Dimple – host, naturalist, author and more

Dimple Bhati wears many hats. She grew up in Jodhpur, India where reading up on nature was one of her many hobbies. After graduation, she entered the world of wildlife with her husband Tarun Bhati, a compassionate naturalist and the grandson of Padma Shree awardee Kailash Sankhala, one of the first to study tigers in 1950s and who laid the foundation for Project Tiger.

Dimple is the host at Kanha Jungle Lodge. Not only is she a naturalist with expertise in butterflies, wildflowers, insects and spiders, she is currently authoring a book on the fascinating fungus and moths of Kanha. She is an expedition leader for women travel groups and also is an expert cook.

Her deep understanding of the jungle has allowed her to document not just the escapades of the tiger but also of the numerous varieties of birds, butterflies, insects, and foliage. Dimple has published a handy booklet on the flowers and butterflies of Kahna and also authored Recipes of Kanha Jungle Lodge, a book that documents some of the classic dishes served at the lodge.

Dimple has been Kanha for 20 years now and her love for nature has grown exponentially. Since her first ever safari in Kanha, she still sets off early in the morning talking of tigers and butterflies with equal fascination, and sharing her passion for nature with those who accompany her.

Dimple and her family are spearheading safari tourism in a compassionate and ecologically sensitive way. They also look after another crucial tiger landscape in central India, where under the starry sky, as in Kanha, they spread their message of conservation from the lap of nature.