Diary 9 : Bhetnai (Vetnai) : Black Buck's Kindergarten

Imagine a hot dreary summer day with dry, cracked Earth and the last droplets of water in the atmosphere vanishing right infront of your eyes. Your throat is parched and you crave for a drop of the “liquid life”. You are almost at the edge of life and death and it so appears that the judgement is solely dependent upon the Rain God’s mercy. Exactly in this state you get to catch a glimpse of a majestic four legged creature with a shiny black coat and magnificent horns. And as soon as you spot it, a drizzle starts and it soon transforms into a beautiful rainfall. Completely dazed and surprised you immediately tag the creature as “ God’s messenger” and build a bond with him. He had saved your life and in return you must swear to protect him forever. 

Bhetnai (Vetnai or Vetnoi), a quaint hamlet in Orissa’s Ganjam district has played host to one of the most elegant Nature’s gifts to mankind : The Indian Antelope or the Black Buck since eternity. No one knows how exactly they started blossoming in those grasslands all of a sudden. And like most unknown “objects”, local people have developed a legend through word of mouth. This being passed onto generations has managed to build a small army of 15 men from the village who have dedicated their lives for the protection of these wonderful antelopes. Welcome to another treasure trove of Orissa ! The Kindergarten of the Black Bucks ! 

Bhetnai or Vetnai is located at the cradle of the Eastern Ghats. It's a 1.5 hour journey from Balugaon, the nearest railhead. One must plan a day trip to this place because there aren't any places to stay at Bhetnai. Accomodation options are plenty at Balugaon. The road is in good condition and directions  are given in English (unlike most places in Orissa) . There are plenty of picturesque locations to cool off the car's engine and sink in the melancholic Eastern Ghats hills. 

As soon as you get near to the Aska Sugar Factory, the whole landscape undergoes a dramatic change. Bluish mounds start to rise close to the horizon and the sky takes on a cheerful tone. 

The beauty of Bhetnai lies in its sheer camouflaging ability to disguise itself as a small village and the Black Buck's playground simultaneously. People in this village share their lives with these creatures weaving a fairy tale like existence. At first when you park your car at Nature's Parking Lot and try to scan the horizon for the antelopes, you are terribly disappointed because you can't spot any of them.

Nature's Parking Lot !

And then, as soon as your guide starts to point out the Black Bucks, your eyes light up. You see a bright black speck sprinting across the horizon. It takes a little time to adjust your vision in the broad daylight but you're delighted to see scores of them playing in those dry grasslands.

And all this while, you have kept really quiet so as to protect the tranquility of this place. But it's not enough. These beautiful creatures are extremely shy and as soon as you inch closer to them, they start to recede. There's a bright white patch at their rear portion and it looks amazing to see a team of Black Bucks ambling back towards their nest at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats.  

 These majestic animals undergo a lot of changes in their circle of life. When they are born they resemble tiny deer cubs. As they grow older, males develop a stunning black coat that gets darker with age. Females are brownish in colour. If you're lucky enough, you might get to spot the oldest of the herd ! He looks like this gentleman in the background !

It feels magical to see their entire life being played out infront of your eyes as you observe them from close quarters. The highly energetic kids, the senile grandpas and the grandmas, the midlife-crisis-fighting mamas and the papas engaged in banter and an occasional loner all play their part diligently. They all live together under the same blue sky sharing the same grassland, calling it their very own. Just like a poet's dream. Lennon's words come true once again. 
   

                                                     "  Imagine there's no heaven

                                                             It's easy if you try

                                                              No hell below us

                                                             Above us only sky

                                                          Imagine all the people

                                                               Living for today   "

And in a quiet little hamlet, the circle of life goes on with the passing wind, oblivious of all the perils that threaten the very existence of mankind. They are happy. And it's infectious. There's this smile that refuses to leave your lips long after you have seen the last of them recede back into the horizon.
Inner Peace at last !