Travel India

Zuluk to Bagdogra, the road condition inside Sikkim

2020-03-22T22:39:00.001+05:30

This is the last video of our travel to Zuluk, Sikkim. It is a video to caution future travellers regarding the road condition that they may face while travelling to and from Zuluk. Inside Sikkim, the road is under Border Road Organization (BRO) but in an extremely poor condition. Senior citizens may face difficulty in negotiating the road even in a comfortable MPV or SUV. According to our chauffeur, the road remains more or less in similar condition, even though I found repair works being carried out. There are very small stretches of this road, inside Sikkim, which can be termed as good. Inside West Bengal, the road is absolutely fine.

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Dilmaya home-stay, the approach road

2020-03-22T22:25:00.001+05:30

This is the first home-stay that came up at Zuluk and we stayed here for three nights. We soaked the warmth of their kitchen, having hot tea and chatting with the lady of the house. It was such a great experience for us and it was truly a "home-stay". The phone number is available online. They actually arrange for everything, have good cars and great chauffeurs. Munna drove the Mahindra Xylo assigned to us, and such a great person he is. I would suggest booking the home-stay directly rather than going through an agent and take a package directly from them. It would be cheaper and hassle-free.

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An introduction cum video review of Dilmaya Homestay, Dzuluk (Zuluk)

2020-03-22T22:11:00.001+05:30

This is the first homestay that came up at Zuluk and we stayed here for three nights. We soaked the warmth of their kitchen, having hot tea and chatting with the lady of the house. It was such a great experience for us and it was truly a "home-stay". The phone number is available online. They actually arrange for everything, have good cars and great chauffers. Munna drove the Mahindra Xylo assigned to us, and such a great person he is. I would suggest booking the homestay directly rather than going through an agent and take a package directly from them. It would be cheaper and hasslefree.

A small introduction to Dzuluk aka zuluk

2020-03-22T21:22:00.001+05:30

It was quite interesting to know how Dzuluk became the Zuluk we know today. How the effort of a man single-handedly converted this nowhere, a place which was not even on the map of Sikkim, to a famous tourist hub. Here is a short introduction to this beautiful village.

The Old Baba Mandir

2020-03-22T18:15:00.001+05:30

The old Baba Mandir, in memory of Capt Harbhajan Singh, a martyr of Indo China war and known as Hero of Nathula

On the way to Kupup Lake from Nathang Valley

2020-03-22T12:36:00.001+05:30

This was how the road looked. The road condition was pretty poor even though it is maintained by the Indian Army. The jerk visible in the video is the same as we felt while traveling.

Nathang Valley Viewpoint

2020-03-22T11:33:00.001+05:30

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
― Lewis Carroll,

Laxmanchowk- on our way to Nathang Valley from Zuluk

2020-03-21T22:21:00.001+05:30

Enroute Nathang Valley, near Laxmanchowk

2020-03-21T21:43:00.001+05:30

Frankly, we have never seen so much snow!

From Zuluk to Thambi View Point

2020-03-21T14:29:00.001+05:30

Zigzag Road- Zuluk

2020-03-21T13:58:00.001+05:30

The video has a narration, so there is no pint in writing about it. Just a small video to take very little of your time, but enough to make you desire to visit.

Duplicate Driving Licence- an experience

2020-03-21T11:15:00.001+05:30

It was not the best of the days, not the worst of the days. It was as usual. I travelled to my office, had another non-descript day, and boarded a train to return home. Quite naturally, I encountered the same barrage of regular, not so regular and irregular commuters and I had nothing to do but to float in the human river pouring out of the station. There were a few little nudges that my "daily passenger brain" flagged, but I did not pay heed. Oh! What a fool I was. By the time I reached another place to run another non-regular errand, I discovered that someone decided that my wallet must have been one of the most valuables of all, and kept it for himself (or herself?)! No, there were not much of money in it, so apparently, the loss was not that much. So I thought without knowing what is in store for us in the near future. The wallet contained one thing which was not easily replaceable, that is my driving licence. And to procure a duplicate DL started a journey for me which is not amusing but intriguing indeed. So here is the account. In case anyone tries to follow this, please do so on your own risk, if you come to any real, notional or whatsoever harm, tucked inside the pages of dusty law books, I am not responsible for that, even an iota.

I started following the standard procedure and visited the police station under which the place of my startling discovery falls. I received my first jolt. The duty officer quite politely and patiently told me that I must obtain a NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the licence issuing RTO, certifying that there are no pending cases against my licence and the law has not confiscated the same. It was like a bolt out of the blue. RTO is one of those government offices where the hands prefer to work beneath the tables more than the above. So, I took the social route and posted on FB self-drive groups and called some of my friends for a solution. I had a steely resolve, that I am not going to grease the hands under the tables. Hence I promptly discarded the option of going through the "driving schools" who were shamelessly asking anything from 2500/- to 4200/-. Later, I found that the least quote is actually more than double the amount required to be spent. After gracious help from a few of my offline and online friends, I navigated the treacherous water to reach my goal. The following is the account of that journey which started about 2 months back.

PHASE 01

1. The NOC:

As I generally drive within Kolkata Police jurisdiction, and under their jurisdiction, I lost my DL, one of my friends advised me to go to Lalbazar Traffic Department to apply for the NOC. It was surprisingly smooth. There is a dedicated counter where I went, submitted the application with a photocopy of my lost DL, and within minutes, received a duly signed, computer-generated NOC, and without paying any charge. The first thing I did was making few photocopies of the same, and later I also scanned it to digitize the same. Let me tell you, my dear readers, that it is a great habit to digitize all the papers at every step, which can easily be done using your smartphones and free applications like Google Photo Scan and Adobe Scan.

