Your Photography guide at Kaziranga

When it comes to photograph be in wildlife, birding, culture, festivals, traditions, historic monuments then Assam is a state to be visited on your next holiday. In case you are a proud owner of a DSLR and photography is your passion, then you have to ensure to plan your visit to Assam as the state is a delightful blend of culture, heritage, faith and beliefs of the numerous ethnic communities of region. Assam needs no introduction when it comes to describe it vast floral and faunal wealth as the state is renowned for being home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kaziranga National Park – the National Park that has been successful in writing down one of the very famous success stories of the conservation of the Indian One Horned Rhinoceros whose numbers were almost at the verge of extinction and today after the successful conservation efforts have risen to over 3000 in number across the State. Kaziranga National Park is also a Tiger Reserve and Important Bird Area and it is home to the highest population density of the Royal Bengal Tigers in a protected area anywhere in the World in the wild. The Park is also home to the highest population of the Asiatic Wild Water Buffaloes, Hog Deers, India’s only Ape the Hoolock Gibbons and there are around 495 species of bird both resident and migratory that are to be found inside Kaziranga National Park spread across five (5) ranges of Kohora, Bagori, Agoratoli, Burapahar and Panbari. And so Kaziranga National Park is one of the finest places to visit for wildlife and birding photography couple with the lush green tea gardens of Assam, the arts and crafts of bamboo and cane and the hand woven silks of Assam viz. Muga, Eri and Paat.

Assam is also home to Six (6) other National Parks and Seventeen (17) Wildlife Sanctuaries, the highest concentration in India that are host to 24 percent of India’s floristic wealth and enormous faunal diversity including One Horned Rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tigers, Indian Elephants, Hoolock Gibbons, Feral horses, Pygmy Hogs, etc. Manas National Park, also a World Heritage Site is a constituent unit of the Eastern Himalayan Bio-Diversity and is one of the two biodiversity ‘Hot Spots’ in the country. With more than 950 species of birds, Assam is home to 50% of the total bird species found in the Indian Sub-Continents. The mystery of bird suicide at Jatinga, is a subject of interest of all nature lovers and researchers.

Details of the National Parks of Assam:

Name of National Park	Main Attractions	Name of District
Kaziranga National Park	One Horned Rhino, Elephants, Tigers, Wild Buffalo, Swamp Deer, Sambar, Wild Boar	Golaghat, Nagaon, Biswanath
Manas National Park	Tiger, Leopard, One Horned Rhino, Elephant, Red Panda, Assam Roofed Turtle, Hispid Hare, Golden langur, Pygmy Hog, Wild Buffalo	Baksa
Orang National Park	One Horned Rhino, Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Barking Deer, Swamp Deer, Hog Deer, Wild Boar	Sonitpur
Nameri National Park	Tiger, Elephants, Gaur, Dhole, Himalayan Black Bear, Sloth Bear, Giant Indian Squirrel	Sonitpur
Dibru-Saikhowa National Park	Feral Horses, Elephants, Wild Buffaloes, River Dolphins and large Variety of Birds	Tinsukia

Tips for Photography at the National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in Assam

• Be patient, observant and wait for the action. Close encounters with large wild animals are rare, brief, unexpected and often anti-climatic. Do not violate their space, restrict their movements or invade their privacy. Do not restrain snakes or insects or approach a bird’s nest. Never harm your subject in any way and obey the rules of nature and that of the Kaziranga National Park.
• Read up on the subject before hand. And experiment with your camera and read the owner’s manual very carefully. Interact with officials, conservationists, forest guards and villagers of Kaziranga National Park. Knowledge will give you an edge and better images will be the result.
• Try to frame your image according to your own aesthetics, anchor your camera to ensure sharp images, try to include a little background so your subject looks natural. Don’t set up shots by moving insects, or placing flowers out of context.
• Try to understand wildlife behavior to anticipate a picture opportunity at Kaziranga National Park. Patience and perseverance will be always rewarded.
• Avoid taking pictures from moving vehicles, or even from vehicles whose engines are running. Even fast shutter speeds will show up camera shake.
• If you have just one or two frames remaining, your battery is exhausted or your data card full, take action early to avoid disappointment. The most amazing wildlife shots have been lost by those who ignored this advice.
• Shoot more rather than fewer frames. This will almost certainly result in a choice of better images on your return.
• If you are riding on an elephant, remember to take into account the steep angle of view and camera shake. Use a fast shutter speed, follow the rhythm of the elephant, shoot when the animal is steady.
• Color fidelity and lightning are vital. Side-lit and backlit scenes can be dramatic. Angular light (morning and evening), spotlight (light shafts shining through canopy), soft, diffused light can make the difference between a good and great photograph. Light conditions between 7.30 and 9.30 am and between 3.30 and 5 pm at Kaziranga National Park are great for nature photography.
• Keep the subject at the focal point of the frame. Try to get the catch light in your subject’s eye. Leave breathing space near the head of your subject, less behind its tail might be fine. Similarly, by and large, leave less space in the foreground than the background. Experiment with different angles,elevations and perspectives.
• Enhance contrast by framing a darker subject against a well lit background, or a light subject against a dark background.
• Use a tripod, shoulder pod, mono-pod or chest pod to avoid camera shake.
• Use the slowest possible shutter speed for still subjects such as landscapes. You can do so by placing camera on a rock or tripod. To avoid shake caused by the pressing of the click button, use a self timer. Use the fastest possible shutter speeds for moving objects.
• Protect your cameras, lenses and film from heat, dust and moisture and handle the equipment with respect. Follow a daily maintenance routine of brushing and cleaning lenses and accessories.
• Keep back up batteries and chargers. Check all of your equipment before going into the field by shooting frames in different conditions at home.
• Do not forget to enjoy the forest and its wildlife. Your eye is the best lens and your brain the best hard-disk.

