–Satyakam Ray

[Anandpur Chronicles- 1st story- The Naagmani]

Encountering Wild Elephants is the second installment of the Anandpur Chronicles.

The beautiful aerial view of the Hadagada reservoir doesn’t do justice to the scenic spectacle. It creates a breathtaking sight for amused tourists on their first visit. The hidden tourist treasure is located just 35 kilometers from Anandpur.

There is a lesser-known but magnificent Gada Chandi temple, where Maa Kali is worshiped, near the reservoir. The temple is situated among the lush greenery of the surrounding mountains. Our story revolves around these locations.

Sipping a hot beverage again, Maa and I continued our Chai Pe Charcha. Reminiscing and its consequences for the present and the future have been the foremost factors in this chronicle’s exploration.

Baidakhia is very close to the Gada Chandi temple. It lies just on the other side of the mountains, where the temple stands. Maa’s paternal grandmother had many farmlands in Baidakhia.

She used to go to this place in the winter when the paddy was reaped. Local farmers cultivated the crops on her behalf, and the two parties shared the total production equally. The farmlands were situated in a secluded area.

Amid the jungle, the farmers constructed small huts with rudimentary sleeping arrangements. To cope with the severe winter cold of December, they used winter fire and small bows and arrows.

The story takes place in 1967, when Maa was a little girl, perhaps still in the 6th grade. Maa’s granny arrived early in Baidakhia to oversee the harvest. The winter had just reached its peak. The local tribes, also known as farmers, had arranged a nice hut in the jungle for her.

Maa reached the place in the afternoon of one such wintry day. Few local shops were available these days, and snakes and wild elephants posed a danger.

To enter the middle jungle, one needed the tribe’s armed gangs, who knew its nooks and corners very well. They were vigilant and often conversed among themselves in their tribal language. They escorted Maa safely to the granny’s hut.

These tribal people utilized nature’s resources to their advantage. They had little knowledge of the outside world but were masters of the jungle. They needed little empathy, companionship, and hot tea in the severe cold. They cheerfully gave the fish they caught in the nearby canal that ran through the jungle.

Granny understood the rules of the jungle and the tribal farmers’ ways well and lived accordingly.

The elephants were a menace to the farmers. They continued invading the paddy fields at night and ate as much paddy as they liked. They came in herds. They were a pretty scary sight for anyone experiencing the jungle lifestyle for the first time. They were wary of fire only.

The farmers had only the Mashal (torch) and a few bows and arrows. They used these to defend themselves. They also drove the wild elephants back into the jungle.

Maa had the pleasure(or misfortune) of encountering wild elephants one night during the winter vacation. After an early dinner by jungle rules, Maa slept in the hut alongside Granny. One additional male relative was there. The trio was sleeping peacefully in the shed. The farmers had their cabins nearby, and the winter fire was going on as usual. After the day’s hard work, the farmers must have slept.

The night was chilly, and the jungle was quiet. Suddenly, at midnight, Maa woke from sleep to footsteps and rustling. After waking up, Maa saw the elephant’s two giant hind legs. The elephant was stealthily eating the paddy from the nearest paddy bunch.

Elephants had invaded the farmland, taking advantage of the sleeping farmers. Maa was about to scream in horror when Granny forcibly shut her mouth with her hands and told her to be silent in sign language. She had been up early and knew what was happening nearby.

Wild elephants tended to crush humans upon detecting their presence. A scream would have diverted the giant elephant’s attention toward their hut.

Granny’s swift action averted any such incident. After five minutes of the wild elephants’ invasion, the farmers finally woke up. Those five minutes of waiting were the most anticipated and anxious moments Maa could ever fathom. The farmers chased the elephants away from the farmlands with a torch and a few bows and arrows. The trio could take a sigh of relief in the hut.

It was the wildest encounter that anyone I know has ever had.

Nowadays, encounters between humans and elephants and related conflicts have become increasingly common across various parts of Odisha. Nevertheless, this Anandpur incident is one of the most thrilling experiences one can fathom.