The Indian Road Chronicle

Exploring Knakrajhore

2025-03-07T14:07:00.004+05:30

"Winter brings with it a few things in this part of India which I absolutely treasure: mustard fields,date palm jaggery, foggy mornings and a few more things, which I can only mention in Bengali (because I am yet to find their English counterparts that can evoke the same emotion!) joynagar er moa, koraishutir kochuri, notun aloo. Winter, unfortunately lasts only for a debatable 3 months these days and in the last few years, at least in the city, it is a see saw of warm days with some cold ones thrown in between."

In the first weekend of February, as the debatable winter was on its last leg, a friend with whom, I had travelled to the remote villages of Biharinath, Doladanga, Matha, Murguma –before these places became popular - and me went on an overnighter to Knakrajhore. Whereas Purulia, Bankura has gained significant popularity these days, the so called "Wild West" of Bengal - dotting the tribal areas west of Jhargram and bordering Jharkhand, is coming out of the reverie of isolation.

We started around 7 in the morning and after a breakfast stop at Azad Hind Dhaba, Uluberia, we reached the Kurchi homestay at 2 in the afternoon. Post lunch we went on a drive to the Ketki Lake, a very old temple, a dam. Most of the roads were in disrepair and whereas my erstwhile Swift would have tackled these roads any day, I was glad that I was in the ScorpioN.

Out of the 24 hours that we spent at that place, I will remember the evening spent along the banks of the Ketki lake the most. The setting sun cast an orange glow as it disappeared behind the hills, birds were returning home and so were the shepherds with herds of goat and sheep – as we sat under a huge sal tree watching the proceedings across and beyond the placid lake. There were pockets of mustard fields which reminded me of a day spent many years ago in a vast mustard field where as far as you can see, the colour was yellow and that dissolved in the horizon of a thin layer of mist – and the breeze brought with it a smell of the pungent smell of mustard.

At night we had a dinner of Roti, Chicken curry. That being said - it was the tastiest meal of the day - with the other menus, including the local delicacy Sal pata pora chicken being outright distasteful - seems there has been a change of hands at the place.

The next morning, we checked out after breakfast. Visited the Ketki lake once again for the absolute serenity. This time, we took the interior roads, dotted with sparsely populated villages, wavy hillocks, small lakes and finally reached Jhargram through Belpahari and Silda. From Jhargram, it was drive till Hotel Abhijeet where we had a plate of overzealous Fried Rice and Chilli Chicken and then after a tea break in the evening, we were back home.

Crossing Over The Rupin Pass

2025-03-02T13:42:00.007+05:30

One of the challenges of writing a travelogue almost two months after the elapsed travel is the loss of memory. During the elapsed period new events flood the brain and especially when this period coincides with the Festive season, the loss is even greater.

For the past four-five years, I have been on a few Himalayan treks and the addiction is such that the mountains keep calling to visit them time and again. This year, after the Chadar Trek, I had planned to do the Markha Valley trek (Ladakh) in September. And every traveler on the forum and everywhere will agree that the planning phase is certainly the most exciting phase of any travel and that period of ‘waiting’ for the actual travel to kick off, is a sweet pain that only the traveler can feel. Air tickets were booked and the usual training regime undertaken. But nature had other plans and that trek couldn’t materialize. The proverb “Man proposes, God disposes” couldn’t be more apt I felt.

I kept looking for some options. Constraints were many: Like treks in Uttarakhand were banned due to a High Court and the ones that were available were costlier ones. Plus end September is the time when most treks come to a close. But all of a sudden, checked the Trek The Himalayas website for “Fixed Departure Treks” and found that a Rupin Pass trek batch was available. Booked it almost instantly and departure date was fixed as 22nd Sept, 2018.

Geography and Trek Schedule

The Rupin Pass is a 15,250 feet high pass in the Himachal Pradesh in the Kinnaur District with the road head being at Sangla. The trek actually encompasses two states: It starts from a village called Dhaula in Uttarakhand and ends at Sangla in Himachal with five of the eight days being in Himachal Pradesh. Following is the planned itinerary. But in our case the Day One Trek was cancelled due to incessant rain and we were forced to combine Day One and Day Two in a single day.

So coming back to the trek.

Transit from Kolkata to Dhaula (Base Camp)

22-Sep-18 to 23-Sep-18

I had booked an Air India flight from Kolkata to Delhi around 1800 HRS in the evening. While boarding the aircraft I was surprised when I saw a Boeing 777-300 ER being the aircraft. Later came to know that the same plane is scheduled for a journey to New York! Nevertheless, the “upgrade” was pleasantly surprising and I spent the next couple of hours watching Vanilla Sky and munching onto the snacks. After reaching Delhi, I took the metro to New Delhi Railway station from where I boarded the Nanda Devi express to Dehra Dun.

The train was supposed to reach Dehra Dun at 0600 HRS on 23-Sep-18. However it was late and we managed to reach Dehra by 1100 HRS. The mode of transport from Dehra to Dhaula was a Tempo Traveller. It rained throughout the day – a rain that lasted 48 hours more. The gloomy weather didn’t lift the spirits and on top of the interrupted journey that started from 3 PM, it was a tiresome. We stopped mid-way for lunch. And once more for some very sweet tea in the evening. As dusk was falling, we saw a group of Bakrawalas who steadied their flock of sheep and goats through the rain towards a place of shelter. The ravaging river continued stormed beside the road, It grew narrower in width but its current had turned fiercer with every mile that it passed. As the sunlight went kaput, the hitherto good road turned worse and the bumpy ride continued till 1900 HRS when we finally reached Dhaula. A quick dinner later we huddled in different rooms of a homestay for the night after which we went to sleep. The rain continued, heavier with each passing hour.

But little did we know that it would impact our plans for the next day.

#Day 1 24-Sep-18: We stay put at Dhaula

When we woke up around 7 in morning, the rains continued to pour heavily. And it was quite chilly. Breakfast arrived. Paranthas and tea. We kept wondering how we would walk if the rain continues like the way it was pouring. But sometime later the rain ceased and everybody got busy packing their bags.

A funny incident happened next. The guide came up for a briefing session. “Is everybody ready?”, he asked as if questioning our readiness and with an urgency that we need to depart fast – since the rain had delayed our start. We said a resounding “Yes”. But imagine our surprise when he quips “Today we are not going to trek.” All of us were left aghast! The reason was a broken bridge that got washed away in the overnight rains.

The whole incident was depressing enough . But the homestay where we were housed, was beside the river and from the long and wide verandah we spent the whole day watching the fierce river cascading over the rocks. In all the time it continued to rain throughout. And helped by a running doses of tea, maggi and pakodas the day was spent. In the evening the rain stopped for good and we went on a hike to a nearby hill. We also got acquainted with ourselves. We were a 13 member team. Two of us were in exact mid-thirties, an uncle was close to sixty and the median population of the rest was 25.

As the night closed in, the clouds started to clear and by 10 o clock there was a clear moon high up in the sky and also some stars could be seen.

Due to the loss of the day it was decided that we will cover the distances of two days in one.

Day #2 25-Sep-18 Dhaula (5,100 ft) to Bawta (6,888 ft) (15 kms, 9 hours)

The rains had stopped and the beauty of post monsoon started to reveal in all the corners, trekking pathways, in the far hills…everywhere. The sky was a clean virgin blue. Everywhere the waterfalls were overflowing. Flowers had grown and the greenery was intense. And with the sun up, it was getting hot. Most of us were sweating in our T-shirts.

If one sees the net again in altitude, it will appear that the gradient is minimal. But the entire route has ups and down and that makes the walk difficult. Sometimes you go down as far as the river bed and at times you need to walk right up a 45 degree slope. We stopped at Sewa for our packed lunch of parantha and subzi. We were provided chocolates and toffees as refreshments which we munched all along. The sun was intense till 2 o clocked in the afternoon. But after that the sunrays got “lifted off” from the valleys and in the shadows it was getting chilly at times.

After the lunch break the walk got even more difficult as the slopes were higher. Finally after a long ordeal when most of us were tired beyond imagination we trudged in to our homestay where after a “physical conditioning” session in the courtyard we were offered hot tea. Since it wasn’t “that” cold and we were dirty, I took a bath. Evening was spent chitchatting and quick dinner. That night uncle was heavily tired and said that his knees were burning with pain.

The sky remained clear in the night. The homestay was located at the highest point of Bawta village and in the night we saw some lights lower down the hills slopes.The tiredness lulled most of us to sleep. A dog barked in the middle of the night when I woke up for a bathroom break. But rest was silent.

Day #3 Bawta (6,888 ft) to Jakha (8,700 ft) (5 kms, 4 hours)

The day was a short one and we were headed to Jakha– literally meaning “Hanging” village. After yesterday’s long walk most of us took sometime to prepare ourselves for the onslaught ahead. The distance, even though less, was quite steep. And the first hour that we started walking it was a steep climb all along. We stopped at the last decent shop to buy gloves, head gear, ponchos – which I hadn’t taken. We also stopped for tea. It was only an hour’s climb, but we couldn’t locate uncle.

Uncle, who was close to his sixties narrated an interesting story. Based on the initial conversation that I had, I felt that he was an experienced traveler. But later got to know that this trek was his first trek. When he was in his early thirties, he had heard about the Roop Kund trek from a close friend of his. Accordingly he read a lot about it. But family duties and work had kept him away from pursuing his passion. But now his son was established and daughter had already got a job and he had the time to pursue his passion. And he originally booked the Roop Kund trek, but with the recent high court order that banned treks on meadows in Uttarakhand, he was shifted to the Rupin Pass trek. And that is how he ended up with our batch. But where was uncle now, we wondered, as we all waited for him. A little while later, the guide came up and we came to know that uncle had descended. His trek was over.

All of us wonder that we will pursue our passion when we have time and money. But then we finally get both time and money, even though the zeal,the passion is there, but the energy isn’t there. Just like it happened in this case. A lesson learnt!

Steep hike through thick vegetation, forests, and streams under a bright blue sky brings us to Jakha. We are stationed at a homestay for the night. Again its bright and hot in the afternoon when we reach Jakha and sweating. We have lunch in the homestay and while away the afternoon. Dinner is quick again.

The next day we will go to Dhanderas Thatch – the meadows.

Day #4 Jakha (8,700 ft) to Dandreyash Thatch (11,680 ft) (11 kms, 8 hours)

The previous night we got a clear glimpse of the Milky Way. The next morning we depart at 8 in the morning in anticipation of a long day ahead. Till Jakha all loads were ferried by mule. But from Jakha onwards, mule tracks don’t exist and load is hauled by porters. For a, now 12 member team, the number of porters required is around thirty, if not more. The climb here is almost one vertical kilometer in a horizontal walk of eleven.

After a half an hour walk after Jakha, where the track has thinned and tall coniferous trees grow on the steep hill sides we come to a stop. The guide asks us to stick to the hill side as we hear the sound of bells and an incoming multitude. And then they come, the sheeps, that had gone to the high altitude pasture lands to graze. The sheeps funnel down the tracks in thousands. The shepherds whistle and force them to descend. We also see that the sheeps are guarded by dogs.

We start walking again and take period breaks. Sometime later the trekking path disappears into a cascading river bed, beside which we continue to walk. A few miles down, I get a shock. The bridge that was washed away 2-3 days back has come to haunt us. And instead of the bridge, now placed are three adjacent wooden planks each not more than 8 inches wide. There is no support and hurtling 15 feet below is the raging river where if you fall, chances for being alive is rare. I wish I could take a photograph. But those who have read my articles earlier would know my fear of height. And in these circumstances I took the guide’s hand and somehow scrapped through. After crossing the bridge we came to a sweet spot that was the last maggi stop on the route. Here we offloaded our bags and relaxed and had tea.

The next few miles were steep amidst thinning forest line. We soon came to a spot where the snowy mountains appeared for the first time. And a wide, flat valley opened up. Here, under the shade of a tree, beside a flowing stream we took our lunch. A cool wind was blowing through, wiping away the perspiration.

After sometime we saw the upper waterfall of the three stage Rupin waterfall. The terrain became rocky and trees had disappeared by then and only shrubs were there for company. But after walking further, with thick clouds that were gathering, the rocks disappeared and even though the route became steep, it was an undulating grass land. At the rear end the sun beamed through the dark clouds that threatened rain and on the other side, inclined, stood the Rupin Waterfall. Towards the right and left were low rising hills. We had reached the meadows.

But the campsite was further away and it took quite sometime to reach the campsite. Then due to communication trouble the porters arrived late. And by the time tents were pitched it was past 7 PM. Then it started to rain as we slept in a tent for the first time. We had dinner around 10 PM and then spent sometime taking night shots of the tents.

Day #5 Dandreyash Thatch (11,680 ft) to Upper Waterfall (13, 420 ft) (3.5 kms walk, 3.5 hours)

When your target or objective becomes visible, it makes the job easier for the trekker. The objective so to speak was visible i.e. climb the three stages of the Rupin waterfall and it was a 1700 feet climb overall: quite steep. In the morning the meadows were buzzing with activity. Trekkers preparing for the day, a horse or mule grazed at the grasses, a solitary flower bloomed. Camps were struck, breakfasts eaten and we started walking under the sun. But those who go to these mountains know that the weather can change in a few seconds.

As we started the climb, the blue skies were overtaken with dark clouds. At a resting point the entire Dandreyash Meadows appeared like a U shaped valley through the middle of which the Rupin river snaked through. We had climbed the first stage. For the next stage we had to cross the waterfall from one side to another. For that we had to open our shoes, put the camera inside the backpack and then step out into the bonechilling waters with deep currents. Again the guides from different teams helped by placing boulders and holding hands as we somehow managed to make our way.

Here we again came across a folk of sheep. When I had crossed the difficult stage and took my position at a vantage point, I saw how the sheeps crossed the current. The shepherds placed boulders and whistled towards the sheeps and these being trained in the mountain skirted across the currents and jumped over boulders and crossed.