Sample Itinerary for your Photography Tour at Kaziranga National Park ~

Photography in Assam ~

Not only Wildlife and Birding, Assam has much more to offer for passionate photographers when you travel across the State. The details of the various place that would interest a photographer is mentioned towards the end of this write up but just to provide you a gist once you are in Assam and you have arrived in Guwahati let the mysteries of this ancient land whose mentioned has been found in various Tantric, Vedic, Buddhist and Puranic literatures enthral you and you need to have your camera handy to capture the pictures of the various moments in the city. No wonder you will find a host of ancient history to explore in Assam as this State had figured prominently in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. It is believed that the earliest study of the planets were carried out here in Guwahati at the Navagraha Temple (temple of nine celestial bodies) and Guwahati was earlier called as Pragjyotishpura (city of Eastern Lights). Assam or Kamrupa on the other hand is said to be the home of the Devi (the Mother Goddess) and several Hindu deities including Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna are said to have frequently visited this land, and the relationship is so deep that while Krishna’s wife Rukmini was from a place near Sadiya, the womb of Lord Shiva’s wife Sati fell atop the Nilachal Hills in Guwahati where the Kamakhya temple is located. Assam also has been a highway of migration from time immemorial. While the earliest human footprints here have been traced back to the Early Stone Age (40,000 – 35,000 BC), the roots of the various communities belonging to Assam are linked to Austric aborigines, pre-Dravidians, Eurasians, Austroloids, Mongoloids, Alpines, Mediterranean’s, Indo-Aryans and Irano-Scythians as well.

At Guwahati you can visit the various ancient temples to capture the spirit of faith of the devotees along with the grand architecture of the temples along with the various rock cut inscriptions. The Ahom Kingdom had patronized the powers of Shakti and Tantra and the Kings had built several temples across Guwahati some of them are the Kamakhya Temple (rebuilding the temple in the form it can be seen today), Umananda temple, Sukreshwar temple, Dirgheshwari temple, Basistha temple, etc. Guwahati is surrounded by various Wildlife Sanctuaries and Reserve Forests that include the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary, Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary, Rani Reserve Forest, Garbhanga Reserve Forest, Chandubi Reserve Forest and Lake and you can capture the marvels of nature be it in the form of flora, fauna, avifauna and butterflies at these areas. The natural beauty of the Chandubi Lake and forest is sure to enthral any photographer who knows wildlife and birding photography.

Also Guwahati is home to numerous indigenous tribes and you can capture their culture and traditions once you visit their places of habitat at Chandubi (Rabha), Lokhra and Garbhanga (Karbi and Bodo), Khanapara (Mishing), etc. Visit the holy land of Hajo to capture the epitome of faith at the Hayagriva Madhava temple and the Poa Mecca shrine at Hajo. Travel to Suwalkuchi (Manchester of the East) that is the largest silk weaving village in the World! At Suwalkuchi you can visit the various silk emporiums to capture the pictures of the finest silk fabrics in the World of Muga, Eri and Paat and even capture pictures of the traditional looms that ae to be found at the various silk weaving workshops and the fine hand movements of the weavers who work on these looms is a capture of a lifetime.

