A Date with Kolkata

If Kolkata were a person…

She’d be confident, warm and decent. She’d be an intellectual and completely transparent about her emotions at the same time. She’d value love and friendship over money and fame. She’d be an extreme food lover. She’d eat biryani and kabab as often as puchka and egg roll. She’d never finish her meal without sweets, Sondesh and Rosogulla being her favorites. And she’d be very fond of Chinese food as well. She’d love to roam around on streets with friends and have long talks (adda) on varied topics starting from politics to books to food. In all she’d be a wonderful company.

Taxi, Tonga and Old Haveli

It seemed irresistible not to go there and get the feel of her myself…
I was first introduced to Kolkata by one of my friends. The way he used to explain her I was quite impressed. I got married in a Bengali family and that was when I got to know her deeply. Finally I was almost in love with Kolkata when I heard about her from a couple from Kerala. As per them those two years that they have spent there had been the best time of their lives. It now seemed irresistible not to go there and get the feel of her myself. So I decided to go on a date with her, and the best time I thought would be when she is in epitome of romance, Puja time.

The smell of moist air welcomed me to Howrah station, a place full of action. Several trains reaching and leaving the station simultaneously; Porters running here and there; people greeting their relatives; Hawkers selling stuff from Jhal moori to locks and chains to magazines. It was bustling with life.

With the feeling of excitement within to meet my date whom I’ve loved in my imagination, I proceeded further. 

The glimpse of Hooghly River on a bright sunny day somehow gave me a feeling that I am going to have an exciting time…
On the harbor of the river, you get plenty of time to view Kolkata’s most iconic sight. As we ferry across the water, Howrah Bridge seem personified as the handsome, muscular and stoic. It was difficult to take my eyes off it. I had not got over the magic of the beauty of Howrah Bridge when my eyes met the sensual ivory curves of the glamorous Victoria memorial. Dedicated to Queen Victoria this memorial provides an insight into Indian History right from the arrival of British to the Independence era. Amazing paintings and photographs by British officers unfold an Indian subcontinent hitherto unknown to many of us.

Beyond the Memorial is the mesmerizing sweep of Maidan where you can witness the romance of life. You will find friends sharing happiness and talking their worries away, families having picnics, fitness freaks of all ageswalking and jogging, political leaders addressing crowds, kids playing, music lovers singing. Life on the Maidan is the quintessence of life in Kolkata.

Stay at an Old Haweli in Sutanuti…
Plan was to visit a friend at Sutanuti, one of the oldest settlements of Kolkata on the bank of river Ganga. Metro took us to Shobha Bazar, Sutanuti. We walked through a labyrinth of narrow streets and lanes with our friend to reach a 250yrs old Haweli. An old wooden staircase led us to a colorful verandah. Light created an optical wonder on the floor of the verandah as it filtered through the glass windows. What would have been a better place than this Haweli to stay at to understand Kolkata in its true sense. A small talk with the host and I knew what I’ve heard about people from Kolkata is absolutely correct. Their love for art, culture, heritage and traditions was quite evident.

Verandah of an Old Haweli in Sutanuti

Drive through Kolkata roads gave me an opportunity to look at my sweetheart closely and company of friends from Kolkata an opportunity to understand her soul...
A long drive to Diamond Harbor was planned for the next day. Drive through Kolkata roads gave me an opportunity to look at my sweetheart closely and company of friends from Kolkata an opportunity to understand her soul. And hence started my romance with this city Kolkata!

Walking through Madhupal lane where people were busy having morning tea with family and having discussions on the day’s plan for puja celebrations and ladies after a fresh morning bath in Ganga waters were about to start their day, we reached Durga Charan Banerjee road. I was amazed to see old buildings in their original form. The Kolkatians’ love for their heritage was quite evident from the way they have preserved these building in their natural form. Yellow ambassador Taxis, hand pulled Rickshaws and trams can’t be seen in any other part of the country except for Kolkata. Morning chai adda was the most common scene at the road sides.

Adda with friends

After spending good time with my Kolkatian friends it was clear to me that it is a city where people judge each other on the things that really matter; where they understand that life is not about money but about culture, ideas, art, and passion.

Kumartuli – Moving from Romanticism to Reality…
At night we walked through kumartuli (traditionally potters’ quarter in northern Kolkata) streets flanked by artisans’ workshops. While the city was busy in celebrations the artisans’ squat on the street giving finishing touches to idols ignoring the attention of curious passersby. For them making Idols of Goddess is only a means of survival. Walking through these streets we reached the banks of Hooghly River where people were washing away the fatigue of the day so they can have a peaceful sleep.