We reached the campsite in the afternoon and it had started raining by then. All around it was bleak and dull. We spent the afternoon by snoozing in the tent and sometime later the intensity of the rain changed or so we felt. In the evening, tea was served in the tents itself and when we opened the zipper we saw that the ground was covered in white. It has been snowing for the past 2-3 hours.

The snowfall continued till late in the night and to prevent collapse of the tent, we spent the night knocking the snow out. I checked the watch and it was around 2 AM in the night when the snowfall abated. The past night we hadn’t slept for a moment. And then I stepped out to take a bio break and the sky was clear. What ever cloud was there were racing against the full moon sky. The grassy floor was white with some patches that were still green. A mule kept calling the whole night. It was so pristine and Godly that is difficult to define the feeling one gets.

We received the wake up call at 4 AM. It was the pass crossing day and the most difficult day amongst all.

Day #6: Upper Waterfall (13, 120 ft) to Ronti Gad (13, 420 ft) via Rupin Pass (15,250 ft) Pass crossing day. 11 kms, 10 hours walk

Trekking companies advertise the pass crossing day as the “summit day” – how much relevant it is, I really don’t know. But we climb the pass today and in tht ze snow and cold it can get quite difficult. With groggy eyes and no sleep , the tea helped only slightly. But then with the torches we packed our bags and stepped out. Outside you wont need the torch because, like I said earlier, it was all white and flooded with the full moon. At a distance one could see the India Hikes team heading out with their series of head torches up a steep incline. But here we were who hadn’t even finished packing our bags. Hot maggi was served for breakfast.

One thing that I remember from the Goecha La trek is, on the summit day eat your breakfast properly. And even though having some maggi at 5 AM (we had whiled around an hour after waking up) is not a palatable exercise, I forced it through. The maggi or sooji stuff provides lots of energy that is required during the climb. And from what I had seen or heard, the final days climb has some 55-70 degree inclinations at places.

So, heres the deal.

From the campsite you need to climb at 60 degree slope for an hour (if not more) and you will reach a flat land. In most post monsoon treks this flat land remains exposed with boulders which makes it difficult to walk. A stream flows down here and you get refill here. After walking for 30 mins on the flat land the Rupin pass appears at a distance – a snow gully that ends in a slight depression. We started at 6 in the morning – pretty late and the India Hikes folks were out of sight.

The climb was mind boggling and I put my camera inside the backpack because taking photos too often and dangling the camera down the neck will hamper my progress and pace. So, all photos during the first climb were taken by my mobile. The tents started to grow smaller as we rised higher. The Rupin river passed through the white landscape below. Its origin wasn’t seen but it took a turn into a group of snowed out mountains and disappeared from the sight. We reached the flat land where I had some almonds and chocolates that my wife had packed for me.

I didn’t have these earlier because I wanted to save energy giver food for the final thrust. My 1 litre water bottle was already exhausted in the first climb and so I refilled the water from a stream. All around it was a massive white snow field and that made the job easier. But my shoes failed miserably and my feet were thoroughly wet. As we continued further we saw the India hikes team who appeared to be in a state of suspended animation. And beyond them one could see the treacherous climb to the Rupin pass. I took some photos with my camera and after all had gathered walked quite fast till we reached the final climb.

The snow was more than knee deep. And climbing the steep route was proving to be difficult for the lungs. Some members in the team offloaded their backpacks for the final stretch of the climb. Here I too felt a strong urge, but then felt maybe I can continue. The guide cut steps in the ice and we stepped onto them One-Two-Three-Four-Five at a time and then some rest. This was same when compared to Goecha La – where the final day altitude is higher. And we walked. My legs got submerged in the deep snow a couple of times.

After what seemed to be eternity, I was on top of the Rupin pass.

On one side we could see the Kinnaur Kailash range, white and basking in the snow and on the other side it was the Rupin mountains. Somewhere along the ridges were Narkand pass and Buran Pass. A porter offered fruits from the puja and we had the fruits and resumed walking.

Reaching the pass was very important. But it was even more important to go down properly. And walking through snow fields was an ordeal. We had only completed 2 hours out of the allocated 10. After the snow field ended, we had lunch at a patch of brown and then a long walk later when the snow disappeared and we started walking on mule track again, we reached the campsite – Sangla Kanda.

It rained for a while but then it was clear most for most of the night. The camp site was out of the world. One could see the Baspa River hurling down the snowy peaks of Narkand Pass. The Kinnaur-Kailash range was in front but we were too tired and slept like logs.

Tired, but happy.

Day#7 Ronti Gad (13, 420 ft) to Sangla (8,800 ft) (10 kms, 6 hours).

The previous day we had spent more walking for more than 12 hours and we had actually overshot the campsite and had camped further ahead. This shortened our journey for the final day. As a result we reached Sangla within 4 hours. From Sangla we boarded a shared cab and reached Shimla at 11 in the night. Next day boarded a Volvo for Delhi and then a flight to Kolkata.

Conclusion:

While coming down we saw apple orchards and in one of the orchards saw apples being plucked. The child in me couldn’t resist and I just remarked to a porter who was descending with me, it would have been great if I could have one of these. Then the porter said something to the plucker and a minute later we were eating juicy apples as we descended the slopes towards civilization. The taste of that apple, I am not sure whether it was its freshness or our hunger or both , still lingers! And so, my first trek in Himachal comes to an end.

2024 Year End Holidays: A Road trip to Biksthang Heritage Farmhouse

2025-03-02T12:39:00.009+05:30

As I stand on the balcony of our cottage, I can hear the sound of trickling water – overnight dew which had accumulated on the tin sheds and were rolling down now, onto the leaves of the plants and blades of grasses. The solitude of the morning was only disturbed by a chirping bird - possibly a flycatcher. A serene, cold breeze was blowing from the east, sometimes ruffling my jacket. And in a cloudless, indulgent sky…the first rays of the sun fall on the Kanchenjunga that is staring right in front of us – separated by miles of lesser hills - the monolith turns into pink then gleams like gold and in the next half an hour burns bright white. The Sleeping Buddha has awoken!

It was after a long time that we were in the Sikkim hills – but this primitive occurrence never ceases to amaze us. And then reality hits – my exposed fingers are numbed by now , so much so that pressing the shutter becomes an arduous task.

A couple of days ago..

We had left our Calcutta home, to the jingle of Christmas carols as we barreled down the Kalyani Expressway - the newest alignment to reach Siliguri. At our newly discovered favourite spot – BP Ghar at Birohi – we had a filling breakfast of Aloo parathas.

Amongst other things like nolen gur and koraishutir kochuri, the winters bring along with it the advent of yellow mustard fields. And at Raiganj, with the orange glow of the setting sun in the background, the sight of the mustard fields stretching far and wide into the horizon through a thin layer of the accumulating mist, is a sight that I will remember for long! The rest of the journey to Marina’s Motel, Bagdogra was a routine affair , as we checked in to the hotel at 9 PM after a straight 12 hours journey.

"In a cloudless, indulgent sky…the first rays of the sun fall on the Kanchenjunga that is staring right in front of us – separated by miles of lesser hills - the monolith turns into pink then gleams like gold and in the next half an hour burns bright white. The Sleeping Buddha has awoken!"

Marinas’ Motel used to be our favourite haunt during our stopovers to the Darjeeling and Sikkim hills and hold much nostalgia for us. But times change and so do everything around us – and some changes are for the worse – the erstwhile warmth of Marina’s was replaced by a cold transactions this time around and I have serious doubts if I will ever stay at this place in the near future.

The next day, we had a relaxed start from Bagdogra – but a relaxed start resulted in massive traffic till Sevoke. We broke for some tea and noodles near Teesta Bazaar. With the arrival of winter, the Teesta has turned meek and calm and ambled slowly in the distance. Road construction and moving convoy of vehicles kicked off dust that rose in the air.

Verdant green mountains, flowing streams, smoke rising from the chimneys of the huts in the valley - the feel of mountains well and truly kicked in after crossing over to Sikkim. I remember in one of my earlier journeys, on a motorcycle in 2013, the feeling of having ‘left the city behind’ would be felt as we crossed the Sevoke Military station. But days have changed!

We arrived at Biksthang Heritage Farmhouse, our abode for the next 3 days, after a 4 hour drive. Almost suddenly we felt that the noise of the whining engines were far away and we were transported to a zone of pervading silence only to be broken by the cry of an insect or the chirping of birds returning home. The evening was spent on the open air deck as we sipped into some Darjeeling tea and munched onto some sandwiches. Calm and serene, we watched as the lights were lit up, and the cold winds picked up. Dinner was served in the restaurant located in the heritage building – built with 3 feet wide walls – which served as an erstwhile detention center.

On the third day, we woke up to the blissful morning that I had described in the opening. The entire day remained cloudless as Kanchenjunga towered over the Biksthang valley for the entire day. In the afternoon, after a hearty lunch, washed down with Lassi made with milk from the farmhouse’s cow, we went on a drive to Rinchenpong – merely 15 kms away.

Darjeeling’s oranges are quite famous in this region – but was not aware that the Sikkim hills too were famous for their own variety. We saw orchards blooming with oranges on either side of the road to Rinchenpong. The roads on which we had driven till the previous day were mostly wide with gradual slopes. But on the way to Rinchenpong, the road turned narrow and with some steep inclines. Within the confines of my driving skill and having driven my Swift on multiple hill roads, I can safely say that I could have driven up the car only in the first gear – but here I was doing the same in the Scorpio-N in the third comfortably. At Rinchenpong, the Kanchenjunga range appeared to be magnified in size and the cold was intense too.

Dinner was again another elaborate affair. A word here about the food at Biksthang Heritage Farmhouse is due. Most of the food was local, organic produce – and the rice, masoor dal, milk and a variety of vegetables coming right from the farm. We were served some of the tastiest and at times over the top menu – which needed to be edited out for being too filling. Momos, Fried rice, chilli chicken, chicken curry, dal of different types, cutlets, pastas, stuffed parathas – you name it!

And then came the last day at Biksthang. And to reflect the mood, streams of cloud filled up the sky. The sun was mostly behind the clouds – but the majestic Kanchenjunga range was visible. This day, I had planned for a bit of fun – as we took an offroad track to the Lhuentse Gompa. This was 29th December and with the Sikkimese New year, which follows the lunar calendar, slated for the new year on the 31st December - rituals were planned at the Gompa.

The track appeared to be steep and rocky and engaged the 4X4 Low for the first time. At the end of a kilometer ride we were the Gompa - and I was about to boast about my tough 4x4 vehicle - but then I see an Alto and WagonR s standing in the parking lot - which goes on to say, how much more of driving there is to learn! Here is a video of the drive:

We packed our bags in the evening and the next morning we left Biksthang. The drive was a long one – we stopped at Khanna Hotel, Bagdogra for lunch; Mother’s Hut at Krishnagar for dinner and finally reached home at 1 in the night. 6 months ago we had a forgettable lunch at Mother’s hut – but today’s dinner – of the Dum chicken curry, Dal fry, Chicken Tikka Masala and rice was a stunner!

The Markha Valley Trek

2025-03-02T12:30:00.011+05:30

The evening sun casts an orange glow on the seasonal grass, a stream murmurs past, a few marmots are probably looking for some fodder and in the distance a flock of bharal have camouflaged into the beige hills. At 4900m near the high camp of Nimaling, with the twin peaks of Kang Yatse in the background of all of this, for a fleeting moment, I seem to be a pioneer, looking onto a promised land.

***

Leh to Zingchen to Rumbak

From Leh, the pickup truck carrying the four of us came to a grinding halt on a road where the tar gave away to the underneath dust. As we alighted from the truck, I felt a hot breeze blowing through the gorge, heard the bells of yaks yonder and noted that perched on the crumbling hill slopes of the opposite hill was an accumulation of eight to ten huts. This was Zingchen - the starting point of the Markha valley trek.

As the guide Norbu and me, began to walk, the sun belied the fact that the Ladakhi summer is benevolent. Trudging on the gravel strewn path, the wide track gradually constricted itself to a three feet wide path with the hilly shrubs on one side and the vertical hill on the other.

That day, we walked for 3 hours and came to rest on the edge of a flat land bordering vast tracts of barley fields that were swinging in the cool breeze. The sun was past its afternoon prime and its rays were glinting across the swaying crops. This was the most beautiful campsite that I had ever stayed at!

A dinner of khichdi and omelettes later, it was time to sleep.

Rumbak (3,500 m) to Skiu (3,400m) via Ganda La Pass (4,500m)

As we commenced the next day’s walk, we initially rolled down from the barley fields of Rumbak to a stream that was ravaged by a flash flood in 2020. Negotiating boulders, some of which were as big as a single storey house, we climbed up the slopes of a magenta-coloured hill.

On the upper reaches of the mountain, was the Ganda La pass and it was here that we saw our first marmots, the golden tailed rodents that disappeared into their burrows on the first sight of human beings – spending their summers searching for food, while hibernating throughout the winter. An ice-cream cone like peak also appeared from a corner and this was our first view of snow.

The sights were gorgeous, but with the gain in altitude, the walk became tougher. It must have been hours later that we finally stood on the top of Ganda La. The valley divide was amply evident here: behind us lay the valley of Zingchen whereas ahead of us, we could see the cultivation fields of Markha.

Skiu (3,400m) to Markha (3,700m)

As I have mentioned before, that the sun at high altitudes can be unforgiving was hitherto unknown to me. But on the walk from Skiu to Markha - a distance of 20 kms that was covered in 7 hours – it was a nightmare. The dripping sweat was blown cold in the dusty wind. And blisters appeared on the forearm later that night.

There were numerous villages that dotted the route. And each of these villages had yurt like tents, for the trekkers to walk in and rest. At one of these yurts, we had apricot juice whereas at the other we had mint tea – both of which energized the exhausted trekker.

