Viewing life with Sumit

Grasshoppers

2011-09-13T23:10:00.000+05:30

Posting few shots of different types of grasshoppers which I captured from my locality, using 60D, canon 50 mm f/1.8 lens and Raynox DCR 25o combination. Unfortunately I couldn't identify the different species. The book I already have, various websites available over the internet none of these resources could help. So, I request all my friends and viewers of my blog to help me to identify them, to learn more about them.

Few more publications

2011-09-10T19:27:00.001+05:30

Do self publicity again...Lol....

here is my few more published work

Photo Feature ( 5 page coverage) on Monglajodi birding site, published in GnY Mag's May - June 2010 issue

photo feature on Vetnai, Published in GnY mag's Sept - Oct 2010 issue ( 4 page coverage)

photofeature on Chau dance of Purulia, published in GnY mag's Nov- Dec issue

photofeature on Monglajodi, published in Let's Go mag's Jan 2011 issue( 5 page coverage)

Photofeature on Vetnai, published in Let's Go Mag's July 2010 issue.

My three photos published in " Bon" mag's special " Tiger " issue

photo feature on Rasikbil, published in BON mag's JUly2011 issue( 4 page coverage)

Bon mag , July 2011

Bon Mag, July 2011

"Ekdin" patrika 10.07.2011

"Ekdin" patrika 17.07.2011

"Ekdin" patrika 24.07.2011

"Ekdin" patrika 31.07.2011

More Published work

Some test shots of Raynox DCR 250

2011-05-22T13:49:00.000+05:30

Just got my Raynox DCR 250.. Yet to understand the proper technique to get best result from this close up supplementary lens. Just tried my fz35 this morning> here are some such test images.

Few photos from my recent trips

2011-04-01T06:54:00.010+05:30

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Sandakpu again

2011-01-12T07:51:00.000+05:30

Some moments from my last Sandakphu trek

On the way to Joubari

Morning at Tonglu

Hoopoe

Himalayan Beauti

The Srikhola river(In Nepali dialect, Sri= Beautiful, khola= River)

Srikhola

Plumbeous Redstart(male)

Plumbeous Redstart(female)

Mt K from Dargeeling

More Post on Sandakphu

Moments of Bijoya Dashami in Kolkata

2010-12-19T19:55:00.000+05:30

First of all I must apologise to all the readers/ viewers of my blog and my friends for not posting any thing for quite a long time. Actually I didn't restrained myself from clicking, but processing of those photos and writing for the blog became a bit difficult issue due to lack of time, in last couple of months. Hope, the new year will release this sort of pressure and I'll be able to post more regularly , as before.

Meanwhile I am sharing some shots of Bijoya Dashami celebration at Bagbazar, Kolkata.

"Sindur" or vermilion is a symbol of marriage to Hindus. Dashami is the fourth day of the greatest festival of Bengal, Durga Puja. and the tenth day from the new moon. On Dashami the Devi Durga leaves her paternal house for one yera and sets in for Kailash, the abode of her husband Lord Shiva and a tearful farewell is bid to the Goddess. A lot of rituals are performed before the Goddess sets off for her husband's home. Among which " Sindur Khela" is the greatest , in which only married Hindu women can participate.In the morning of Dashami, married women apply vermilion to the idol of Maa Durga, and then they assemble together to apply vermilion to each other. This ritual takes place amidst a lot of merriment, as the women smear each others' faces with red vermilion and offer sweets.

Glimpses of Kumartuli 2010

2010-09-01T07:53:00.001+05:30

The greatest festival of Bengal, Durgapuja is knocking the door, only a month or so is left. The artists of Kumartuli have no spare time now. Both sides of the narrow roads of this area are always active to contribute their part to make this festival a sucessful one. Sharing some shots , taken in this area this area.

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Few Bird shots from Sikkim

2010-08-05T20:47:00.002+05:30

Sharing few bird shots taken in Rinchenpong and Pelling this year

Grey bushchat


Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher

Rufous Sibia with catch

Straited Bulbul

Barn Swallow

Verditer Flycatcher

Some of my Publications

2010-06-24T16:04:00.001+05:30

Sharing some of my works which have been published in different magazines

Photo feature on Mandarmani , published in Sept 2008 issue of FLOP

Photo feature on Chau masks of Purulia , published in Oct - 2009 issue of FLOP

This photo of an old lady of Uttarancahl was published in Jan 2010 issue of FLOP

Two photographs , published in the March 2010 issue of FLOP

Article on Gandhi Sarovar, Published in the March - April 2010 Issue of GnY

Rinchenpong again (Part III )

2010-06-16T06:42:00.001+05:30

1st June 2010

The day started with a very beautiful rainbow in the North -West sky. The dawn was cloudy enough to hide the snow peaks of the Himalaya, but , we had some glimpses of Mt. Kbabu , Mt Janu at around 8 in the morning . We didn't have any fixed programme for the first half of the day. So, roamed about here and there chasing some butterflies and trying to shoot some macros of very tiny wild flowers.

After lunch, we trekked to Rinchenpong monastery to meet our old friends and came to know that the lamas will practice some dances for their ensuing festival in October . So I became very busy to shoot that. Sharing some of those shots.

Morning Rainbow

Trying to shoot some butterflies (" Putali " in local dialect): Photo courtesy Ankita

Outcome of the effort

Close up of some wild flower with PnS camera

Mt Kabru from Rinchenpong, Gayzing town in the foreground

After lunch, we trekked to Rinchenpong monastery to meet our old friends and came to know that the lamas will practice some dances for their ensuing festival in October . So I became very busy to shoot that. Sharing some of those shots.

In Rinchenpong monastery with my lovely friends, Photo courtesy: Ankita

Rinchenpong again ( Part I)

Rinchenpong again ( Part II)

Rinchenpong : The unexplored Sikkim

Rinchenpong again (PartII)

2010-06-12T19:50:00.001+05:30

29th May 2010

The morning was cloudy, so we couldn’t get any view of Mt K and the other snow peaks of Himalayas. We met the other family, boarded in room No 251, originally who booked Room 252, and whom D.K. shifted to Room 251 to provide us room 252. After tea, we together walked to Kaluk , three KM from Rinchenpong from there, after another round of black tea we got a service jeep to Dentam to reach Bermiok, another picturesque small hamlet of West Sikkim. We explored that small area by walking and then returned to Rinchenpong again. After lunch myselg, along with Ankita trekked to Yungsom, a small village, two KM from Rinchenpong to meet our another friend Mr. Dawa Lepcha. Mr. Lepcha was busy in his farm which includes sericulture an vine yard. I delivered him the photographs , taken during our previous trip, returned to Rinchenpong again And spend the afternoon photographing Barn Swallow

Cloudy morning at Rinchenpong

On the way to Kaluk

Bermiok Market

Bermiok Post office

Dawa Lepcha in his sericulture farm

Vine yard in Lepcha's farm

Carpet weaving at Rinchenpong handicraft centre

Work at Rinchenpong handicraft centre

Barn swallow (male)

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a common in Northern and Eastern parts of India. This bird is found in wetlands and cultivated lands.

Order: PASSERIFORMES Family: Hirundinidae Size: 18 cm.

Barn Swallow is a graceful small bird and is named so for its affinity for the old wooden barns once found on many farms. Swallows are sociable and often gather in large flocks of different species. They spend a great deal of their time in the air; nearly all of their food is captured on the wing. They are a familiar sight in rural areas, following the farmers as they plough and catching the insects stirred up by their progress.

Both males and females share in the construction of the nest which sometimes takes the two birds eight full 14-hour days to complete. The nests are usually constructed of mud mixed with straw, grasses, or horsehair, and cemented to the vertical surfaces of old beams or rafters. Where a flat surface or crevice is available, the cement is omitted.

Identification: Male - Upper parts iridescent blue-black; forehead, throat and upper breast, rufous chestnut; rest of under-parts buff; tail deeply forked, with white spots near tip of all but central feathers. Female - Similar but under-parts paler and tail less forked.

