Niagara Falls Facts

THE MAID OF THE MIST

The meaning of Niagara is “thundering water”. Many people have tried to cross the thundering waters, but few have survived. Long, long ago, near the Niagara Falls and in the place where the town of Buffalo, New York, now is, there lived a tribe of red Indians known as the Ongiaras. They told many stories and legends, out of which the most famous of all is still known. So now listen carefully, because I am about to tell you the story of Lelawala, the Maid of the Mist…

Among the Ongiaras, it was believed that The Thunder Gods lived behind the Niagara Falls. These gods were the gods of weather and sent rain, thunder, hail and snow whenever they were displeased. Lelawala was the most beautiful girl in the whole tribe. Her father married her to the Old Chief of the tribe. But the Chief of the Thunder Gods, He-No, called to her to join him. So, on her Wedding Night, Lelawala ran away quietly to the Niagara Falls. She heard He-No calling out to her from the falls, so she stole a canoe, and paddled down the Niagara Falls.

Soon she was caught in the powerful current, tossing and turning, as her little canoe was buffeted by the forces of the mighty Niagara River. Finally she fell over the falls! He-No caught her and took her into his cave. She became on of the Thunder beings whose voices can be heard in the thundering of the Falls even today. She became a part of the local legends of Niagara and was henceforth called “the Maid of the Mist”.

Even today, the boat tour of Niagara is called Maid of the Mist. Many people have tried to cross the Falls; few have succeeded like…

The first person to go over the Niagara Falls in a barrel and return alive, she was a school teacher from Auburn, New York. On October 24, 1901, her 63rd birthday, her barrel was set adrift from a rowboat, south of Goat Island, after Annie had climbed in with her lucky heart shaped pillow. The currents carried it over to Canadian Horseshoe falls, and took the plunge down. Rescuers reached her barrel shortly after this. Her trip took 20 minutes.

Jean Francois Blondin

This tight rope walker strung a tightrope from the gorge, over to the Rainbow bridge, and successfully walked across and returned alive.

Steve Trotter 

He was the first American to cross the Niagara Falls in a barrel in 25 years and the youngest, only 22 years old.

John David Munday 

The first person to survive going over the Niagara Falls two times.

MACHALI – THE LADY OF THE LAKE

MACHALI – THE LADY OF THE LAKE

 

I went to Ranthambore National Park, and there I was lucky enough to see a very famous Tigress called ‘Machali,’. Machali as the most famed tigress of Ranthambore and has been written about in several books. Her famous adventures have given her several interesting names like ‘Machali’ meaning fish in Hindi, as she loves water, and often hides in water. She is also called, ‘Lady of the lake,’ because of her love of water, and ‘Crocodile Hunter.’ The stories behind these nicknames are quite interesting…

Machali had two healthy cubs. The problem was that the father of her cubs, Bumbu Ram, had mysteriously disappeared. {My theory of his disappearance is that he was killed by poachers, and is now stuffed and decorating somebody’s sitting room.} So, as he was not there to protect her cubs, she and her cubs were in great danger.

There was also another male tiger, Nick, who was a great threat to Machali and her cubs as he wanted to kill her cubs, so that he could have cubs with Machali, thus extending his bloodline. So Machali had to protect her cubs. Nick started to prowl around the borders of her territory, leaving marks to show Machali that he was there.

Machali knew of Nick’s impending threat, and that, if Nick found her cubs, she would be helpless to stop him killing them. So, she hid her cubs in a lake. But in order to do so she had to kill or chase away all the crocodiles near her cubs’ hiding place. That is why she is also called ‘Crocodile hunter.’

She then followed Nick everywhere, growling at him if he tried to venture into her territory or near the lake where her cubs were hidden. But, the strangest thing is that the day ended with them stalking a herd of Sambar together. {The deer, not the south Indian dish!} This kept happening time and again till the cubs finally grew up and over time Machali and Nick also became friends!

The First cub  was named ‘Broken Tail’ as his tail was slightly bent and thin at the end. The second was called ‘Slanted Ear’, obviously because his ear was slanted. Soon, Broken Tail and Slanted Ear left, Machali immediately had cubs with Nick.

The first of these cubs was known as ‘Jhalra,’ after the area he was born in. Jhalra now stays in Sariska Tiger Reserve, and her second cub was never named, she is just called T-17, as she is the 17th tiger born in Ranthambore.

Machali is T-16 and continues to inhabit the lakes of Ranthambore even today, awing visitors with her majestic presence and amazing self confidence … .