Understanding the Essence of Puja…
Next day was dedicated to visiting Puja Pandals and finding out why there is so much of hype around Kolkata Puja. My sweetheart was decked with elaborate beautiful pandals. I wanted to understand the passion behind this madness that I have witnessed all these years in every Bengali around Puja. No work talks for a week I was told. It’s time to celebrate – new clothes, elaborate food, Pandal hopping, chai adda and lots of fun. The essence of Puja lies in culture, the warmth of being together, the joy of celebration, the pride in artistic expression. It’s all about the bonding, the emotion, the spirit and the love for life.

Ah! That was my first meeting with this ‘city with a soul’. This visit has made me even more anxious to meet her once again, for a longer duration next time.

With the hope of returning to my beloved soon I left Kolkata with beautiful memories in my heart!

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A dreamy (?!) night at Katarnia Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary

I got one more reason to love Dudhwa…

Dudhwa has always been my favorite when it comes to wildlife and after this visit ( Feb' 2014), I got one more reason to love it - Katarnia Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary, some 100 kilometers from Dudhwa National Park. 

After exploring Dudhwa National park and  Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary, we were all set for Katarnia Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary.  A beautiful drive through villages of UP and then alongside a river for a few kilometers took us to a small village called Bichia. Our GPS also failed us after reaching a point. Guide Sanu accompanied us from here to the forest rest house. We drove through 10kms of dense forest of Sal, teak and lots of other varieties of plantations. The sun rays were struggling to reach the ground… it seemed as if all the trees and the shrubs have conspired against the ground and joined hands to seize all the light that sun has to offer. Driving through this magical way with rich flora on both sides and fauna that our eyes could not locate, we felt like drifting through some magical land - the fragrance of the jungle, the silence that is being disturbed by occasional chirping of birds and chatter of monkeys, the cool fresh air that we could feel on our faces.  

The dreamland…

My already excited heart leaped with happiness when we reached there. The sun was about to bid adieu. Golden rays of sun reaching the ground after filtering through the leaves created an atmosphere that seemed no less than a dreamland to me. As a child I have always dreamt of a house in the lap of nature, and this rest house in the middle of the jungle being caressed by the branches of an old bamboo tree and kissed by the golden sunlight was like a dream come true. 

A hot cup of tea in the cold dreamy evening

After having a hot cup of tea in the cold dreamy evening we accompanied Sanu for a jungle walk.  Walking through this beautiful jungle Sanu told us some facts and figures about it.

The sanctuary was founded in 1975 and is an integral part of the Terai Eco-System along with Dudhwa National Park and Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary. Spread over an area of around 440 square kilometers with sal and teak forests, lush grasslands and wetlands alongside the Girwa River, Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary is located near the Indo-Nepal Border of India in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pardesh bordering Nepal on one side and Dudwa national park on the other.The sanctuary can be experienced driving along a 40 kilometer road that passes through the Motipur , Kakraha , Murthia and Nishangarah Ranges and ends at the Katerniaghat Range.

Home to a large number of mammals that include the Tiger, Elephant, Leopard, Chital, Wildboars, Civets, Mongoose, Wild Cat and Otters, Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary is unique as one can experience and sight the most endangered species at one place. These include the Royal Bengal Tiger, Ghariyal, Gangatic Dolphin and the critically endangered vultures. This combination is hard to see in any other forest. A pair of albino Chital and a black leopard has also been sighted in the Nishangarah Range.

The forest at places is dominated by the Sal Tree and Asna. Other flora includes Haldu, Kusum. and Rohini trees.Teak with others tree like Chamraudhi and Jamun are also in abundance. The grassland consists of species like Saccharum munja, Shaccharum spontaneum, and Antidon and it has irregular plantations of trees like Khair, Semal and Shisha. Peepal and Bargad trees can also be seen in some areas.

Evening walk through the jungle

The Sanctuary is a bird watchers paradise too. Migratory birds include the Red Creasted Pochards, Tuftted Duck, Greater Creasted Grebe, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail , Northern Shoveler, Bar Headed Goose and Common Pochards. The forest is filled by the songs of the oriole and bulbuls along with the shama and birds like the Greenbilled Malkoha , Sirkeer Malkoha, Yellow footed Green pigeons, Orange Breasted Green Pigeon, Bee Eaters, Red Jungle Fowl and the beautiful Oriental Pied Hornbill along with the Indian Grey Hornbill are also common. Raptors like the Created Serpent Eagle, Fishing Eagle, Vulture, Sikkra Honey Buzzard and Osprey can also be seen. The night sky is dominated by the Indian Nightjar and owls like the Asian Barred Owlet and Spotted Owlet.

Dream turning into a nightmare…

With an anticipation of having a peaceful dreamy night, sleeping in midst of all this wild life hearing the sounds of the jungle, we came back to the rest house and were surprised to see the environment. The dream has been turned into a nightmare. There was a generator breaking the silence, kids running around like in an amusement park, some kids crying at top of their voices and staff running here and there to serve the master… that happens to be some VIP. Not only the silence but the whole atmosphere has been destroyed by the presence of this noisy so-called VIP family.  

