Vedanthangal—India’s oldest bird sanctuary

It was the Pongal weekend and I was getting bored with nothing much to do. Then DD suggested that we go to this place called Vedanthangal, around 75 km from Chennai. When I googled around a bit, I was surprised to find that it was the oldest bird sanctuary in India. More amazing was the fact that it was given the status of a bird sanctuary due to a petition by local villagers who were aghast at seeing British soldiers shooting at the birds way back in 1796—a salute to those early champions of environmental protection.

So it is by their efforts that Vedanthangal today is a flourishing bird sanctuary with migratory birds from the Northern hemisphere flying in during the winter months. It also happens to be one of the most concentrated bird sanctuaries—you will be surprised at the sheer number of birds at any given spot.


Anyway, since the distance was not too much we decided to go by bike. The traffic was sparse, so we cruised towards our destination, and the scenery improved beyond Chengalpet, with small hillocks and winding roads. We reached our destination in just two short hours.

The sanctuary is basically a huge shallow lake with trees and mangroves dotting the landscape, and a small pathway running alongside. I have never seen so many birds in my life—there were thousands perched on trees and submerged in what looked like mangroves. Although I’m not very good with bird species, I did take lots of photographs and managed some good shots from the watch-towers and special platforms offering vantage views.