We had camped beside an innocuous looking stream whose gurgles throughout the day and the night filled up the ears. Added to that was the sonata of the birds, the bells of yaks –an orchestra of nature.

That night, at the camp site, I spotted the Milky way for the first time!

Markha (3,700m) to Nimaling (4,800m – base camp)

We had originally planned to trek till Thochungste. But since it was quite early that we had reached Thochungste, we planned to walk further to Nimaling – the base camp of the trek. The walk was spectacular – we sighted the 6,250m high Kang Yatse peak that stood like a guardian angel across the Markha valley. We came across bits of history – a fort that lay in ruins. Norbu told me that it belonged to the king who reigned over the Markha Valley in the early twentieth century. There were stunning geographical features too – a series of mushroom shaped rocks that were hanging on the sandy mountain slopes.

We reached Nimaling in the falling evening light. The high base camp manifested itself in the freezing air that cut through the down jacket. And then we saw the twin peaks of Kang Yatse shimmering in the moon light.

The next day we were supposed to cross the 5,100 m high Kongmaru La pass and go back to civilization. A thought cut across my mind – the journey was reaching its conclusion.

Nimaling to Chokdo via Kongmaru La (5,100m) and onwards drive to Leh

It was early September, but the stream carrying glacial water from Kang Yatse had become frozen. At 7 AM in the morning, as we started the day’s walk, my lungs seemed to burst in the thin air. And I wasn’t the only one who seemed to be suffering from the altitude. As we rose higher, the campsite became smaller, until it disappeared after a turn.

It took us a couple of hours to cover the 300m altitude gain, but at the top the privations evaporated. We could see a panorama of peaks of the Karakoram range, its mineral covered mountains, its scanty green shrubs and then the memories came back …. It was sometime in 2010, while reading an Outdoor Magazine, that I had first heard the name of ‘Markha Valley’. A picture had caught my eye – a bunch of mules, ascending through the Kongmaru La high pass – in the backdrop of Buddhist prayer flags. It took another twelve long years for me to walk on that terrain.

Back at the hotel in Leh, night having descended and looking at the air tickets to travel back home – it was a moment of reflection of the past few days within the remote villages of our vast country, with its monasteries, people and their belief - this was a tale that needed to be told!

Deomali: A Road trip to Odisha’s roof top

2025-03-02T12:26:00.003+05:30

Some rudimentary photography, limited driving holidays, and the elementary form of writing that I indulge in are habits that have been acquired over years while travelling to the few places that I have been too infrequently. When I first looked through the view finder of a still camera, I only realized the ease with which you can obliterate space - coercively or not.

However, once you bottle the frame, what creates the situation, does not always appear in the frame. The slowly seeping wind is missing; that weak, distant cloud melting in the horizon is missing and so is the green of the trees or the sinking road that penetrates deep into the forest but appears flat and shallow in the viewfinder. Nature and its interpretation through technology is difficult to combine and thereby portray. More so, since photography is an art and rendering of the camera a manmade process which a mix of immiscible. Hence, difficult to confine it within rules. What is correct and what isn't? Or what should be done and what shouldn't be? Should the green trees be painted yellow? Or the blue sky inverted into black? Or barely visible white clouds turned into swimming arrows? Does the photographer need to believe in the high priest or be on his own? To you all, I leave that question open.

So, in the falling evening light..with a view of recurring ridgelines from the top of Deomali, I wondered if the blue hills with mist sprays at the edges would really appear in the camera…

***

The finalized itinerary resembled something like this:

· 31-Dec-21: Leave around midday from Calcutta. Stay overnight at Bhubaneswar.

· 01-Jan-22: Bhubaneswar to Chandoori Sai Guest House, Kakiriguma Village, Koraput

· 02-Jan-22: Stay at Chandoori. Visit Deomali.

· 03-Jan-22: Travel to Satkosia – Satkosia Hill View resort

· 04-Jan-22: Stay at Satkosia/Boat rides etc.

· 05-Jan-22: Return to Calcutta.

31-Dec-21: Calcutta to Bhubaneswar

An early start from the city always freshens me up. But that was not to be this time around. But since the city was in the grip of the wintry chill, the mild sunrays made the 1200 HRS start resembling a 0900 HRS one. The sight of Vidyasagar Setu and Kona Expressway are moments that convey the feeling that we are leaving the city (yet again!). So, without any breaks, we cruised along the NH 16 and on towards NH 60. A few days before our trip, BHPian neversaygbye had travelled along the same route to Vizag and from him we got to know that there were numerous diversions after Jaleswar which slows down traffic. We had booked the Presidency Hotel at Bhubaneswar for the night – and being right on the highway, it helped us in a quick entry/exit from the city – which we reached around 2030 HRS.

The first day, was not only about ‘transit’ but also about getting ‘habituated’ to travel on the highways after quite a while. After an in-room dinner and a phone conversation with gmhossain, we called it a night.

01-Jan-22: Bhubaneswar to Chandoori Sai Guest House, Kakiriguma Village, Koraput

We hadn’t trodden beyond Bhubaneswar on the NH-16 and the new year, brought with it a journey along a new road and a new destination. Off course, NH-16 is famously documented in any Calcutta – Vizag travel blog and there was no surprise element there. The morning sky around 0700 looked quite gloomy and the overcast sky (possibly fog) continued to hang on till 1000 HRS. We crossed Chilka, Gopalpur and then entered Berhampur town and finally started cruising on NH-326 – two lane, though it is, the road surface is a perfect piece of tarmac - and this is the road that I will now attempt to describe.

Hillocks and sometimes gigantic rocks jutted around here and there, dry cultivation fields, ponds, wildflowers – typical sceneries that we see around rural India. But it didn’t pull the heartstrings that often compels us to stop and imbibe the scenery.

As we were to discover later, the ghats start somewhere beyond Taptapani and they continue till Koraput and the ghats bring along with them beauty. Dark clouds had gathered in the sky, some of them crashing across the hills of Taptapani. The entire road was devoid of traffic: some stray tourist vehicles, but mostly locals on their motorbikes, a couple of buses and a few minivans. And then we came across sunflower fields in bloom. Stretches of arrow straight roads were interspersed with ghat sections. This was tribal heartland and as we went deeper the frequency of ghat roads increased.

It is to be noted that the NH-326 lacks eateries: some small shops selling tea, sweets and packaged fruit cakes – but that was all. With hunger pangs growing, we stopped at the first decent outlet for lunch. Surprisingly the place was packed with locals and hot food was served fast and its taste reminded us that we were cruising close to the Odisha-Andhra border.

Apart from the food, the other thing that was hot was the weather. The car, in the almost 30 mins in the sun was baked hot. Its difficult to think what summers would be in these places. When we were 50 kms away from Kakiriguma village we entered a mountain sanctuary that reminded me of Chilpi Ghati of Madhya Pradesh. Steep climbs followed by downhills descents continued till the end of our journey.

The sun at 4 PM, had become mild. Long shadows extended everywhere, children were playing cricket in the scanty plain lands, heavy duty trucks were seen sauntering along steep descents and with our destination being a short 5 kms away we stopped for a cup of tea at a road side shack. It made me realize that being welcomed for a cup of tea with such love is something that only our country can gift you.

And we rolled into Chandoori Sai Guest house at 1630 HRS, with the sun casting its orange glow, we felt that we entered a different world. Momentarily the sights and sounds of the outside world seemed to have been shut out. A much needed hot shower and coffee later, as we strolled through the soft grass, imbibing the beauty of the place…we sat on the balcony and watched the stars rise in the sky…and along with the night, came an unprecedented chill..Dinner was vegetarian – freshly baked pizzas, steamed beans in garlic and apple pie. In a remote tribal village, located on a 3000 ft valley floor, that feeling was priceless!

02-Jan-22: To Deomali

A 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep and we woke up next morning fresh and relaxed just like how a holiday should be.

A cup of steaming coffee later, I think its now time to say how we discovered this place is another story.

A few years back, while I was going through a thread on bcmtouring, I came across Deomali, Orissa’s highest peak, motorable for most of the way. The ‘highest altitude’ was an ‘extreme’ to capture tourists but what struck me more was the breath taking landscape, the tribal villages, the solitude. Those pictures stayed in the mind for a long time.

By the end of December 2021, with nothing really decided, the pictures came back. The next, I remembered was searching for a place to stay – something that wasn’t barebones – and good for the family. Googling maps we came across this place “Chandoori Sai”. Initially we were skeptical if this place existed in TripAdvisor, I nevertheless went ahead and searched. And lo, what we found was a 5 star rated property by more than a hundred travellers.

The story goes that an Australian, Leon Mahoney, used to frequent India for business. And it required him to travel along India’s roads for long. And then, while cruising along the rural roads of Vizag, found this place, which he felt was ‘his home’ and never returned to Australia. He took the tribals along, and built a guest house, its architecture is totally in sync with the tribal ethos. Word of mouth and some excellent reviews in foreign journals made it popular..

The dew, on which we walked in the morning, vanished as the sun rays beamed on the courtyard. Breakfast was homemade bread, peanut butter, coffee omelettes and poached eggs. We packed our lunch for the day and drove up to Deomali, which took us 1.5 hrs. The road that moves up and down, cuts through valleys, meadows, cultivation.. there are a few steep switchbacks, till the shoulder. But after that the mountain has mellowed down into a plain land, which has been cut by the metalled road. The view -is one to be appreciated. The road, doesn’t go to the peak. For that you need to trek. Overlooking the valley, we had a small picnic with the packed lunch and some freshly brewed tea..

However, the litter on Deomali top, is indeed worrying. Plastics, bottles, picnic plates – I don’t know if we will be able to preserve the sanctity of the place.

We reached our guesthouse just as darkness fell For dinner, we had roasted chicken, caramel custard and roasted potatoes – simple flavours that will stay along for a long time. I spent quite a while shooting star trails and then called it a night.

03-Jan-22: Chandoori Sai Guest House, Koraput to Satkosia

Two days at Chandoori is definitely not sufficient to soak in the place. You need at least three. The day, you reach in the evening, the second may be go for ‘sightseeing’ and on the third explore the local village and the tribal markets or just spend an idle afternoon sitting on the long verandas. Leon told us that the best time to visit is the monsoon - may be we can give it a shot sometime in the future..

We commenced our journey around 9 in the morning, a journey of almost 400 kms. We retraced quite some distance along the NH-326 and then we turned off to a Major District Road – where the surface wasn’t good for 30 kms …this stretch was hilly with hardly anyone in sight. It connected us to a State Highway, and then on it was an uneventful drive. We had an excellent lunch at a hotel in Surada – dominated by Bengali tourists, who were on their way to Daringbadi.

We had booked the Satkosia Hill View Resort for our stay at Satkosia, since the Govt properties were not available. We reached the resort at 7 in the evening. After exchanging pleasantries with the owner, we were shown our room.

The initial vibe of the resort made us remember our stay (a few years back) at Chamong Chaibari resort which was preceded by a stay at Sinclairs Kalimpong. Right when we entered Chamong Chaibari – may be it was the foggy air or the cold reception of the manager shocked us momentarily and that feeling lingers with us even today. And here we had the same feeling. That ‘specialness’ of Chandoori Sai, the cool and relaxed vibe of it had disappeared to be replaced by the so run of the mill experience. It wasn’t any bad or negative, but just it felt so dull for us. And the food - evening snacks are restricted to Pakodas or Dinner is Egg/Fish/Chicken thalis –enforced that feeling even more.

04-Jan-22: Around Satkosia

The activities at Satkosia are the boat rides along the river gorge. But it was only after our breakfast that we came to know that boat rides were out of bounds due to crocodile census from 1st Jan to 7th Jan .This news certainly hit us hard. The hotel owner did suggest us to visit a few dams in the vicinity – but that wasn’t the purpose of our visit..and hence utterly disappointing.

So, in the afternoon, we went to a spot in the shade of the trees and cooked up lunch.

05-Jan-22: Return to Calcutta

We commenced around 0800 HRS in the morning from Satkosia. Didn’t have a proper breakfast stop – except for some tea. There are certain narrow and poor stretches in the outskirts of Cuttack but that’s only a blip on the entire distance. Back on NH-16, we continued our home run – punctuated by a ‘Chenna Pora’ stop.

We were back in the city by 7 in the evening and packed Biryani from Zeeshan. Reached home around 8. Around 8, Saikat called me up asking, if we were home and I told him, we have just reached. And then he presented me some ‘jhola gur’ that he had bought from his ‘native’ place. The gur was excellent and its sweetness rounded off our journey.

The pristine feelings of Chandoori Sai, we carried along for a number of days after our trip ended – my son, especially wants to go there soon and I believe a monsoonal visit remains due!

Himachali Chronicles: Road trip to the Kullu & Kinnaur Valleys

2025-03-02T12:24:00.008+05:30

"After dinner, we strolled through the garden until we ended up under a giant persimmon tree, from where we could see tropical undergrowth nearby, conifers slightly beyond and finally lay a few barren mountains. This view, so enamoured us, that we spent some time in silence disturbed only by the sound of the swiftly flowing Tirthan river.

The cloudless sky beaming with stars made me realize that I had, hitherto, never photographed a star trail and this moment was not to be missed. So, I fetched the camera and positioned it over a rock. Set the focus to infinity, mode CL, exposure 30 secs and locked the shutter release as I watched the camera periodically capture the landscape and listened to the autumnal wind that blew across the face of the valley. The capture, I wish, was a good one, for it was marred by an approaching full moon and confined by towering mountains. But then, there is always a first time!"

During the Durga Puja holidays of 2021 we went on a trip to Himachal. Even though small, it boasts of some wonderful places of our country. Prior to the trip, a basic planning was done with bookings made only for the first and last nights in Himachal. The intervening days, we felt, could be planned on the go. Finally, at the end of the 15 days, our itinerary looked sometime like this: Kolkata – Varanasi – New Delhi – [Suro Village, Shimla (2N) – Sangla (2N) w/ Chitkul – Tirthan Valley (2N) – Manali (2N)] – Noida – Varanasi (2N) – Kolkata.