I Saw this birds many places in India , but could never took it's photograph. They didn't allow me to press the shutter, as they rarely sit in a particular place, always flew away before I could focus at them. During my last trip to Rinchenpong, West Sikkim, I found that they are building nests in some shops.But even then I couldn't take a single shot. But my latest trip to the same place in June, I got plenty of chances to shot this beautiful bird.

Love in wire at Rinchenpong

Rinchenpong again (Part I)

Rinchenpong again ( Part III)

Rinchenpong : The unexplored Sikkim

Rinchenpong again ( Part I)

2010-06-10T20:39:00.001+05:30

It was in the month of February, this year, when I planned to revisit Goumukh with my family, including my aged parents, and arranged to and fro tickets, and other things. My earlier trek to Goumukh was about eight years back and was very tightly time bound with a hectic expedition schedule. So, I was very excited about this trip, as I might spend sufficient time in every nook and corner of Gangotry and the entire trek route, photographing The Himalayas and life within it. But just 15 days before our departure, some professional responsibility and family problem took entry into the stage to spoil the whole game. Though I some how managed to resolve my professional problem and could get my leave sanctioned, nothing allowed my parents to leave the station. So, I had to cancel all the tickets with a broken heart.
The extreme hot, humid weather of South Bengal and a pre approved leave were constantly pinching me to go anywhere in the Himalayas. But alas! No ticket was available towards Haridwar. Smelling a chance to get some tickets to N.J.P, exploiting “Tatkal” quota, every morning, from 8, I glued myself in front of my P.C. But, as every net user in India now knows that IRCTC site surprisingly becomes “unavailable” between 8 and 8.45 everyday, one could only book his using this site ticket when all the tickets are exhausted and tickets are issued with a ‘waiting list’ mark. I booked those waiting tickets twice and cancelled just before the preparation of final chart, realizing the fact that there was no chance to get confirmed berths. Third time I got WL 3 and felt a bit relieved because that had a fair chance to b3 confirmed. In the mean time, the brutal murder of Sri Madan Tamang and subsequent political turbulence at Darjeeling made me a bit hesitant about going to Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Lava, Rishyap etc. So I decided to visit again the West District of Sikkim, my all time favorite. Though I returned from Rinchenpong a month ago, though I knew that it was raining heavily there, yet again I was on my way to Rinchenpong on 27^th May with a mindset “ ok, I’ll just relax and enjoy Manson in Himalayas in Rinchenpong”.

Occupying confirmed lower berth of Darjeeling mail, I took out my mobile to inform my old friend D.K of Hotel mount view about our sudden trip and requested to book their lovely Room 252 for us from 28^th May onwards. Though he had already allotted that room to some other guest on 28th, D.K. assured me that he will arrange some alternative accommodation for them and I’ll get my favorite Room No. 252 on my arrival at Rinchenpong

We, after crossing so many hurdles in our journey from N.J.P station, reached Rinchenpong on 28th afternoon and boarded in Hotel Mt. View for the next five days.

Rinchenpong again ( Part II)

Rinchenpong again ( Part III)

Rinchenpong : The unexplored Sikkim

Benaras revisited

2010-05-09T12:27:00.002+05:30

Sharing few shots of my last Benaras (Varanashi) trip in 2010

Suryabandana

Morning prayer

Cleanliness

Open air gym

Live and let live

Ganga Puja (worship)

The door

Coexistence

Lazy afternoon

Kashinath, the head boatman

Confused

untitled

The priest

Looking for salvation

Ready to fly

Recognition

2010-04-19T13:20:00.001+05:30

This blog has been featured at

http://printerinkdell.com/blog_awards/index.php?id=48662

Thanks a lot to all the readers and contributors
Sumit

Bhetnai : The playground of Black Buck

2010-03-20T08:35:00.001+05:30

‘Black Buck’ and ‘Orissa’- how could these to be pronounced simultaneously and be connected together!! This was the first impression to my astonished mind when I came to know that a small unknown village of our neighboring state is providing a safe play ground to hundreds of black bucks since years. Being inspired by ‘now or never’ philosophy, I rescheduled my Monglajodi trip, two more days were added immediately to the itinerary.

After birding at Monglajodi we boarded in the train to Berhampore (Bramhapore) from Balugaon in the morning. The view of moving Chilka on the left and the undulated topography on the right was so refreshing that I couldn’t realize that I was traveling in an overcrowded unreserved compartment. We reached Berhampore by 10, took an auto to reach the old bus stand and arrange a shelter for the coming night. By 10.30, we were again on our way to Aska, but this time by private bus. Excellent road, non-stop express bus journey without any jerk, window seat and cool, soothing breeze, all the elements for a successful script of a nap were present. But before I reach the climax, the shout of the conductor broke my drowsiness, “get down sir, you are at Aska”. Bhetnoi was still 12 km away. We left the high way and tried to board in a small vehicle, which I don’t know what to be called actually. It was bigger than a jeep but smaller even than a mini bus. Everywhere, other than the footboard was packed with people and their luggage. My wife some how managed to get into (probably first time in her life became happy for being a woman!), but I had no other choice but to hang on the footboard with my camera bag and tripod. After almost 20 painfully struggling minutes we reached Bhetnai. Mr. Amullaya Upadhyaya, the president of ‘Blackbuck Management Committee’ received us at the bus stop. The last lap of our journey was still remaining. We rode in his motor cycle o reach the other side of the village. We took off the shoes, crossed a ‘nullah’ and walked about 400 mts too have the first sight of an isolated male Black Buck in the field.

Cautious Observation

We were standing at the beginning of a huge open ground, partially cultivated and partially barren. The piles of harvested crop in some places produced a visual relief in the vastness of the field. 8-10 male and around 100 female could easily be seen from a distance of about 200 meters. A slight try to have proximity to get some better shots created a panic and a whole herd vanished towards the horizon in no time.

Escape

Herd of female Black Buck

I got my first lesson- over enthusiasm and uncontrollable excitation will spoil the game, patience is the key to success, so I decided to wait with a hope that they would bear our presence. I had to wait to be accepted by them, so that they allow me to explore their kingdom. Though it was just last week of January, yet the midday sun was showing no sign of kindness. There was not a single tree in the neighborhood. So, I had no other choice but to wait under the scorching heat sweating all along.

Mr. Upadhyaya had to leave as he had some prior appointments. But, he committed to pick us up whenever our job is done. I positioned myself behind a hump of that undulated field. The hump and the long grasses on it were partially hiding my gears and me. Time was passing at the slowest possible rate. Every single moment of waiting was an acid test for my patience. To make my waiting a bit tolerable I tried to concentrate on things around me. The small bluish hillocks at the farthest corner made the topography quite interesting. Flock of flying milky white Cattle Egret on the backdrop of hill was helping me a lot to ignore the sun, at least mentally. Some other birds, butterflies also kept me a bit active. After almost an hour or so, they again started to come to the open field again and the distance between us was gradually decreasing. I too tried to move by crawling through the ground. What a wonderful world it was!! Not just one, two. Three, or so, hundreds of male, female blackbuck were roaming around the field. They grazed, fought, played in front of my pierced eyes. I was so spellbound that some times forgot to press the shutter and thus missed to capture a lots of unique moments. I was wondering that whether we were in India or in an African safari.

Cleanliness

Let's Play

Jump

Together

Meanwhile, the sun began to go down, the dusk was approaching. Few farmers were still working in an isolated part of the field. Their silhouettes in front of the red fire ball will remain be vibrant in my memory for years to come.

