The Sun had just begun peeking at its own reflection in the waters of Ana Sagar Lake, from behind the ancient ranges of Aravali in Ajmer, Rajasthan. We stepped onto the cemented pathway embroidered around the glittering water body as the first rays of dawn gently bathed our faces. It was lovely cold weather on the pleasant morning of 1st December 2024. We started setting up the boards and posters for the bird trail organized by BNHS in collaboration with MDS University, Ajmer.
People slowly walked into the hazy daylight one after another, introducing themselves to each other and chit-chatting. The group was full of passionate nature lovers, including a dentist who had given up dentistry to immerse himself in nature exploration and representatives from the Madras Naturalists’ Society.
Soon after, Dr. Pravin Mathur, Dr. Vivek Sharma, and Dr. Sujit Narwade started briefing everyone about the entire program, including Ajmer’s geographical and ecological history and the species we were about to see. Then came the moment we were all eagerly waiting for – diving into an enchantingly beautiful world seen through nature’s perspective.
As we walked through the cemented path along the edge of the lake, we were thrilled to see a plethora of birds- the Indian roller amidst yellow flowers, a purple heron sitting by the weed, beautifully contrasting the soft-orange daylight creating a silhouette, a spot billed duck hilariously diving in and out of the water, the cormorant spreading its wings very fashionably like the iconic SRK pose, kites soaring high up in the sky, a colourfully pretty kingfisher seated upon the wires with a fish in its beak, squirrels and a mongoose running around the trees and grass, and dragonflies buzzing upon the fascinatingly colorful flowers; all of it was hauntingly mesmerising to the eyes of people that are always otherwise stuck between screens.
As we continued walking down the path, I discovered a new device I believe only some know about- the spotting scope, a portable telescope ideal for birdwatching. It was a new experience for me as I explored the newly introduced instrument with the help of Dr. Neelkanth Bora, who was VERY patient. I say this because we had many youngsters accompanying us, eager to explore anything new that was unknown to them. As the device was set to the spot, many who came to see through it shook it, and there! We missed the spot and the bird. It had to be reset all over again.
With every flowing breeze, I realized how lucky I was to be there that morning, to allow my lungs to breathe the fresh air, my ears to listen to the melodious chirping, and my eyes to witness the ethereal beauty.
On our way back, Dr. Pravin Mathur talked about something beyond what we desire in life, and it has stayed with me ever since—passion. He said, ” You start seeing it only once you notice it.” But as they say, when you look at something for too long, even out of admiration, you notice its flaws – like in the case of the Ana Sagar Lake.
The lake, built by King Arnoraja, the grandfather of the legendary king Prithviraj Chouhan, is now very popular for its evening lights and its many tourist points. However, leaving beauty and serenity aside—as we know, a coin always has two sides—we can also witness the controversial battle of aesthetics vs. ecology in the case of the lake.
When I compare visiting the lake that it has become now to the one I visited five years ago, in 2019, I unfortunately see a dramatic change. Back then, one could easily witness more than 3,000 pelicans and a handful of flamingos, whereas today, we have absolutely lost sight of flamingos and can barely spot even five pelicans in the waterbody.
Even the water quality has drastically deteriorated. Where we could find clear, glittering water reflecting the diverse shades of the sky, now there is foul-smelling, sea-green sewage water in many areas of the lake that one can barely stand next to.
A cemented walkway now borders the lake. An island, accessible by motor boats, has been created at the centre of the lake for tourists’ entertainment. An amusement park has also been built along the lake. All these development activities have degraded the lake’s lentic ecosystem
I believe that the focus should be more on the preservation of natural ecosystems than their artificial beautification. Nature is something you should never modify. You can feel its beauty only when you decide to; once you do, your appreciation only grows stronger by the day.
Well, we ended this serene morning trail, full of learnings, joy, and reality checks, with a group photograph and a series of feedback and experience sharing from members who joined us for the bird trail. It was, indeed, one of the most soul refreshing and inspiring mornings I had ever witnessed.
Author: The post has been written by 14-year-old Srushti Narwade who is a standard IX student from Ajmer, and an ardent nature lover.
Cover image credit: Priyanshu Raj
Wonderful! Srushti, you have expressed beautifully the glory of nature.
Appreciable effort taken by the school along with BNHS to make aware the students about the preservation of Nature in coming future. Kudos 👏 to both organizations as well as Students.