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Silvassa, ideal getaway Woodlands or
Silvassa showcases eco-tourism at its best, finds out Ervell
E. Menezes as he takes time off to renew his bond with nature
Just under 180 km from Mumbai on the NH 8 to Ahmedabad, off Umargaon taluk, one takes a single-lane road to the former enclave of the Portuguese called Silvassa, which in Portuguese means woodlands. It carries the legacy of a bygone era when its rich forests and abundant wildlife attracted rulers from distant lands. It is the capital of Dadra and Nagar Haveli district (liberated in 1954), an ideal locale for ecotourism. The Lion Safari Park at Vasona is a "home away from home" for the Asiatic lion (Panthera Leo). In fact, three specimens have been brought here from the Gir forest. They are Kush, Silky and Sonal and it doesn’t take long to spot them. We saw them within five minutes of the safari, lazing near a culvert off the road. Kush (the lion) seemed disinterested in the summer heat whereas Silky and Sonal, the two lionesses, were marginally more active but they seemed to respond to Assistant Conservator of Forests Dilip Mongrola who has taken them under his arm and starts the day feeding them. A local from Dadra & Nagar Haveli, he has been over two decades in the department. The Lion Safari at Vasona covers a 50-acre area and a ride in the gypsy costs Rs 25. It is Rs 5 per head for an Indian and Rs 100 for a foreigner but it surely is worth seeing the lions in their own habitat as today caging animals is no longer popular. It is over three years the three lions are there and there is no cub. The reason the forest department gives is that it could be jealousy between the two lionesses but another school has doubts about the lions potency so Kush may well be exchanged for another lion from the Gir forest. On the road to Vasona is the Satmaliya Deer Park at Dapada and covers an area of 200 to 300 hectares. In April, the vegetation is dry and the deer, sambhar, nilgai, four-horned antelope tend to look for the shade. The spotted deer is lovely to look at and slick in motion but they are quite timid and camera-shy. Satmaliya means "seven plateaus" which is 491 sq km. One can hire a Qualis for Rs 15, a jeep also for Rs 15 to be driven around the park. It is only Rs 2 per person. Quite inexpensive. There are also some colourful birds to be found there, like the peafowl, kingfisher, the black-rumpled flame buck and the crow pheasant The Portuguese occupied Nagar Haveli in the 18th century as compensation towards damage of the Portuguese warship/frigate "Santana" by the Maratha Navy. They received it by way of collecting revenues until the area was librated by Francis Mascarenhas and others on August 21, 1954. Another new site is the water sports and tentage complex in Dudhni (it is yet to take off) and is 20 km from Khanvel. The buildings have come up and soon the water scooters, rowing boats, shikaras (a la Kashmir), kayaks and canoes will be available but we did take a ride on a motorised boat on the Damanganga river and what a delightful experience it was. There is a Madhuban Dam at least four km away and there we shut off the motor and just drifted. It was evening and the stillness was deafening. What if the motor did not restart? We took the risk. But it did start and from there we went to the Kauncha centre or the Himai 1 health centre. Himai is a tribal deity and the few houses set up there are utilised for ayurvedic treatment. The beauty of this centre is that it is totally cut off from civilisation, no phones, no cell-phones, no TV, nothing. One is totally in the womb of mother nature The Conservator of Forests, Richard D’Souza is doing his best to bring Silvassa to its pristine past. D’Souza has shown his dynamism in Goa and he feels the best way to stop the plundering of the forests is to provide the tribals with gas connections. The tribals which comprise Koknas, Warlis and Dublas, among others, use the forest wealth profusely and may be if they are provided with fuel it could curb this erosion of forests. D’Souza also heads the pollution control panel and some others and has a dedicated team which includes veteran A.D.Nikam and two young officers of the Arunachal cadre Santosh Kumar and Vishal Gupta. The Forest Guest House at Khanvel, to the south of Nagar Haveli is tastefully constructed, a sprawling property with greenery abounding and ideal ambience to soothe the savage urban breast. Bamboo is used plentifully and a waterfall is one of the attractions said to be used for a number of Hindi film shoots. But the Forest Department has a reputation for good properties, be it in Goa or Maharashtra or any other place. There are also those who visit Daman for historical reasons. Of course, this year the main subject of conversation is the floods which left a bridge broken in Nani (small) Daman. There is also a Portuguese built Church known as Bom Jesus (like the one in Goa where the relic of St. Francis Xavier is kept) with its gold-gilted altars and the neighbourhood comprises narrow bylanes like the ones in the Bandra villages or Kotachiwadi and Mathapacardy in Mumbai. The Church is as much an attraction as is the Fort which is bathed in history. But there are also beaches like Jampore in Moti (big) Daman and Devka in Nani Daman the latter with a children’s corner, and speaking of children’s delight there is a Kadai Lake Garden, a man-made wonder in Nani Daman where there are two toy trains for children to take rides on, swan-boats to paddle in the Lake and an assortment of games, including video games and a good restaurant with a variety of cuisine. It is said to be the brainchild of Nikam. The Damanganga Tourist Complex with its health club and conference rooms is another attraction. To attract industries to the region, entrepreneurs have been offered tax concessions and therefore a number of industries have moved in. There is Aloke Industries in Silvassa which produces excellent fabrics for export and others which make toothpastes and other utility goods, but if Silvassa is to go back to its wooded traditions there must be the right balance between industry and nature, unlike Goa which is a case of saturation tourism. Silvassa is the ideal
elixir for tired urban nerves where one can switch off and take in
mother nature in copious doses. |
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