Yet another day of struggle ends

Returning home

Dusk

We again crossed the nullah on our way to return to the road where Mr. Upadhyaya was waiting for us with his motorcycle. He took us to his home where his family gave us a cordial welcome with tea, banana, curd and the traditional and famous Oriya sweet, the ‘Chana Poda’(baked yogurt). He told us that nobody knows from where and when this black buck came actually. This region of Orissa is a very drought prone area. Long ago, during such a drought, one day a small group of black-buck arrived here. Incidentally the village received a heavy shower next day. The villagers started to believe that those black-buck were sent by God and they had brought the most desired rain. Since then the black-bucks became a beloved member of this Bhetnai Village and grew in number. After the adaptation of organized conservation effort, presently almost 1600 black-bucks can be found over an area of 40 sq km around Bhetnai.

The 2010 Photocrati Fund competition

2010-03-14T18:55:00.000+05:30

The 2010 Photocrati Fund competition is now open. Deadline for application submissions is March 15, 2010 (by 11pm GMT).

What is the Photocrati Fund?

The Photocrati Fund offers $5000 grants to non-professional photographers to undertake important humanitarian and environmental photography projects. Our goal is to identify outstanding, up-and-coming photographers and give them the resources necessary to pursue projects that will have a tangible and positive effect on the world.

We will offer one grant in 2010. The application deadline is March 15, 2010, and the award will be announced in June 2010. Awardees become Photocrati Fellows for the calendar year from the announcement of their award until the announcement of the following year’s award.

Award decisions will be made by the Photocrati Fund Board, a prestigious panel that includes some of the world’s best-known environmental and cultural photographers. The Photocrati Fund Board and judges for the competition are:

Steve McCurry
Michael “Nick” Nichols
Art Wolfe

Note: The Photocrati Fund and Photocrati.com are administered by Frontier Digital Media, LLC. Photocrati and the Photocrati Fund are sometimes hereinafter referred to collectively as Photocrati.

Eligibility

Applicants must be non-professional photographers who derive less than 50% of their income from photography or photography-related activities. The grant is open to photographers over 21 years of age from any country worldwide, but applicants should have a proven ability to produce outstanding imagery, as well as the background necessary to carry out their proposed project. If you are someone who has studied photography or done paid photography work, that does not disqualify you. You are only ineligible if you are an established working professional photographer who already gain the majority of their income from photography related activities.

Application Submission Guidelines

Application Deadline: Monday, March 15, 2010 at 11pm (GMT).There are no application fees for this grant.

Each submission may contain only one project proposal. Each applicant may apply only once per submission cycle. Applications are not carried over to the following year. All applications must be submitted in English, online to the following email address: fund@photocrati.com. Please proofread to avoid typos and grammatical errors.

Only applications that meet ALL SUBMISSION CRITERIA will be judged. Once the application and proposal has been submitted, content changes are not allowed. Please double check all of your materials before submitting your application. The Photocrati Fund is not responsible for misdirected submissions. Applicants should keep copies of their application for their own records.

Only applications submitted according to grant application specifications will be considered. Applicants should not send any hard copies or printed materials (no prints, books, CDs/DVDs or transparencies). The Photocrati Fund Panel will not review any of these materials, and they cannot be returned to applicants.

The application consists of just two items: a one-page project statement and bio, and a link to your online portfolio submitted via email to: fund@photocrati.com.

Project Statement and Bio

The project statement should be a maximum of 1-page in Microsoft Word (or compatible) format. Please include the following information, in this order, in the heading:

* Applicant’s Full Name:
* Project Title:
* Project Location:
* Applicant’s Email:
* Applicant’s Phone (including country code):
* Applicant’s Home Country:
* Web Address of Online Portfolio:

The personal statement should describe the proposed project in detail, including:

* Who or what will be photographed?
* Why is this project important? Include historical, environmental, or cultural background to the project as appropriate. You should display good substantive knowledge of your subject matter.
* What positive consequences might result from this project? We are interested in projects that will have a tangible impact or contribution.
* What background and preparation do you have that will enable you to carry out the project? This should include a description of your photographic training or background as well as your knowledge or training related to the subject matter of your project (i.e., language or cultural study, previous experience in the specified country or location, environmental or biological background, and contacts with a specific local organization or experts with whom you wish to work, etc).
* If the proposed project will take place in a country other than your own, please describe your preparations for working in the proposed project location (i.e. visa preparations, local contacts, health vaccinations, language training, etc.).
* How do you plan to spend the grant funds? Please include a rough budget.

Note: In our experience, many applicants underestimate the amount of time and preparation that is required to prepare a good one-page project statement. The fact that this statement is only one page means you must work even harder to make sure that all the relevant information is included in a concise and still-readable way.

The most successful statements are those that have received a great deal of attention. Applicants think carefully about what to include, revise their statements through multiple drafts, perhaps have friends or colleagues provide feedback, and they take special care to ensure that there are absolutely no typos or grammatical errors.

This single page is all we have to evaluate you, your preparation, and your project, so please give it special care and attention.

Each applicant should include on their Project Statement and Bio a URL (web address) to an online gallery of a coherent set of 20-30 images based around a theme or project (preferably related to the project or theme/concept proposed in your application). Carrying out an effective photography project requires not just creative and technical mastery of photography, but also the ability to focus on a single project over time. You need to take time to develop knowledge about your subject matter, build any necessary relationships, and to invest the time to be present when the best photo opportunities present themselves. Your portfolio should display these qualities. We are not looking for a hodge-podge of individual photographs of sunsets, flowers, or travel scenes.

Images displayed in the online portfolio or website MUST BE TAKEN BY THE APPLICANT. Any applicant receiving a grant on the basis of images taken by someone else will be liable to repay the grant’s full amount to the Photocrati Fund.

As with the personal statement, please recognize that the images on this site are the sole basis on which we will evaluate your photographic talent. You should display your best work, and avoid displaying work that is not your best.

Selection Criteria

Following the application deadline (Friday March 15, 2010 at Midnight GMT), Photocrati Fund staff will compile all completed applications that adhere to all submission guidelines.

Photocrati Fund staff will screen applications and remove any that do not meet the application criteria or which are unlikely to be competitive. The remaining applications will be submitted to the Photocrati Fund Board for consideration.

* Selection of the grantee will be based on the Board’s determination, in its sole discretion, of the following:

* Photographic skill and promise of the applicant (in terms of photographic vision and technique) based on the applicant’s images in his/her web portfolio.

* The degree to which the applicant’s non-photographic background and training has prepared him/her to undertake the project.

* The environmental, cultural or humanitarian significance of the project and its potential contributions.

* The feasibility and viability of the completion of the proposed project within the projected timeframe and with the grant funding.

* The quality of the overall application packet.

Notification of Award

Winners of the grant will be notified after the judging, which should be completed by mid-May. Grant winners may share the news of their winning proposal with others involved with the project, but are asked to keep news of their award confidential until the public announcement at the Look3 Festival (and on the Photocrati website) in June.

Disbursement of Funds, Project Report, Photo Essay and Deadline for Completion of Project

Photocrati Fund Grants are in the amount of $5,000. The funds are intended to cover the costs of travel, lodging, and expenses for up to one-month of full time photography. If you are doing a project close to home, then the funds do not need to be spent on travel and lodging, but a case must be made for how they will be spent. Your project may also be longer than one month – just make a case for the appropriate duration for your project.

The funds will be disbursed in two portions. Photocrati Fellows will receive $4000 up-front prior to the project. The remaining $1000 will be disbursed to the Grantee upon completion of the project and upon receipt of a Project Report and an image portfolio from the project.

The Grantee is expected to provide a brief follow-up report upon completion of the project that describes how the project progressed, and which provides a detailed explanation of how funds were used. Receipts should be provided for all expenditures over $50. Grant recipients are advised to keep conscientious records of expenses.

Along with the Project Report, the Fellow should submit an Image Portfolio of 20-30 images. These can be presented in an online gallery or sent to Photocrati Fund staff via email or FTP. These images should be 800 pixels in the longest dimension and they should be accompanied by detailed captions. The resulting Photo Essay will be displayed on Photocrati.com for at least one year following the project.