Here is the photo of the application for NOC and the NOC itself.

NOC Application


NOC

Please understand, in all cases, the Lalbazar may not issue NOC, unfortunately, I have no idea which cases are those.

2. The Police Diary:

Even though the duplicate DL application process mentions "FIR", please note that registering an FIR is a very cumbersome process, and police do not prefer to register one in cases like these. In the case of "loss", it is always GD (General Diary) and the RTO happily and readily accepts a GD. So there was no point for me to pursue an FIR, and I also happily settled for a GD.

Please remember to have two copies of your GD application detailing the incident, the article/s lost and the date, time and place of the mishap. The respective PS will accept one copy and put a stamp on another giving the GD number.

The GD

3. The RTO:

It was time to deal with the RTO. It is mandatory now that the application process is initiated online. I was rather happy thinking that I would not be required to deal with all those employees, who erase the moral troubling words like 'Help', 'Professionalism' etc from their dictionary and inculcate a steely resolve not to be swayed by petty humane sentiments. Though this is not a generalisation, there are many who are working in RTOs and other government offices and have a very humane attitude.

The first surprise was the "May I help You" counter. I was rudely told that I must present myself before the His Highness manning the counter before 3:30 PM because after that the counter becomes "I May Not Help You". Thankfully, another visitor told me what I must do to initiate the application process.

My online journey started at Parivahan Sewa Website

Please note that this website is not available in any other languages other than English and Hindi. Even though it feels like being a second class citizen of this country, I was helpless. I sorely missed my beloved mother tongue.

The Starting Point

I first went to "Online Services" and then "Driving Licence Related Services". It is the second option from the top, in the drop-down menu. This directed me to the Sarathi Webpage for selection of State

Select the State

The next page has all the Driving Licence related services listed at the left-hand part of the page. I chose the first option in the menu- "Apply Online". Under it, I chose the 5th option from the top "Services on Driving Licence".

Choose Services 01


Choose services 02

Now, it was all about following the directions given on the respective webpages.

On this page, I entered my DL number, my DOB and the category of DL that I have and then clicked the "Get DL Details" button.

Input the DL number and DOB

The next page listed all my DL related details. I chose the options according to the next screenshot and proceeded with my journey.

DL details 01

The next page again detailed all the DL related data with an option to include my mobile number. So I did. This was to make sure that I receive confirmation SMS from Parivahan service regarding my application.

DL details 02

Confirming all the details brought me to the next page, where I had to choose the specific DL related service/s I required. I simply put a checkmark in the boxes beside each service/s I was opting for and hit the "Proceed" button.

Choosing specifics

The next page was all about why I needed the service and other relevant details.

Filling the reason

Hitting the "Confirm" button brought to the next. I would implore my readers to put a checkmark against the "02" option highlighted on the next page. There is nothing more civilized than trying to save another life.

The final details

I am unable to share the screenshot of next pages as I have very little faith in the designs of Government websites. Most of those, I am sure, are perfect candidates to receive the "Least Intuitive Website" award. Let me try to tell you what would happen next in black and white.

In the next step, you would be able to download two things-

The Form- this includes the Medical Certificate to be signed by a registered medical Practitioner (at least MBBS). The details come pre-filled by the system, including the photograph. I made a copy of this form after getting it signed by my family physician (a very nice gentleman).
The Acknowledgment- This bears all the details related to the application and a print out had to be taken to be stamped by RTO.

Form page 01

Form page 02

Medical Fitness Form page 01

Medical Fitness Form page 02

Acknowledgement page 01

Acknowledgement page 02

Well, after this, I felt more confident and was assured to win the battle. Read on my dear readers, if you still have time to waste.

Before proceeding further, I had to arrange for all the following four documents in both hard as well as soft format.

The Form- It was filled, photocopied and scanned.
Address Proof- This is like an appendage for every Indian citizen now, and I am no exception.
Medical Fitness Form- Filled up, duly signed by my dear doctor, photocopied and scanned.
Affidavit- Received this after paying a charge of Rs 400/- to the lawyer notarized at the court. Please note, this court must have your present address under its jurisdiction. I made sure to have it in soft format too as it would be required to be uploaded. Here is a format that I used for the affidavit and as I have received my duplicate DL, I am sure that it is good enough. Though I would suggest checking with the local RTO whether they have any prescribed format to avoid harassment while submitting the papers in person.

Affidavit page 01

Affidavit page 02

PHASE 02

Once I was armed with all the papers, both in hard and soft format, the second phase of my journey (or should I say battle) began!

Again I navigated to the "Sarathi" part of "Parivahan" website. This time, I chose the second option from the top, "Upload Documents", under "Driving Licence". Under "Upload Documents", the first option is "Upload Documents/Scanned Images".

To upload documents

This brought to the next page.

Fill up the details

Again I am unable to share the screenshots of next pages as I can not proceed further with my application number. The next page gave me an option to upload each document. The extremely (un)intuitive design was again a hindrance. I had to upload each document, confirm and again go back to the "Upload Documents" page to submit the next set. Gruelling would be an understatement! Please note, while uploading the Form, it is very important not to confirm after uploading the first part containing the personal details. Before confirming, it is necessary to upload the "Medical Fitness Form" and then hit the confirm button. There is no way to upload both parts of the form once the "confirm" is clicked after uploading one of the parts. In case, any of my readers make the same mistake as I did, please make sure that you upload the medical Fitness form.

Once the uploads were done, I was directed to the "Payments" page and I had to shell out an extra Rs 20/- for availing online payment service! The generated receipt was duly downloaded and printed and I was ready for the third phase.