And before, proceeding further, here are some of my favourite photos from the trip.

* * * * * * * *

1. Kolkata to Suro Treehouse Resort

By the time we usher in Durga Puja, a waft of cold wind is not uncommon, especially early in the mornings. The sky, by then, washed by deluges upon deluge, appears in the most vibrant blue and the kash phools that I had photographed during our last tour, are blooming, ripening now, especially the river beds that are flooded with them. So, it was with these accompaniments, that we embarked on a cross country trip, across the great Gangetic plains and into the Himalayas of Himachal.

We started at 5.30 AM. However it was not really a smooth exit from Calcutta. Heavy traffic followed all the way till Palsit and beyond, which sedated the accelerator pedal. The previous night’s sleep, like always was distracted due to the excitement and more so for our son, who, within an hour’s journey slept off..We had our breakfast at a non-descript “hotel” near Asansol. Crossed Dhanbad soon, after which there was an excellent stretch of a 100 kms.

Somewhere in the corner of the mind, the feeling that we are on a long journey has started to settle down. The initial excitement has stabilized yet the mood is vibrant and upbeat. When there are less traffic distractions in the form of pedestrian and cattle, the blue skies and white clouds get the attention. And especially in Jharkhand, the hillocks look beautiful – fresh and green right after a prolonged monsoon.

We lunched at a Dhaba near the Jharkhand – Bihar border around 2.30 PM. With Varanasi around 275 kms away, we figured out that we should be able to reach in another 5 hours. So, called up HHI Varanasi, who confirmed that rooms were available at Rs 3400 inclusive of breakfast.

Whereas roads continued to remain good, but it was nothing like the stretch near Jharkhand. May be its only me, but usually on the first day, I find it difficult to drive in the night. The incoming high beams distract me a lot and I faced that in epic proportions.

The traffic frenzy of Varanasi (which I discovered during our return, 2 weeks later) wasn’t present and a straight drive from the highway exit to our hotel – which we reached exact at 7.30 PM. 14 hours, door to door – not bad when all the breaks were considered.

Varanasi To New Delhi:

We started from Varanasi the next day around 8.30 AM after a restful sleep, feeling fresh and relaxed. Varanasi to Allahabad is a delicious piece of tarmac which I knew from previous experience. We had decided to avail the Varanasi-Allahabad – Lucknow – ALE-YEW route to Delhi. The experience is noted here.

We lunched on the outskirts of Lucknow at one of the ‘shudh shakahari bhojanayas’. Hence a wish to return to the city sometime in the future to savour its Biryanis and Kebabs remains still. As darkness fell and we moved further into the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, the stress of Lucknow traffic was behind. Mileposts zoomed past, and so did other enterprising vehicles – on one of India’s best roads. This newness, a quest to see things that we haven’t seen builds an element of discovery, as we watch shops, shanties, trucks go past. In Jharkhand, hillocks get added to the already versatile contents of this potpourri of cultures – the Indian highway. And it was I believe, shortly thereafter, that Khirmohan shops add their colour. And then the milky, extra sweet concoction, tempered with ginger and elaichi– chae! And then, once you have crossed Lucknow, the myriad paraphernalia disappear to be replaced, by the stone faced expressways that we were currently treading on. And that continues, till NH44 resumes, as we discovered it later.

At the time of writing this post, the Purvanchal Expressway has been just inaugurated and construction of several expressways are in progress in UP – and if construction continues at this rate, it not only means convenience for travellers – but also leaves a positive impact on the economy.

We took a refuelling break at one of the rest areas. It was around the same time that we decided to stay in Delhi. Searched for a few hotels and zeroed in on Tivoli Grand Resort, on the Karnal Highway.

New Delhi To Suro Treehouse Resort:

The drive to Shimla from Delhi, initially passes through a lot of diversions due to the farmer protests. Then comes the series of restaurants – traffic being high all through. We packed our lunch from a drive-in KFC in Chandigarh, insisted upon by our son – depriving me of Punjab’s famed Dhabas.

It made me a tad sad, because, the sight of a courtyard of red soil, that shelter a few khatiyas. And may be a big mango or a peepal tree at a corner, where a small pan shop is tucked away and then a greasily dressed waiter, in his shorts and vests – hair unkempt, comes up with a highly casual attitude to ask for the order, by which time, some have freshened themselves up and are on the rickety chair scanning the menu. You can see through a window – may be a passing cargo train and intervening paddy fields and since the menu card doesn’t yield something interesting, you ask the shabbily dressed boy – what do they instead have readily available? And when the food arrives, hot. Rotis and dal fresh and out of the tandoor….this feeling, I confess, is very difficult to experience in a glass and brick restaurant.

Thereafter the hills to Shimla welcome with wide highways, but with 4 laning in progress, the thrill of driving is marred by diversions and under construction stretches. The road to Suro, is a narrow slip road that continues for around 5 kms. Once you exit the highway and because the dusk dimmed the visibility, we could feel the forest in the proximity, and imagine tall pine and deodars that are the signature of our hill stations..

The cool mountain air that blows off the hill tops, a gust that causes the pine trees to shake off the snow, or the twinkling lights of the hanging mountain villages, or a walk in the mall if you are in a hill station, or it may be that cozy little corner steaming with hot momos and maggi…for me, these are mountain vibes – precious and pristine. The Chadar trek, was the chief purpose of my visit to Leh in 2018. We had a couple of buffer days before and after the trek. During those days, we found a little shop in the market that used to make tea and samosas – a favourite with locals and apart from the warmth of the oven, it was the warmth from the assembled people that pulled us to that little joint. The trek was fulfilling, but it were moments like these add colour to an otherwise tough and almost monochromatic trek.

And once we reached Suro Treehouse Resort, our long transit was over and we had booked a couple of duplex chalets for the four of us – a perfect place to rest and ruminate as we travel slow from now on.

11-Oct-21 At Suro & Shimla

Chirping of birds, shrill pitched cry of the cicadas, alarm call of roosters, trees blowing in the wind and blades of sunshine pouring through the large glass panels is too compelling to get up from a warm bed. And without wasting a moment further we went on awalk across the sprawling pathways and when we returned, we sat on the balcony with cups of coffee and biscuits – so tranquil, yet exciting. The temperature neither too cold, right enough to wear a light jacket..

The 5 kms stretch of road from the Shimla Highway to Suro deserves mention because – it perhaps retains the gradually loosing beauty of the Shimla. It is a well paved, narrow road, interrupted by some water channels.. grasses that grow high and wild on sides, some bamboo shoots here and there…the ground is littered with pinecones. The sound of automobiles seems to have slid into an old age and so, it seems that once you are onto the village road to Suro, you go several years back in time. The only sound of machinery that reaches the ears is of the train that blares its loud horn occasionally.

After breakfast we decided to drive to the Shimla mall. We parked the car near the “tourism” lift and then reached the mall after a short walk and spent the next couple of hours at a restaurant near the mall; purchased some cookies from a bakery shop; and some clothing and other essentials. When we returned to Suro, it was dark.

We called it an early night since we travel to Sangla the next day. However, that proved to be one journey where a lot of learning was involved!

12-Oct-21 Shimla to Sangla

For many it is the journey and a few it is the destination. How a road trip is different from travelling by train or hopping on an airplane, is easy to describe But then there was an old campaign “Where will life take you?” by Louis Vuitton (their first commercial, I am told though quite dated by now), I believe, should provide insights – in a way, I cannot explain.

The journey, arguably. takes precedence over the destination and I am not only referring to the tea stops, lunch breaks, soaking in the ambience situations – but this feel when you turn on the ignition keys as you leave home..your vacation starts then and there and it continues till you turn off the ignition in the garage and take a photo of the mileage (for many?) - and everything in between included.

So, we started from Suro at 9.30 in the morning – with Google map showing the distance of 220 kms to be covered within 7 hrs. With the breaks thrown in between – maggi & chae; and dal-chawal and some photography ones – we reached Sangla at 250 kms and 10 hrs later. The road condition from the main highway to Sangla wasn’t good and the final climb to the hotel parking was quite a steep one and in the darkness it was challenging.

13-Oct- 21 Sangla to Chitkul

The Hotel Batseri, is located in the middle of acres of apple orchard, flanked by mountains on one side and the Baspa river valley on the other. And in the glorious morning sun, even before breakfast was served, we went to orchards, photographing apples hanging from branches, some of which were bogged down by the weight of the fruits. We picked up the ones that had fallen on the ground and took a bite from one of them and it reminded me of the last day of the Rupin Pass trek (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/202463-crossing-over-rupin-pass.html ). While we were climbing down the slopes from Sangla Kanda, I noticed that most of the road passes through apple orchards and in one of those apples were being plucked. I just remarked to a porter who was descending with me, it would have been great if I could have one of these. Then the porter said something to the apple plucker and a minute later we were eating juicy apples as we descended the slopes towards civilization. I relived the juiciness of those apples that morning.

After a breakfast of toasts and omelette we headed towards Chitkul. The road initially was good but as the rule in mountains go, as the road condition turned poorer, the natural beauty amplified itself. And more so in the stretch between Rakcham and Chitkul. Describing the natural beauty in words is a difficult exercise. Hence, the collection of photos should stand testimony of the beauty of those valleys.

In the evening we went to Sangla to fill up petrol since we were running slightly low on fuel. We spent some more time in apple orchards where one of the ladies handed over a few apples to our son. Night was a quite affair since most tourists had left the hotel. We had rice, yellow dal, a mixed veg curry and chicken curry and it only confirmed our belief that food at Batseri was excellent.

The next day, we had planned to visit Tirthan Valley and we had booked Himalayan Trout House for the next 2 nights.

[During breakfast we met 5-6 Bengali families at the Hotel Batseri. In the last 3 days we met 6 cars from West Bengal and a couple of Bengali bikers from Delhi. Apart from that there were several “Tempo Travellers” ferrying Bengali tourists. At a Dhaba where we had pulled in for lunch, the familiar smell of “Kosha Mangsho” (a Bengali Mutton delicacy) flooded the air – asked the waiter if “Roti and Mutton curry” is available – got to know that a few Bengali tourists had arrived with cooks in tow and were having their lunch. And in Chitkul we saw a restaurant with Bengali handwritten menu of “Bhat-Dal-Aloo Posto”. And when I talked to the hotel owner, he only confirmed that this year tourists are much less and more so for Bengali ones – who form a substantial chunk of their business.]

14-Oct- 21: Sangla to Tirthan Valley

With a cup of milky tea , watching the blooming marigolds and the Baspa valley, and basking in the morning sunshine, thoughts emerge travel about how futile is travelling: for no matter how long you travel, how frequently you travel, visiting all places that you want to see does not materialize – more often than not. After a few journeys in North Bengal and having thought that we had seen most places, I recently saw the photo of a steaming cup of Darjeeling tea and meat platter at Keventer’s roof top, in the backdrop of monsoon and wondered that its something I still haven’t experienced. Consider then the number of villages that sprout out of the hills every year – each of which offers an unique experience. Be it the Orange orchards of Sittong or the tea gardens of Gopaldhara or the river bed of Tabakoshi -

After breakfast we were on our way to Tirthan Valley and once on the highway, we could attain excellent speeds – driving past the Sutlej, which sometimes became a deep gorge and at other times came right beside the highway. At Rampur, we took the road to Kullu and after the initial 3-4 kms the road turned narrow. This, I was told, was the road that would take us over Jalori Pass and into Kullu valley. The road was supremely beautiful with vast tracts of forests of coniferous trees and the Tirthan river flowing in between. Vehicles were few but we met the occasional HPTDC bus, and in the narrow stretches, maneuvering proved to be difficult.

The last 4-5 kms to Jalori turned steeper but the views on top with the sun setting on the snowy peaks on one side and the silhouette of dense pine forests on the other was stunning. Engine braking was used liberally during decent but even in the first gear, the tachometer was getting red lined.

We reached our stay for the night ‘Himalayan Trout House’ around 6 in the evening. The star lit sky at night, the gurgling of the Tirthan river, the rising mountains in the vicinity are sights to remember.

After dinner, we strolled through the garden until we ended up under a giant persimmon tree, from where we could see tropical undergrowth nearby, conifers slightly beyond and finally lay a few barren mountains. This view, so enamoured us, that we spent some time in silence disturbed only by the sound of the swiftly flowing Tirthan river.

15-Oct- 21:Hiking to Choie Falls & Fishing

Morning was easy and relaxed. And after a leisurely taken breakfast, son and I decided to go on our first hike together to Choie Falls. So, with a light backpack, water bottles we walked initially on the metalled road, until a series of stone staircases climbed up the hill side that passed through a hilly village and house courtyards . We saw water being boiled over a wooden hearth, smoke rising from chimneys and corn being dried on the rooftops.

Stop for a while because there is so much to listen as well. May be it’s a flycatcher’s call or a squirrel nibbling onto a hanging pine cone or a lazy dog that slips into the trail expecting some freebies from the visitors – slow travel has its own charm. Apart from a few rocky sections and a few exposed sections, where I had to extend a helping hand, the hike was fairly easy and one way took us an hour.

When we finally returned to the guest house, we were ravenously hungry and after the Chicken Steaks of the previous night, it was time to have a full blooded Indian lunch, seated on the balcony, of Rice, Dal, Salads and chicken curry. And before I proceed further, quoting below our experience of Himalayan Trout House (https://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g503694-d2194138-Reviews-Himalayan_Trout_House-Kullu_Kullu_District_Himachal_Pradesh.html). So, if you have read the review, you would have known that the cook had put in parsley in both of Dal and the Chicken curry – rendering them unpalatable. And our ravenously hungry stomach left a very bad taste.

In the afternoon we went on a ‘fly fishing’ break in the afternoon. The result of which was a small trout fish that was returned to the river.