The Grantee will have 12 months from the announcement of the award to complete his or her project and to provide Photocrati Fund staff with a Project Report and captioned Photo Essay of 20-30 images from the Photocrati Fund project.

The Grantee retains all copyright and ownership of images resulting from the project, including the right to sell, print, or distribute images as he or she sees fit. By accepting the grant, the Grantee also agrees to give Photocrati a worldwide, non-exclusive right to display images included in the Grantee’s Photo Essay on the Photocrati.com website. The Grantee also grants Photocrati the right to use the resulting imagery on its website, in printed materials, or in galleries for the purpose of promoting the Photocrati Fund.

The imagery produced by the grantee may be licensed (and sold) to others by Grantee, with the understanding and explicit agreement that the images may also be used by Photocrati in the manner mentioned above.

Other Important Notes

The Photocrati Grant is considered compensation. As such, the amount of funding that the grant recipient claims for their expenses may be subject to withholding tax. American citizens or residents should be prepared to provide a US Taxpayer Identification Number shortly after their grant is awarded, before the Awardee can receive the grant.

Photocrati will provide grant recipients outside the US with information and assistance in securing this number if they do not already have such identification. Grant recipients living in the US will be supplied with appropriate reporting information in the form of a 1099. Grant recipients living in other countries will receive 1042 income reporting forms.

Privacy

Photocrati and Photocrati Fund staff along with the Photocrati Fund Panel will make every possible effort to keep applications confidential and private. Applicant names and contact information will never be shared with individuals outside of the Photocrati Fund, without expressed written permission from the grant recipients.

Materials and ideas contained within the application will not be used by Photocrati, the Photocrati Fund, or by the Photocrati Fund Panel for any purpose other than the grant review and selection process, without expressed written permission from the grant recipients. Grant recipient images may, however, be used for publicity (as outlined in this document).

Communication with Applicant

The Photocrati Fund staff and/or Photocrati Fund Panel may contact grant applicants for further communication regarding their submitted application.

Updates and Changes to the Grant

As this is the first year for offering the grant, some small changes in procedures may be necessary. Photocrati reserves the right to amend grant rules and submission guidelines for the Photocrati Fund. If amendments are made, they will be posted no later than 30 days prior to the application deadline (March 15, 2010 – 11PM GMT).

Agreement

All entrants by their participation, agree to be bound by these Official Rules. Photocrati reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who violates these rules, and any subsequent entries of the disqualified entrant. The laws of the United States apply to and govern this grant award and any claims must be raised and resolved in the United States. Additionally, entrants and the grant recipient agree to release, discharge, and hold harmless Photocrati, Photocrati Fund, and Photocrati Fund Panel, their affiliates, officers, directors and employees from any liability, claims, or damages arising out of their participation in the promotion and the acceptance, use, misuse, or possession of any grant. All grant recipients, by accepting the grant, agree to the use of their name or likeness for advertising or publicity purposes without compensation, and upon request, to provide consent to such use in writing.

Photocrati is not responsible for printing or typographical errors in any contest-related materials; for stolen, lost, late, misdirected, damaged, incomplete, illegible, or postage-due mail or entries; or for transactions that are processed late or incorrectly; or are lost due to computer or electronic malfunction. Photocrati reserves the right to cancel or modify the competition if fraud or technical failures compromise the integrity of the offer as determined by Photocrati in its sole discretion.

Monglajodi: The fairy tale of metamorphosis

2010-03-11T21:24:00.002+05:30

It was a land of hunters. You could have found gun in every hut of that poor men’s village. They used to wait eagerly for winter when thousands (sometimes lac) of birds visit from areas miles away. Those hunters didn’t have any spare time then. With country boat and loaded guns they used to travel across the vast wetland to rummage for birds. The bullets, fired from the gun with perfect precision rarely missed the target. Yes, poaching of migratory birds was the main source of income here even a few years back. The poachers could have earned even up to Rs. 25000 per month till 1997 when a magician came here. He, by virtue of his great magical skill made the hunters foresee their future. He made them realise, if poaching is not stopped, there would be no bird to fire at, after, say, 20 years, and there would be no income at all. On the contrary, if they protect the birds, if they could provide a better home to the birds, tourist will come for the years to come and earning opportunities will be widened by promoting tourism in the area. The job of that magician was not so easy. Though some were easily convinced, many were not at all ready to wash their hands because in 1997 income of Rs. 25000 was not a matter of joke. But the magician was a fighter too. He was not ready to escape. One day he became successful to hypnotise all of them. The initial turbulence is over, the dust settled down. The notorious poachers are now very important of the “Shree Shree Mahavir Pakshi Suraksha Samity” and re ready to protect the birds at any cost. They still patrol the wetland with country boats, but not to kill but to save. It is a story of metamorphosis, transformation to Ratnakar to Balmiki, the former poachers are vigilance guards.

Some of the readers have surely guessed which place and whom I am talking about. Yes, ‘The land of hunters’ is Monglajodi and ‘The magician” is Mr. N.K.Bhujwal.

Monglajodi Guide Map as painted on the walls of office of M.P.S.S

Manglazodi is a small village in the Ganjam district of Orissa,, where vast wet land over an area of 300sq.km. provides wonderful homage to birds of almost 236 species most of which are migratory. Which includes Pintail, Northern Shoveller, Bar headed goose, Brahminy Ducks, etc. Not only that you can have a close observation to the nesting, breeding of some local wetland birds like Purple moorhen, Open billed stork, etc during monsoon.

Monglajodi sky, covered with thousands of birds

Brahminy Duck(Ruddy Shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea)

Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus)

When you reach manglazodi, the members of MPSS will give an one welcome and offer you a seat in there office. After fulfillment of formalities like payment for boat, they will guide you to the jetty from where the journey starts in a country boat and a guide equipped with books of Dr.Salim Ali. The water is so shallow that some times the bottom of the kisses the riverbed.

Monglajodi wetland

You have to make your way clear through the weeds. From the beginning of the journey Whiskered Tern will accompany you very closely. You can see common coot, purple moorhen, different types of herons and sandpipers, black tailed godwit, black winged stilt at every nook and corner of the wetland.

Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)

Flock of pintail and Gadwal

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus)

Sandpiper

Take off : Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

Brown-headed Gull, (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus)

Black winged stilt(Himantopus himantopus)

Black winged stilt in flight

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) in flight

Monglajodi sky, painted with Blacktailled Godwit

Birding at Purbasthali

2010-03-02T22:26:00.002+05:30

Imagine that you are in a remote village of West Bengal to spend your winter holiday where words like “pollution”, “stress”, “ hectic life” are treated as trespassers, where your morning are covered with veils of mist, where thousands of migratory and local birds take the responsibility of playing the background music by continuous chirping. Would you then complain about the non-availability of amenities of a modern cosmopolitan city? I do have doubt..

Mystic morning at Purbasthali

Purbasthali is such a small village in the district of Burdwan near Katwa. The Ganges has changed her track here and the abandoned path is still there in the form of an ox bow lake, which is known as “Chai Ganga” to the local people.

Daily life in "Chari Ganga"

The shallow, still water of the lake helps in the enormous growth of aquatic plants which in turn serves as the source of plentiful food to the fish and aquatic birds. So during November-February you’ll find this “ Chari Ganga” decorated with multifarious wings of thousands of migratory birds like Northern Shoveller , Pintail, Gadwal, Red Crested Poachard, Common Coot, Lesser Whistling Teal and so on. Not only these winter guests, Purbasthali is permanent home of birds like Pond Heron, Red Wattled Lapwing, different types of snipes, Sand Pipers, Purple Heron, Gray Heron, Purple Moor Hen, Open Billed Stork, Kingfishers, Cormorants etc. A boat ride in the lake will take you to their colorful world. The water is so clear that you can see the riverbed.