PHASE 03

Here came the offline part. I made two sets of the following papers and carried the supporting originals with me to the respective RTO. All the papers were arranged according to the order mentioned in the acknowledgement form (it's necessary if you do not want to grease palms of the touts and do not want to be harassed).

The Acknowledgement Form.
The Form with personal details.
The Medical Fitness Form.
Address proof (original must be carried with)
Affidavit in the original.
Money receipt of online payment. (One may pay at the RTO too, but that would be an added hassle).
Photocopy of the old driving licence.

With all these, I stood in front of the table of a clerk, who I believe had promised his family never to smile on the job. He took all the papers, scrutinized those better than an emigration officer scrutinizing a passport and then stamped and handed me the acknowledgement form back with an instruction to come back after three days to deposit Rs 140/- at the counter. He gave me a stern warning that out of sheer magnanimity he accepted the papers after 02PM, and I must not take the same liberty of kind nature again. Well, being a simple mortal, I dared not to and sent my innocent wife to lion's den. At around 1:30 PM she triumphantly declared over the phone that the money was deposited against a receipt and I am supposed to receive an SMS informing me when to collect the duplicate DL.

After seven days of waiting, I requested one of my colleagues to visit the RTO, which falls on his way of commute and inquire about the fate of my DL. After visiting, he informed me that they refused to share any details with him, as it is not his licence. So, it was my turn to visit again. I went there, met the same clerk, and he told me, he did not know anything as it was not his duty. I was instructed to wait till 3PM to meet with another clerk who could tell me the fate of my application. Again, a visitor had pity on me and took me to another room where DLs were being printed. An unsmiling clerk exchanged minimal words with him only, and he told me that my application was not approved yet. So, I went back to that famous table again and this time demanded why my application was not approved. The clerk buckled a bit, pressed a few keys and asked me to show the money receipt. Then came the second shock of my journey. After rummaging through the pile of forms, he pulled out mine and told me that it was not submitted to the RTO officer. I was too perplexed to ask anything when he told me that my wife should have come to him and ask him to proceed with the application file after depositing the stipulated 140/-. After regaining my wits, I inquired why it was not conveyed to my wife, and came the reply "It is the norm here, nobody informs anything to anybody about this"! My gaping mouth was enough to swallow an Rs10/- Rosogolla in one gulp. He assured me that the process will resume and I am going to get my licence in next 10-15 working days. I am supposed to receive an SMS informing me the same.

The journey to this point not only enriched me but also made me smarter. I knew the SMS would never come (and it never did). I kept on checking the mParivahan app for any update in my data. After I found the update online, I waited for 2 more days and visited the RTO. The distribution clerk was not really happy when he handed me over the duplicate DL with a shining new chip. I came out of the RTO with a smile of a winner on my face, wining a battle without taking any shady route.

To all my readers, who had so much time to waste to read up to this point, please note, you must have a number of photocopies of your existing DL along with scanned copies. In case you do not remember your DL number, you are in for a very nasty surprise. In case someone is looking to replace his/her mutilated DL, the process is more or less same, only the mutilated one must be submitted in original with the application.

Thank you all for your patience.

Zuluk, the beautiful hamlet of Sikkim

2020-03-09T14:12:00.001+05:30

I have never seen so much snow, being a plane land dweller. But I have never let the dream to die, and it came true last January, when I visited Zuluk. It was cold, very cold, but that did not bother me. Rather it was welcoming, as I could see snow covered landscapes of Himalayas. Let me share a few videos that I have made with my Redmi mobile phone. Hope you would feel the same joy as I felt.

Satkosia Gorge, a tryst with unspoiled nature

2018-04-11T00:28:00.001+05:30

Satkosia Sands Resort:

This time, the decision to travel was taken for completely different reasons; this trip was not for the sake of experiencing a new place. The location was chosen by my son and he made all the necessary arrangement. Since I started to drive, he has been a constant companion and my trusted navigator. This time, it was the same. The following is a write-up from his point of view. If readers like it, I would request them to put down a few words of encouragement for him. The photographs are all mine, and I shall add more as I get more time. At the very end of this travelogue, I shared the necessary details for future travellers.

Travelogue by Annwoy Roy Choudhury:

We Bengalis are "travelaholics". I was born and brought up in such a manner that roaming is a part of my everyday life. Jokes apart, I and my family go on brief sojourns both inside and outside my state, almost five to six times a year. I have a crave or maybe a desperation for nature and nature and I are tied up by a bond of unknown love. India has a lot of gorgeous places to visit and Odisha is a treasure trove for travellers like me. This time, it was Satkosia.

We started around 4:30AM, even before the dawn broke, on our own four-wheeler. Being habituated in long drives, it doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable in mornings like this. After being seated for almost 11 hours, we received a smiling welcome at Satkosia Sands Resorts. One of the four available AC tents (no. 03) was booked online by us. It was really good, importantly, very clean and hygienic. I was overjoyed to find so many modern cycles ready for a willing rider to paddle them out. So without wasting a minute, I went for cycling just after getting the luggage off my back. The cycling was a startling experience, as I followed the main road through the jungle having the mountains and setting sun before me. The tribal help (like Manju didi) were extremely courteous and well behaved and made us feel quite at home. The food was awesome, and having dinner in the middle of the sands, beside the Mahanadi, surrounded by Eastern Ghat with the starlit sky above my head, the words fall inadequate to describe the feeling.