Then there has to be the mention of Majuli Island on your photography tour of Assam and Kaziranga National Park as Majuli is the largest river island in the World and it is home to the Neo Vaishnavism cult of Assam. The Satras of Majuli are Neo Vaishnavite monasteries that practice and preach the ideologies of the great Saint reformer of Assam Srimanta Shankardeva and his disciple Sri Madhavadeva. There Satras are centres of art and literature and the art forms of traditional mask making with hands, traditional pottery making, fan made out of cane, and the practice of the dance form of the Sattriya Nritya that is one of the 8 classical dance forms of India. Majuli is a paradise for photographers who want to capture images on culture, traditions, landscapes, etc. The Mishing people of Assam dwell across Majuli island and as they practice agriculture as their profession, you can capture some of the most amazing pictures of the sprawling mustard and paddy fields here. The Mishing people are expert in handicrafts and handlooms and once you travel across the island you can capture some of the amazing captures of the artisans in work at these activities.

Visit the Samaguri Satra in Majuli to witness the traditional art of mask making with hands and these masks are used in religious plays called as Bhaonas and they depict the various mythological characters of the Hindu epics. The traditional art of pottery making with hands without the use of the pottery wheel can be witnessed at the Salmora village in Majuli and the practice of the Sattriya Nritya dance form can be witnessed at the Sri Sri Uttar Kamalabari Satra in Majuli. Winding up your wildlife, birding and culture photography at Kaziranga National Park and Majuli next theme for photography will be history and monuments when you visit Sivasagar – the land of the mighty Ahom Kings of Assam. Sivasagar (ex-Rongpur) was the capital of the Ahom Kingdom and hence the Kings built various monuments across this place and today these monuments hold a place of significant historical interest of Assam. The architecture of the Ahoms were considered to be among the finest across the country and these monuments and temples they had built have survived two major earthquakes of Assam and are still standing tall. At Sivasagar take out your cameras to capture the historic Rang Ghar at Sivasagar (Asia’s first Amphitheatre and often referred to as the Collosseum of the East).

The unique construction of the Rang Ghar monument at Sivasagar is a unique thing to view and the roof of the Rang Ghar is in the shape of an inverted boat. The bright orange colour of the building is due to the colour of the brinks and the Ahom Kings were the first to introduce the concept of using bricks for building the monuments and temples across Assam. Earlier the temples were built with stone boulders and the inner sanctum generally used to be a huge rock that would be carved out of a single rock and the transportation of these rocks proved to be very expensive and so the Ahoms introduced the concept of bricks and these bricks were flat and half the size of the bricks that are made nowadays. The mortar that was used to build these Ahom monuments and bind the bricks were of a unique kind because the concept of cement had not yet been found and so the Ahoms found a way to bind these bricks by using a mortar created with a unique sticky rice variety (Bora Saul), Duck Eggs and lime and this mortar created such a strong bond that these Ahom monuments survived two major earthquakes without much damage to the structures. At the front of the Rang Ghar monument there is a huge lawn area where various traditional games like wrestling, bull fights, cock fights were held and the Ahom royals used to watch these performances from the Rang Ghar and the name ‘Rang Ghar’ itself meant ‘The House of Entertainment’.

Capture this beautiful monument with your camera lens and later head to the Talatal Ghar fort and the Kareng Ghar Palace that are two more important Ahom architecture and your theme of monuments and history photography gets a plus rating when you capture these two monuments that are very unique. The Talatal Ghar was the fort that housed the soldiers of the Ahom arm and the unique architecture of this fort is the presence of an underground tunnel that was in the form of a maze to confuse the enemy soldiers and the tunnel had two exits; one near the Dikhow river and the other at the Kareng Ghar – Royal Palace so in case of an enemy attack, the soldiers of the Ahom army could reach the banks of the river to prepare fight back and few soldiers could head to the Kareng Ghar palace to protect the Royal family. The Kareng Ghar is a very beautiful place that spreads across seven stories and is a delight to all photographers who are interested in palaces for photography. The last stop on this photography theme has to be at Charaideo Maidam – the Pyramids of India that were the burial grounds of the various Ahom Kings and queens and these historic monuments will surely take your breath away and keep you camera lenses busy when you explore these tombs that are said when the Ahom Kings died they were buried here and along with the King all his prized possessions including the Queens, Servants, Pets and Jewellery were all buried with the Kings at the Charaideo Maidams.

