Nilgai

I saw a Nilgai while walking in the hills! So fun to see a new animal. We were staring at one another, so no chance to get the camera out in time, but it did look like a cow/horse/antelope.

Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), also called bluebuck,  the largest Asian antelope (family Bovidae). The nilgai is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, and Hindus accord it the same sacred status as cattle (both belong to the subfamily Bovinae). Accordingly, the nilgai is the only one of the four Indian antelopes that is still abundant.

Nilgai is the Hindustani word for “blue cow,” which describes the blue-gray of adult bulls. (Cows are orange-brown.) The nilgai’s conformation, however, is more horselike than cowlike: it has a long neck with a short upright mane, a bony narrow head, a barrel-like chest, strong legs, and high withers sloping back to the croup. On the other hand, it has a hock-length cow’s tail that ends in a black tuft. Both sexes have similar markings; white areas include the cheek spots, ear tips, large throat bib, brisket, belly, rump patch, and underside of the tail. Its lower legs are banded black and white. Maximum contrast is achieved in prime males, which turn nearly black. They grow much bigger than cows, up to 1.5 metres (5 feet) tall and 300 kg (660 pounds), compared with 214 kg (471 pounds) for cows; they also have a thicker neck and a tassel of black hair bordering the white bib. But the male’s cowlike horns are quite small, being 15–18 cm (6–7 inches) long.

Learning from the peacocks. They are one of the more sensitive creatures on my walks that are within view. I wonder if I can ever be still enough not to disturb them?

Tender grass shoots emerging from the soil, the start of a fire from two sticks rubbing together, or--the mystery. It feels like a new beginning to start navigating with this inner sense in all aspects of my daily life--the dot construction is becoming an unbroken line. How can one not be in awe of the mystery? It feels like something never to be taken for granted, but to be quietly tended to with reverence for the mystery.

Deconstructing the perceived safety barrier on a bigger scale which allows movement without edges. The perfect perception walk is emerging. A three hour loop that lets me start with the elephant people going to work, the bottle collectors on foot, the fellow walkers, the road crews sweeping and prepping the construction, up the hill to nature with the occasional orange robbed beings, a few motorcycles, buses, cars, and down the hill through Jaipur's morning bustle of street sweepers, cows grazing on garbage piles, recycle collectors rummaging through the piles too, everyone driving fast, and so on.

Reading more about religions, spiritual teachers, and so on. Fascinating but none of this would have enticed me probably, because of my question mark around two-leggeds. Should I be surprised that my journey has lead me to what I would naturally avoid? Giggle. My interest has been and continues to be simple and single-pointed on inner peace. Maybe there will be a day I can blend with the peacocks? I plan to spend some time sitting with them, taking what I have learned from the ashram, and examining what happens. Non-human animals are still very pure.