Hoolangapar - Home of Indian Gibbons

Known as the Knowledge city of Assam – Jorhat is a small town in the NorthEast India with a unique distinction of sheltering India’s only population of Apes – the Gibbons. Hoolangapar Gibbon Sanctuary spreads across an area of about 21 km sq and is named after Hoolock Gibbons. Not just the Gibbons, it also houses 7 species of monkeys out of total 15 species that are found in India, varied species of birds, spiders and squirrels.

A morning walk inside the Hoolangapar Gibbon Sanctuary

Gibbons are the Apes and are differentiated on smaller size, lower sexual dimorphism, no nesting habits from the Greater Apes. Hoolock gibbons are the second largest of the gibbons and spread from NE India to Myanmar, with smaller populations in Bangladesh and China. Hoolangapar Sanctuary provides an unparalleled opportunity to meet these gibbons in their natural habitat. Also, the sanctuary has India’s only population of nocturnal primates – the Slow Loris. With distinctive large eyes, every species of Slow Loris has been identified either Vulnerable or Endangered.

Spiders represent the other attraction for macro-hunters, with large webs and colorful tentacles – they naturally attract their victims as well as photo-enthuiasts.

Gasteracantha dalyi - the Spiny Orb- Weaver

Nephila pilipes - the Golden Silk Orb - Weaver

How to reach?

Jorhat is well connected by rail, road and air transportation modes. Jorhat has daily connecting flight to Kolkata and can also be reached by train. Mariani (MXN) is the main station, situated some 17kms from the Jorhat town. A very well managed NH 37 connects the town to Dibrugharh (~140 km, 2 hours) and Guwahati (~300 km, 5 hours). There are many Budget to 3 Stars hotels in town.

Sanctuary is located at about 5-10 minutes’ drive from Mariani station.

Best Time?

October to February is generally suggested as best time, though the park can be visited anytime except during Monsoon.

Take Aways

Jorhat is a small well connected town in Assam.
Hoolangapar Gibbon Sanctuary has an unique distinction to house India’s only population of Gibbons and Slow Loris; and it offer a very high bio-diversity in a very small area.
Best time is October to February.
Take your camera, capture and bring back the memories.
Be responsible and Don’t litter.

Banned Indian Books

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where words come out from the depth of truth... Few days back when I came to know about a book on an Indian Business Barron on the Banned Indian Books’ List, the first thing that came in my mind were the lines from Tagore . What an irony, we live in a country, whose forefathers have dreamt about a nation without fear, about a nation with right to speech, right to knowledge; and where the Government enjoys the “privilege” to “freely” ban the books, censor what it feels offensive! Wikipedia describes Banned books as the books whose free access is not permitted. Further it says that the practice of banning books is just another form of censorship, and often has political, religious or moral motivations. In our country, banning books have got its history since the British rule days. In fact, few of the Books

Trekking Ghansoli Gawli Dev (Parsik) Hill

It’s been there for geological ages, we have been looking at it for last about 4years and I have been planning to trek it since a long time. Finally, few weeks back, we trekked the Ghansoli Hill. Ghansoli Hill is located at the eastern boundary of Ghansoli town, behind our office complex at RCP. The hill or better hillock is a part of small range that separates Kalyan and Navi Mumbai towns. A search on Google Map returns with a name Parsik Hill for it, though there is one more rather famous Parsik Hill in Navi Mumbai. We also found a NewsArticle , that talks about NMMC plans to develop Nature Awareness Centre at this hills and calls it Gawli Dev Hill. Here, we would be calling it Ghansoli Hill . I asked my colleague about it and he readily agreed. The very next Sunday we did it with another friend. We weren't aware of the route. All we knew is that a Central Road runs along the western edge of the hill and can be reached through the Vashi-Mhape road. We later found that there’

Riders of the Nation of a Billion - Dimensions and Horizons

Incidentally I wrote a post of my tranformation from just around the corner corporate junkie into a Rider (for sure, still gradually) few days ago. Now, here are the Indibloggers with a Contest for the Bikers of the Nation with Castrol guys . Evolving Biker Code of the Nation When you look at the scenario of Biking in a general sense, you would be attracted by the road-rowdies and rookies who ride to spread nuisance and are mostly acknowledged for their deeds by the newspaper. Hooligans may be the right word. But, once you get involved with the passion, you would be able to see how the passion of Biking, or rather Riding, is evolving in the country where 2-wheelers over-power 4-wheelers by scores of galactic height, but have never earned respect on highways just coz they are the smallest-speeding machine there! I would try to let you through the Indian Riders tale, so that you be able to appreciate how the riders of the Country are working, though in a segregative way

Ghumakkar's Diary

Search This Blog