I wonder if we humans, who are so used to all this noise, were so disturbed, what effect will this artificially created noise, light and pollution will have on animals and plants of the area to whom the forest belong. We have already captured much of their space…. can’t we leave atleast these sanctuaries and reserve forests for them who deserve to live there peacefully. We spent the night full of anger for those who just don’t know how to behave in a forest and come here to throw their weight around on the staff.

Boat safari in Girwa River…
Morning bought with it some peace. After having light bite we proceeded for boat safari in Girwa River. 

Walking towards the Girwa river

The boatman told us that the river is dominated by the Gharial (alligator) and Muggar (Crocodile) which can be seen basking on the sand bars. Turtle of various kinds can also be seen basking in the sun. One can see the Lesser Whistling Teel in large number and small pranticoles on the sand bar. But it being a foggy day we could not spot any. The unique thing about the river is the presence of the Gangatic Dolphin which playfully jump in the waters of Girwa. The boatman could feel the presence of a baby dolphin and stopped the rudder of the boat for some time. We were floating in the area of the dolphins… and there a sudden splash in the water accredited the presence of a dolphin there.

Floating in the area of the dolphins

On this visit of ours to the Terai Eco-System that includes Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary we experienced forest in all possible modes. Elephant safari followed by jeep safari then a jungle walk and then boat safari... What else can a forest lover ask for!

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A Magic Moment at Dhankar

We had already visited many monasteries in the region while on our Spiti sojourn and I expected something similar at Dhankar as well. But I was totally taken aback by the beauty of this place. The monastery is dramatically located on a cliff overlooking the confluence of Spiti and Pin Rivers. 

Dhankar Monastery dramatically located on a cliff

On the other side of the mountain lies Dhankar lake. A well defined steep trail of 5kms will take you there. It is something not to be missed. There are some spots on this trek from where you will get spectacular views of Dhankar. It took us around an hour and a half to reach the lake. Sun was about to set when we reached the place. It was a dark and cloudy day.

Dhankar Lake

I was taken aback by the magic that happened as soon as we were about to leave. I still have a clear picture of that magic moment in my mind - Dark sky with black clouds... cool breeze coming from north... that time of the day when slowly darkness takes over the day and suddenly when we were about to leave the place magic happened... Golden light trickling from behind the clouds lit up the lake turning it from dark grey to deep blue with golden spread all over the place... as if some fairy has waived her magic wand! 

A dash of gold!

Wish Nature's magic could be captured  as is!

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The Road Ends Here!

We were looking for the Kingyupa Temple in the village Chitkul when we met this middle aged well built pahari guy. He was intrigued to see two strangers roaming around in the lanes of this small village of population not more than 500. It was he who approached us.

Chitkul - The last inhabited village of India

Just a 5minutes talk with the man and we were climbing the wooden stairs of his house. "Watch your head" he said while directing us to low lit room of his house all made of wood. There were just three rooms in the house - one that he directed us to, it had a loom in it with lots of wool spread on the floor, second where his wife was sitting with his daughter and mother and the third where we were standing now... kind of corridor connecting the other two rooms.

On talking more to the guy we learnt that he is the person who runs well known "Hindustan ka akhiri dhaba". I knew Chitkul only by this shop before I came here... Had seen a few pics of some bikers group. The road abruptly ends at his dhaba. Thats the end of India. Chitkul is on the foot hills and across these hills is Tibet. Looking at the crowd that is attracted to this small village now, he wants to convert his small dhaba into a hotel and a nice restaurant for travelers. 

With Om Prakash and family

A little more time talking to him and his whole family joined us. On asking his wife described how the loom works. She was making a shawl for an upcoming marriage in the village. Now I was curious to know how they dress in marriages. They took no time in taking the whole costume out and dressing me in it. More than me, they were excited

The Kinnauri women dress in Dohru which comprises of Chhalni, Gachi (waist belt), Pattu (shawl), Topi (cap) and men wear Suthan, Choba, Gachi and Topi.

Me in traditional Kinnauri dress on loom

The warm family bade us goodbye with a promise of having a meal with them on our next visit.

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Wish I were a bird too...!

I visited Palampur, my home town a few weeks before. We have a beautiful garden with variety of fruits and flowers... starting from Peaches, plum, litchi, apricot, mangoes, guava, pomegranate, papaya, strawberries... Roses, poppy, lily, Pansy, camellia and many more.... you name it and we have it all in our garden. And the garden is frequented by a great variety of birds and butterflies. This time I could actually see the birds in action as it is their breeding season. Various birds like robin and Barbet were busy making the nests for their young ones in our garden... Bulbuls singing and jumping around at times on litchi tree and at times on green grass... fruit trees either having fruits or bloom... sweet fragrance of flowers all around... chirping birds playing around... I could feel the romance in the air. It was no less than living in a paradise for a week.

