TARATALA NATURE PARK - TAJ

Taratala Nature Park is also known as The Mudiali Fisherman's Cooperative. Gherdie came after a long absence and was welcomed as was newcomer Simar, Tony's daughter who has joined the hash and will hash with us whenever she is in town. She left the next day for Bangalore with tel. nos. of the hash groups in the South. Yvonnick and I were delayed reaching at the level crossing where we waited on his bike beside the fisherman carrying fresh fish in a pot behind their bicycles.

Chef Yvonnick was shown some of the fish and verified that they were indeed fresh.

We reached to find the hash group, visible thanks to Tony's orange Taj Hash T shirt, being given a talk by a Nature Park warden in their green shirts.

Usha and Doc were listening intently. Zoria and Natalie were happy to lead the pack at a brisk pace all around the park, passing the swings, the bamboo benches and restaurant area and the fisher folk catching fish in their nets wading through the water.


George would have been tickled to see the large water snake that climbed out onto the bank towrads the hashers because the waters were being agitated byy the fishermen and fish were flying everywhere!

We saw birds, tamarind flowers, and bel, champa and frangipani trees. But the most interesting animals were the dromedaries beside the deer cage.

We hadn't been to the park for a while as the Flyover was in progress and the changes there were many.
The sign outside the Nature Park and Cooperative, Rs.10 entrance, says that it has generated employment for about 800 people at an investment of Rs.5 lakhs from the government and Rs.5.4 lakhs from the cooperative society of Mudiali fishermen.
Yvonnick took tons of pictures and some will be put up on the blogspot.