Next day, I was awakened by the chirping of the birds. We boated in the river through the gorge, watching the calm Crocodiles sunbathing and the turtles looking at the intruders surprisingly. After the boating, I swam in the bounded patch of the river with my father, which was a wonderful activity. It was my first swim in any river. That evening I went through a heavenly experience. I sat on the deck chair on the balcony. It was dark like cruel mind, and the wind was blowing like as if it was trying to escape from him. The river growled like a hound. And the sky started to cry fiercely. I will surely never forget the evening. I couldn’t sleep at all. Our tent tried to be on wings and fly away. Somehow the night passed.

As every good thing must come to an end, our stay also reached our last day. Sadly, there was no more swimming for us, as our manager, Mr Mohanty advised against the same, considering the sudden increase of the level of water in the river. Still, I was glad to watch the morning rituals of two Giant Squirrels atop the trees beside our dining hall.

In those three days, I gathered so many memories to cherish for my whole life. The beautiful folk dance in the evening got me hooked. Though the language was not known to me, the linguistic proximity of Odiya and Bengali, my mother tongue, did not make the dialogues completely alien to me. How energetically they danced and played, though the presence of synthesizer in a folk music performance was a bit of a misfit. One of those three afternoons, we were taken to the nearby village Bethiasahi to visit the temple of Lord Jagannath. Fortunately, it was the last day of a month-long religious festivity for the villagers, and we were lucky enough to witness a part of it. It was an opportunity for me and my family to have sweets from the village sweet shop. The sweets were so good, and we packed a kilo of Chhena Pora, the local delicacy for our home. My father made sure that he does not miss an opportunity to click the fragments of village life and the inhabitants. The locals are always smiling and started to chat with my father as if they knew him for long. It was really heart-warming. Mr Mohanty was extremely helpful throughout our stay. As my father said, he treated the establishment like his own baby and cared for the guests as if they are his own. He never missed making sure that we had our lunch and dinner in a proper manner and always had food after all the guests had their fill. Even after so much work, the smile never left his face. So were Manju didi and another lady who mostly accompanied her. Sadly, I have forgotten her name. The organic vegetables were really so nice to have. I hope that one day we can be back again.

---------------++++++++++--------------+++++++++++------------------

A small introduction to Satkosia and Satkosia Sands Resort by Srijan Roy Choudhury:

My words are totally inadequate in describing the experience that I had. I have been to many places, but never been to a place so differently beautiful.

The evenings were always greeted by raging wind which turned to a roaring storm in one of the nights. I always venture a little away to capture a landscape differently. That evening, I was caught completely off-guard. As I was photographing a sandstorm in front of me, I completely missed the wind running towards me from my left. My ears did register strong thudding sound which I am failing to describe. It was so alien to me. I ran for cover in one of the nearby Swiss tents but the storm laughed at my futile attempt and the whole tent came crashing down on me. I was lying on my face on the sand with the tent covering me and could only hear the wind raging above my head. Thankfully, it subsided after some time, and I was rescued by the employees of the resort.

The whole evening, the sky poured over to soak the dry land to the bone and during the night the wind again came howling. I was wide awake and in a complete awe by the raw force of nature. The storm was trying to uproot the whole tent and shaking it so vigorously. Next morning, the locals confirmed it was quite normal. So, if you really want to experience please hit the road. I was also informed that during monsoon, the Mahanadi reaches the foot of the hill and crocodiles come so near that you may observe them from the balconies attached to the tents!

Satkosia is famous for two things, the marvellous Gorge of the Mahanadi river and the wildlife thriving in the Satkosia Tiger Reserve. The wildlife includes mammals and reptilians, both, along with many avian species. One of the famous residents of this forest is Indian giant squirrel, or Malabar giant squirrel, (Ratufa indica). Quite a few of the endangered species of turtles and tortoises coexists with all the three types of endangered crocodiles found in Indian river systems. We were lucky enough to have a glimpse of two types of Mugger Crocodiles and one species each of Tortoises and Turtles.

The Sands Resort is so located that spectacular Sunrises and Sunsets can be viewed without venturing outside the compound. The booking system is completely online, and boarders need not pay separately for various activities that they offer, including a one 45 min boating session every day on the Mahanadi gorge for both the occupants and a child below 12 years of age. Here I must mention, one high-quality Nikon binocular is offered for free for each family.

There are 40 high-quality bicycles available for boarders in case they want a bit of exercise. A jungle trek with a guide is offered in the morning. The food is pretty good. Local tribal people work here and they are extremely friendly, supportive and courteous. The vegetables are grown locally, so visitors get organic foods. If you love to swim, take a dip in the Mahanadi, but venturing out of the enclosed swimming area is a strict no-no.

To reach this place, you need to pass Chhamundia Check Post and without the entry fee, that is not permitted. While booking in this resort, an entry ticket is issued by default for some extra charges. No extra charges are required to be paid for the vehicle. So keep the entry ticket very safe, as that is kind of passport for all the visitors.

Finally, all the above come in a package and included in the room rent paid. Sweet!

All the following photographs are available in print, so if required, please get in touch with me.

Mugger Crocodile

A pair of Tortoises

Mugger Crocodile sunbathing

The sound of boat's motor made it slither into water

This one decided not to come up

A pretty big one- Gangetic Soft Shell Turtle

The sound of the motor made it curious

But at the end, the sense of safety prevailed

These Swiss tents are only available until February from October

A sandstorm was brewing nearby

Sandstorm and I thought it was a feature of a desert!

As the sun rises in the east, the moon bids adieu in the Western sky

Even though cloud is considered a bane for good sunrise, I always felt just the opposite

As the molten gold is poured over the water of the Mahanadi

A panorama of the Eastern Sky and the Mahanadi river

The mirror of nature

Local tribals are so friendly and welcoming, you never feel like an outsider

And that's what I call a smile!