These Charaideo Maidams near Sivasagar is what draws visitors to admire the rich heritage of the ancestors of the Ahom Kingdom and these Maidam tombs have large underground chambers where the kings and his loved ones were buried and as the news had spread that the place contained riches and gems of the Kings, the miscreants started to vandalize these tombs in search of the gold that had destroyed various burials at the Charaideo Maidams and today only 21 are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and we will take the opportunity to capture the Pyramids of India with our camera lenses. The last step at Sivasagar would be the Sivadoul temple that is one of the very important temple shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva built during the reign of the Ahom Kings and the unique thing about this temple is the presence of a Gold structure atop the temple dome and this is of pure gold. This is the perfect example of the ancient Ahom architecture of Assam and you will be see the resemblance to the structure of most of the temples across Assam that follow a similar architecture by the Ahom Kings. Known to be one of the very grand temple shrines of Assam after the Kamakhya temple, the Sivadoul temple draws devotees from across India to Assam and during the festival of Maha Shivaratri thousands of devotees throng this temples shrine to seek blessings of Lord Shiva.

The remarkable architecture of this temple is sure to enthral any photographer interested in monuments and you can take time to admire the architecture of this temple and click your pictures. After Sivasagar your theme of photography will be landscapes, culture, wildlife and birding when you travel to the beautiful Tai Phake villages of Namphake and Tipam and you get to witness the culture of the Tai Phake people of Assam. These parts of Upper Assam are inhabited by the various ethnic communities like the Tai Phake, Tai Khamti, Tai Ahoms, Tai Khamyangs, Singpho, Tangsa, Sumi Naga, Nepali and the tea garden people of Assam who have inhabited these areas of Assam since many years. The area is covered with the lush tea gardens of Assam extending up to the end of Assam at Jagun and the tea garden people who have stayed in Assam since the past century were brought to Assam by the British from places in Central India to work on the tea gardens of Upper Assam and they have since then settled here and have inculcated the culture of Assam in them. At Namphake and Tipam you will find the population of the Tai Phake people who are Buddhists by religion and this place offers some of the very pristine landscapes where you will find tall mountains of the Patkai Range, the tributaries of the Brahmaputra and the sprawling agricultural fields.

The Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary that is called as the ‘Amazon of the East’ is one of the very pristine rain forests of Indian that extends across many districts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and is home to a wide variety of flora, fauna and avifauna. The entrance to the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary can be accessed from the Jeypore Rain Forest that is located in this area and you will not be disappointed with your visit here as your camera lenses will have the opportunity to capture some of the very rare flora, fauna, avifauna and butterfly species at this rainforest of Assam. We will start by exploring the Tai Phake villages and here you can witness the vibrant colours of the traditional handlooms that are woven at the local villages by the women folks on the traditional looms. The Buddhist Monastery at Naharkatia is a grand monastery that has been built recently and it is worth a while to capture this Monastery in your camera lenses. Witness the life of the villagers by going to the agricultural fields and capturing breathtaking views of the landscapes that will have the backdrop of the Dehing Patkai mountain range. Visit a local house to visit the kitchen and witness the traditional food of the Tai Phake people of Assam being made and you will be surprised as to how simple leafy vegetables from the garden are turned into delicious dishes.

Once you explore the Tai Phake village and the forest reserves of the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary and then your theme of photography will be focussed on history and World War II once you travel to the eastern most parts of Assam at Digboi and Margherita. These are another tea garden areas of Upper Assam and also the mineral rich area where oil was first discovered in India and Asia’s first oil refinery was setup here at Digboi. The Makum coalfields near Digboi at Margherita are also some of the oldest coal mines of India that are present here. But why a photographer has to visit these places to witness the memoirs of the World War II at the historic Stilwell Road and the 20^th General Hospital at Margherita along with the Digboi World War II Cemetery. To capture moments of India’s oil history at Digboi, to explore the India’s only Coal Museum at Margherita, the Ketetong village at Margherita that is home to the highest concentration of the various indigenous tribes in the country and perhaps the World as well to simply click pictures of the amazing natural landscapes that once can see around the place.

