13 January,2010 08:03 AM IST | | Dilip Cherian
Tigers going extinct, is and ought to be our major national concern. And a visit to Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan restores one's realisation that conserving nature and preserving our nature needs to be the highest priority for many reasons.
Sighting a tiger in the wild is a magnificent sight that you cannot forget. The Jaisal and Anjali Singh owned Sher Bagh with its luxurious tented accommodation and some of the most experienced forest drivers is clearly the best place to be when you visit Ranthambore. Sher Bagh's proud Manager, Yusuf Ansari says, "Ranthambore is the only national park worldwide that allows you to combine pure nature along with ancient history."
u00a0The big cat is clearly the king of the jungle and the 1,400-acre forest has allowed the park management to build up its fast dwindling population in recent years. Today, the latest estimates are that Ranthambore now has close to 40 tigers. An energetic and efficient DFO like the one in charge currently, clearly makes a difference to the park morale and animal mortality. But alas, the whimsical bureaucrats often change these DFOs. As Dilli babus search for a new formula to jump-start tourism, spare a thought for this.u00a0
u00a0Sher Bagh and the quiet jungle is one very potent kind of combination that Indian Tourism needs for a sustainable future. In a fast-paced world, where conservation and nature are the new buzzwords, the appeal to both domestic and foreign tourists is only likely to increase with years ahead. Given a more forward looking and quality conscious tourism policy, this kind of resort could be the model that makes an Incredible India that goes beyond the more obvious tourist trails as a magnet for global travellers in the future. Of course, this requires concentrated efforts to make sure that the battle between development, politics, man and nature is more often, decided in favour of nature -- which sadly, like tigers, suffer simply because they do not have
a vote.
Widely regarded as India's 'Image Guru', Dilip Cherian is a lobbyist, celebrity creator and tycoon watcher. He currently parties on a 24/7 schedule that mixes cities, nixes bores, and analyses Dilli. Follow him on Twitter @dilipthecherian