A local religious festival organised in the village nearby

A spectacular sunset over Easter Ghat mountains and clouds are like ornaments of nature

Before I embarked on our return journey, the sun decided to show up without the entourage of clouds

The clouds gathered

A remnant of last rainy season

The famous Satkosia Gorge of the Mahanadi river

Striated Heron aka Little Heron

The AC Tents. AC cottages are located a bit higher up the slope. (mobile phone photo)

Inside of our tent (mobile phone photo)

The Dining hall! Every evening, a cultural programme is arranged in front of this place.

For more travel related photos and videos you are welcome to visit my 500px page, Facebook page and YouTube Channel.

Here are few videos:

https://youtu.be/hV4e24ZqsXQ

https://youtu.be/pZpfaaH8tkA

https://youtu.be/y3viWE6xe5Q

https://youtu.be/-JW0F8qhkA4

https://youtu.be/qBE5OyLh2ls

How to reach:

Satkosia Sands Resort is on the Southern bank of the Mahanadi river and located at Badmul, Nayagarh District of Odisha.

By Air: The nearest airport is Bhubaneswar. From there hire a car for Satkosia Sands Resort, which is an about 3hrs drive. The Cost of a car is about 6500/- for drop and pick up.

By Road: Drive along NH16 (old name NH6) and take a right turn at Khurda bypass square and then drive more or less straight along NH57 till Baghamari-Kalapathar road, which later becomes Fategarh road and finally Gania-Kantilo road. The destination would be on the right. The distance from Kolkata is about 550km. It is better not to follow Google map as that instructs to take a right turn at Balikuda traffic signal and leave NH16 for Banki-Cuttack road. This road, though shorter, takes a much longer time and is infested with humps! Take note that, after NH16, you will be greeted by an army of humps. So whenever a village or settlement approaches, slow down, as there will certainly be two humps at least, one while entering and other while leaving. In Google Map, set the final destination as "Satkosia Sands Resort" (Badmul, Nayagarh district) but add Bhubaneswar as an intermediate stop, then the road I have suggested above will be displayed.

By Train: The nearest station from where cars are available is Bhubaneswar.

By Public Transport: Either from Bhubaneswar or Cuttack, take a bus for Chhamundia. From there autos ply to this place.

Booking: Please visit Eco Tour Odisha and book online.

Finally, it's a beautiful place, so if you intend to drive from Kolkata, it is preferable to stay for at least 3 days to soak the beauty of this place.

#enjoytravelindia

Note: As this post has generated so much interest, (thank you for that) I would again like to request you to go through the complete Blog post before venturing out, everything is detailed out here. Most importantly, please do not visit this place without prior booking, as this is located inside Satkosia Tiger reserve, entry permission is mandatory, and booking includes the entry fee as well as permission.

Thank you for being so considerate for not engaging yourself in "not so social activity" of copyright violation. Please understand that all the above photos and the writing (whole/part of) are fruits of labour. So please refrain from any unauthorized usage which not only violates copyright laws but also disheartens me to work harder and produce better content.

Prints of photos are available, so please get in touch with me for any requirement.

Visitors are welcome to share the link to this write-up.

The shrine of Bahubali or Gomateswara atop Vindhyagiri Hills, Shravanabe...

2016-06-13T20:43:00.001+05:30

I prefer to make small videos with my mobile phone but prefer to shoot with a top end DSLR when it comes to still photographs. This video was shot by my son using my Xiaomi Redmi 2 mobile phone which shoots pretty nice and watchable HD videos.

In this video, the top of the Hill of Vindhyagiri can be seen and also the opposite Chandragiri hill upon which there are 15 shrines including a place where it is said that the mighty Maurya emperor Chandragupta Maurya dies, after abdicating willingly and spending time with his spiritual "guru" Vadrabahu. The 15th shrine is the cave of Vadrabahu. The whole temple atop this hill is about 1000 years old and the carvings are really exquisite.

Thank you for viewing.

For more videos, please subscribe to my channel.
For still photographs please visit: www.500px.com/sriroyc and my facebook page: www.facebook.com/srijanrc.photography
Higher resolution prints are available for sale, please contact me.

©2016 Srijan Roy Choudhury, All Rights Reserved.

The statue of Bahubali atop Vindhyagiri Hills at Shravanabelagola, Karna...

2016-06-13T20:34:00.001+05:30

During my last trip to Karnataka, one fine morning, I started for a town named Shravanabelagola which is about 120km from my starting point, Mysore (Mysuru). In a hired car, it takes about to reach there. It is advisable to start early in the morning, as the stones get heated up and it becomes very hard to climb barefoot (which is customary). Do not forget to carry a pair of socks which would make the climb easier.

There are two hills at Shravanabelagola, Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri. Atop Vindhyagiri hill, there stands a 57ft tall statue of Lord Bahubali, who was the eldest son of the first Tirthankara (prophet) of Jaina sect, named Adinatha. It is a monolithic statue carved from a single granite stone. To reach the top, one has to climb 650 steps, barefoot.

It is a very important pilgrimage site for the followers of Jain sect. Every 12 year a huge festival of "coronation" takes place here.

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©2016 Srijan Roy Choudhury, All Rights Reserved.

Path through Bandipur national Park

2016-06-13T20:16:00.001+05:30

A glimpse of a Safari that I did in the Bandipur National Park during the end of the May 2016.

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A small Indian Bison or Gaur family

2016-06-13T19:32:00.001+05:30

The third and last video of Indian Bison or Gaur as seen while on Safari in Bandipur National Park of Karnataka. Video shot on 01/06/2016.

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©2016 Srijan Roy Choudhury, All Rights Reserved.

