Shikhar Mohan

Shikhar Mohan I'm a photographer and tour skipper for Tigerwalah. I post nature and landscape images from India. 🇮🇳

Every year on May 3rd, we celebrate a day dedicated to arguably the most overlooked of the world’s big cats: the leopard...
04/05/2026

Every year on May 3rd, we celebrate a day dedicated to arguably the most overlooked of the world’s big cats: the leopard.

Perhaps it’s because the leopard lacks the royal mane of the lion, the sheer might of the tiger, or the remote elusiveness of the snow leopard and jaguar. Yet, this spotted beauty faces the greatest onslaught by human hands, simply because our worlds co-exist so closely.

Unlike the “famous” big cats, leopards don’t require a pristine wilderness to survive. They adapt to farmlands, scrublands, and urban fringes. In India, they thrive near cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Shimla, and Jaipur - finding refuge in sugarcane fields, abandoned buildings, or rocky outcrops.

Unfortunately, this impressive adaptability is often used as an excuse to disregard their conservation needs. This leads to increased human-wildlife conflict, retaliatory killings, road accidents, and habitat fragmentation.

Foreground, midground, background.. it was all yellow. 🌅 Seen on a beautiful and serene October morning from the Kunjapu...
30/04/2026

Foreground, midground, background.. it was all yellow. 🌅 Seen on a beautiful and serene October morning from the Kunjapuri Temple on the outskirts of Rishikesh.

I understand that calling this a ‘waterfall’ would be a stretch, but trust me, the Pandav Falls in Panna National Park i...
25/04/2026

I understand that calling this a ‘waterfall’ would be a stretch, but trust me, the Pandav Falls in Panna National Park is a great experience to have, especially during the wetter monsoon months when the waterfall is in its most powerful, scenic, and mesmerising avtar. The water comes from a tributary of the nearby Ken River, so the fall is perennial. However, during summer months, when the mercury seldom tips the 50°C mark, it is more of a ‘waterdrip’ than a waterfall.

A lazy early-summer evening in Dhikala.
23/04/2026

A lazy early-summer evening in Dhikala.

Back in the mid-20th century, the was constructed across the Sutlej River in . It stands as one of the world’s talles...
22/04/2026

Back in the mid-20th century, the was constructed across the Sutlej River in . It stands as one of the world’s tallest straight gravity dams, creating the 90 km-long Gobind Sagar reservoir. This reservoir submerged the old town of Bilaspur, along with its villages, palaces, and temples.

Around 28 , dating from the 6th to the 17th centuries, also went underwater. For most of the year, they remain submerged. However, during the summer and dry months, water levels drop, and the temples re-emerge, sometimes becoming fully accessible.

Unfortunately, constant submersion hasn’t been kind to these cultural landmarks. Prolonged exposure to millions of gallons of water has caused erosion and damage to intricate carvings. Sand and silt have worn down , and some temples are now permanently buried, either fully or partially.

This photo was taken at the end of June, just before the sets in, when water levels in the Bhakra reservoir are low enough to reveal these ancient structures. For a brief window, the exposed lakebed also becomes grazing ground for cattle, and even a practice space for new drivers.

The last and final call for the day.
16/04/2026

The last and final call for the day.

As eye-catching and vivid as it looks, with its bright yellow poppy-like flowers, the Mexican prickly poppy is anything ...
14/04/2026

As eye-catching and vivid as it looks, with its bright yellow poppy-like flowers, the Mexican prickly poppy is anything but gentle. Its bluish-green leaves are armed with sharp spines, and its seeds are highly toxic, so much so that when accidentally mixed into edible oils, they have caused outbreaks of epidemic dropsy.

Widely known in India as Satyanashi, this hardy, drought-tolerant herb thrives in disturbed soils, roadsides, and open fields. Originally native to Central America, it has spread aggressively across tropical and subtropical regions, especially in dry, sun-scorched landscapes.

Though widespread in India, it often behaves more as a coloniser of disturbed land than a direct invader of intact ecosystems. That said, this photograph was taken in the Dhikala range of Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve, a subtle sign that its presence is reaching even our most protected landscapes.

Whiskers are usually associated with familiar mammals like cats, dogs, and rats. But some birds, like the brown-headed b...
11/04/2026

Whiskers are usually associated with familiar mammals like cats, dogs, and rats. But some birds, like the brown-headed barbet above, seem to have them too. These aren’t actually whiskers, but rather specialised, stiff feathers called rictal bristles.

Found around the base of the beak, these modified feathers serve several important functions. They act as tactile sensors, helping birds detect touch and vibrations - useful while navigating tight, cluttered spaces. They also assist in foraging, allowing birds to sense insects close to the beak and improve strike accuracy. Additionally, they provide protection, forming a barrier that shields the eyes from debris or struggling prey.

In species like the brown-headed barbet you see above, which spends much of its time in dense tree canopies, these bristles likely play a key role in both navigation and feeding. Despite being primarily frugivorous, barbets often consume insects, making these subtle feather adaptations surprisingly vital.

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