March 2024


Mist gradually loosens its embrace around the tall trees and whispers to leaves awakening them to face a new day. The jungle seems to be reluctant to come out of the soft dreams. Sun rays try to find their way down caressing the vegetation with its magical golden touch. Bathed in a misty morning glaze the mysterious forest invite me to imagine the hidden world. The tall trees stand quiet yet nudging the leaves to waken up. The surreal, mysterious world of foggy forest casts a spell. And then slowly a melodious chirping is heard somewhere deep in the forest. It’s time to welcome new horizons, to walk on new path. The pathway looks so inviting.

And here are few lines by Lucy Montgomery about the fog clad forest—

Oh, the charm of idle dreaming,

Where the dappled shadows dance,

All the leafy aisles are teeming,

With the lure of old romance!

All pictures by Shubham Sunder.

Richard Bach is one of my favourite writers. Whie talking about deer he has said that deer can tell when a leaf falls silent in the forest and the reason Bach attributes to it is that the deer hears it breathing differently. When I watched various species of deer in different parts of forest in different times of the day, I could understand rather feel what Bach meant by that.

Soft, delicate and graceful deer is the most beautiful animal in the forest. Observing it you can easily feel how sensitive it is. yes, sensitive enough to notice the leaf breathing differently.

A deer walks out of foliage, stops for a second on the narrow path, listens carefully to the silent music of early morning forest and then walks slowly and gracefully disappearing into the misty, dreamy world. I could hear my heart tingling like temple bell.

A group of deer midst the brown grass bathed in the reds and oranges of setting sun look placidly at you and you are transported to another world. Sun slowly goes down; the water of ponds imbibes all the colours and the group slowly walks towards the dense forest saying goodbye to sun. And the moment pulsates within you forever.

the cutie fawn with mama deer, the antlers, marsh deer and so on…there are many precious moments-some like prayers, some like gentle music while others like poetry. Deer are beauty in its softest and most beautiful form.

All pictures by Shubham Sunder