Indian Bison or Gaur observing

2016-06-13T19:17:00.001+05:30

To continue with my "non-standard" travelogue of Karnataka, here is one more video from my safaris inside the famous "Bandipur National Park". This was taken on 31st May 2016.

In this very short video, a male Indian Bison or Gaur, observing us, as our vehicle rolls down the path. This is a "bull", but quite a gentle beast.

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For still photographs please visit: www.500px.com/sriroyc and my facebook page: www.facebook.com/srijanrc.photography
Higher resolution prints are available for sale, please contact me.

©2016 Srijan Roy Choudhury, All Rights Reserved.

Indian Bison or Gaur, running and crossing the path

2016-06-13T19:01:00.001+05:30

My Karnataka trip was mainly focused on Bandipur National Park, a beautiful place to experience the jungle and the wild. I did 7 safaris through the jungle and every time I found something new. Apart from that, I was always greeted by this beautiful species of mammal.

This time a Bull crossed our path. It's a small video, so hope you would all enjoy it.

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Photos are available for sell

Rajasthan Travel- Day 2 - Jodhpur

2015-08-01T13:32:00.001+05:30

2nd Day:

We reached Jodhpur in the early morning. The weather was not that hot. I could see the mighty Mehrangarh fort looming in the skyline - our tourist destination for that day. As we carried our luggage out of the station, to find that our chariot was waiting in the adjacent parking lot. It was a white Toyota Innova which stayed with us for the rest of the tour (till Bikaner).

Rajasthan is pretty costly place, so sticking to our plan, we headed for the Mehrangarh fort (soon after freshening up a bit in the hotel). In the mean time, my friend's mobile phone was recovered which he accidentally dropped while entering the hotel. Not a bad start, per se.

Places I visited:

Umaid Bhawan
Mehrangarh Fort
Jodhpur Market (evening visit)

The following photos should tell you the story of the rest of the day. Hope they add to your visual pleasure.

For the account of Day 1 please visit this link: Rajasthan Travel- Day 1

Umaid Bhawan Palace:

The Umaid Bhawan Palace at Jodhpur, was constructed between 1929 and 1944. Presently, a part of it is the residence of Gaj Singh II, the present head of erstwhile royal family of Jodhpur. A large part of it is a luxury hotel and another part houses a museum.

Jodhpur Rail Station

Our chariot for the rest of the tour - a AC Toyota Innova.

The Palace and Lawn

Approach roadway and the palace

A Corridor...

Corridor beside central courtyard

My son taking some rest

The central courtyard

Outside view of private residential part of present owners

One of the domes- photographed by son

It's a posh location, beside the palace ground

Mehrangarh Fort:

Mehrangarh Fort, is one of the largest forts in India. Built around 1460 by Rao Jodha, the fort is situated 120 m above the city and is enclosed by imposing thick walls.

Entrance of Mehrangarh Palace

Entrance of Mehrangarh fort

The Blue City- Jodhpur as seen from Mehrangarh Fort. Traditionally, Brahmins of Jodhpur city paint their houses blue, hence the look and the name.

Abundant food attracts these cute redents

I wish he had a e-mail, so that I could send him this photo. Mr. Indar Kumar, a traditional local healer obliged me by posing in front of my camera. We interacted for few minuts, but what a nice gentleman he was.

Musicians are employed by the fort management to play traditional/ folk music to entertain visitors. Visitors sometimes tip them, but they never ask for.

One of the musicians (Sanai/flute player) waiting for his turn

A private guard employed by the fort management. notice the insignia on the cap

On the steps...

A window carved out of rock

The ceremonial seat for every newborn boy child, as he is included in the family

A living display for the visitors. I tried to talk, but could not understand him, though he agreed to be photographed

An arched doorway

Royal palanquins on display, with gold work and photo of king and queen.

Royal Hawda (seat on top of an elephant) on display, with silver work

Royal palanquins on display, with gold work, generally used by the queen

Wrought iron staircase

Jodhpur city as seen from the fort

Windows...

King's court - Dewan e aam (General Court)

King's court - Dewan e Khaas (Special court, meeting place for inner circle)

Parts of Fort

Inside the fort, there are shops selling local and traditional products like these "Juttis"

The road on the left leads to "Rao Jodha Desert Park" which can be visited after buying separate tickets

Mehrangarh Fort

When you have women in your travel team, you can't actually avoid markets. Jodhpur was not an exception. As soon as the sun went down, the urge for visiting the market rose in the minds of two beautiful ladies accompanying us. I tried to shake the boredom off with few snaps.

Note that there is no Government shops in Jodhpur (Rajasthali). So please be careful with the product and price. It is better if you visit the main market rather than the large shops near your hotel. Jodhpur has a bustling market which your car driver should know very well. there you can find large shops selling products at much cheaper rates. Compare prices before taking a plunge.

Travel suggestions:

You can complete the following three places in one day (if you start by 9:30AM), the day you reach Jodhpur, in the following order:

Umaid Bhawan Palace
Mehrangarh Fort (Official Websirte of Mehrangarh Fort)
Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park (Official Website of Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park)
Jaswant Thada
Local market in the evening

At Umaid Bhawan, you can give a try to traditional ice-cream (Kulfi), it's pretty good.
Though Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park has separate tickets, but that is not much and one should visit it with Mehrangarh Fort.

Please note that every place has separate entry tickets for persons and cameras, so inquire beforehand. Ticket prices are different for foreign nationals and domestic tourists. Like many other places of Rajasthan, there are not much information about the different parts of the fort, so if you can afford, go for an audio guide from the fort counter. It would really give you a much better insight. Some other forts (like in Bikaner) provides official guides, that is also a very good option. This way visitors not only encourage tourism related employment generation, but also supports maintenance of these grand and historic monuments. Though some places do charge a lot, which I found completely illogical, and refrained from visiting those places. I also felt that the charges (separately) for the still camera is pretty high for the domestic tourists.

