Is coexistence of man and animal possible when there is a deep-rooted respect for nature? The Maldhari tribe of Gir know the answer. When the Maldhari cattle herders came to Gir from Pakistan, they were given a place to live inside the jungle, about 65 km from Junagadh, by the Nawab of Junagadh.
It was once the hunting ground of the nawabs, who ironically put restrictions on the entry into the jungle to save the beasts from poaching. Later, the government declared the place a sanctuary in 1965. From a few dozen lions in the end of the 19th century, Gir today has 674 lions as per the last lion census in 2020. Locals are hopeful that the next Census will see this number rise to well over 700.
The 129 nesses (or hamlets) set up by the Maldharis are now down to 48 nesses as most of the community now lives on the outskirts of the forest. On a visit to the Aramness, a luxury safari lodge near Sangodra village, one can meet Ramu Behn, the matriarch of one of these homes.
“The lion is revered by us as we consider them God. Even if they take our cattle we do not mind; we believe it is an offering.” Some members of the community now work as guides on the jungle safaris.
“As the community reared cattle, the tribe became expert trackers as they would hear the lion’s movements and accurately guess which direction they would move in and hence would take their cattle to graze in the opposite direction.
This also deterred poachers. If the cattle herders noticed any illegal movement, they would immediately inform the forest officers who would increase patrolling,” says Ankit Kumar, a naturalist working at Aramness Gir.
At Aramness at least 60 per cent of the staff are local. “We source all our food within a radius of 30 km,” adds Parikshit Rathore, Lodge Manager, Aramness Gir. Taking the sustainability angle forward, the lodge, owned by conservationist Jimmy Patel, has been designed by Fox Browne Creative and Nicholas Plewman Architects.
As teak grows extensively in this region, it was the pattern on the dried teak leaves that has inspired the jalli pattern that is an integral part of the building design here.
The design is inspired by local village that has cobbled streets surrounded with courtyard homes. Natural forest and meadow gardens have been revived on the property and water bodies have been created to help the wildlife.
A visit to Gir is not just about heading to the safari to see the elusive Asiatic lions but also a lesson on how to co-exist with nature.