16-Oct- 21:Tirthan to Manali and Stay at Manali

Tirthan to Manali is a quick jaunt of 100 kms. The road to Manali passed through the Aut Tunnel and were soon driving on 4 lane highways cut across mountains and with roads so wide, we reached our stay for the night, Johnson Hotel, Manali within 3 hrs. With bright sunshine beaming down the lawns, we ordered our lunch of Pizzas and Chicken steaks in pepper sauce. Knifing through the steaks – how a chicken steak should taste – we had a very fulfilling lunch. And in the evening we went for a walk in the mall where we spent the next couple of hours shopping.

The rooms at Johnson Hotel are very well appointed and the icing on the top was its balcony where I spent most of the time. At night we had roast chicken and bruschetta and slept off around mid-night.

A Day in Manali and Return to Kolkata

17-Oct-21 A Day In Manali

The next day was largely cloudy and it was reflecting our mood that the holidays were getting over. We went on to visit the Hidimba temple and while returning we had pizzas at Il Forno. Food, once again, was excellent. The rain continued to fell the entire day and by evening we could see the mountains in the distance had snowed out. At night we were craving for some Indian meals. And so we went to Khyber Restaurant . Had some Jeera Rice and Chicken Masala.

18th Oct & 19th Oct: Manali to Noida & Noida to Varanasi

Another rainy day at Manali and the cloudy weather felt depressing for all. We had purchased some cakes and biscuits the previous night because the day was quite long and we didn’t want to loose much time. The road was in poor condition for most of the way in the hills – primarily because of huge construction projects. Not sure, if the hills can retain their beauty for long. We lunched at one of the road side restaurants and still then the rain accompanied us.

Around 4ish we touched down the sunny plains of Punjab and we were onto a proper highway. The drive from thereon was smooth and we make up for a lot of lost ground. We had evening snacks at a Haveli and with the rapid progress everyone was spirited once again. So, another plan was made: why not stay an extra day at Varanasi (where we were supposed to reach the next day)? At night 12ish we reached our stay at Noida – a mere 2 kms from the YEW. The rice, dal and chicken curry which we had that night tasted superbly. Easily the best tasting chicken curry of the entire trip.

The morning we woke up after a sound sleep around 8 ish. Had a breakfast of Aloo paranthas, and then I called up my boss and requested one additional day of leave to which I got an approval. The next task was to book a hotel. Whereas the stay at HHI Varansi was very nice, we were searching for a hotel to get a real feel of the city. And voila, scrolling through my WhatsApp messages I see BHPian ABHI_1512 had posted the verdant blue autumnal sky as viewed from Hotel Surya Kaiser Palace. Showed the photo to my wife and received a quick approval to check for rooms availability. Called up the hotel and asked if rooms were available – received a positive answer.

So, we left at 1000 HRS from Noida and after a refill of petrol, we were on the ramp to YEW. Once on the expressway, progress was fast. From YEW, we took the ALE, but this time we took the Etawah exit. The road from Etawah to Kanpur was in pristine condition – but the expressways spoil you so better watch out the usually highway traffic. We lunched at a Dhaba around 2 PM. The road condition deteriorates due to construction of multiple flyovers after Kanpur and that continues till the start of the Allahabad Bypass. We called up the hotel and ordered for dinner. And at 11 PM we reached the hotel.

20th Oct, 21: At Varanasi

We went to the different lassi and chaat bhandars of Varanasi on an auto rickshaw. We had planned to see the Arati in the evening – but the 4hrs of crazy cacophony of the traffic was an overdose and we were looking for some serenity. So, instead of watching the Arati, we returned to the hotel. At night we had some excellently cooked Biryani and then called it a night. The rooms of Surya Kaiser Palace and their food were top notch given the tariff.

21st Oct 21: Varanasi to Calcutta

We left Varanasi at 7.30 and with Google maps showing varied routes out of the city; a milk van driver helped us take the right path. We had breakfast on the outskirts of Mohania. Lunch was at Shaan e Punjab, just before reaching Dhanbad. And after picking up biryanis from Hotel Hindusthan, we reached our home at 9.30. The Pujo revelry was all over, but the bamboo structure of the pandals and lights stood like skeletons of the carnival like time which passed through the city only a few days back!!

Netarhat: A Monsoonal Symphony

2025-03-02T12:23:00.006+05:30

In the monsoon of 2021, we visited the beautiful state of Jharkhand. Why the Chota Nagpur plateau was dearest to many of Bengal’s writers, poets and film makers was not known to me – and this trip to those hills did answer many such questions and more. The hillocks that dot the western part of Purulia get more prominent as we head West towards Orissa and Jharkhand. And the predominant tribal population of these hills that have led an isolated life, has preserved the viriginity of these places well. I can only surmise that the forests of North Bengal, in the days of the yore was either difficult to reach or hadn’t achieved fame and it is easy to see why these hills of the Chota Nagpur plateau bountiful in forests, wild life and being nearer to the bustling city became regular haunts. The thoughts of the journey, brings a chuckle to my face, remembering the nice times spent and topped up with a dinner with resident D-BHPian Saket and family. And so we go back to where it all began.

In these times, planning well in advance does not arise..The ‘which place to go’ remained undecided till a week before the journey but the availability of accommodation at Netarhat and the active support received from Saket helped use to zero in on the Netarhat-Betla-Ranchi triangle.

So, on the11th of September, at 0600 HRS we rolled out from our home. The exit from Calcutta was smooth. But the familiar feeling, the rush of blood when the car caresses the highway and then with white kash flowers that are blowing in the moist, monsoonal wind, blue skies interspaced with cotton like clouds added an extra bit to joy to my already happy self. Why the smile turns into a grin when we step out of the city isn’t possible to define.

Ideally we would have loved to stop at Kolaghat for breakfast but being very early we gave it a miss. Instead we had our breakfast at a dhaba near Jhargram, which reinforced my belief that our highways are dotted with many a hidden food gem.

I am a sedate driver and if the roads are good, I try to ensure that the average speed - including the food, bio and photography breaks – hovers around 50 kmph, which I was able to maintain courtesy the excellent tarmac. This was the third time in 2021 that we were traversing NH 6 and I knew that the road post Kharagpur turns into stretch of undulating hill tops, tropical forests and in this season, kash flowers- which is soothing to the eye. Of course, kash has a spiritual connection with Bengalis since it heralds the arrival to the Durga Puja season.

Except for the short stretch near Jamshedpur which continues to remain bad, the journey till Ranchi was smooth. We took the ring road as suggested by Google maps which was slightly different from the one suggested by Saket. So, at one of the exits, we stopped the car – it was 2.30 PM – and asked Saket for directions. Thankfully, we were headed in the right direction.

The sky, which was sunny sometime back, had turned cloudy and shortly thereafter it started to rain. The road too had turned into a 2 lane highway, with a mix of good and bad stretches. We were treading on rural Jharkhand and small villages, livestock, cultivation fields and giant trees took the place of ugly urbanization. The final stretch of the road leading to the ghats of Netarhat, running up and down, swinging right and left, was straight out of a painting. And once we were up the hill, the rains had stopped, tall conifers stood on the road sides shrouded by a veil of mist. It can be said that sans the sights of Kanchenjunga, certain places of Netarhat does indeed resemble the hills of North Bengal or the climb up to Darjeeling. It was finally at 1800 HRS that we checked into our abode for the night – Arunodaya Guest House.

12th Sep, 2021: In and around Netarhat

Prior to the trip I had purchased a butane gas stove– it was time to put it to good use. And what better way than to christen it with some chicken curry. The morning remained misty, but around 8ish the mists cleared and revealed a blue, sunny sky.Even though sunny, it was cool and a light wind cheater would have been of much use. And it was around 11ish that we finally left the hotel.

The list of places which we visited at Netarhat were: The Pear Orchards, Netarhat Lake, Pine Forests, Upper and Lower Ghagri waterfalls, Koel View Point, Sunset Point and topped that up with the verdant blue skies and green forests. The Lodh falls, Jharkhand’s highest waterfall, teeming with monsoonal produce is worth a visit but we chose to skip it, instead focusing on our picnic amidst the pine trees of the hill station.

Netarhat abounds with dak bungalows and Forest rest houses. Whereas there is red tape in booking the forest rest house, the dak bungalows can be booked through the Latehar Tourism website. Infact, we had originally tried to book the Palamou Daak Bungalow, but only 1 room was available during the scheduled dates.

As we found out, at the top, it is a plateau and there are several meadows and fields. And with the air free of dust, one can view the plains and hills far away. This is like some points on the Gorubathan hills or Pankhabari road where one can view the plains.

Around 1.30 PM we reached Koel view point and set up the kitchen amidst the shade of the tall, pine trees. It took us an hour and a half to get the food ready. Menu was Rice, cucumber-onion salad and chicken curry. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed a great meal in the lap of nature. The light and compact stove reinforced my belief in the trial that it was put through. Around 4 PM we headed to the sunset point and stayed there for a while – sunset was quite some time off. And finally retired to our hotel at the end of a long, long day around 5.30.

13th Sep, 2021: Netarhat to Ranchi via Betla

One of the movies that left a deep impression on me was the movie “Aranyer Din Ratri” (Days and Nights in the forest) by Satyajit Ray – which was shot in the vicinity of Betla Forest. And the Kechki Sangam, Forest Rest House became my areas of interest ever since. And today was the day when we would visit those places.

The weather wasn’t good, unfortunately. Initially it was misty but then it started to rain. And it was around 1000 HRS when we left for Betla and onwards to Ranchi. Most of the road used to be under Maoist influence and Saket suggested us to cross these areas before dark. With the drizzle accompanying us, we wound down the hill slopes – the tall pine trees looking mistier than ever. There I shot a few photos of the forests and the car, during while I found one of the fog lamps to have conked out. From a recess in the forest one can view the distant hills and on a clear day, it would have looked awesome. And then I find it difficult to explain, to the naked eye are the hills blue? Or greenish blue may be?

Gradually we rolled down and took the road towards Garu. During the almost 2 hrs that we required to cover the approximately 70 kms distance between the foothills of Netarhat to Betla, we were hamstrung with a number of bad stretches, heavy rain and elephant corridors. And though there were several villages enroute, excepting a few commercial autorickshaws, we hardly met a private vehicle from the opposite direction. There are check post barriers, which previously used to remain closed, but we found them to be open.

The forests in this part is to be seen to be believed – dark and deep. And the advent of an elephant or a carnivore cannot be ruled out. We did find a few local villagers though, who, were riding their motorcycles in the pouring rain. Coupled with bad roads, the journey did take a lot of strain on us and we were relieved when we finally reached the Betla forest checkpost. Meanwhile the rains had stopped as we took a tea break. Apart from the forest safari, the Betla forts is worth a visit and if you are a fan of Satyajit Ray then visiting the Kechki forest bungalow too is worthwhile.

From Betla we followed google maps to the Kechki Sangam – which is now flooded with muddy water. All of these rivers are monsoon driven, and if one comes during the winters they are hardly more than a stream, but now they are ploughing through the sandy river bed. As we headed towards Ranchi and onto the NH (I don’t remember number) the road condition becomes patchy and maintaining good speeds in a hatchback remains a problem. It remains so for around 80 kms. We had lunch at one of the line hotels, where I had one of the best fish curries in recent times. Finally, we reached 4 laned highways from where Ranchi was 50kms. It was around 1700 HRS when we finally checked into BNR Chanakya, Ranchi and the first feeling that a good hotel gives you is warmth and comfort – which we received in a great measure. We had a great dinner and retired for the night.

14th Sep, 2021: In and around Ranchi

After the arduous journey of the previous day, my mother and son didn’t want to travel. So, wife and me went on a drive to the Jonha and Sita falls. Jonha is indeed a great one to see but the huge number of steps to climb can be a deal breaker for many. However we were rewarded with a great view – the view of these waterfalls during monsoons is striking.

This day was our son’s birthday and during our return from Jonha we went to the market to buy some gift for him. My car was also facing a problem, where the battery terminal was getting disconnected occasionally hence fixed that too. It was almost dark when we reached the hotel. The hotel had decorated one of our rooms with balloons and they also arranged for a superb cake which won our hearts – and the entire story was a surprise for our son – who got thrilled seeing the decorations.

I had been asking Saket to come and pay a visit. And later in the evening Saket said he was coming with his family – this was great news for us. My son and his daughter played and we had a great family conversation.

15th Sep, 2021: Ranchi to Calcutta

Yesterday and today there was depression which triggered off intermittent rains in the Jharhand. Heard from folks in Calcutta too that it was raining heavily there too. So, after a buffet breakfast, we bid adieu to Ranchi at 1000 HRS. We visited Dassam falls on the way, which was even better than Jonha. We found big hillocks which were engulfed completely by cloud and mist. With such great sceneries and curvy roads, we had a great drive all the way. At Ghatshila we had a very light lunch and then a tea break at Kolaghat, after which we reached home around 1900 HRS.

The Central Indian Savanna: Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Panna

2025-03-02T12:21:00.004+05:30

In the 2nd week of March, in between the lull of the first and the second covid wave, we made a family trip to the forests of Madhya Pradesh. The experiences with the rural folk, enchantment of the forests, mesmerizing roads only added another dimension to our widespread belief about the diversity of the great Indian outdoors. Such a scale of diversity, I do not think many countries can offer. Read on....

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13-Mar-21: Calcutta to Rourkela

Darkness hasn’t descended in the great Indian outdoors yet. But the orange streaks of the setting sun, hitting the bellies of the clouds, indicate that the long day is coming to an end. We are speeding through a singularly varied and beautiful country road in the tribal lands of Jharkhand with pockets of villages ensconced by fences, colourful chickens nibbling over mud swept courtyards and patches of wavy hillocks contouring the horizon.

A burst of rain a while back had made the roads wet and the wind brought with it the smell of rain soaked earth. We were on our way to Rourkela, where we had decided to halt for the night. At Jagannathpur, as we left the rural road and joined the main highway, we paused for a tea break at a barely conspicuous chae shop. The air’s relaxed, we feel at ease and the strong tea fires us with bursts of energy…and the vibes that we are on a holiday finally start to sink in.