Thank you for reading till this line. If you are interested, you can find more photos here and Prints of all these photos are available for sale. Do contact me please if you require.

Rajasthan Travel- Day 1

2015-07-27T13:25:00.001+05:30

Hello friends

My apologies to my reader for being quite so long. Not that I am not photographing or publishing anything, but I have been doing the same in my facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/srijanrc.photography). Do like the page please if you have a facebook account and you like my work.

Last October, I traveled to Western parts of Rajasthan with my friends and family and family, and I have decided to write the whole experience in different parts so that my readers may find it easy to follow. I'll try to write the least number of words so that one has to read less, but I am going to add more number of photos which would not only tell the story, but would also enhance one's viewing pleasure.

My travel plan:

Kolkata - Delhi (Flight)
Delhi - Jodhpur (Train)
Jodhpur - Jaisalmer (Car)
Jaisalmer - Bikaner (Car)
Bikaner - Delhi (Train)
Delhi - Kolkata/ Sealdah (Train)

This post is about the beginning, and we were waiting at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (NSC Bose) International Airport's domestic terminal for our IndiGo flight to Delhi, from where we were about to catch our train to Jodhpur.

Please note, all photos are copyright protected and using any of these photos for whatsoever need is strictly prohibited. Please contact me, if you need any of these photographs usage right, which is available against suitable payments. Some photos are also available as "Print Sell", please inquire with me for the details.

Here are the photos as we were waiting at NSC Bose Airport for our metal birdie-

The group, sans myself...

Trolleys in waiting...

Sharing the excitement...

Patient smile...

Through the terminal windows...

Taxiing (Taxying)...

Started writing the travelogue already...

Aerobridge on the move...

Whrrrrrr.....

In safe hands...

And it flies away...

Few more photos can be seen here:

Rajasthan Tour- Airport- Day 1

Travel suggestion:

There are very few flights directly to Jodhpur, and the fair also is pretty high compared to more crowded routes like Kolkata-Delhi.
There is only one train to Jodhpur from Kolkata-

Howrah Jodhpur Express - 2 nights journey (30 hrs)

Another option is to travel to New Delhi/ Delhi and then catch a train to Jodhpur from Delhi.

The Spring is here!!

2015-04-26T09:26:00.001+05:30

Bhutan trip

2013-08-31T20:42:00.002+05:30

As it is known, we Bengalis are ardent travelers, and I am no exception. Every year, the travel bug bites me and my son, and we are off to planning and executing. I do not pay any attention to the bank passbook which assumes a very sorry state every time the tour concludes. Still, can't really ignore the call of new places. So, this year, it was no different. At first, I thought of visiting good old North Bengal again, but after careful consideration of the road conditions, which has attained status of worst from bad, and my father's health, I decided to take turn and visit the Land of Dragons, Bhutan. So the planning started.

Phase 1:

As soon as we have decided, my wife dutifully informed me that one of my brothers-in-law, Ashish da, visited Bhutan with his family and friends during last October. Hence started my endless string of phonecalls to secure a well balanced itinerary of Bhutan travel. Ashish da magnanimously decided to keep my request and dropped by in the same evening. At the end of nearly two hours and two cups of black tea, without sugar, I was in possession of a two page long itinerary with details about the expected cost. At the end, I was quite happy that the ball was now rolling in the right direction. Now, I had only three things to take care of:

Getting the permits from Bhutan embassy at Kolkata
Emailing hotels to book rooms
Get an estimate of total cost

Phase 2:

It was not until next few days, that I started to email all the hotels of Paro and Thimphu. How hard could it be- I thought. My wife maintained her notorious reputation by bugging me continuously to hasten. Not to leave any stone unturned, I called one reputed travel agent of Kolkata and asked for a quotation. Surprise! I received a response in two days time. Surprise! Surprise! The room rents quoted was average 40-50% higher than actual. Luckily, the hotels were named and I was able to find their web sites and verify the actual rent. Did I mention anything about the emails I sent? Well, I received only one reply- Hotel Jigmeling of Paro. After few more emails I was able to strike a deal with them for three deluxe rooms for the price of standards. Not bad! I was feeling like thumping my own back; but I could not. None of the Thimphu hotels cared to write back to me even after repeated reminders. So starts the Phase 3 of ISD calls.

Phase 3:

It was clear to me that I must bite the proverbial bullet and start making calls over the border. Luckily, hotel.bt lists quite a few hotels and their phone numbers. Now, the call charge, I needed to find the cheapest possible option for ISD. I found out that none of the private operators feel considerate enough to offer any preferential rate for Bhutan, Rs. 10 per min was the prevailing rate (talk about corporate consensus)! So, what to do? Unbelievably, public company BSNL came to my rescue. My wife and son collected information that bsnl rate was about Rs. 6.50 per min once I buy a special tariff voucher (STV) for Rs. 9.00, valid for 7 days. The only other thing I needed was a prepaid bsnl SIM card. My dear sis came to my rescue, she already had a working bsnl prepaid connection. So, all I had to do was to go online, buy the STV, recharge for talk time, and call; easy! Dear reader, if you are still with me, you must be thinking the same- right? Wrong! My trouble was far from over, read on to find out more.