Papa busy maintaining the garden

My day would start with a sweet call of a small blue bird. I would take a deep breath and head towards the garden to exercise on soft green grass breathing fresh mountain breeze... a look around and mind, body and soul would refresh. By this time even papa would get free from his day to day gardening tasks. We would together read newspaper, discuss subjects worth a discussion and then have healthy breakfast. 

Observing these birds through the day playing and singing and building their homes with such an effort strengthens my wish to be a bird. Male would diligently collect hay to build the nest and the female would observe lovingly. Then the pair would spend time flying around in the garden... on the trees... branches... playfully. How I wish I were a bird too...!

Watering the plants is fun

Evenings would be full of action. That's when maximum birds would be out. After watering the plants we would together start the bird chase. Papa on one side of the garden, Payal, my sis, on the other and me at the backyard. All busy chasing birds and discovering new additions. The ones for whom our garden was home were Bulbul, Robin and Black browed Barbet. The other guests who visited our garden while I was there were Oriental white eye, Purple Sun bird, a pair of Spotted Doves, Maina, Woodpecker and many more whose names I still don't know.  That black and white little bird who would usually come around sunset and sit on the top of arocaria almost everyday,  the blue bird who would wake me up with its sweet voice, that smallest yellowish brown bird who would never sit at one place as if teasing me and not wanting me to click it... They all became a part of my days there.

Robin pair busy preparing their nest in our garage, between a pole and tin roof. What papa's worried about was the young ones of birds will not be able to stand the heat when sun will warm up the tin. So the solution he thought is that he will put a damp piece of cloth over tin so as to avoid direct sun.

Robin

Black browed Barbet these days was busy digging up her nest in a trunk of an old tree. The process of digging it is very similar to how a woodpecker construct his nest. A hole with unbelievable perfectness. 

Black browed Barbet

Himalayan Bulbul I found them the most romantic of all. They would keep playing and singing around almost the whole day around their home and surroundings. 

Himalayan Bulbul

Chasing and clicking these sweet little birds is what I did the whole week and thoroughly enjoyed.

Now I am waiting for the Barbet to lay eggs. I really wanna see how cute li'l ones look and the sight of them being fed by mother bird is worth a visit to Palampur again. 

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Auli - Land of peaks, forest and flowers

It was a clear day with sun rays warming our bodies that have gone numb due to the chill in the air. High snow clad peaks of Nanda Devi, Chaukhamba, Panch Chuli, Mana and Kamet bordered with Golden oak and deodar kissing the deep blue sky above, welcomed us to Auli.

After basking for a while on a natural green carpet, we started walking around.

High snow clad peaks bordered with Golden oak and deodar
kissing the deep blue sky above, welcomed us to Auli

Basking on a natural green carpet

An encounter with locals

Met Kunti devi, Lalita and Kuldeep on the way. Kunti, who lives in a nearby village, was going to deliver milk to families at Government quarters.  Far on the top we could see a potato farm that Kuldeep told us he is coming from.

Locals busy in daily chores

Not-at-all-camera-shy locals were all in for pictures

After spending some time talking to them we headed towards the ski resort of GMVN (Garhwal mandal).                

Golden Oak and Pine Forest

The resort looked like a labyrinth of stairs. On climbing to the top we discovered a car chair lift to the point where skiing is done in winters. There was an artificial lake constructed by GMVN to prepare snow for Skiing that Kuldeep had mentioned excitedly and told us not to miss. But for us city dwellers who live in artificiality day in and day out, it was not the attraction. We wanted go up and up and lose ourselves in the serene nature. So we decided to trek to the Golden Oak forest.

We trekked up further to reach the golden oak forest

Encircled by the snow-laden Himalayan peaks is a dense forest of Pine and golden oak, so serene and noiseless that you can hear the sound of rustling leaves under your feet. The unique thing about the forest was the carpet of purple lilies, the Sagebrush Buttercup and white daisies.

A glimpse of Nanda Devi National Park

After spending good two to three hours in the forest we had to return to GMVN as it started raining. Weather had changed its flavor, the sun has been engulfed by dark clouds and the sweet sun shine day had been turned into a harsh chilled breezy day. 

The water drops wetting us and cool breeze teasing by blowing even faster after the shower. Never before has rain felt so good.
Wet body, aching limbs and satisfied heart is what we came back with. After doing some photography here and there and teasing friends about the kind of place we are at, we drifted into the world of dreams.

Magical Sunrise

We woke up to a fresh morning and trekked towards a small temple on the top of one of the hills. It was still dark outside and not even a single soul was to be seen. We witnessed the first rays of the sun falling on majestic Himalayas.

