A typical Thursday winter morning, my day off at the hospital. “Your lunch is ready and on the dining table. Make sure you have it on time”. I am getting ready to foray into one of my bird watching sessions and my dear wife is making sure that I don’t do so on an empty stomach.
Located at about 30 km from my hometown is a paradise for bird watchers. I am blessed to have a beautiful place for observation of flora and fauna in my neighborhood. The small villages of Lakh and Bahosi have collectively more to offer than
larger bird sanctuaries have. The Lakh Bahosi Bird Sanctuary was conceived in 1988 with the view of promoting tourism and providing a safe haven to the migrant birds that flock here every winter.
Lakh Bahosi is a wetland area that takes a surprising turn from October onwards to
March end. During this time the area transforms into a beautiful lake that plays host to a variety of migratory birds such as the Common Coot, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveller, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Grey Lag Goose and many more. As a matter of fact, I am yet to come across a place from where standing at one point you can visualize so many species.
My friend and I leave at about 7.00 am. A single lane road snakes its way across green fields which play host to the early morning sun. It indeed is a beautiful sight. We stop over to witness this daily yet remarkable event. Making our way out of the car we are greeted by the gentle early morning breeze. The cool wind makes us feel alive and refreshed once again. Soon we are back on the road after witnessing a beautiful sunrise and thanking God for the life he has given us.
After about a 30 min drive we arrive at the small town of Indergarh. It is from here that a small road makes its way to the beautiful bird sanctuary of Lakh Bahosi. Before proceeding further we stop at a trifurcation point for some breakfast. This place is
surrounded by street food vendors but our favorite joint is Balaji Sweets located on the main road, just at the trifurcation point. Two steaming hot mouthwatering samosa’s make their way across the counter right into my hands followed by some crispy Jalebis with thick curd. After savoring the delicacies we are on our way and in the next fifteen minutes we are at the gates of Lakh Bahosi.
There is a small barrier with a ticket counter. It is here that I meet my friend Karan Singh. Karan Singh is an employee of the forest department and is assigned with the duties of ticketing and data collection of birds. He is a very simple man who will greet you with a binocular and a book about birds. Over the years Karan Singh and I have become good friends with him informing me about the arrival of migrant birds and me dashing off to see them. This special bond has brought me close to Karan Singh and given me a chance to be with a person who is living his passion. The knowledge about birds that Karan Singh possesses can put learned men to shame. His practical knowledge of identifying birds, there behavior, feeding and breeding patterns is remarkable. His work was recently acknowledged by the UP Forest Department and he was felicitated for this. All said and done if you visit Lakh Bahosi, simply ask for Karan Singh.
The area at which we have arrived is called the Bahosi Lake. It is full of migrant birds and has two watching / sitting area besides a watching tower. You can set up your equipment in one of these places and enjoy
your tryst with nature. The place also has a track that goes all around the lake but is unfortunately is not complete. Also it is poorly kept and one must make sure that they wear proper footwear before embarking on a trek. There are a lot of babool trees later on in the track that may actually cause injury if you venture out carelessly.
After a few hours of witnessing the Lord’s creation, it’s time to head back home. We have lunch along with Karan Singh and then bid farewell only to
meet again.
WHEN TO GO
From late October onwards until March. November and December would be the best months and then February would be equally exciting. January is a good time but unfortunately is usually foggy , hence sightings and photography are not good enough.
HOW TO REACH.
By Train Kannauj is the nearest railway station and is well connected from Lucknow, Kanpur, Mumbai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad.
By Road. Lakh Bahosi is well connected by road,. The nearest major town is Kannauj. Kannauj is connected well by road from all major places. From Delhi and Lucknow use the expressways for a hassle free travel. From Delhi it would be about 5 hrs. – 6 hrs. drive and from Lucknow 3hours.
By Air.
Lucknow is the nearest airport and is well connected from all major towns.
WHERE TO STAY.
