It was after flavoring the erotic sculpture of Khajuraho that I decided to visit the Periyar National Park, in Kerala, which is one of the prime habitats of the Indian Tiger and Great Indian Elephant. From Khajuraho I boarded a plane to Cochin the state capital and again form Cochin I hired a tourist cab and zoomed off to destination Periyar, it is 200km from Cochin.

By the time I reached the park it was already dusk and I was quite overtired. I had my prior booking to the Periyar Jungle Resort amidst the wild. After enjoying the delicacies of south Indian cuisine I went straight to my room and turned on my bed, eagerly waiting for the morning. I was amazed at the traditional ambience maintained at the resort. I don't know when sleep aghast my weary eyes and was only broken by a knock at the door early in the morning- it was the waiter who came with my breakfast. Soon I was ready for the adventure.

I was accompanied with a guide who took me into the deeper reaches of the park, which is inhabited by the elusive tigers, elephants and leopards. I opted for a jeep safari as my guide told me that jeeps are the best ways to explore the wilds in their natural habitat. As the jeep safari drive through the sal trees and stretches of bamboo and grassland, I could enjoy an immensely wide variety of wild species like jackals, bears, mongoose, hyenas, jungle cats and leopards. Wild pigs, spotted deers, sambhars, dholes and the small Indian civets occupied the green steppe patches. I saw many a palm squirrel running about around the road fringed by forests. Along the streams and marshes I saw numerous species of birds- both local as well migratory. But the most prized vision was none other than the majestic Tiger, the first glimpse of which took my breath away. My guide told me that there are about 40 tigers in the area as per the latest reports. The tigers, along with the Nilgiri tahrs (a kind of a wild goat), are elusive creatures. However, an early morning visit, with luck on side, can yield positive results.

I came to know that Periyar has healthy population of elephants, I could trace herd of some of these playful wild mammals around the Periyar Lake, wading in the water or splashing water on each other, one of their favorite game. The Indian female elephants do not posses tusks like their African relatives. They are also not as swarthy as their African counterparts. It was just a magnificent sight, which I could capture in my handy-cam.

During my conversation with the guide I came to know that he himself was a wildlife expert and wildlife enthusiast, he up dated me with many facts about the wild in the Periyar National Park. He told me that the park sustains variety of mammals and some 260 odd varieties of birds. Among the reptiles, cobras, kraits, vipers, rat snakes, pythons, turtles and lizards are commonly found. Tigers once roamed freely here but due to extensive hunting the number came down drastically.

I could not resist the temptation of going to the fascinating temple that lies within the park. There is a Stimulating treks through the forest to the temple of Mangla Devi . It is an ancient temple and now lie in a state of ruins. From the temple I had a bird's eye view of the entire park. I found that the temple has its inmate's too- it provides safe shelter to a small group of black bucks.

Set amidst the scenic wooded forest Periyar has enough reasons to be a hot spot for wildlife lovers.