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(November, 2002) KAZIRANGA (Assam): A group of 26 foreign and 32 Indian tourists were the first to enter the Kaziranga national park, famed for its one-horned rhinos, on Tuesday, October 29, on the first day of this year's tourist season. Visitors, mostly foreign tourists, took elephant safaris through the park.
The 430-square kilometre park remains closed for tourists during the six months of rainy season from May to October. Kaziranga attracts around 50,000 visitors every year, including 2,000 from abroad. But wildlife is often threatened by continuous rain and flooding in the Brahmaputra river, which flows through the park. The situation gets worse from May till October when the park receives the maximum rainfall. In 1988, at least 1200 animals including 48 rhinos perished in the floods that ravaged large parts of Assam. Tourists can visit the park from November through April and wade through its slushy ground on elephant back hoping to catch a glimpse of the rhinos and the innumerable exotic birds which migrate here during winter. Foreign tourists from abroad said they were thrilled by the natural beauty and the ride on elephant. "It's a great feeling because of this wildlife. I have never been so close to it," said Albrecht, a German tourist. "I liked it very much. It was a great event for all of us. And I like nature very much. I like to watch l the elephants," said Natalie, a tourist from Switzerland. Park officials said they had increased the number of elephants available to tourists for park safari. "It is the elephant ride which is the main attraction for tourists here. This time we have tried to increase their number slightly, but we have limitations also because the elephants are on protection duty. This is the first priority for us," said NK Vasu, Director of Wildlife Sanctuary, Kaziranga. The park is often plagued by poachers but tight vigil by forest guards has brought it down considerably. Poaching is fully under control now. At one time, there were 48 rhinos killed in a year. Now the number has come down to 10 and the officials are trying their best to keep the number low. Kaziranga was first declared a reserve forest in 1903 when only a dozen rhinos were left in an area where they were once present in large numbers. In 1950 it was declared a National Park after which the number of rhinos rose to 1164 in 1993. Apart from rhinos, the park also protects several other animals like elephants, tigers, wild buffaloes, swamp deer and bison. The Government has all along wanted to expand the area of the park, but has proved difficult because of encroaching towns in and around Kaziranga.'
Once-Flourishing
'Mini Israel' Is MUMBAI: Situated nearly 135 km from here lies a quaint little town on the shores of the Arabian Sea that is fast gaining popularity among Indian and foreign tourists alike. The beautiful town bestowed with picturesque natural surroundings has recently gained recognition as a popular week-end getaway for the Mumbaiites. Its neat and clean beaches with an ancient fort amidst the rising and falling waves give one a chance to experience serenity, a far cry from the insane rush of the metropolitan city. With a population of over 10,000, Alibaug would appear to be no different from other towns of its type across the sub-continent, coping with its newly-found recognition. But those who know its history fondly remember it as 'Mini Israel' - home to hundreds of Israelis whose ancestors survived a shipwreck on the shores of Navgaon, near here, nearly 2000 years ago. The Bene-Israel community thus grew and flourished in its new-found home.
In the beginning these people engaged in oil pressing and agriculture, but later, with the passage of time, took to small-scale industries, joined the armed forces and the Government services and even participated in the freedom movement of India. But today Alibaug's Israel street, or ' Israel Aali' as the locals call it, in the centre of this coastal town lies forgotten. There was a time when this street boasted of at least 200 Jewish houses, but now there are just three families to speak of. And the Jew population has reduced to just 45. These locked houses and the unkept and empty corridors where once plenty of Jewish children played are a sad reminder of a throbbing past. The cemetery in Navgaon is ancient, with the memorial built in 1984 by the community members, the only remaining traces that speak of the Israeli community that once settled and flourished in this part of the sub-continent. One of the most important symbols of times gone by is the Maghen Aboth synagogue. Built in 1840 by the Jewish community and restored in 1910, it is the oldest surviving Jewish monuments in India, speaking out loud of an era that's been lost forever. Seventy-year-old Shaul Joshuah is the priest and caretaker of the 162-year old synagogue and has been on the job for the last 16 years. Joshuah remembers the time when there were more Jews around and the prayer services to be offered three times a day found larger audience. Today as he proceeds with the prayers, he looks sadly at the three people sitting in the pews. The shrill echo of the 'shofar', a Jewish musical instrument carved out of ram horns, in the empty corridors further confirms his fears that it may not be long before all that remains shall be lost also. It is not just Joshuah who fears the loss, but also the Maharashtrians who remember them. Moses Wakrulkar looks no different than a fellow-Maharashtrian. But his house with the lamps which are typical Jewish in make, the slab with Ten Commandments imprinted on them over the entrance, and a photograph of the chariot are clear reminders of the faith practised by Moses. And the black and white pictures of him and his ancestors are memories he has treasured over the years and part of the culture he has taught his children and grand-children. It's a painful trip down the memory lane for Wakrulkar, as he remembers the good times when there were more of his community members around. Today, most of them have migrated to Israel or moved to places like Mumbai and Thane in search of greener pastures. According to Wakrulkar, with the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, many of the Jews migrated in large numbers to the country. A better lifestyle, plenty of money and the support of the Israeli Government - the reasons for migration are aplenty. For his wife Mozel, it's no different. Their only son is already settled in Israel with his family and wants that his parents should join them. The lady yearns to do so. The doors to this household are still open, but this may soon be a thing of the past. Another link of the Jewish community in Alibaug's famous 'Israel Aali' may be gone forever, leaving behind a vacuum that none can fill. -ANI |
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