Golden rays falling on snow laden mountain peaks

After sunrise at around 6.00am, some activity started. Few more wandering souls came out with their cameras, and some believers were out to offer their prayers and there was a lot of activity around the Indo Tibetan army base.

We came back with serenity of solitary forests, strength of Majestic Himalayas and simplicity of smiling locals.

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Himalayan Paradise - Kausani

One of my fond childhood memories is a visit to a small town with breathtaking view of Himalayan range. The picture of Snow clad Himalayan peaks rising to caress the sky, clouds hovering over the valley below, changing colours of the sky is still fresh in my mind. I was quite excited to visit Kausani after around 25 years. Has the place been able to preserve the beauty I witnessed then, has it changed its colours with changing world... there were many such questions lingering in my mind.
We were a group of five driving an Alto. Cutting through the dense fog enjoying the fulness of nature we drove through Hapur, Joya, Rampur, Haldawani, Kathgodam and Bheemtal

Serene Saat taal:

We had time in hand so we decided to stay at Saat taal over night. Welcoming owner, Cordial staff and perfect location made Maple leaf resort a good option to stay. Quickly the staff got the rooms ready. We were informed that there were heavy rains from past few days. After settling down we decided to go out for evening walk. We were cautioned by Mr Lalit, the owner not to go far off as there may be some wild animals roaming around and its not safe. But we, the explorers, were looking for some adventure. We could easily make out that the woods are full of activity that we could only hear in the dark night. We thoroughly enjoyed our walk through the mysterious woods with night sounds of wolf howling, frogs croaking and crickets chirping

Lovely quiet morning is what we could ask for after a tiring day and an adventurous night. Nothing can be as refreshing as morning walk through the full bloomed nature. Took a walk around, clicked some best pictures of the trip and then resumed our journey to Kausani at around 7AM. Driving through beautiful valleys, water streams and tiny villages, we reached Kausani at around 2PM.

Kausani ...beyond the horizon

We were mesmerized to see the pristine beauty of the place. It hasn't changed at all... A small town untouched by the modernity. Except for a few more hotels here and there (architecture in sinc with the simplicity of the town), the place look almost as it looked some 25 years back.

 That time I remember there were just 2 probable places to stay - the Government guest house and the Gandhi Ashram. I wanted to stay at the rest house where we stayed those 25 years back. And we were lucky enough to get the permission to stay there. It being monsoons, we were the only guests and that made our stay even better. Care taker, Cook, Mali, Variety of birds, Insects, Monkeys, a Dog were sharing the place with us.

That evening was spent sipping hot coffee and gazing at the snow bound peaks playing hide and seek with clouds. We started identifying the peaks - Chaukhamba, Nandachunti, Trisol, Nanda Devi, Panchuli ranging from the height of 21 to 25 thousand feet. The sun rays reflecting from clouds were creating a drama of colors in the sky. Slowly the darkness took over and turned the beautiful evening into a quiet night. The valley below looked like God has sprinkled sparkle on a black sheet. Home cooked dinner followed by a session of sharing spooky experiences over a drink in the dark night completed our day.


Baijnath, Tea gardens and more...
We woke up to a fresh lazy morning with a cup of hot tea and mesmerising view of sun rise over Himalayas.

The first half of the day was spent roaming around the town, talking to locals, and exploring the place. There are many old buildings with red and green tin roofs that adds to the beauty of the place. Thabli devi, mother of 6, working as mali in the guest house gets Rs 1500 salary and walks down for 2 hrs to reach her workplace. Life is not easy for her and many others in the area. But people here know how to live with limited means and being content with it.

In the second half we planned a trip to the tea gardens nearby and Baijnath. We were guided by Thabli Devi. She took half day off to roam around with us and get a car ride. Exceited she was to sit in a car for the first time. It was a bright sunny day with soft clouds here and there.

Our first stop was Baijnath, 19kms from Kausani town. This old group of temples consisting of main shrine of Lord Shiv and 17 subsidiary shrines is build in Nagra Style in 12th century AD. The temple holds significance because, according to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva and Parvati were married at the confluence of River Gomati and Garur Ganga. Situated on the left bank of the Gomti River at an elevation of 1126 mts, the temples are constructed in stone. The temple is approached from the riverside by a flight of steps made of stones.

Driving through cheer and deodar trees our next stop was a local government school. It being a Saturday, school was closed. Slogans, a map of Uttarakhand and one of India and national anthem writen on the walls of the school... The place reminded me of my childhood days.

Then was the much talked about tea gardens and the tea factory The tea produced here is rich in flavor and of export quality. Kausani is the only place away from the traditional tea plantation areas in India that produce organic orthodox tea. This high-flavored tea is exported to many countries, including Australia, Germany, Korea and the US. Quite impressed we were. Picked up few packets of tea from an outlet just outside the factory.