We were on road trip to the forest lands of Madhya Pradesh and this pause in the journey, compels me to take a step back in time, when I had first read the Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag. Jim Corbett’s narratives on man eater hunting were legendary, but it was his portrayal of the great Indian outdoors which captured my imagination. Be it the streams where he caught mahseers or the misty forests from his winter home at Kaladhungi, the glades, the oak lined forests, blooming rhododendrons or snowcapped peaks, Corbett’s essays left an indelible mark in my young age (and I am sure it was the same for many of us).

But forests are not only about wild animals, they also offer natural beauty. The mist filled mornings, water holes, hills, fire tracks, jungle tracks, a flowing stream are part of a forest. My visit to the forests of Dooars and Eastern Orissa has reinforced it. And if the natural beauty is accentuated with a lurking beast, it does elevate the adrenaline levels even further. Corbett’s days of predawn forest walks or game hunting are long gone now and we know that remains of those days are time bound Gypsy safaris - and so, it was within these confines that we wanted to discover the forests and may be also steal a slice of Corbett’s time .

Night had fallen as we resumed driving. An 11 AM start from Calcutta ensured the lateness of this driving. The road surface wasn’t exactly smooth till we entered the Saranda Singbhum range. From Saranda, the feeling of eeriness started to haunt! To give an idea of how desolate this stretch was, from this point onwards till we refueled at a fuel pump near Manoharpur, roughly a stretch of 50 kms, the only persons whom we met was a group of motorcycle riders. With mobile towers not working , we felt lost at a crossroad till we trusted our instincts and took the right. Our intuition proved correct. So, we kept going and the hills continued to curve, restricting our speed. A hint of joy we felt, when the curved road turned into an arrow straight tarmac but in a few moments we were climbing yet another hill again. But mercifully this didn’t involve too many switchbacks and we were on straight roads soon.

At Manoharpur Google maps started to show confusing directions so we asked a local for directions. But the road condition deteroriated and we lost a lot of time at a railway crossing. Finally around 9.30 in the night we reached our hotel at Rourkela. Check in was smooth. We were feeling very happy to have successfully adhered to our plan and after a hot bath we had a superbly cooked dinner of rice, dal and chicken curry and were off to sleep soon after.

A traveller left his city home in the search of a land where peace prevailed, unalloyed and perpetual. The first hundred miles he drove through the long and wide expressways, the traveller noticed how the horizon broadened and he felt younger by a few days the moment he left the city behind. But civilization showed itself: factories, warehouses, long distance trucks…He continued further, the road narrowed down and he started to see wheat cultivation, sometimes paddy fields and sometimes sunflowers. But he still didn’t find a place that filled up his quench for peace. As he turned a corner, he found that he had slipped into a narrow rural road. He slowed down and started noticing little settlements, palm trees, children playing. Yet peace proved elusive. And after driving for days, he came to a forest, at the base of a mountain, on which he gradually drove up. Woods gave away to conifers to shrubs and then meadows. And then he felt, may be his search had ended! For mere mortals though, such an idea is impractical and I do not harbor or advocate such a thought for city living has its own benefits and compulsions. And to escape that we have the little sanctuaries that we build when we travel.

This westward journey of ours had a pleasant revelation in terms of the Biju expressway and it set the tone for the subsequent days. And not only the surface and the sparse traffic, this road cut through the hills, hillocks, forests now blooming on a riot of red coloured Palash and Simul trees that indicated it was spring.

We had started from Rourkela around 0715 HRS. After crossing Sambalpur around 1000 HRS, we rejoined the Calcutta – Bombay highway, which we had left at Kharagpur. It was also time to refuel and break breads. Incidentally, as we were to discover later, this was also the first day of packed breakfast and it lasted till the penultimate day of the trip. Wolfed down on the tasty mayo sandwiches and fruit juices. The road from Rourkela offered another delicious piece of tarmac and our almost dozen years old Swift sailed through. A sip of cold drink, a bite onto a sliced cake, some in cabin conversation on what to do next and son raised a pertinent point of having lunch at a truck driver dhaba. And so, around 1400 HRS, on the outskirts of Raipur, listening to the ambling of trucks, speeding of cars, we rolled into the red soiled courtyard of a truck driver dhaba. But the tropical sun, now shining in its full glory served an indicator of how fierce summer would be in these parts and under a tall ceiling fan, moving assiduously, we ordered rice, dal, egg bhujji. Salad was complimentary. The meal was simple, but tasty and freshly prepared.

The road from Raipur, initially a 6 lane highway, narrowed down to a 2 lane highway. It was late afternoon, when, we first spotted a few miles from the road a hill that stood at a distance and the afternoon sun now mellowed down, casting long shadows on the savanna like grasslands. It was later that we understood the road that we were on, would take us over Chilpi ghati, the distant hills. In march, after being long deprived of rain, the leaves of the trees and the shrubs on the ground dry up rendering the forests sparse through which one could see a series of low rising hills spreading in circles, expanding till the horizon. A long trailer chugged slow over the steep uphill curve whereas we slipped past it, now gay and merry that our destination was near.

As the spiral road straightened out to an arrow straight road, we paused at a little tea shop more to absorb this beautiful setting than it was to rest. My mother was provided with a chair, whereas a cot was arranged for the rest of us. A whiff of cool air had an inkling of spring in it as we sipped the freshly prepared tea and our son: a complimentary toffee. The mild natured shopkeeper, in his 60s, was amongst the many gentle human beings whom we met along the route and whom we will remember for a long time. The pandemic had impacted the travel and tourism industry amongst the worst and our thoughts go out to the people engaged in the profession.

From Chilpi, the final run to Kanha starts. Though a 2 laned NH, the road condition was prime and the around 60 kms to Mukki gate took us an hour. The final stretch to Kanha wound like a spring , exposing the first touch of the forests. Cries of insects cut through the plunging darkness and as if years were rolled back, a firefly blinked on the car’s windshield of the car….we were in the domain of the wild!

It was 15th March. Back in Calcutta, it was getting warmer and Kanha being at the same latitude, we had presumed that the weather would be warm here too. But here we were shivering in the early morning cold and hot water bags and blankets were being handed to us as we got on to the gypsy. And as we entered through the Mukki Gate (our first safari was in the Kanha zone)…a sight, which I had read about in Corbett’s books greeted us..mist filled grasslands with trees in the distance were teeming with game. Birds were singing. We then spotted a serpent eagle sitting on the branch of a tree with its back towards us. My hands were shivering and often a single, short press of the shutter was resulting in multiple shots in continuous high mode.

A few miles along the jungle track, the rays of the sun was filtering through the canopy of trees. Here, perched on the top of a dead tree was an Indian Roller: these were also my first lessons in bird photography. Next we came across a vast open ground, called the Maidaan. We saw langurs eating tree leaves, monkeys on branches. Spotted deers were grazing in the shadows. Langurs and deers have a unique relationship – whenever a carnivore is in the vicinity, the langurs warn the deers. Around 8.30 in the morning, we reached the breakfast point at Kanha.

Breakfast was being taken at a leisurely pace, when then guide announced that there had been a sighting of a tiger and her cubs. This was around 9ish and we wrapped up our breakfast and headed for the gypsy. The cold weather, which had forced us to purchase jackets, had suddenly disappeared and it had become quite hot. A run of around 15 mins at high speed – theres speed limit in Kanha but the GPS of our vehicle was disabled due to some reason – took us to the designated spot where a few more vehicles were waiting. A tiger had crossed the road with of her cubs and was resting under a tree. She had two more cubs waiting on the other side and hence the hopes that she will fetch those cubs too. So we continued waiting for some more time. And when the sun got intense, we too reversed our vehicle and exited and reached our resort around 1100 HRS. With five more safaris remaining, we were hopeful!

After a quick lunch and some rest we were back at 3 PM for our next safari in the Mukki zone. The sun at 3 PM was quite hot. During the first hour, beasts were hard to spot and apart from some of the deers – barking and spotted – that were resting under the tree shades we didn’t spot any other animal. And then at a spot we saw the familiar sight of gypsy’s waiting in a line. We heard that there was a deer alarm call in the area which had prompted the wait. But after waiting for some time and receiving no further alarm calls, we were off exploring again.

As, narrated by the guide, tiger sighting chances are highest early in the morning and later in the evening. During the daytime, most of them sleep or rest. Tigers did give us a miss, but around 6 in the evening, as the sun had turned into an orange ball of fire, was a sight too good to miss.

As evening descended and we returned to the resort, we were welcomed with drinks of lemon grass – a flavour which was invigorating too. As the others went off to take rest, I went on a short walk with a guide deputed by the resort. A thing or two about Kanha Jungle Lodge, the resort where we were staying: surrounded by a dense population of sals and with rooms built using traditional architecture the resort was very much a part of the buffer area of the jungle. Infact, the rooms does make one feel that the colonial age hasn’t passed by many days ago. The Banjar river which flows behind the resort serves as the boundary with the core zone and tigers are often sighted in the sal trees of the resort. And at night, with the myriads of stars that shone above and the fireflies blinking in the forests, the place looked magical indeed.

The second night we wore jackets and pullovers as we dined under the stars – Orion, Cassiopeia, Leo – that we used to see in our childhood. But with both air and light pollution in the city, sightings of stars have become impossible.

An element from my memory here..

One of my favourite movies of Satyajit Ray is the movie Aranyer Din Ratri. The movie depicts the camaraderie between four friends on a road trip trying to disconnect from the cacophony of the city and search life’s rhythms in the forests of Palamou. An honest, simple story with many happy accidents is how I would like to remember it. Long after having seen the movie and its imprint erased with time, a discussion around the hinterlands of Bengal, revived that movie during our Sunday adda.

Ullas-da, now retired, but who was during the 80s, an upright and dynamic police officer with a penchant for travel, music and gifted narration style had travelled to Betla. Of course they weren’t on a road trip, for, not many people during those days owned a car. Two of them, both police officers having secured leaves after a long struggle, right before the Durga pujas, took an overnight train that took them to Daltongunj. At Daltongunj, after having stayed the night at a relative’s place bombarded by plates of luchi, begun bhaja and traditional Bengali meals they left for Betla the next day in a bus that was stuffed to the brim. People, luggage and livestock – bleating goats and caged cocks included and a smell of perspiring human beings and the animals which can only be described as an abominable cocktail.

As they alighted from the bus at Betla, a dhoti clad man, with a worn out unshaven face, came towards them and introduced himself as the chowkidaar of the Betla forest guest house. As evening fell, Rambilas, the chowkidaar set a table and chair out in the open and put a lantern on it. From the small thatched hut that served as Rambilas’ living quarters, a deep bowl of ‘dhowa otha murgi’(the Bengali used to emphasize smoking hot chicken curry) arrived. Of course, as young men, the icing of a wild side wasn’t duly ruled out - for tea glasses were soon converted to liquor glasses and just like a proudly held trophy, the Rambilas thrust upon the table a tall drink of mohua. The rest can only be imagined: two friends without a care or worry in the world, under a star lit sky, in the gathering darkness of the forests filled with blinking fireflies, listening to crying insects and enjoying the hard country liquor.

Forests are romantic and abound with stories of forest rest houses and chowkidaars of bygone days ..forests for me means stories such as these and stories of Corbett which I so long to find!

This addendum is a long digression…but how little stories build the traveller’s background brick by brick is essential to understand the traveller’s view point.

After dinner we went out on ‘scorpion walk’ and under a UV touched saw glowing scorpions. We were discussing about the life of indigenous tribal of these parts – who, we came to know earn their living primarily through agricultural produce. Sometimes they are employed by the forest department. There are weekly bazaars where they sell goats and chicken and sometimes the village liquor from mohua flowers. Man animal conflict is a real threat in these parts and loosing cattle and livestock to a tiger can spell economic doom.

The next day we went on our third safari of Kanha. I saw my first sambar deer, green bee eaters, barasinghas, game tracks and fire tracks. We came to know that there are three things that Kanha embodies: Sal trees, Barasingha and Tigers. The first two we saw in abundance, as much as we enjoyed nature. But tigers, they gave us a royal miss!

As we returned around 1130 ish from the morning safari, we saw the sight of trees shedding leaves, a strong wind was blowing. And, after a warm send off, we passed by the tribal villages and rolling hillocks. The heat was fierce now and the AC was running at full blast but when we joined the National Highway, we saw dark clouds rumbling in the horizon.

On the outskirts of Mandla, we rolled the windows down and could feel a moist breeze and so we stopped under a tree to have our lunch. The road from Mandla climbs another hill. This was also the land of Palash trees. Being from Bengal, Palash holds a special place in our hearts. And finally around 6 in the evening reached our destination Bandhavgarh Jungle Lodge.

The sun is just coming up and casting its bright rays through the sparse canopy. Bandhavgarh’s jungle is light and largely hilly. The gypsy’s 4X4 system comes to the aid during a few water crossings. Tracks often are over entire rocks. Within the first hour the repeated alarm call of a deer causes our driver to stop and reverse the vehicle. But the alarm call dies after a minute or two.

We then head for the breakfast point. On the way we find a barbwire separating the core area from the buffer zone. Huts and settlements don’t look far away and we see cows grazing near the boundary, making them quick diets of tigers. At the breakfast point, packed breakfast is taken out. But we were tired of packed breakfasts by then. So, instead we ordered some maggi and tea.

A large eagle sits on the branch of a tree. A kingfisher sits on the branch and sings – far away. And hidden in the grasses is a Lesser Adjutant Stork. Sambars are aplenty. A huge grassland spreads in front of us where we see barking deers and gaurs, now ambling towards the shades of the trees. We see parasitic trees. Over the next 2 hours we imbibe a little by little of the way and means of the jungle, till it’s time to leave the jungle.