When you drive from Naharkatia to Digboi you will feel the awe of Mother Nature and the beautiful forests of the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary along with the tea gardens of Assam make you want to capture your amazing moments with nature here and you get the true meaning of the caption of Assam Tourism viz. ‘Once you visit Assam, it stays with you forever’! The back drop of the Dehing Patkai Mountains is always to be seen and it continues up to Arunachal Pradesh when the mountains get covered with snow as well. Even though write up narrates about the photography tour of Assam but ensure not to miss out on a visit to the places in Arunachal Pradesh that are located around these places in Assam and are very near so the only permit you need to visit Arunachal Pradesh is the Inner Line Permit (ILP) that can be obtained online and your photography tour can even continue across Arunachal Pradesh as well at places like Namdapha National Park, Pangsau Pass continuing to the International border of India and Myanmar where you can even visit Myanmar at the Pangsau Pass market and sight the historic Lake of No Return. Places along this photography tour to visit are Digboi War Cemetery, Digboi Oil Refinery, Digboi Oil museum, Digboi Golf course. At Margherita we are to cover Ketetong village, the Singpho Eco Lodge, Coal Museum at Margherita, the remains of the 20^th General Hospital, the Margherita Tea Factory and Tea gardens, the coal mines of Makum Coalfields continuing further to Ledo and Lekhapani where you will witness the historic Stilwell Road that was built during the World War II – Burma Campaign by the American Army and the Allied Forces along with an army of locals that stretched from Ledo (India) to Kunming (China) via Myanmar. The Stilwell road was built to supply forces and materials as the Japanese forces had cut the alternate route and the American Army took up this mammoth task of building the Stilwell Road across some of the most treacherous and harsh landscapes and climatic conditions and they successfully built the road within a year’s time. Continue on the Stilwell Road to travel to Tipong Colliery where you will get the opportunity to capture pictures of the oldest operating steam locomotive in the World of DAVID and the beautiful landscapes of Tipong are sure to enthral any environment photographer. You can continue to explore the parts of Arunachal Pradesh further from Jagun when you head straight tot eh third largest National Park in India – the Namdapha National Park that is home to the big Cat species – Royal Bengal Tigers, Leopards, Clouded Leopards and the Clouded Snow Leopards and also the very rare flying squirrels.

One of the very pristine National Parks in India, Namdapha National Park is sure to take your breath away with the beautiful tropical rain forest and this National park allows visitors to travel deep into the forest reserves on foot and off course accompanied by local guides and porters. Once you complete your photography at Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh you are back to Assam and then you can head to Tinsukia area where you can explore the Dibru Saikhowa National Park that is one of the 5 National Parks in Assam and is home to the Feral Horses. It is said that these feral horses were left behind by the soldiers of the Imperial Japanese army after the war and they managed to find a safe haven here at the forest reserves of Dibru Saikhowa National Park in Assam. Dibru Saikhowa National Park is also home to the Tigers and one very sure shot sighting you will have in the waters of the River Dibru is that of the Gangetic river dolphins that are an endangered species and are to be found in the warts of certain protected waters in the National parks of Assam. Located nearby is another place where you can sight migratory and resident bird species of along with pristine landscapes at the Maguri Motapung Beel that is home to various bird species and so you can get you cameras ready.

At the Maguri Beel near Dibru Saikhowa National Park in Assam you can capture images of birds like Ruddy Shelducks, Egrets, Drongos, Magpie Robins, Cormorants, Purple Swamphens, Eagles, Kites, Lesser Adjutants, etc. Continue further from the Dibru Saikhowa National Park to visit the longest bridge in India at the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Setu that connects Dhola with Sadiya in Assam and spans across a distance of 9.15 km and in case you manage to get an aerial capture of this strategic bridge it would be a great memoir to your photography collection. And in case you are carrying your permit to Arunachal Pradesh then you can travel to the Namsai area to sight one of the very beautiful monasteries across the region of the Golden Pagoda temple that was a combined effort of the architects from India and Myanmar and the place looks absolutely breathtaking and this is a holy shrine of the Tai Phake people. You can head further to Tezu as that is a final big township on the easternmost part of India and this place offers great views of the River Lohit from the Lohit View point. Continue further to the border of India and China and the last township of Kibithoo and also the place that receives the first sunlight in India at Dong Village. Also you can continue from Tezu to Roing and Mayodia that receives snowfall around the year at the Mayodia Pass and the Mishmi hills around the place is a favourite bird watching site in Arunachal Pradesh.

You can come back to Assam to make a stop at the Tilinga Mandir temple that is a temple shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva and it is said that your wishes are granted true here once you tie a bell on the premises of the temple. Continue further to Dibrugarh to make a final stop on your photography tour of Assam and at Dibrugarh you can visit the Jagannath temple that is a replica of the Jagannath temple at Orissa and is a very sacred temple shrine in the region. The area across Dibrugarh is known for its various tea gardens and the heritage tea garden bungalows and you can get the opportunity of clicking pictures of the colonial era living style once you are visiting one of these tea garden bungalows. You also would be interested to visit the Bogibeel bridge that is India’s longest rail cum Road Bridge that connects Dibrugarh district with the Lakhimpur district in Assam. The beautiful cover of the lush tea gardens of Assam around Dibrugarh is simple breath taking as well and with this you can wind up your photography tour across Assam and carry with you a beautiful bouquet of memoirs and you will always love to visit back the ‘Land of Red River and Blue Hills’. A land that is blessed with the bounties of nature and it surely stands up to it tourism slogan ‘Once you visit Assam, it stays with you forever’!!