Recording in India 2006, an introduction
Feb 20th, 2008 by andrew skeoch
India may seem like an unlikely destination to experience the wilds of nature. With a population of over a billion people, are there any places in the subcontinent that human presence has not overwhelmed?
Well, fortunately, there are. India has a diverse range of landscapes and habitats, and many forest and wild areas are protected by a well-established national park system.
In these jungles can be seen elephants, bison, deer, sloth bears, giant squirrels, rhinoceros, leopards, mongoose, and the lord of them all, ‘Shere Khan’, the majestic Bengal Tiger. In the epic story Ramayana, Hanuman is the cheeky monkey god who helps defeat the evil king Ravana, and throughout the forests of India, his army can still be heard whooping and crashing through the canopy. Birdlife can be extraordinary too, with over 1300 species ranging from overwintering Eurasian visitors to tropical residents like Fairy Bluebirds, Sunbirds, Paradise Flycatchers, Trogons and Hornbills. And then there are the butterflies, lizards, orchids…
I first visited India in my early twenties, an overland backpacking trip that opened me to the world. More recently, when Sarah and I began looking to extend our nature sound recording to overseas locations, India beckoned as a destination to return to. We visited in 2002, a three month journey that began in the forests of Nepal, and then on to the Western Ghats, the range of mountains down the west coast of India. From that field trip we have so far published two recordings; “The Himalayas”, and “The Sacred Forests of India: Nagarahole”, the latter representing one of India’s wildlife hotspots.
In late 2006, we returned for a 3 month field trip, criss-crossing the subcontinent from Kerala in the tropical south, to the woodlands of Maharashtra that inspired Kipling, north west to the lunar-like landscapes of The Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, and finally east to Orissa, and the seldom-visited forests of the Eastern Ghats.
As much as field work and nature, our journey was about people, as any visit to India will always be. Firstly our dear friends and neighbours, Richard and Prue, who joined us for the first six weeks at our invitation. For them, a first experience of India, a step out of western culture, an insight into our ‘on-the road’ lifestyle, and ultimately a rich, if at times overwhelming experience. (Richard has offered to write from his experience of observing us ‘on location’, so we look forward to publishing his thoughts next newsletter).
Secondly, our new friends in India. Before we set out, I made email contact with several local wildlife enthusiasts, which led to invitations to give talks in Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune. This then led to overnight excursions to nearby wildlife areas, much laughter and companionship, being introduced to some fine eating establishments, and ultimately, to friendships that have touched our hearts deeply.
Lastly, to those Indian people who both obstructed and assisted us in the most extraordinary ways. Our drivers get a special mention on both counts, as do staff of the Indian Forest Service, plus our fellow travellers on long train journeys, people we met on jungle paths or those who invited us to stay in their homes.
In coming posts, we shall be describing some of our experiences in the wilds of India, and how we made our Indian recordings. Posts will be added to the category ‘In Nature: India’