The journey tiredness finally tells on our body and after a fulfilling lunch at the hotel we take siesta. Dinner that night is out in the open. Lanterns are lit and a candle is set on the table - the food again mesmerizing.

The next day we go out on a safari yet again but return without any sighting of tigers. We were consigned to the fate of being one of those rare tourists that didn’t get to see a tiger in either Kanha or Bandhavgarh. A little sad we were but there were a number of things we had seen and observed despite not being able to spot a tiger.

The scope of absorbing and knowing about jungles and animals is a cavernous pit. Naturalists, wild life photographers, conservationists whom I have met, read or heard about had been to these forests hundreds of times. Some might have spent days or months in search of a single shot. This is beyond our scope for we were tourists not travellers or explorers – a transient phase in the life of the jungle. And whereas this disappointment was real, the lack of a sighting was not unnatural.

And so, with only one safari remaining I focused all my energies photographing the flaming red Palash trees that we saw that day on the way to Panna, a journey of 220 kms which was polished off in 4.5 hrs.

Let a word or two be said about the past evening as we reached Tendu Leaf Jungle resort located on the banks of the Ken river. After an outdoor, yet private shower, we freshened up and went to the deck, as we saw the sky turn orange and the Ken River flowing idly. Glasses of cold coffee with ice cream and home baked cookies were served and the gentle breeze blowing across the deck was tinted with some sadness: the end of the trip was near. Tendu Leaf’s opulent log hut style accommodation was an addiction for us. And along with that was the made to order food menu.

We had booked a morning safari the next day. But given our poor luck we opted out thinking that lets try the afternoon safari. So that morning we went on a boat ride in the Ken River and picked up some essentials from the nearby grocery stores, since we were leaving for Calcutta next morning.

Panna doesn’t have much fanfare. Pre-bookings aren’t required nor are there long queues. Expectations are low and tourists haven’t taken a fancy to it. So, we swam with the tide and changed the telephoto lens affixed to the camera with the wide angle lens.

Panna is even more sparse and one can see long distances straight through. Grasslands are dominant and all the trees are leafless, arid and barren. And with the fire tracks that had turned black with sooth, it looked as if it was struck by a natural calamity. And within this ruin, we saw monkeys, langurs, sambars and deers.

But perspectives change. And through the barren trees we got a glimpse of the Ken River. And on the opposite side saw emerald green trees. Rocks jutted out from the river bed…and then we caught a view of a long, slow turn of the river that seemed to be coloured almost green…and reigning over this landscape was a slow burning sun..

The Gypsy then took a hilly tract and we were climbing higher. The Ken river which was at quite a distance was flowing beside us now…and then in the distance we saw another stationary vehicle with its occupants pointing towards something.

It didn’t take us long to realize. Oh boy! And behold a male tiger cub drinking water after its afternoon siesta from the opposite bank of the Ken river. This was the sixth and last safari and it made sense for all of us now. He stayed there for 30 mins, resting and drinking water and finally moved into the bushes. We stayed at the same spot for may be around 10 mins more hoping that the cub will make another entry when a barking of deer alerted us. So we moved a few metres behind and lo, behold the mother. She stayed there for an hour but the distance was too much for a good photo. It growled and looked as if flies were disturbing it. On the banks of the river now came deers and then a peacock with the plumes spread. And all of these were within a 100 metres diameter almost like an opera. Finally as darkness started to take over, the tiger walked away into the bushes.

We took a hilly tract and were climbing higher. The Ken river flowing beside us when we see another vehicle stationary. Oh boy! And behold a tiger cub drinking water after the afternoon siesta from the opposite bank of the Ken river. This was the 6th and last safari and it made sense for all of us now.

We stayed at the same spot for may be around 10 mins more hoping that the cub will make another entry when a barking of deer alerted the guide. We moved a few metres behind and lo, behold the mother. Highly zoomed - apologies about the quality.

The gypsy driver narrated to us the story of an old British couple who had visited Kanha and Bandhavgarh but couldn’t sight a tiger but in their only safari at Panna, when they finally saw a tiger roaming in the wild, the lady was especially choked with emotion. This was something that we could completely relate to. The desire to take close up photos of tigers still remains, but sighting a tiger in its natural habit is something we had finally accomplished.

As if, nature’s bounty wasn’t complete yet. While returning, we saw the most picturesque sunset. A serpent eagle perched on a branch. And sambars were locking their antlers. A barking deer strayed in open grassland and from its movement it looked as if it was highly alarmed due to some reason. The guide suggested the presence of a leopard in that area and we knew it was true because we met another group of tourist who had sighted a leopard the previous day in the same area. That night was a celebration for us but before that we finished packing our bags so that we lose no time in our return journey.

Writing the last few lines is also the toughest because it can be wrapped up in a single sentence. But I choose not to do so for multiple reasons – the primary one being it’s going to be a long break before I can come up with another travelogue. So, on the morning of 20th March, around 0630 HRS as we checked out from Tendu Leaf Jungle Resort our trip was unofficially over and the only bit remaining was the transit back to Calcutta. Route suggested by the locals and Google was Panna – Allahabad – Varanasi – Calcutta. The hotel had packed breakfast for us yet again and whereas the others had their share, I wasn’t going to have any of it, I swore.

Around 1000 HRS we drove down to a dhaba where I had Aloo Parantha and tea. It was lip smacking and fired up my senses. As we entered Allahabad, traffic was dense and unruly. But as we exited to the Allahabad – Varanasi expressway things changed. A delicious piece of tarmac unfolded. As we reached Varanasi a huge traffic jam ensued and the road surface deteriorated too. We had lunch at one of the highway restaurants.

We decided to travel as near as possible to Calcutta. And with that in mind, Dhanbad was determined to be the place for overnight stay. This was the first time I was driving on NH 2 and I am not sure whether it was night with poor visibility that influenced my conclusion that the road surface was very poor. We booked Hotel Vivana over the phone. Good thing, it was right on the highway. We reached around 2300 HRS. The next day was a pretty straight forward drive to Kolkata.

Route Taken

Onward Journey towards Kanha: Calcutta – Ghatshila – Galudih – Chaibasa – Jagannathpur - Manoharpur – Rourkela (overnight stay) – Sambalpur – Raipur (Ring road bypass) – Kawardha – Chilpi Ghati – Mukki Gate (Kanha)

Return Journey to Calcutta: Panna – Nagod – Satna – Rewa – Allahabad – Varanasi – Dhanbad (Overnight stay) - Kolkata

Weather

The weather on the trip was awesome – the evenings to mornings being quite cold. A wind cheater being the ideal apparel. The days were warm in Bandhavgarh and Kanha. In Panna,though, it was hot.

Hotels

The hotels where we stayed were excellent and I have recorded my reviews on Trip Advisor.

· Radhika Regency, Rourkela: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1162252-d1863414-r785468057-Radhika_Regency-Rourkela_Sundargarh_District_Odisha.html

· Kanha Jungle Lodge: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1117557-d302926-r785470092-Kanha_Jungle_Lodge-Kanha_National_Park_Madhya_Pradesh.html

· Bandhavgarh Jungle Lodge: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g679039-d1175811-r785733069-Bandhavgarh_Jungle_Lodge-Bandhavgarh_National_Park_Umaria_District_Madhya_Prades.html

· Tendu Leaf Jungle Resort, Panna: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g15291831-d15276466-r785734361-Tendu_Leaf_Jungle_Resort_Near_Panna_Tiger_Reserve-Toriya_Chhatarpur_District_.html

· Hotel Vivana, Dhanbad: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1011999-d20329890-r785668905-Vivana_The_Business_Hotel-Dhanbad_Dhanbad_District_Jharkhand.html

Asanboni: In the foothills of the Dalma Range

2025-03-02T12:10:00.008+05:30

The Weekend of 13th Feb,2021 presented a good opportunity to travel.Saraswati Puja holiday being on 16th Feb, a Tuesday, if we availed a day’s leave on Monday then it would have been a holiday for 4 straight days. Started looking for destinations and finalized on the Ranchi-Betla-Netarhat triangle. Accordingly got in touch with resident D-BHPian Saket who said that whereas the trip is very much doable, the Betla Tiger Reserve was closed and hence safari wasn’t an option. Also, he told me that apart from the govt accommodation there weren’t much good hotels.

Discussed with my wife and concluded that 4 days travel to those 3 places will not leave us with ample time to explore the places and hence decided to plan for some other destination. Thought about Purulia for a while, however, most places were already visited. Checked the [URL]weekenddestinations.info[/URL] website and found that Asanboni, at the foothills of Dalma can be tried as a destination. Many BHPians, Samba, AJ-got-BHP had been there and infact Asanboni had hosted a team-bhp meet too. Initially tried for the Dalmanchal resort – but the reservation process pissed me off. Then talked to Samba and got the Tenth Milestone Resort phone numbers from him. Called up the resort, found that rooms were available which we booked by paying a token amount. The final plan was to reach Asanboni on 13th Feb. Stay for 2 nights and check out on 15th Feb. While returning pay a visit to Ghatshila, which falls on the way.

Started off our journey at 7.30 in the morning. Winter was almost over, but the mornings were still pleasant. Nothing much to write really about the initial part of the journey except that we faced a huge congestion at the Dhulagori (not sure of the exact spelling) toll plaza. Beyond that reached Kolaghat at 10 AM – indicating a travel time of 2.5 hrs to travel 70kms. Stopped at Sher-e-Punjab for breakfast and had the routine Aloo Paranthas. When I had travelled to Similipal last year drive till Baharagora but never beyond it. There were some lovely stretches with forests, paddy cultivations. Traffic was sparse and the road surface was smooth all the way to Ghatshila.At Ghatshila we filled up fuel and reached Asanboni around 3 in the afternoon. Check in process was smooth and we freshened up and had a late lunch of Roti, Butter Chicken and Kebabs. The food was lip smacking and later we found out that the restaurant was the main revenue generator for the hotel. In fact, in the 2 nights of our stay, we were the only room guests.

After lunch, went to the nearby Dimna lake. The sun was on the verge of setting and it looked indeed beautiful. My son had made a paper boat and he wanted to set it sail 😊. After spending 15 mins at the lake, we returned to the resort. In the evening there was nothing to do, so we went to the restaurant for some snacks and spent till it closed down at 11 PM.

After a sound sleep, we woke up late the following morning. I had Poori, Subzi whereas the missus and kid had toasts and eggs. The plan for the day was to visit the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary and Chandil Dam. So, lazily we left the hotel around 11 AM – the initial objective being Dalma. It was a nice hilly road that cut through several tribal villages. We photographed the colourful huts, cultivation fields that had dried brown. The palash and simul trees had started to shed their leaves and were starting to flower. It was smooth going till the Sanctuary gate – where we hit a bummer. The sanctuary was apparently closed due to the pandemic. A number of tourist vehicles, most bearing West Bengal number plates, returned empty handed.

Next we headed to Chandil Dam. We took a village road which connected us to the Ranchi highway. Travelled some distance on the highway and then left it to reach the Chandil dam road. Found out that several sections of the Ranchi-Jamshedpur highway was still under construction. But Chandil Dam road was initially excellent,with curves, it was delight to drive. The last mile, though, the road surface had peeled off and we had to climb a small hillock to reach the Chandil Dam Boating complex. Numerous vendors were selling different paraphernalia from chaats, golgappas, chowmeins. A group of picnickers had arrived who were cooking a feast. However, the boats were conspicuously absent. After spending sometime we took the return path. Saw that there were a few Dhabas on the highway but wasn’t sure about the hygiene so thought of having lunch at the hotel. Returned around 3 in the afternoon and ordered for some Jeera Rice, Dal Fry and Kadai Chicken – superbly cooked yet again. Post lunch, we went to the Jubilee Park and found it to be closed. Unfortunately for us, most of the attractions in Jharkhand were still closed due to the pandemic.

The next day we woke up a little early and freshened up and were ready to leave. Had breakfast around 9.30 AM and by 10 AM we were on the road. Tanked up at a fuel pump in the outskirts of Jamshedpur. We were scheduled to visit Ghatshila. We had shortlisted 3 places – Author Bibhutibhushan’s House, Phuldungri Hill top and Burudi Dam. We reached Ghatshila in slightly more than and hour and first went to the Phuldungri Hilltop. There was a view of the town and its hillocks beyond. Next we came down from the hill and went to Burudi Dam. On the way we found a pond of lotuses. And son then got excited and asked for a lotus to be picked. So, we stopped our car and found a old man who was willing to fetch him. Didn’t know that the lotus stems extended quite a length under the water. Armed with the lotus, we headed towards Burudi. We left the main highway and entered the narrow village roads. Found that papaya’s were blooming, farmers were busy tilling the land, there were numerous lakes and ponds and far beyond there were small hillocks. We reached the Burudi Dam, had a cup of tea in one of the stalls and then started our way back home. We decided to give Bibhutibhushan’s home a miss this time around hoping to be there sometime in the future.

During the return, we tried spotting some good Dhabas enroute but found that most were truck driver Dhabas . Some had quite catchy names like “Aaoji Khaoji Dhaba” 😊. Found a place near Jhargram called “Niramispur”. Unable to find a clean Dhaba we decided to stop at Sher-e-Punjab at Kolaghat – which we reached around 2.30. Had a heavy lunch and then it was the onwards drive home.

The Hills of Lava and Kolakham

2025-03-02T12:09:00.003+05:30

In December 2020 I had to visit my hometown, Cooch Behar, for a few days. Travelling for some family matters, it was a solo journey and truth be told that induced certain amount of boredom too. While returning, I got a day’s window to spend in the hills. The untraveled destinations that ranged in my mind were: The Tinchuley Hills and The Rishyop/Kolakham area. In the end I decided on the later. I had started from Cooch Behar early morning on the first day and travelling the route of Gorubathan, Lava, stayed the night at Yuru Retreat, Delo. The next day I went to Ramdhura, Rishyop, Kolakham and descended to Raiganj and later onwards to Kolkata. This account is a brief account of those few hours spent in those beautiful villages.