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

Red Wattled Lapwing: Vanellus indicus (Hattiti Pakhi )

Red Crested Pochard (Netta rufina)

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) in flight

cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Though now a days it is a bit difficult to get very close to the bird. Fishing in the lake is one of the main professions of the people. They use a special type f net called “Chabi Jaal” for fishing. After installing this net they beat the water with such efficiency that the fishes are guided towards the net from their bushy shelter. But this turbulence also scares the bird. That’s why whenever you will try to have proximity they will fly away to land at a safer area. Picnics in the riverbanks and chaos thus generated have also caused in decreased in the number of these visitor birds.

Fishing with "Chabi Jaal"

Installation of Chabi Jaal

Driving the fishes towards the net

After the boat ride start to walk through the village paths. If you keep your eye busy, in the tree branches you’ll find Golden Oriole, Purple sunbird, Bee-eater, Magpie Robin, Babblers, Indian Tree Pie, Drongo, Crow Pheasant here and there. And if you are looking at the village huts to get an idea of village life of Bengal, you’ll get a chance to be acquainted with the cottage industry of Bengal. Yes, almost every family here is engaged in production of hand made Saree (famous Tant of Bengal),Gamcha(hand kitten thin towel). So there is chance to collect memento of the trip and some excellent gift for your dear one’s.

Few shots from this year Gangasagr camp

2010-01-29T07:36:00.000+05:30

Here is some shots taken at the Gangasagar camp, Kolkata , this year.

Santragachi, a birder's paradise

2010-01-02T20:22:00.000+05:30

Santragachi is an very important railway station in the South - Eastern division of Indian Railways. It is 8 km from Howrah Station. the famous Santragachi Jheel (Lake) is at a short walk from the Santragachi Railway Station and hosts thousands of migratory winter birds from Late November to February end. Not only migratory birds, this vast wet land and surrounding area is a place to watch some local common birds of Bengal which are not so common due to urbanisation. Though this Jheel has lost it's past glory, modern civilisation has already encroached into the jheel in form of club building, extended slum, apartments, shops etc, though plastics and domestic garbage has played a vital role in shrinking the jheel area, though the sounds of engines in the rail yard create utter nuisance constantly, though the number of visitor birds has reduced dramatically, yet it is still an excellent place to study the birds. In last few days I had been there several times to test my new lens. I am sharing some of those shots here.

Lesser Whistling teal or duck (Soral in Bengali) in flight. The huts of the slum in the back drop shows how disturbed the birds feel here due to anthropogenic activities.

Lesser Whistling teal or duck (Soral in Bengali) in flight(II)

Lesser Whistling teal or duck (Soral in Bengali) in flight(III), Safe landing

Little cormorant (Pankouri in Bengali)

Gadwal (male) in flight

Gadwal in challenging mood

Gadwal and Pintail

Male Common wagtail (Khanjana in Bengali)

Swinhoe's snipe

Pond Heron (Bok in Bengali)

Yellow Wagtail

Pied Myna (Gang Shalikh in Bengali)

Common Small Kingfisher (Machranga in Bengali ) Side view

Common Small Kingfisher (Machranga in Bengali ) - Front view

Green Bee eater (Banshpati in Bengali)

Territorial fight

Rinchenpong: The unexplored Sikkim

2009-12-06T19:44:00.001+05:30

Rinchenpong is a small village in West Sikkim at an altitude of nearly 6000 ft. Literally means "Assembly Place" in Lepcha dialect. It is a place for the people who love tranquility and so always search serene places, far from the madding crowd. The clear view of majestic Himalays, fresh air free from car exhaust, lush green forest, chirping of less known birds must fill thier mind for long .

Stay

Few hotels are available in/around Rinchenpong market. Among them Hotel Mount View, Hotel Rinchen, Norlah, Nest are most popular. Tariff ranges from Rs. 500 to Rs 1500, depending upon season and rush.

On the way to Rinchenpong from Jorethang

Sunrise at Rinchenpong

Inside the Rinchenpong Monastery

Rinchenpong kid

Village life at Yongsum village, 2 km trek from Rinchenpong Bazar

Panoramic view of Himalays from Rinchenpong

Kulik Bird Sanctuary (Part II)

2009-08-19T07:55:00.000+05:30

Jackal, wild cat, lizard, bat and snakes are the main predators here. The yellow monitor lizard , a very rare species, is also seen here. But the main attaraction of this area is the birds. Dove, Bulbul, Sparrow, Vulture, Owl, Parakeet, Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Duck and Cuckoo have their permanent address in this sanctuary. Again among the birds the real VIP is The Asian Open-billed Stork(Anastomus oscitans).Acoording to some people , Kulik does have the largest colony of Open billed stork in Asia.This bird belongs to the stork family and is a common species widely distributed across Asia. This medium-sized dull white bird with black or grey wings and tail stands at an average 70 cms and has dull pink legs. Its bill is heavy, with a gap between the mandibles, which explains its name. In West Bengal it is commonly called samukh khol (snail eater), because it feeds mainly on mollusks (main diet is apple snail), though frogs, lizard and fish also feature on the menu.

looking for food

It is definitely not a visitor from Siberia as many are given to believe and can be sighted in marshy wetlands, near waterbodies, ditches, river sides and paddy fields. When breeding, they assemble in a place known as a heronry.The Asian Open bill sotks start flocking in this heronry from the month of July or the arrival of monsoon and stayed up to the month of January of next year. In the first phase, a group of birds arrives and inspects the area and selected the nesting trees. At the end of July or first of August the whole group of Asian Openbill arrives and starts their nest building activities in various selected trees.

All the trees are occupied

Competition for selection of nesting trees and nest building is high in this heronry. Individuals those who are not able to get some nesting trees they prefer to build nests outside the protected areas along the National Highway 34 and sometimes in the garden or backyard trees of adjacent human settlements. Sometimes Asian Open bill stork build nests with other species of water birds. Their nests sometimes are close to two meters apart from each nest.

Here in Kulik, your day starts with a panoramic view of birds in flight with nesting materials between the bills.

Collection

Take a suitable position on either one of the few watchtowers made by the authority or by a bush along the river Kulik and watch how they collect these materials, how they construct their tiny nests. If you have sufficient patience , a must for wildlife photography, then some exclusive scenes like the mating of the birds is not rare here.

Cooperation and construction

Mating

You can go as close as to get such photographs which shows the date marked by the forest dept.

Just Landed

Close view

At this time sighting of parents protecting their chicks from scorching sun is a beautiful sight.

Protection from sunlight

Part-I

Kulik Bird Sanctuary (Part I)

2009-08-18T07:54:00.000+05:30

Birds, the language of freedom,

Are here for your eyes!
They never ask for anything

Except a little corner in the Earth!

Let them fly in the blue………

& create eternity only for you!!

If you really love birds, & specially if you are a resident of Kolkata or adjacent areas, then Kulik Bird Sanctuary is the right place for you. Because it is only a few hours drive from Kolkata. The Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary alias Kulik Bird Sanctuary is located at Raiganj which is the District head quarter of Uttar Dinajpur District of West Bengal Sate of India. It is about 450 Km From Kolkata and 250 Km from Darjeeling.It was officially designated as the "Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary" in the year 1985and lies just 4km North from Raiganj town.along NH 34. As river Kulik flows beside the sanctuary and acts as the boundary in its Eastern and Southern parts , hence the sanctuary got the name.

The Kulik Heronry actually a mixed breeding of various species of waterbirds mainly Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger), Indian Shag (Phalacrocorax fuscicillis), Black Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Large Egret (Casmerodius albus), Median Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia) and Pond Heron (Aedeola grayii) and the most important Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans) here since 1984.

