Jagdalpur
Manisha Nag spent her time looking after paddy cultivation in her family’s small farmland in Bastar, a tribal-dominated district, in Chhattisgarh. Sometimes, she would look after the small shop selling basic items in Maulipadar village, nearby the Kanger Valley National Park, famous for its caves and the Bastar hill mynah.
Growing up in a forested area meant that Manisha knew the names of many trees and plants familiar to the Adivasis of the region. Perhaps, it was this that prompted her to try her luck as a nature guide at Kanger Valley after coming across an advertisement in the paper.
On a winter evening, the Dhurwa tribal woman shared her experiences of the work she does with The Indian Tribal. “I missed a few days due to a bad cold. It is a loss as nature guides are paid on the basis of the number of trips they make daily,” Manisha said.
Every day, Manisha gets two rides at least with tourists who come from far and wide. There are 25 guides and she has to wait for her turn. As of now, Manisha is the sole woman among an all-male gang.
“Tourists sometimes voice their preferences for me. Some of them like me to join them on the safari but all of us have to wait for our turns,” the nature guide pointed out.
When asked what is unique about her, Manisha smiled and said: I am always happy to guide. I think about how to guide travellers in the best way possible and awaken their interest. I try to think of new things while on safaris. I tell people about birds, jungles and wildlife. Some are also interested to know about the culture of the Dhurwa tribe, what they eat, how they dress and conduct their lives.”
Manisha begins her day with a smile. She interacts with visitors and tries to understand by their talks their areas of interest. The woman has received compliments from senior officers.
“When they come and take rides with me they don’t say anything in the beginning but give good feedback in the end. They sometimes invite me to visit their places,” she said.
Manisha, who has been guiding tourists for two years now, said further training will help her widen her exposure. Till now, she has not stepped outside Kanger Valley.
Has any question on part of guests made her nervous? “Whatever I know about the national park I tell visitors. If I am not aware of anything I am direct and honest about it. I too ask questions to visitors like what they do and which are the interesting places elsewhere to see.”
One ride lasts two hours and sometimes also stretches up to three. Most visitors love to be inside the Kutumbasar cave. Kanger Dhara, a mini waterfall, also draws admiration. “I take care to let elderly people rest and tell them about tribal culture in detail,” she added.
Besides the Kutumbasar cave, the Kanger Valley National Park is also home to two others — Kailash and Dandak — famous for their amazing geological structures. Presence of underground limestone caves apart from its rich flora and fauna add to the attractions.
Manisha goes to sleep by 10am as hers is an early morning start from 5 am. She drives a scooty which takes about an hour these days due to fog.
“I reach home in the evening alone. Earlier, my brother dropped me off. I used to feel afraid but now I am used to even the dark. My family is happy to see me work. They never thought I would be able to pull it off. I used to feel afraid inside caves but nature guides have to be fearless,” she said smilingly.
She has studied till Class 10 and could not continue after that. Subsequent to Manisha applying for the job, she was trained following which she sat for an exam.
All the applications submitted by local youths were screened and Manisha was selected after that, Kanger Valley Director Dhammshil Ganvir told The Indian Tribal.
“More women could be selected in future. A nature camp has been started in Kutumbasar village and in that camp there are three women,” he said.
