Naliya

A trip down Naliya lane

The thought of travelling to Naliya never crossed my mind until a good friend was posted to the IAF station there. Naliya is an ancient town in close proximity to the port of Jakhau and off the National Highway 8A.

Vinod Kumar , is a Group Captain with IAF. We share a good affection and bond with each other. It might be because my father served in IAF. A couple of years ago when Vinod got transferred to Naliya, a casual mention to my father kindled his memory. My father had visited the station in the 70s for an inspection of sorts and had stayed for three months or so. This recollection in turn aroused my curiosity prompting a visit to Naliya. Some other common friends suggested a trip to the Rann of Kutch. Naliya was 3-hour drive from the Rann of Kutch. To maximize our time with our hosts, we decided to travel late night to Naliya. Our taxi driver Ali took us through the small villages of the state bypassing the standard Google map suggestions. The roads had potholed for most of the journey. We were riding the dirt tracks in many stretches. There was no sight of habitation for miles together. The countryside was silent and calm. Of course on a typical Indian road terrain, Buffalos stopped us on the way. They stood on the middle of the road claiming their space. We had to give them the right of way before we could move on. We almost ran over some rabbits on the road. Ali was quick to spot the scurrying rabbit and it saved the rabbits life. The shrubs on the both of the sides of the road were thorny and dusty. The trees were long living perennial ones adapting to the desert.

We reached Naliya at 330 am . Vinod was there at the gate to welcome us with a warm hug. We reached his house which was a short ride from the gate. A warm cup of tea with snacks was ready for us. Despite a hectic day we were cheerful and happy. We caught up with old times with Vinod. Nasreen and Vinod made us feel welcome although we landed at an odd hour. We slept for a couple of hours at the insistence of our hosts. We woke up at sharp 730 am to visit the The Great Indian Bustard Bird Sanctuary. Vinod and his friend Puneet were our guides for the day. The air was crisp and cold. We took light woollen shawls to keep ourselves warm. I was a bit skeptical about the nature trail. This was the first experience of going on a nature trail and observing the flora and fauna at close. We set out for the trip in a four-wheeler Jeep. Along with us we had binoculars, a bird sighting handbook, Nikon cameras and of course hot tea and snacks prepared carefully by Nasreen.

We wavered off from the main highway road to the muddy village road. It felt like a road to nowhere. It was dirt track flanked by pebbles or stones of various sizes. The small pebbles has sustained many a vehicle run over them for many years. A solitary tree speaks of bringing some respite to dry land. Amidst the vast expanse of aridity, one wonders where this growth is getting its water sustenance. The grass around the sides of the road was dry and arid. It was difficult to believe this arid place would house the many birds that we would spot later in the day.

There were artificial oasis at various locations. These were the drinking holes for the birds and small animals. The air was silent except for the chirping of the birds. The chirping of the birds serenaded the dawn. The countryside stretched before us like a blanket of earth and soil with an occasional spattering of bushes and trees.

It was an exhilarating 4 hours of my life. We spotted birds, which were small, medium and large in size. They have a natural camouflage to blend with surroundings. Our eyes took time to spot the birds. We spotted sparrows, harriers, partridges, hoopoes, indian woodpeckers, raptors, ospreys, egrets, falcons and many more. The names seem to escape my mind, as it was the first time I was seeing so many birds at one go.
Few of the birds had bright colored wings, some blended with the nature. Many of the birds made rustling noises and some moved about without making noise. The industrious birds were fetching twigs, while the mother birds were guarding their eggs. Several were gliding across the sky, whereas some species were flying in flocks. The eagles soared far above us and we could spot partridges flitting in the air. Some of the birds’ wings seemed to be in a flurry of motion like they were in a position to take of on an important mission. Each bird had their territory earmarked for themselves.
Unfortunately we could not spot the Great Indian Bustard for which the sanctuary is famous.
This sanctuary extends to the north towards the creeks of Jakhua along the Kutch coast. The marshes in the Rann were filled with flocks of water birds, Flamingoes, Pelicans, cranes, and ducks. The beautiful sight of flamingoes with their pink tipped wings soaring low on the water is an unforgettable sight.

We spotted ducks wading across the large expanse of water. There were spoonbills standing majestically looking at us. The pelicans with their long beaks and pouches looked so stunning.

This was my first visit to a bird sanctuary and I enjoyed every moment. It was one of the most memorable trips in recent times.