Tempted to go... check out our trip in May 2013 here

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Some family celebrations at Asansol and some magical moments at Mandarmani

We were going on a family trip to Asansol, my 'Sosurbadi'. Its 'Annaprashan' of my nephew Ishaan. Saturdays are not off for Ani, so we decided I, with all the luggage, will pick Ani from his office and will go to the station directly. There's a reason why I am telling you all this. In the rush rush of packing, calling a taxi, picking up luggage and Ani... I forgot to pick my most precious thing "Nikon D60". So a week long trip without my camera.

The celebrations were good - first at boni's sosurbari and then at mine, me and dear hubby being the chief guests at both the places. Its Mama's occasion. For those who don't know, 'Annaprashan' is the occasion when the infant is first fed with food other than milk and Mama is the one who feeds the child. Loads of food, 'Adda', masti.... it was fun. It is when I am in WB that I reget being a vegetarian. They seem to enjoy various preparations so much. And for us veggies its just dal, aloo bhaja and paneer. Anyways, the occasion ended well. Ishaan seemed to have enjoyed his first meal as much as we enjoyed feeding him.

We still had some time in hand, so thought of a short trip somewhere around. Sis in law took no time to decide the place and finalize the plan. We were going to Mandarmani, a beach resort in Medhinipur district of West Bengal. Though summers ia not the best time to visit the place we took a shot at it. Firstly, The place will not be too crowded due to off season and secondly we will get the accommodation in comparatively cheap.

Four of us Tiu (my sis in law), Chintu (her husband), Ani and me started off on a Wednesday morning. The journey was cool until our little driver bumped the bottom of the car on a speed breaker. The steering got locked. Luckily there was a Tata service stations nearby so we got it fixed. After going little further, there was a road blockage done by some protesting villagers. We were told to wait for 1 hr. Anirban's 'khurafati dimaag' started working immediately. He went up to one of the most intelligent looking person in the crowd and starting talking. We were just observing him from the car. One nod from that person and we were on our way again. On inquiring, Ani told us that he told the man that we are a group of travel journalists from Delhi and are going to Mandarmani to do a story on beaches of West Bengal. Part of the information is true huh! In India can you imagine to get work done without a little lie. And whats the harm in it if it doesn't harm anyone anyways.


After this eventful little journey we reached the place, but the beach is nowhere to be seen. As I was told by one of the friends it is a adventure ride, one has to go through the sea to reach the resort. I was getting impatient to experience that. and woww... one narrow road led us to the magnificent sea. We drove on the beach around 4-5 kms to reach the destination. That was a wonderful experience.

The place we stayed at was right on the beach, and our room window facing the beach. We were told that the sea waves come up till the gate of the hotel on a full moon day.

We din't take any time to change and jump into the sea. Loll on the sand, let salty water wet your body and sound of crashing waves touch your soul - thats exactly what we did. It was magical, we spent around 2-3 hrs wetting our body and minds.
The night was even more hypnotizing. It was a day before full moon night. the sea at its furious best. Almost full moon, huge waves crashing, strong wind blowing, we could feel the magnificence of the nature. We could see the huge waves crashing right at the foot of the raised platform we were sitting at.

The same lolling and wetting went for half of the next day, and then was the time to say goodbye to the wonderful place, Mandarmani, much more than what I expected it to be.

PS - The pics you see above are taken from my Nokia mobile phone.

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The Thar Tales

Going to Desert in March is not a good idea. There would be extreme heat, sand storm and moreover, without a proper hotel booking during the time of Holi festival., a strict ‘no-no’ even from the “not -so-puritans” friends and relatives.

And here we are, coming back from the trip sitting at the sleeper class compartment of Jaisalmeer Express, eyes closed and the heart roaming around the tour about to finish… an amazing adventure completely different from any other adventures we have experienced so far.

The Journey:

Delhi to Jaisalmer-

Unlike most of our journeys in the recent past, when we drove to our destinations, this time we chose to travel by train. Being the only train for Jaisalmer the tourist and travelers had no options but to dare the challenge offered by The Great Indian Railway. It stops at every small station thus offering a reasonable opportunity for the office goers to communicate by an ‘express train’. At the end, a ‘wholesome’ journey… six people sitting on one berth and having nothing but ‘Pakora’ in the entire 17 hrs journey… we reached Jaisalmer.

A look at the beautiful Station and it did not take long to leave the horrible journey behind. Never seen a station like this before… small, clean, planned and every construction around is made of Golden stone… hardly anyone around except for the people who got down from the train. As others went into the waiting room to get fresh, I went around the area and to my delight there was a marvelous view of the full Jaisalmer fort beyond the station premises…one look and yes- it was Sonar Kella, indeed.       

