Sahyadrica

With the beginning of September, the Monsoon is set to leave with heavy thundering and dangerous lightning. With animals dying of post-monsoon storms, its not just death, but a whole new life that it brings with it. The seeds sown in the pre-monsoon month germinate, mature, and reproduce, we see a lot of mature fauna around along with flowers that find it apt to bloom, for it may be first and the last bloom in their life-time, until the next monsoon that is. And as the flora blooms, the fauna booms. It's about time when the scaly-winged flutterers make it to the sky and come home seeking light! Anyhow, that's pretty distant as of now. Common Fringed-flower Vine - Trichosanthes cucumerina This report, is a series written in parts of the Post-Monsoon month. Some pictures, some information I could gather - included here - will be here, and will be updated on and off. Oriental Sesame - Sesamum orientale Wild Ladies' finger - Abelmoschus manihot With al...

Yeoor Hills BNHS had organized a trail to Yeoor Hills, lead by Isaac Kehimkar, Yuvraj Gurjar and Dr. Amol Patwardhan. We had an ‘official’ letter to be inside the protected area of the Yeoor Hills, and that’s something great! About 50 on and off BNHS members trailed through the green laden hills, scanning the undergrowth and the canopy. The trail was unusual in itself for we found exclusive monsoon species here and there. For more on BNHS, visit here – http://www.bnhs.org/ The trail started at the entrance gate into the actual SGNP area, and as soon as it started, we were greeted by the cold humid air with promises none like anything ever witnessed! To start off with, the flowers are blooming as usual, and so is the Karvi! Although these common flowers adorned the forest floor, so did the Karvi, that blooms once in every seven years! And the sugary treat that is so rare is enjoyed by many, like this fly in the following photograph... The butterflies were commonly seen everywhere...

Karjat, at the Lake Karjat is an extended suburb of Mumbai. It is located on Bhor ghat , Sahyadri , Western Ghats as well as at the end of coastal plains of Konkan region near Deccan . It has an average elevation of 194 metres (636 feet). It lies on the banks of the River Ulhas . Many farm houses and residential colonies are situated here with all civil amenities and a municipal corporation. People from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Pune have their Second Home, Farm House or Weekend Home here and regularly celeberate festivals, new year parties, week-end bash here. It is also popular for pleasure visits during MONSOONs. Distance from Chembur to Karjat is 46 kilometers and from Sion it is 49 kilometers. Karjat has an advanced bio-tech institute which has been developing patented hybrid varieties of rice of international repute, apart from other crops and techniques. For more information, visit - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karjat I had gone to a friend’s farm house at...