Where flowers sing

If you happen to go to Kakrajhore, it's not too far from the city, you will find a small idylic village inhabited by tribal people and surrounded by pristine mixed forests. Go there in spring time. Ask the locals to show you to the temple. It's across the small rivulet by the side of a narrow footpath that cuts into the forest from the main road going to Ghatshila. Take that narrow jungle trail you see going deeper into the forest there. Don't fear about getting lost. You will soon see a largish tree standing alone in the forest. It looks like any other tree but it is not.

The forest floor surrounding the tree would be green because it is sprinkled with the dropping flowers of that large tree that are showering on the ground below. Some get blown away in the gentle breeze. No one has crossed the path to crush the flowers yet. You might hesitate to cross. The tree doesn't really care. It keeps on shedding its flowers. 

If you stand quietly there, you will hear a unique, subtle sound. The sound of those green flowers falling on the ground. Yes. Flowers do make a soft sound when they fall in large numbers. You can hear them if you try. You can hear Mohul flowers also making a soft sound when they drop. But they are large flowers. You can hear the shaal flowers if there is enough dry leaves under the tree. The shaal flowers make the softest sound because they are very small and soft.

This particular tree you are standing under makes a sound like it is drizzling. As if rain drops are falling on parched earth. Enjoy the sound. But don't get too curious about the tree. It is one of the most dangerous trees in the jungle. Tribals use its poison from the seeds and barks to smear the tip of their arrows. Even the leaves of the tree can potentially kill a human, if consumed in large numbers. 

It is the strychnine tree. Nux Vomica is its other name. 

Standing on an idyllic morning under such a tree, I recorded this subtle sound. It may not create the same effect on you, sitting in an urban atmosphere. This is just for me. To act as a background music when I reminisce about Kakrajhore later. 

Wake Up Call

24th March 2023

These last few days I am waking up in the wee hours of the morning to the beautiful song of an Asian Koel or what we call in Bengali as Kokil. It roosts on one of the branches of the mango tree just outside my window behind the house and starts this earnest call. Believe it or not this starts at aroun 3:25 am and goes on and off for about 20 minutes.

It's a mixed feeling really to be woken up so early in the morning. On the one hand it is a very sweet call, perhaps the sweetest bird song that there is in the world. But on the other hand I hate being woken up so early in the morning every day. I love the call but hate waking up.

I was determined to record it today and kept the recorder, microphone and the headphone on the ready next to me on the bed when I went to sleep last night. As soon as it started I switched them all on and recorded the song. I made some four recordings. In mono and stereo both. 

The call was so loud that I had to turn the recording level down to five. Otherwise it was going over and the light was turning red on the level panel.

So here is the call for posterity. I have made Asian Koel recordings in the past. It is one of the easiest things to do if you are from this part of the world. The bird is very vocal. But I had to record this particular artist because there is a certain bond that has already been created between the bird and me.