Jaisalmer to Khuri-

After a spicy lunch at roadside dhaba near station we reached the local bus stand. It was easy to find the bus that could take us to Khuri, but it was equally puzzling to imagine how one could get into it, especially four of us with all those travel bags.  The smiling conductor and a few locals came to our rescue... how can we leave our guests standing and suffering…their simplicity and hospitality won our hearts. And there we were all smiling and chatting with fellow travelers, packed inside the little tin moving at a speed of 20 km /hr. Soon we found ourselves outside the town, bus moving at slightly higher speed through the lonely road surrounded by thar desert. More we moved inside more the green disappeared and all that was left with golden stones and sand dunes. After almost one and half hr as we fought our way out of the bus, we bid adieu to the stone cutter Narhar going to his native village for playing holi with his little brother, the middle aged Amrit from Jaisalmeer, Ramu the teenager studying in class IX in a locals school also a part time tourist guide in Jaisalmer. 

Khuri is a small village less than 100 km from Jaisalmer surrounded by desert Thar, with a population of around 2000. Badal Singh the village mukhia was himself there to receive us at Bus stand. A little walk under the scorching sun and we reached ‘Badal House’. The family, two little boys, naughty Dashrath and responsible Narshim, extremely shy daughter, and Mrs. Badal occupied in kitchen all the time, all were happy to welcome us and we immediately felt at home. The little hut made of clay and stone cooled us down along with a cold glass of water that Badal brought for us.

The Thar Desert:
Oneness with nature

A little rest at the amazing hut and off we go again… all ready for an adventure so special and full of unknown anticipation. Badal gave us three of his best men, one being his elder son, along with four camels to take us to the heart of the desert for the rest of the day and night. Riding the tall serious looking guys was never going to be easy and it proved to be little more difficult than we thought at the beginning. But in a few minutes we were in complete tune with the ships of desert.

After about twenty minutes ride through the sand dunes Narshim, one of the Camel riders stopped the Camals and pointed towards the horizon. One incredible scene of Ray’s Pather Panchali always fascinated me… the unadulterated expression of bewilderment and joy and virgin happiness of two young kids - Apu and Durga as they run to see the first moving train of their life beyond the kash forest. Today as Narshim had pointed out towards the setting Sun, all four of us might have felt a Apu and Durga in all our heart for the moment. Mesmerized by the golden ball dipping beyond the horizon of Thar and the changing colour of the sky and the sand dunes within a period of some seconds four of us stood hypnotized. 

By the time we reached our ‘spot’ right at the middle of nowhere it was dark and chilly all around… music of silence all over. Some of us lost in nature with camera, some busy with the camel riders as they gathered some dry bushes to lit the campfire and prepare food for the night and some got simply busy in doing nothing. We felt a real proud and precious to be there as, after a unique dinner of dal, bati, and mixed vegetable, we slept on the sand bed. Little fox and deer all around, their eyes glowing in the dark, cold breeze blowing, silence all over, full moon on guard and stars blessing… and you never know when you passed into the world of dream.              

“Good Morning” Narshim came smiling with bowl of hot tea. For a moment we forgot where we were. The chirping avians and colour of the dawn on the sand dunes had us spellbound. Sunrise was as splendid as sunset. After another round of exploration and photo session (not to forget delicious parathas) we took off with our camels.

 This time it was another way for going back. The journey is an unmistakable reminder of your childhood memory of Tinitin’s journey through the Sahara desert. We again spotted number of black deer on the way running playfully with a safe distance from all of us.

Being part of a very ordinary day of a very ordinary village Khuri in the heart of Thar: 

Back in Badal House we spent the entire day roaming around the village with little Dashrah. Untouched by the stroke of so called modernity, the tiny village with its simple people, kids playing on the street (besides giving us some curious looks and some sweet hellos), cattle roaming lazily as if a magic pencil have drawn them all right from a book of Tagore's poetry.

Ladies deep inside their veils and roped by the unique ornaments still managing to do their daily routines and kids playfully busy with their morning chores

It was a privilege to be a part of a very ordinary day of a very ordinary village in the heart of Thar. Excited little kids showing us their school building and classrooms, village women doing their household business shy yet curious under the veils, young girls carrying water pots on their heads, group of men chatting under the small tree, the aged grandma coming out of her hut annoyed with her daughter-in-law and the little granddaughter pursuing her to come back home, and so many of those sweet little things made our day. The rest of the afternoon we spent lazily talking to Badal and our new friends Alex and Rothem from Holland.

Evening was more eventful than we thought. There was a local program of folk songs and dance. Time ran in the little village and as we came back after the little too loud event at around 10 pm the dinner were all ready. None of us wanted the day to end…and that lead us to the roof of Badal House for a long after-dinner chat session, Alex and Rothem joined us and the full moon kept smiling.   

