someone to guide us inside? Yes! I am there. As soon as you will enter the museum... ...you will come across this large map. It shows various places of Assam in a numbered list.
For example, Chanaka, which we visited earlier, is at No. 7. There are skulls of deer and water buffalo displayed on the wall. Deer horn! Let us go further inside. They have depicted a village scene here. A farmer is ploughing.
As you already know that Meyang is known for occult practices. This long sword looks like it was used for animal sacrifice. There is a story written here of two brothers...
...who worshipped Lord Indra. It is written here that before leaving for the abode of Lord Indra... ...they would always instruct the villagers to not venture out... ...till they returned. They warned that if they came across another human... ...they would kill him and drink his blood because... ... they would be in a trance. Usually, they used to return and drink the juice of a plaintain tree. Then, we also heard how the tantriks used to cure the sick.
Here, a child is unwell and the tantrik is curing him. And there is not one but several photographs depicting the same. I've also heard that in one of the tantrik cures.... ...they used to tie a plate to the sick person's back. Through mantras, the sickness would be transferred to that plate... ...turning it hot. Looking at this installation, you can see for yourself... ...how a tiger was trapped by hunters. There is also information written here about...
..."The Enchanting story of Trapping a Tiger With The... ...Power of Magic (Mantra)." There was a tantric, Sura Bez. He has been depicted sitting here. If there was a tiger who killed the cattle,... ...Sura Bez could find out where the tiger was in the jungle. That area was then turned into a trap with the help of mantras. The tiger could be hypnotized with the mantras.
Like it is written here, "Bagh Bolon Mantra." Then, a person would be sent to bring back the tiger... ...who was by now hypnotized. If the king permitted, the tiger would then be killed. If not, the tiger would be sent back to the jungle. I've heard about some ancient scriptures containing mantras.
Yes! Where are those? I didn't see them. Let me show you. These are the scriptures containing various mantras...
...with different purposes. Suppose how to hypnotise a tiger, that different mantras are here. Each tantrik had boxes like these, in which they carried... ..tools like this tortoise shell and other medicines. This is the head of an oriental rattlesnake.
Tail of procupine! This place has information about every display. And if you want to know more, you are here to help. Yes! Too good! I think you must visit this place if you come to Pobitora. You will get to know all about Meyang. Its past as well as its present. What are the timings of the museum? It opens at 8 am and closes at 4 pm.
4 pm? Yes! Hmm! Right! We are leaving for Guwahati airport now. Our series ends here and... ...today's episode as well. It will take us at least 2.5 hours to reach Guwahati. We might encounter traffic on the way.
I will say bye to you now. We've seen the museum properly. We saw Pobitora as well. I will say bye to you now. I haven't decided about the next destination. But I am keen on going to Bihar.
Bye for now! Thanks for your time.
2022-03-09 18:22