Kulik River

This sanctuary is basicaly an artificial planted tropical dry deciduous forest under the social forestry programme of West Bengal forest department which had began in 1970 with main tree species like Kadam (Anthocephalus cadamba), Jarul (Lagerstroemia flosreginae), Sisoo( Dalbergia sisoo) and Eucalyptus etc. The area of the sanctuary is 1.30 sq km in which Core Area c. 0.14 Sq km and Buffer Area c. 1.16 Sq km. The shape of the sanctuary is that of the English alphabet "U" with a network of artificial canals connected with the river Kulik. There is also a small island in the core area of the sanctuary, mainly surrounded by the Eucalyptus trees and surrounded by artificial canals is the main breeding ground for Asian Openbills. During monsoon the river water enters the sanctuary, which supports a wide variety of food for the birds, particularly for the Asian Openbill, whose main diet is Apple Snail (Pila globosa).

Inside the Sanctuary

According to many, Kulik (Raiganj) Bird Sanctuary is one of the largest bird sanctuaries in Asia. The sanctuary is themed for conserving birds, after all the sanctuary hosts almost 70,000 to 80,000 migratory birds every year!

Contd........

Part-II

A day in the Ghats of Benaras

2009-05-19T21:20:00.000+05:30

The great river banks at Benaras or Varanasi (or Kashi), built high with eighteenth and nineteenth-century pavilions and palaces, temples and terraces, are lined with an endless chain of stone steps - the ghats - progressing along the whole of the waterfront, altering in appearance with the dramatic seasonal fluctuations of the river level.Varanasi is symbolized by its Ghats. There are as many as 81 Ghats in Varanasi for different purposes. Some of them are related to particular deity while others are simply to bathe. Some have crumbled over the years; others continue to thrive, with early-morning bathers, brahmin priests offering puja, and people practicing meditation and yoga. For the casual visitor, however the easiest way to see the city is to follow a south-north sequence either by boat or on foot. If one roams about these ghats through out a day, he/she can witness lots of activities there. A great place for a photographer. Some times you can feel that you are not in 21 st century, you are visiting 18 th century India. Varanasi is still maintaining the heritage of great India.

A special type of umbrella made of some tree leaves are trade mark of the ghats of Varansi specially the Dasaswamedh ghat. People starts bathing and praying from the dawn, long before the first ray of sun appears

Then the sun rises in the east keeping all mum in wonder and respect. The tourist enjoys this heavenly scene with a boat ride.

The pigeons welcome the Sun in their own fashion.

The photographers become very active. Some photographers don't want to miss any activity during the morning.

The priests starts to worship Sun.

When this worship is over, the sun shines with his full glory, some priests starts to read some religious books and explains the meaning to the interested devotees. They are known as "Kathak Thakur"

You can see some sadhu preparing themselves for the day. I picked this Sadhu who was sitting in the balcony of a royal building with a kingly pose.

Smiling faces some innocent kids are also a very common scene there.

But don't think that eternal happiness prevails there, every body is living there with joy. There is an opposite side of the coin.

Kashi had been an unorganised old age home for the Hindu widows since long. These widows had to spend their last days here willingly or unwillingly whatsoever the situation..... People still consider that death at Kashi opens the closed door of heaven !!! These widows have to count their days alone, being mercilessly thown away by their own beloved family members.Everybody turns his face, clearly showing no interest in their misery. The sadness in the eyes of these old lady describes tragic stories of these unfortunate widows...

You can see the sadhus are giving medicine to the people for physical and mental problems, family problem and in lieu of that getting some money from the devotees. But this sadhu asked me for some medical help. He himself was sick.

At the evening the prayer starts again by the priests. This time they make an "Aarti" to the river Ganges.Thousands of people witness these Aarti from the steps of the ghats and from the boats as well.

TO BE ON TOP OF BENGAL

2009-05-10T19:26:00.000+05:30

By Subhashis Ghosh

Subhashis is a software engineer by profession and a photographer by passion. Being born in Coochbehar and brought up in the hilly town of Maithon, he is deeply attached to nature and enjoys every moment out of this bust city life. Macro is his favourite subject he gets to observe and enjoys the little beauties of nature. Not only an excellent photographer, he is a nice man as well. I used to click with my nikon F 80 till 2007 When i got my first digicam in 2007, I knew nothing about photoshop and other softwares. He helped me a lot in learning these stuffs by sharing his knowledge. This article will give you an insight into my trek to Sandaphu, the highest point of West Bengal.

It needed only a few hours of planning and we were ready to be on top of West Bengal. Sandakphu, the highest point of West Bengal was our destination. During winter, the rush towards North Bengal is low. So, we did not have to toil hard to get our tickets. We heard of Political turbulence going around Siliguri and its north, but the call of the mountains was too strong for us to back off. So, three of us, myself and my friends Sudip and Indranil packed our rucksacks and started.

January 3, 2009, Saturday (Day 0)

We met at Sealdah Railway Station to board the Darjeeling Mail which starts off at 22:05 hrs. The train started on time. We chatted for some time and then moved to our corresponding berths to sleep. A good sleep was very necessary as we all knew that it would be endless walking for the next few days.

January 4, 2009, Sunday (Day 1)

The train got a bit late on its way and we reached New Jalpaiguri (NJP) Railway Station at 9 AM.
Indranil, who was our tour guide, had already booked a cab through his contacts in NJP. The driver was waiting for us at the taxi stand outside the station. We kept our luggage in the cab and started looking for a restaurant to have breakfast. There are lots of restaurants just opposite to the NJP Railway station. We chose one, quickly stuffed our empty stomachs and got back to the cab.

It took around two hours to reach “SukhiaPokhri”. There are two routes to “SukhiaPokhri”. One
is up Hill Cart Road via Ghoom and the other is via Mirik. We took the second route since the first one was closed due a strike by GNLF. In NJP, it was warm and the sky was clear, but as we
moved up, thick clouds covered the entire area and temperature started falling. At SukhiaPokhri, it was chilling. We got our jacket, caps and gloves and quickly put them on. We stopped there for some time, got into a restaurant and enjoyed the taste of “Sui-Mai”, which is a type of Nepalese Momo. It was so delicious that we decided that on way back we would stop there to enjoy it again.

From SukhiaPokhri, we started off towards Dhotrey. On way, we crossed Manebhanjyang, a small village at 2134 meters, which is the gateway to the Singalila National Park. Manebhanjyang is mostly inhabited by Buddhist Sherpas. From there one can get a view of the trekking route, which is an awesome, a near vertical climb. Most of the trekking teams start from Manebhanjyang but we chose to start from Dhotrey because it is in the forest reserve and commands a wonderful view of the Kanchendzonga as well as the destination Sandakphu. Moreover, on starting from Maneybhanjyang, one encounters metal road and the pollution generated by the passing land rovers dampen the spirit of trekking to a great extent on the first day itself. So, Indranil advised to start the trek from Dhotrey which is very fast coming up as the
new start point for the Singalila trek. We reached Dhotrey (2700 meters) at around 3PM. It was still very foggy. We could hardly see a few feet ahead and so, viewing the beautiful Kanchendzonga was not possible. We felt a bit depressed but, the scenic beauty of Dhotre, the wonderful atmosphere created by the fog and the hope to have our luck in the next few days, lifted our spirits. In Dhotrey, Indranil had a contact who was supposed to arrange a porter for Sudip. He was not fit enough to walk all the way carrying his luggage. Indranil met his contact and Sudip met his porter. These people serve both as a porter and guide. They are registered and they charge Rs.250 per day. Indranil told me that there are registered offices both in Dhotrey and Manebhanjyang and you can hire porters from any one of the places. Dhotrey was more chilling and in spite of all the warm clothes, we were shivering. We drank some hot tea to let our body acclimatize and then started walking towards Tumbling. The trek starts through the village of Dhotrey where you can see some huts made of tin sheets. I learnt that previously, the huts were made of wood, but a devastating fire had destroyed them a year back. As we advanced, the signs of human civilization around our trek path started decreasing. Soon, it was only us and uninterrupted nature. We walked through the forest of Indranil and Sduip, starting the trek from Dhotrey rhododendrons, magnolias and huge pine trees. The slope was gentle and I loved walking through such spectacles of nature.