Jaisalmer Fort:

The next day was the day of holi also the day of our saying alvida to Khuri. Badal had arranged an efficient Cab driver to help us reach Jaisalmer. Efficient was he indeed and how he drove his little tank all over the temporary road blocks made to stop cars by the locals to fetch some cash in the name of Holi. After a one hr horrendous journey we reach Jaisalmer fort and got down at sonar kella.

The “only living Fort in the world’, Jaisalmer fort was all the more alive with both locals and Tourists playing festival of colors with full vigor.

  

How we wished we could also be a part of the great celebration. But we had to come back to the Jaisalmer station to catch our train by the evening. The Station Master Mr. Vinod Sharma from UP, missing his family on the day of Holi, was kind enough to allow us to use the retiring room to get fresh and equipped to face the Great Jaisalmer Express all over again.  

Best time to visit - Sept to Feb
Essentials to carry - A jacket (nights are really cold), a torch (if you plan to stay out in the desert at night as we did), and some eatables

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Splendid Wildlife Experience - Dudhwa Tiger Reserve

On the way...

We readily agreed when Chandan, one of the friends invited us to Dudhwa Tiger Reserve Forest. Another friend Agni and his parents also got excited at the idea. 5 of us from Delhi started our advanture trip. We decided to drive down. We took NH 24 and crossed Ghaziabad, Hapur, Muradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Sitapur, Lakhimpur and Palia.

Met Chandan and 2 of his colleagues at Lakhimpur. The group of 8, comprising of members as young as 20 and as old as 60, was all game for adventure.

After Palia, we found ourselves at the entrance of an unusual bridge. This was a bridge which was also shared by trains. Yeah! you read it correctly. You drive over the track and if there is an oncoming train, well you wait and give the way. I didn’t see any other bridge on the side and it seemed like the only way to go to Dudhwa Tiger Reserve over times.

Where we stayed...

 The accommodation was arranged at Forest rest house Dudhwa located within the core forest area. Its location, beautiful huts, cosy bedding and warm staff made it a good place to stay.

Day 1 was spent getting to know the place and the people - Spoke with guides; Browsed through the brochures, pictures and other information material available; Met members from Wildlife Trust of India and Roamed around in the nearby forest area.

Successful rehabilitation of Rhinos, Fire line maintenance, Swamp Deers thriving here and Hispid Hares sighted recently are some other interesting pieces of information we gathered. 

Flora and fauna at its best...
The tall Saal trees giving shelter to thousands of birds... even the sunlight is shy to fall on virgin land. I was mesmerized by the sight, sound and scent of fresh morning.

We headed towards Sonaripur at 7 in the morning for the Elephant safari with guide Baddal. We reached a bit early. Elephants were getting ready to take us on a ride. 4 - 5 people per elephant and 4 elephants in all.

 Up and down... here goes the Elegant Elephant wondering in the midows on narrow paths and at times no path at all.

The most common sight was Spotted Deers playing around in their natural surrounding. Felt like you are in a fantasy land.

"Look there" Baddal whispered. It was a mother Rhino with her son. What a sight it was! First they were facing us, as soon as they noticed us they turned their back towards us thinking even we can not see them.

Spent some more time wondering around experiencing wildlife.

 

After basking a bit in the Sun and having Lunch we headed again towards the jungle at around 3PM. This time we were on our own vehicle with guide Chandar. It was 3PM and yet inside the dense jungle it was almost dark. Sun light was trickling in through the leaves at some places.

We sighted good variety of Birds including Kingfisher, White breasted Bulbul and many more from "Machaan" while the guide kept telling us stories of the place, one of many was about Dr S D Singh being attacked by Tiger and a road and a watch tower named after his name.

 

And suddenly he asked us to stop the car...!!!

The King of the jungle Royal Bengal Tiger with it's majestic beauty and unparalleled grace was lying down on the path at about 50 yards in front of us! My body became numb, breathing accelerated and heart started pounding. We kept observing Him quietly from distance. We enjoyed the sight for more than 20 min and then moved little ahead on the track to have a closer look. And then He moved... I could feel that trance of fear in the air. The King got up, moved and started scratching the tree trunks. He was marking His territory I guess. Another 15 min and He crossed the path and moved to the other side. It was the time for us to leave Him alone. 

Back in the Rest house when we narrated our experience and shared the videos and pics, people couldn't believe. It is the first time they have heard that someone has actually sighted and observed a Tiger for that long. Lucky we!!!


Every second a drama is unfolded unknown and undisclosed to the other…a little sound of dry leaves and you will be shivered to see a full grown python slipping away to the muddy water... a look beyond will freeze your blood by the sight of a full grown alligator resting motionless on the bank of river!


Way back...
We were told to go via Pilibhit, a small village, to avoid the traffic at Shahjahanpur. Enjoyed the drive back with lots of leg pulling, singing and eating.

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