Shafts of clear, warm morning light pierce the Sal forest canopy near Khinanauli on the forest road to Dhikala, in the Himalayan foothills. It was springtime, mid-March. The deciduous trees were duly 'springing' back to life, having dropped most of their leaves the previous autumn, as may be seen on the forest floor by the roadside.
The tree species, Sal (Saal), is Shorea Robusta, of the Dipterocarp family.
