It was 4.30 AM and completely dark outside when I woke up to the alarm. As I looked out of the window, I could see the night sky and I wanted to sleep more. Why not, after all, I had arrived only the night before. But the prospect of spotting the most beautiful beast on earth was too good a temptation to resist. I dragged myself out of the comforts of my bed and set out to get ready. Within half an hour, I was fully alert; armed with my gear and a coffee in hand to embark on my search in the wild. A full day safari in Ranthambore is a dream for any wildlife lover and I was no exception with two full days devoted to the call of the wild. From one zone to another, we let go of the opportunity to stop and wow the birds and other animals, for we knew the tiger movement happened either in the early hours or the late evenings of the day. It was just that for which we were braving 5 degrees in an open Gypsy and it was our priority to spot a tiger. Just as we were getting a little anxious, we saw Ridhi, the great grand daughter of the world's most photographed tigress Machali walk right up to us, offering an opportunity to click and capture this pristine beauty behind our lens. Crossing over, she stepped aside into the jungle and perched herself onto the ground, as if posing for photographs. Chill in the air, the Sun was peeping through the forest setting silver trails from within the trees, making this beauty mesmerizing to look at. Shimmering light, the browns and greens offered the gold an aura that was magical, accentuating the beauty of this lady and I must have clicked a hundred shots there. Truly, it was an ecstatic moment for me to see this wild beauty in full wilderness, and as they say; Ranthambore in Rajasthan is royal not because of the earstwhile Rajputana dynasties, but because it is the abode of the Royal Bengal Tigers! Majestic indeed!
W0W!!!!! Royal tigress and majestic photographer.
Lol. But thanks 🙂