Morachi Chincholi

In Marathi Mor = Peacock and Chincholi = tamarind fields. So as the name suggests this is a place with lots of tamarind trees and Peacock dancing around them. The moment I read about this place from a flickr friend Ruhi, I wanted to visit the place and the best part is that is so close to Pune just 50-60 kms on Nagar Road :)

I prepared my camera, bag, carried along food for us and for the peacock and slept very happy :) Next morning; I along with a friend left Pune at around 5:30a.m. And drove along Nagar road passing the toll booth and Shikrapur...the route was filled with fields, different kinds of birds and villagers walking along the road. Women wearing navvari saris balancing stuff on their head, men in bullock carts, farmers working in the fields. The houses with Tulsi plant in their frontyard, and dishtv antennas as well :) (Good mix of modern and old culture. 

We drove along on a narrow road and passed villages and were wondering how much more to drive and thats when a peacock just crossed the road in front of us. It was a beautiful site...We stopped the car at the side and were greeted with the sound of the peacocks in the morning. I was busy adjusting my camera when my friend nudged me...and pointed me to a dancing peacock..I was so excited that I forgot I had to be quiet and was rushing out of the car to click a pic...and the peacock was shy and ran away. I was very disappointed but this was the case for all the peacocks...they would sense us somehow and runaway. 

We walked in the fields and nearly every field had 2-3 peacocks and peahen. I started clicking pics...but they all were far away and dint get any good shots. The peacocks were even sitting on the tamarind trees and as we walked by we would hear the wings flapping and look around and there would be a peacock flying away from the tree landing on the fields. My friend was amazed coz he dint know that peacocks flew. We tried different strategies to get close to the peacock like went in differnt directions...walked along the side of the fields and pretend we dint care about them, sat in one place under a tree...but all in vain...they never came nearby. 

Later I came to know from the villagers that they never came near strangers. We spent a good 2-2.5 hours walking the fields and trying to capture these beautiful birds on camera..but could not do justice. The experience though was overwhelming. The silent atmosphere, birds chirping, spotted other beautiful birds and the sound of the peacocks..it was just too good for a sunday morning. By 9:30 the peacocks my stomach started demanding and we had poha at 'jay malhar' restaurant (the only restaurant in the village). He filled us a lot on the peacocks, and told us that they can be seen either early morning or before sunset. Its only last year the morachi chincholi was declared a tourist spot. It seems the peacocks are very naughty. 

If a farmer tries to guard peacock from his/her farm the peacock would purposely go to his farm and destroy the field. Hence all the farmers in the village don't shoo them but grow extra amount in their fields to suffice their and the peacocks needs.

On our way back we thought of exploring the other route (which is good) via Kanhur and stopped by a field. They were growing chilies, gawar, Ladies fingers, coriander and what not there....this was my first time to see gawar and ladies fingers plants. They are so beautiful and so are their flowers. I was asking the lady who worked in the fields and she explained me the plants..she had

 also planted cabbage and gave me fresh coriander, chilies and ladies finger from the fields. 

When 

offered her money she simply denied though I insisted a couple of times. I dint have anything else to offer but my gratitude and respect for her. We never realize how these veggies are grown in the fields with so much effort when we just pick them from the market do we?

My Sunday was just so satisfying and happy. at You can view more pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/reshmashah/sets/72157621030558108/detail/