Indranil and Sduip, starting the trek from Dhotrey

We reached Tumbling (2980 Meters) around 7PM and checked in Shikhar Lodge owned by Nila Di which is a common name amongst all the trekkers in this route. She is very well known for her hospitality and has received many awards too. Tumbling is in Nepal. I never thought that my first foreign trip would be that way but I was excited being in Nepal. We had walked 7 kilometers and our bodies were so tired that we could hardly stand straight on our feet. Temperature was around zero degrees centigrade. We had a cup of hot tea and ordered our dinner. “Roti” and “Sabji” was the only thing available but we were so hungry that it tasted delicious. Cigri was provided in our room to keep it warm and we soon fell fast asleep.

January 5, 2009, Monday (Day 2)

I woke up at 5 in the Morning to have a glimpse of sunrise. It took a lot of courage to get out of the warm comfort of the blankets. I quickly dressed myself covering almost every inch of my body with warm clothes and got out into the open. The sky was clear and there was a yellowish orange line along the horizon. I rushed to the viewpoint and quietly waited for the sun to rise. In the mean time, Indranil and Sudip came and joined me. We did not have to wait long. The Sun peeked out from the yellowish orange line and it was a beautiful scene to watch. Sun rises really fast in the mountains. Within a minute of its first peek, it rose to full glory and its golden light engulfed Tumbling.Tumbling is where I want to spend my honeymoon. I have never seen a village which is so not a village but still a village. Now, I might sound like a fool, but I am actually out of words. The cute wooden houses, the hospitality, the people, the weather, the sunrise, the frozen dews, the colorful flowers and the cute puppies was indeed a mesmerizing experience.

Raju, the porter for Sudip, standing in Tumbling

I roamed around the village for some time and returned to the lodge to have breakfast. After breakfast, we packed our bags and bid farewell to Tumbling. We started early because we were supposed to cover a 14 km. journey to Kalapokhri. Heading for Kalapokhri marked our entry into the Singalila National Park, a 78 sq. Km. area of forest , named after the Singali Pass (La = Pass) communicating Nepal with Sikkim. The Singalila ridge has originated at the south summit of Kanchenjunga. It has moved southwards along with a comfortable down gradient for the trekkers and met the plain at Manebhanjyang and Dhotrey. I heard that if lucky enough, you can have a glimpse of leopards and Red Panda there. Walking for 2 kilometers up a gentle slope, we reached a place called Joebari in Nepal. At Joebari, we had some rest and a cup of tea. We were tired. When walking up a slope, even a distance of 3 kilometers seems never ending. It was well past noon when we reached Garibas, a border outpost manned by the Shashastra Seema Bal or SSB.

The SSB Check post at Garibas

The whole trail is marked with border pillars and outposts. It’s like walking on the borderline and crossing over to Nepal and again coming back to India time and again. Interestingly, the journeyfrom Joebari to Garibas isa 2 Kilometers walk downa winding slope. So, itwas a sort of relief to ourlegs. We had warm cupof tea there, took some rest and prepared ourselves for the very steep climb to Kaiyakata.Garibas to Kaiyakata is a steep climb of around 4 kilometers.

The steep climb to Kalapokhri

Kaiyakata has just 4 shops and thepopulation of that place is around 20. There, we were served with hot lunch which consisted ofa local noodle soup called the “Wai Wai” (a noodle preparation of Nepal similar to Maggi)From there a 3 kilometers not so steep climb took us to Kalapokhri. When we reached Kalapokhri, it was alreadydark. We stayed in Chawang Lodge with warmwooden rooms and a very big and beautiful kitchen.Temperature was sub-zero but we were sweating due to the enormous amount of physical labor that we had to take. But the effort was worth it. The beauty of nature that we had experienced throughout the journey was awesome. We were hungry and so dinner was served soon. After that we quickly got under the blankets and fell fast asleep.

January 6, 2009, Tuesday (Day 3)

Kalapokhri is known for a holy pond which is fenced by Buddhist prayer flags. The dark Crystal Lake simmering in the breeze, surrounded by alpine trees, is a remarkable sight. It is said that the water in the lake never freezes, even in the extreme cold season. After a tiring day, it was quite serene and rejuvenating to watch the lake view and the gushing clouds.

Sunrise from Kalapokhri

Sun was about to rise and it was more spectacular to watch it rise from the layers of mountains. On way back to the lodge, I found that a tank of water, which was just outside our room, has frozen into solid ice. I could well understand how chilling it was but the thick layers of clothes that I was wearing somehow managed to keep me warm.

View of Sandakphu from Kalapokhri

The Chawang Lodge has a phone and I utilized the facility to call back home. All through the route, the mobile connection was feebly weak and of no use. After breakfast at the lodge, we set of for the ultimate destination. Kalapokhri gives the view of the backside of Sandakphu. Nothing great about it because only a hut could be spotted but still it gives a misleading idea of how much the climb will be. Apparently it looks adjacent to Kalapokhri but one could not spot the in-between mountain trail to be traversed to reach Sandakphu.

Scenery on way to Sandakphu from Kalapokhri

A steep ascent for 2.5 kilometers and a gradual walk downhill for 1.5 kilometers brought us to Bikheybhanjyang (10,200 ft). The place is named after the poisonous plant “Nilo Bikh” that is found in this region. In fact, the word Bikhey in Nepalese means poisonous. The journey from Kalapokhri to Bikheybhanjyang was mind blowing. The trees had shed their leaves preparing for winter. The dews had frozen in their bare branches and they looked white, glittering in the sunlight. At some places, it looked liked a land of jewel trees.

Indranil, standing mesmerized, at one U-turn

We halted for some time in Bikheybhanjyang, had tea and then again started walking towards Sandakphu. Distance of Sandakphu from Bikheybhanjyang is only 4 kilometers but the ascent is steep. The road goes through thick rhododendron and magnolia forest. It seemed that the temperature of the place had remained sub-zero for quite sometime. The road as well as the trees had thick coating of snow.

Indranil and Sduip, walking towards Sandakphu. The Sherpa Chalet hotel can be seen on top

I cannot express how beautiful the scenery was. I can only tell that I never felt like being in India. It felt like being in Switzerland, walking through the valleys of the Alps. The road was winding with U-turns every few meters. The last turn before reaching Sandakphu had a line written on it, “No sweet without sweat”. Someone must have written it, but it was the truth. Even in the chilling cold, we had to sweat hard to reach our destination. So, we expected the sweet, the view of the mighty Kanchenjunga, who had for the entire time, remained out of our sight due to the bad weather conditions. Even at Sandakphu, the weather was extremely bad. Dark clouds had engulfed the entire area and nothing was visible beyond a few feet. The sky usually remains clear in the morning. So, we hoped that it would be a sweet morning the next day. In Sandakphu, we checked in Hotel Sherpa Chalet run by the local Buddhist family with a good restaurant and STD facility. We dumped the luggage in our room and went to restaurant to
have coffee. The coffee, made of sheep milk, was terrific and during our stay at the hotel, we had many more cups of it. The term “Sandakphu” is a gradual descends from the term Santaphur” which means “the dwelling place of a saint”. “Sadhuji ka dera” is probably the oldest house and that is still there at Sandakphu.

January 7, 2009, Wednesday (Day 4)

I got up at 5:30 in the morning. From the smoked glass of the windows, it seemed like it was still dark outside. The window panes were vibrating and I could hear noise of the winds as if there was a tornado outside. I opened the window to check if it was still cloudy and what on earth did I see. Straight in my line of sight, stood the majestic Kanchenjunga mountain range. I shouted in excitement. Indranil, who is an experienced campaigner of that region, understood what has happened. He woke Sudip up from sleep and three of us stood by the window, mesmerized, looking at the Kanchenjunga, as if it was the last thing we would see. I do not remember how long we stood like that. Indranil broke the trance and told us to get ready to go outside. We quickly dressed up and got out. Outside, it was very windy. The chilling wind was striking us like nails. It was so cold that I had to cover my entire face with my monkey cap. Sun was just rising which looked like coming through the mountains with the horizon turning from purple to orange. As the first morning light fell on Mount Kanchenjunga and it turned red.