Phase 4:

The next Sunday morning, armed with the SIM card, talk time and phone numbers of the hotels within my budget, I started calling. Mon dieu, hotels told me to email them! What more I found out- the tragedy of Uttrakhand has taken an indirect toll on me. Most of the hotels that I shortlisted at Thimphu reported to be booked! The capital city of Bhutan, where one can easily get hotels with night stay charges of Rs. 700-800, I had to settle for a hotel for Rs. 1500 per night. Well, I just have the confirmation email from a fellow named Sonam Tshering, who informed me that he has recently acquired the management of Hotel 89, and as I shall be visiting with my family, he would be more than happy to offer me the rooms for the rate mentioned above, which are actually for Rs. 2500 per night. Sounded too good to be true, but, I unfortunately had no other option but to hold at it. The only consolation was that no advance was demanded this time. Prospective travelers should contact Hotel Tandin first, it is the best in budget hotel category. Do not forget to try early to get the booking if you choose a peak tourist season as I did and if you wood like to avoid the scornful, reproachful, "I told you so" look of your wife (I faced it, and trust me, it's not at all romantic!).

Phase 5:

The battle is won! Phew! I was quite tensed for the last one month and could not motivate myself enough to write anymore of this, the biggest hurdle I was yet to pass- The TICKETs. Yes, I mean, Train Tickets. On the morning of 21st August, I was all prepared to attack the IRCTC website with my 2Mbps broadband connection. I had some shadow practice already, Bought tickets for the 'peak time' days for my sister and brother-in-law. Quite a feat- considering they are schedule for departure on the first day of Durga Puja and return back just the day before. Turned on my PC, settled on my half broken computer chair with my son looking anxiously over my shoulder and my wife prowling like a pussy cat at the back. Computer turned on alright. Hit the "connect" button and the Horror Struck. The damn connection was not getting established! Error! Error! Error! What could I do but to turn to my dear friend Pratyush. I had already charged him to buy two tickets of my group while I was supposed to take care of the rest 5. Pratyush galantly jumped into the troubled water, few nail biting moments and informed me with a quite flat tone- no more tickets in the AC3. Eeeeeek!

It was time to take a quick decision and my dear friend responded like a well oiled machine to my voice commands over the telephone and secured me 7 tickets for the SL class to Hasimara from Sealdah, for the only available train- Kanchankanya Express. Trouble was- two of the seats are in the next coach and just beside the Bathroom. Sadly, had n option but to accept what the "rail god" was kind enough to provide.

At around 9AM, as if to mock me, the connection was restored. I did a bit of surfing in IRCTC site and hey presto! Tickets for Kolkata-New AlipurDuar are still available for the date of my journey. My wife and son were ecstatic, and I fell into the trap of buying 7 Garib Rath tickets. After paying nearly 700/- for cancellation charge I was out of the clutches of Garib Rath- after discovering that the train is very consistent in one thing- getting late. 3 hours late arrival at a station which is nearly 60km away from my final destination- extremely bad idea.

Now the return tickets. I took no chances. Woke up at 5:30 in the morning, checked everything and dutifully woke my friend up from his peaceful slumber (how dare he! When I slouch from lack of sleep, he was having a dream). This time, the IRCTC showed its true color. By the time we were able to log in, there was not a single ticket left for Sealdah from Hasimara in AC3. So, decided to go for Padatik Express from NJP, and this time (after a failed transaction) I was able to secure all the 7 seats as I desired- thanks again to my dear friend who managed 2 of those.

The only trouble is that I shall have to sort the matter of reaching NJP from Jaigaon/ Phuentsholing; but that's a worry for tomorrow- lets not get bothered now!

Phase 6:

This is the last phase of the preparation, which would be optional for some travelers. I have collected the Inner-line Permit for both Thimphu and Paro from the Royal Bhutan Consulate office. Please note that, in the beginning, the maximum tenure of the permit would be for 13 days. So if one plans for a travel of longer duration, the permit needs to be extended at Thimphu. Those who are from Kolkata or it's surrounding area, I would highly recommend that the permit should be obtained from Kolkata itself- it would really save some valuable time while traveling in Bhutan.
So, now the only official work left is the permit for "Restricted Areas" like Punakha, Haa Valley, Wangdue etc, which can only be obtained fro Thimphu.

For future travelers:

In peak season getting bookings in the only train Kanchankanya Express, would be a trouble, unless you are ready to travel in Sleeper Class. Alternative options are as follows, avail Saraighat Express from Howrah to New Alipurduar; under desperate condition, one can avail Kolkata- Guwahati Garib Rath, but make allowances for average 3 hours late. Better would be to travel to NJP, from there to Jaigaon via Siliguri (bus services from Siliguri are available). Otherwise, one can buy tickets to Hasimara from NJP and catch the same Kanchankanya Express, provided the traveler catches a train which reaches NJP before Kanchankanya Express, like Darjeeling Mail.

Documents that an Indian traveler must carry:

1. Voter ID card and photocopies of the same. For children Birth Certificate issued by competent Government authority would suffice.

2. Passport size photographs.

3. Inner-line Permit for Paro and Thimphu- either obtain from Kolkata or from Phuentsholing. If the tourist is entering the country through Paro Airport, then this permit can be obtained at Paro International Airport too. While traveling in Bhutan do not forget to get it stamped at the check posts, it's the responsibility of the traveler.

4. Restricted area permit, if places other than Paro and Thimphu are to be visited.

For non-Indian (Foreign Tourists) the rules of visiting this country is bit different. Please check the Bhutan Government website for more information.

So my dear readers, if you are still with me (that would be quite a surprise though!), stay tuned for the rest. I shall continue to write this Blah! Blah! Blah!

Special thanks to the members of IndiaMike for helping me from time to time with different queries, specially Sri Ashish Das- thank you Ashish babu.

Creepy-Crawlies- Peacock Pansy

2012-06-09T23:37:00.001+05:30