The forest department has a beautiful guest house situated at Lakh Bahosi. It has four well appointed airconditioned rooms. Unfortunately no direct booking are available for this. Bookings for this can be made directly from the forest department office in Lucknow. Since it is situated a litte away from the village I would personally not recommend it unless you are travelling in a group. It could kind of get a little spooky. Anyway another attraction at this place is a tree planted by Late President Prof. A.P.J Abdul Kalam Sahab, one of the most popular and non controversial person in Indian politics.
Asha Hotel. Kannauj
This is undoubtedly one of the best places to stay. It is a beautiful hotel offering 3 to 4 star facilaties at quite reasonable rates. It has well manicured lawns and to top it all has a beautiful restaurant. I personally would recommend this place. For bookings go to www.hotelasha.in ,
hotelashakannauj@gmail.com, +91 5694 – 21350, +91 8090462525. The sanctuary is like a 30 minute drive from here.
UP Tourism.
This is another decent option. The tourist bungalow , Kannauj. https://online.up-tourism.com/booking/ . you can visit this site to explore more.
WHAT TO CARRY AND PACK
1. Proper clothing according to the season. This would mean woolens, caps, mufflers etc. The wind could literally freeze you in winters.
2. Proper footwear. You are bound to be greeted by a lot of babool thorns and the occasional filth, thanks to the apathy of the villagers.
3. Water, food, snacks etc. There is nothing in the near vicinity of this place. Washrooms are available at the main building that houses an auditorium and a small museum.
4. Binoculars , spotting scopes and cameras to carry memories.
WHAT TO SEE
1. Lake at Bahosi.
2. Lake at Lakh.
3. Museum depicting birds models etc.
4. You can request for a short movie in the auditorium regarding the place and birds information.
5. Museum at Kannauj. Kannauj is a historical place and once occupied great importance when it was the capital of India during the reign of Raja Harsha Vardhan. Although most of the monuments have been lost to encroachment, some have still stood the test of times.
WHO SHOULD GO
Everyone and anyone. The place has a small park also where kids can enjoy also.
GRADE
Easy
MY RECOMMENDATIONS-
1. Late November and early December are the best times to visit. Plan for 2 nights and 3 days.
2. If you are coming from Delhi, Agra side, or Lucknow you can drive down. If planning from a distant place like Mumbai- fly to lucknow.
3. Stay at Asha Hotel Kannauj. You wont repent it.
4. Visit the museum at kannauj.
5. Bird watching at Lakh Bahosi bird sanctuary. Museum. Ask for Karan Singh.
6. There is another beautiful wetland area about an hours drive from Kannauj – Sandi bird sanctuary (will write about it soon ), which can be visited the next day, hence 2 nights plan or else one night would do.
7. Visit the Annapoorna Devi Temple at Tirwa – 15 km from Kannauj. It’s a very old temple.
8. Gauri Shankar Temple at Kannauj is also of historical importance.
9. Last but not the least. Kannauj is famous all over the world for traditionally made perfumes. Make sure you buy these perfumes before you leave. They have one for every season. I personally would recommend- Sanadalwood, Sandali Gulab, Ruh Khus, Ruh Gulab, Shammama ( specially formulated for winter ), Bakhnoor, Firdaus, Bela and of course any other that you may find interesting. I would personally recommend Royal Fragrances, Makrand Nagar Kannauj, considering my personal association with them for over 15 years.
10. And yes don’t forget the breakfast at Balaji Sweets J
Finally as I wind up, I once again implore you to live your life. When a kid was asked what is it that you would like to be when you grow up, he answered - happy. Most of us keep postponing our happiness by sacrificing our lives for someone else, be it children, parents or anyone or anything else, rarely taking time out for ourselves.
Remember our present state of life is the cumulative result of the choices we have made in the past. If you want a different result make a different choice. Remember we always have a choice and our choices define who we are. Go on live your life – “ Be Happy"
ADD LIFE TO DAYS
NOT DAYS TO LIFE.
Take care
Ravi