The first rays on Mt. Kanchenjunga

It was one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen. I have seen the same thing from Tiger Hill in Darjeeling but it was different. From Sandakphu, the floating clouds look like waves in the sea splashing on the nearby mountains and when the ocean of clouds end the almighty Himalayas welcome you.

View of the Everest Ranges from Sandakphu

The view is spectacular. The best of Himalayas are there. I could see Kanchendzonga, Pandim, Lotse and Makalu, three Sisters as they are called, and then, the mighty Everest mountain range. If you roll your eyes in 360 degrees, it feels like you are in white Garden with clouds surrounded by the snow laden peaks. We had cameras but nothing can capture that moment. The view of Kanchenjunga range from Sandakphu is known as the “Sleeping Buddha”.It really looks like someone having a swollen tummy, lying down in deep sleep.

View of the Kanchenjunga Ranges from Sandakphu

View of the Sleeping Buddha from Sandakphu

Around 9AM, we had our breakfast and started off for Shirikhola. The road goes towards Phalut, which is another place where people go to view Kanchenjunga. On way, we found a pillar which said some golden words, which in my opinion should be followed by each and every person who visits the place. It said “Leave nothing but footprints and Take nothing but memories”. People tend to leave behind pollutants like plastics which are extremely harmful for the natural balance of the region. As we started descending, it was like walking through a place where everything is white. The road was covered with snow, the trees were covered with snow and from the gaps between the trees we could see Kanchenjunga, which was glittering white under the bright sunlight.The sky was dark blue. In my entire life, I had never seen a blue sky like that. As we descended, the snow gradually decreased. Then it was thick green forest of bamboo trees. Gradually, Kanchenjugha went out of our sight too. After descending for more than 9 kilometers we reached a place called Gurdum. On way to Gurdum, we passed through the dead valley. It is so called because, in 1988, a forest fire broke in that area and the entire tree line was burnt. Now they stand like barren poles of alpines along the slope. From the dead valley we could see Gurdum Lodge which looked like a small toy hut.

The Dead Valley on way to Gurdum

The Gurdum Lodge

The route from Sandakphu to Gurdum is very steep, so one has to be very careful while getting down. I realized that descending from the mountains is a much tougher job than the climbing. It really affects your knee and so it is better to carry a knee cap with you. Gurdum is a tiny hamlet with variety of plantations seen. For the first time I saw cultivation fields were different types of chilies, potatoes and cauliflowers were being grown. We stopped at that place for lunch and had “Wai Wai” again. Because of our photography we were very late and started for Shirikhola (1800 Meters) at around 3 PM. It was a winding stone laden route of 5 kilometers to Shirikhola. Till Shirikhola, the route is marvelous. The trek route is along the river Shiri and passes through a sub tropical forest. A variety flora fauna could be found. We checked in oparma Hotel there and had fried tuna fish for snacks. It was just wonderful. Our legs had already started aching because of the steep descent. So we had dinner and just crashed in to our beds.

The Goparma Hotel in Shirikhola and the Shiri River

January 8, 2009, Thursday (Day 5)

The Shiri River flows just by the side of the lodge. So, I could hear the sound of the fast flowing water stream even from my room. Sunrise view is not possible from Shirikhola because it is in the valley with high hills on either side. So, I slept till 8 in the morning. The journey from Sandakphu had taken a toll on my body. Each and every muscle was paining. I could not walk in normal rhythm. It was quite warm and so I did not have to carry the heap of warm clothes on me. It was a sort of relief. I causally walked down to the river. Though I am calling it a river, in reality, it was just a stream flowing through a bed of hard rocks. On either side of it, green hills blocks the view which gives the feeling of being inside a tunnel. These hills are the breeding grounds for various species of birds. I saw many of them. They are very colorful and if I were a Bird Watcher, I would have certainly liked to stay in Shirikhola for a few days.

River Shiri at Shirikhola

We started from Shirikhola around 10 AM. Rimbick was our destination. We could have directly gone to NJP and it would have shortened our trip by a day but we chose to stay in Rimbick because of two reasons. Firstly, Indranil had a stake in probably the best hotel in Rimbick and he insisted that we stay there as his guest. Secondly, our bodies were hell tired and making it to NJP and then boarding the train would have been too much for us. Rimbick at 2286 meters is on the opposite side of Shirikhola. So we had to cross the Shiri River. There’s a hanging bridge made if wooden planks tied by ropes. Crossing the bridge, we started walking keeping the hills of Sikkim on our left.

Local Activity on way to Rimbick

The journey was not that exciting. We reached Rimbick at noon and got into Hotel Sherpa. It is run by the most prestigious Buddhist family of the place and the accommodation was lovely with running hot water and very hospitable people. After all the days of hard life, where we moved like nomads, Rimbick gave us the feel of civilization. There are shops all around and you could get almost everything you need. I bought a shampoo sachet and a disposable shaving razor to clean myself up. Having a bath after such a long time, and that too in hot water, was a great feeling.

Local Activity at Rimbick

We had rice and chicken curry for lunch. The food was extremely tasty. After lunch, we roamed in the garden of the hotel for sometime. The garden was beautiful with various species of flowers in full bloom.

Flowers at the hotel garden in Rimbick

In the evening, Indranil and Raju, the porter cum guide, who has been with Sudip all through the journey, presented us with “khada”. It is a silk cloth with Buddhist inscriptions given as a mark of respect for completing the trek. People in the mountains feel honored when people from the plains take all the hardship to visit their place. They return the honour with “Khada”. It was a very emotional time as we realized that it was the last day of our trek.

Khada presented to me and Sudip. Photograph by Indranil

January 9, 2009, Friday (Day 6)

Early in the morning, we took a cab from Rimbick. The cab could have taken us all the way to NJP but we chose to break at SukhiaPokhri. We did not forget the taste of “Shu-Mai”. The cab had its first halt at Dhotrey. The sky was clear at that time and we could see the view of Kanchenjugha from Dhotrey. It’s beautiful but nothing in comparison to what we had seen from Sandakphu. After relishing the taste of “Shu-Mai”, we took a cab to NJP from where we again boarded the Darjeeling Mail.

Jan 10, 2009, Saturday (Day 7)

We reached Kolkata at around 6 AM. Our bodies were tired but our minds were fresh with the memories of journey to one of the best places on earth.

Important information:

At least one porter cum guide with a trek team is a must as per Govt. rule. The charge of the porter is Rs. 250/- without food (Sukha) a day. There are registered porters for the job and the rate is fixed. The rate of hiring a 4 wheel drive (4 X 4) “Land rover” is Rs. 3,500/- for the up and down trip and Rs. 300/- extra for each night halt as per tourist’s wish. 43 such vehicles are there at Manebhanjyang. Guide charge is extra. Singalila National Park remains closed for the tourists from 16th June to 15th September. Snowfall usually starts in the last week of December and continues intermittently till February.

Important times to visit:

21st Mach to 30th April: Reddish flame of Flowering Rhododendrons all around. Clear sky is luck. You can get stormy wind with rain sometimes.

16th September to 15th December: Clear sky with best view of mountains and less wind. It is the time for the most comfortable and best view.

25th December to 31st January: This is the time for snowfall and heavy wind along the trail.

Entry fee to Singalila National Park:

Person: Rs.25/- each Indian and Rs.100/- each Foreigner.
Still Camera: Rs. 25/- each
Movie Camera: Rs. 250/- each (Handycam too)
There are several check posts throughout the route:
Fist post: 1 km after Tumbling
Second post: Garibas
Third post: Bikheybhanjyang
Fourth post: Sandakphu