Itinerary

17-Dec-20: Cooch Behar to Delo via Gorubathan

18-Dec-20: Delo to Ramdhura, Teesta View Point, Rishyop, Kolakham, Changey Falls to Raiganj

19-Dec-20: Raiganj to Kolkata

17-Dec-20: Cooch Behar to Delo

It was around 8 ish when I bid my parents good bye and cranked up the car that was washed the previous day to get rid of the layers of dirt. I had called up Yuru Retreat a couple of days in advance to book a room. The resort folks didn’t ask for any ‘advance’ to confirm my booking. From Cooch Behar one has to take the road through the towns of Falakata – Birpara – Dalgaon Tea Estate - Binnaguri – Chalsa - Malbazar for the most convenient route to reach Kalimpong. Malbazar was reached in slightly over 2 hours. The turn off is at Malbazar and there I tanked up the car at Roy & Cousins fuel bunk, which seems to be very popular with local vehicles. Upon fuelling up, I had breakfast at the next door Tea Shop. After which, parking the car, I went to fetch some money from the ATM because the thought of withdrawing cash at Cooch Behar had totally escaped my mind. Malbazar was the last place where I could hope for an ATM because up in the hills the ATMs are quite undependable (which was vindicated later). However to my poor luck none of the 3 kiosks which I tried worked. And all I had was Rs 2,500.

Two days later when I reached home in Kolkata – I still had Rs 2,000 which goes to speak that Debit cards are accepted at most places even in the hills now. All I had to spent in cash was for entry ticket to Neora Valley National Park, road side momos, tea, maggi, an – the taste of which is best savoured only when you are there in the open air with the sun casting its glow and clouds breezing past.

A narrow slip road from Malbazar connected us to Gorubathan from where the sprawling tea gardens commenced. Sometimes there was the sun that was soon overtaken by the fog once we crossed the railway lines and started climbing up the hills – Eastern Himalayas yet again!

The road was a well paved one – smooth, black top. And the sceneries beautiful! Comprising of streams, tea gardens, blue hills, grey and blue skies. The stops were frequent to admire and shoot. I lost some 30 mins due to traffic jam at a place called “Sombarey Bazar” but beyond that there were no problems. The Eagles were screaming through the audio player, birds chirping on the trees and beyond that there wasn’t a noise. Only sometimes you could hear the exhaust screaming while climbing through the curves. Almost 4 years back I had been to Samabeyong Tea Estate at Lava and had taken the same route, but beyomd Phaperkheti the road was very bad. This time though most of the road was metalled except for some portions where was in progress.

At Lava I made a stop to have some tea and momos and also called up my home. With video calls, showed them the blue skies and bright sunshine whereas in the plains it was mostly foggy during that time.Again tried for some cash at the ATMs but none were working. Though I was assured by Yuru Retreat that they accept debit cards. I took my nice shots of the road during the journey and breaking almost every 15-20 mins I managed to reach Yuru around 4 in the afternoon. If, I hadn’t made the stops, it doesn’t take more than 4.5 hours to reach Kalimpong from Cooch Behar.

Upon reaching the hotel found that there was a power cut due to which hot water wasn’t available to take a bath. But the manager was kind enough to arrange for a bucket of hot water. I had some tea and sandwiches – the sandwiches were quite heavy but very tasty with ham and cheese. I spent the remaining sunlight hours roaming around the resort and its vicinity. Heavy fog had started to roll in and visibility was greatly impaired, so much so, that the Teesta Valley wasn’t visible. At night I ordered some Rice, dal and chicken curry. Without a doubt I found, at the resort to be very tasty.

18-Dec-20: Delo to Ramdhura, Ramitey View Point, Rishyop, Kolakham, Changey Falls to Raiganj

Today was supposed to be a long day. So, I packed my bags and left sharp at 8 in the morning. Of all the times, I find the mornings in the hills to be the most sacred. The sun shining down in all its glory. Kanchenjunga wasn’t visible though. I made my way to Ramitey view point. The road condition, again, excellent. I stopped at a tea shop for a morning cuppa at Ramitey view point. However both Teesta and Kanchenjunga was obscured by fog. Anyway headed further through the beautiful village of Ramdhura – it’s a lovely village where one can definitely stay the night. The cleanliness of these villages is to be appreciated. Driving further down the road I reached the Ramitey View Point but again without a view. I did take some photos but those were so hazy that I chose not to upload here.

Returned from the Ramitey viewpoint and merged back to the main highway. The destination, now set to Rishyop. Having heard from some friends that Rishyop was a 4X4 route until very recently I was quite skeptical if the Swift will be able to make it. But was surprised to see that the road was a newly laid piece of asphalt – slightly steep and narrow – but very much doable. So, stopped at the turn off to Rishyop had tea and maggi and and went off. I did get a gimpse of Kanchenjunga – but it was a faint sighting. I took a photo for the memories. Again Rishop, being calm and peaceful, can be a night’s stop to unwind from city life. But if you choose to stay in Kalimpong or Delo then you can very well visit these places for a day trip. Certainly its not offbeat because there are a number of hotels and resorts that have grown in the areas – all of which advertise the sighting of Kanchenjunga as their main USP. But there is not really much one can do in these places excepting for soaking in the sunshine and watching the snow mountains. One can see the tall pines and oaks that are so typical in these parts. These are so dense and thick that the roads remain in permanent shadow and casts a chill even when the sun is out there shining bright.

A little distance from Rishop is Lava and from Lava I took the road to Neora Valley National Park. Now the destination was set to Changey falls which was around 14 kms from the entry gate. The road was initially good, but after a couple of kilometers it changed to boulders. Manageable but it was one bumpy ride until I reached Kolakham village. Instead of stopping at Kolkakham I proceeded straight to Changey Falls. The entire route till the base of Changey falls isn’t motorable. So parked the car at the designated spot and walked the rest of the way. It was, I believe, less than a kilometer. Took some videos on my mobile and retraced the path. Uphill walk was quite tiring.

While returning saw the beautiful pine trees in the distance that was sight to behold. Stopped at Kolakham – saw cabbage being cultivated. Again the similar sight of clean homes, flower lined road sides and the road that seems to have slipped in between. But little did I notice that the clock was now striking 2 PM – all the treks and detours and tea breaks had taken their toll and I didn’t have my lunch.

So, tucked the camera in the camera bag and commenced the downhills journey. Packed 20 vegetable momos from a road side shop and sped downhill. Now day light hours in the winter is curtailed and it was not even 5 when the sun disappeared casting the twilight glow and I had only crossed Bagdogra. But more troubles lay in store in the form of fog. As soon as I crossed Ghoshpukur, thick fog appeared that impaired speed and visibility. At Dhantola the civic police volunteer told me not to take the road because fog was wrecking havoc in the villages. So, I knew of another Dalkhola bypass and took it – the one via Nischitpur. And every word of what the volunteer had said was true. Even this seemingly small distance of 8 kms was under a shroud of fog. I had a Scorpio as a leading car for much of the distance due to which I made good progress but after a turn there were no more vehicles. I was absolutely blind and stopped my car for a good 15 mins. Then I found a motocycle coming from the opposite direction who told me that NH34 was only a kilometer or so. So, trusting my instinct, the trees on the road shoulders I tiptoed till there was a light pole. However, in the melee I had ended up in the NH34 jam (the correct way would have taken me over the under construction Dalkhola flyover from where I could have escaped the jam) and I lost a good hour. Fog on the highway was much less now and I called up Hotel Badshah at Raiganj to stay for the night. At Rs 699 this was steal with clean bed, hot water and good food. Reached the hotel at 10 in the night and slept off around mid-night.

19-Dec-20: Raiganj to Kolkata

Not much to write about really. Started from Raiganj at 8. Breakfasted at BP Morgram and reached home around 4 in the afternoon after a routine stop at Hotel Hindustan where I packed up some Biryani and Butter Chicken for home.

Shantiniketan: Every winter's must visit

2025-03-02T12:06:00.003+05:30

In the shadows of the lockdown...

After our visit to Mandarmani, we felt confident that maintaining proper sanitization and social distancing might ensure that we have trouble free journeys. And with that intent, we visited Shantiniketan during the 23rd January weekend. Like the above two trips, this trip too was planned 4 days in advance. And with the 23rd to 26th January period being an extended weekend of sorts most hotels were sold out. Not finding any other option, we booked a room at Kharimati Resort. The room was true to the tariff – basic and simple. Knowing the rush, all we wanted at such a short notice was a room with running hot and cold water and a shelter for the night.

On the 23rd of January we commenced our journey. Whereas the weather in Calcutta was quite sunny, the moment we reached near the Dankuni toll plaza, the sun disappeared behind layers of thick fog. Instead of stopping at one our usual stops: Azad Hind Dhaba or Hindustan Hotel, we broke breads at Hotel Nabanna –a bad decision that we realized later.

Resuming our journey, it was around 12ish when the sun finally started to win over the fog. Slightly before taking the right towards Guskara/Shantiniketan NH 2B, there was a huge traffic jam where we lost some time. But the moment we entered the NH 2B, the mustard fields took over. One thing to note is, whereas we saw mustard fields in Taki and Shantiniketan, there were none in the Mandarmani route. Anyway, it was smooth and fast drive to our hotel.

After checking in, we freshened up and had ordered the lunch at their outdoor restaurant – Roti, Chicken Curry and One chicken thali. I had food at Kharimati before, and found that they have maintained the excellence in quality still. It was awesome. After lunch we headed to the Weekly Haat and found that many things have changed. A separate car parking area has come up which is around half a kilometer from the haat itself. So, we parked our car and walked to the haat – purchased some stuff, had the guava mix, some lemon tea, saw the tribal dances and returned to our hotel around 6 PM. We spent the greater part of the evening in the restaurant and after a satisfying dinner went off to sleep.

We wanted to have our lunch at Bonolakshmi but even after calling the number a couple of times no one picked up. So, I called up Barishaler Rannaghar, which is actually an extension of Bonolakshmi, and ordered desi chicken thali for lunch. The next morning we packed our bags, bathe and left the hotel after breakfast.

We first visited the Kankalitala Temple and then went onto see Hansulibank. The scenery after crossing Kankalitala was beautiful – vast stretches of mustard fields, palm trees with hanging pitchers, farmers sowing new seeds in some places, haystacks and cow dung cakes stuck on the muddy walls. The road condition remains great till one reaches the final stretches of Hansulibank. Now, I had been to hansulibank some years before post monsoon when everything was green and the river was full of water. But now during the winter, the water had reduced to a trickle and the grasses had burnt brown. Nevertheless, after spending sometime there we resumed our return journey.

We were on our way to Barishaler Rannaghar. We had to wait for sometime for lunch. The quality of food was good – the basic dish consisted of Rice, Dal, Ghee, Alu bhaja, dhokar dalna, shukto, chutney and we had chicken along with that. The service left a lot to be desired. After lunch, we purchased some ghee.

Around 3 PM we started for Calcutta and after an uneventful journey reached home at 7 PM sharp.

Mandarmani & Tajpur

2025-03-02T12:05:00.004+05:30

A college friend of mine and me, with whom we have been on numerous ‘bachelor’ trips, discarded our bachelorhood to include our families this time. We formed a WhatsApp group and zeroed in on a place by the sea: Mandarmani. IIRC correctly this was on 5th Jan and we were planning for the 9th Jan weekend. As such there was a dearth of ‘proper’ accommodation. My friend took the responsibility and found a very basic hotel for the night.

We started around 8 in the morning, my friend from the North Calcutta and me from South. We were supposed to meet at Sher-e-Punjab at Kolaghat. I had expected that there will be huge jams at Santragachi/Kona Expressway, but thankfully there wasn’t any such issue and we were able to cruise smoothly. We did face, however a huge queue at the Bagnan toll plaza and lost half an hour.

We ordered Aloo Paranthas and curd for the adults whereas the kids had sandwiches. Needless to say there was a sea of people at Sher-e-punjab. Resumed the journey and faced quite a few jams enroute especially in the Nandakumar – Mandarmani route due to construction activities. Finally we managed to reach Mandarmani at 3 in the afternoon and headed straight to a beach shack.

The next 7 hours was spent in the shack. We started with tea, followed by maggi, fried eggs, fish fingers and numerous other knickknacks. It was also my friend’s daughters birthday and we had a nice, little birthday celebration. We had packed our dinner from the shack and on reaching the resort we spent a couple of hours engaged in chitchat after which we had the dinner that had gone slightly cold.

My friend had promised to wake me up at 5 in the morning to watch the sunrise. But when we managed to wake up finally it was past 8. Had a cup of tea and took a walk along the beach and reached the ‘mohana’ (confluence of the river with the sea). Also, observed that the Mandarmani beach has become very dirty littered with waste and channels of sewage water. The pristine nature, which was the hallmark of this beach 10 years back is now clearly missing.

After breakfast we headed to Tajpur – a journey for little more than 30 mins and took shelter at a known shack where we had some excellently cooked pomfret (I believe 2 years back). Hoping that the quality would remain good, we ordered our lunch of Galda Chingrir curry, Desi murgir curry with potato apart from the basic thali. While the lunch was being prepared we had some coconut water, ventured to the sea, did some photography of the beach and took photos of the group.

Around 2 in the afternoon the lunch was ready and it was excellently cooked one. Steamed rice, moong dal, sliced lemon, aloo bhaja followed by the prawn and chicken made for a great lunch (which was incidentally the birthday treat 😊 ).

My friend even packed some fresh pomfret to carry home and we packed some crab curry. After a tea break at Sher-e-Punjab in the evening, we reached home around 8.

First Trip Post Lockdown: New Year Day 2021 at Taki

2025-03-02T12:04:00.003+05:30

Except for some essential travel in the month of November/December 2020, travelling for us has been completely blocked. But as the covid numbers started to slow down, we thought of taking small steps towards opening up. So, in January 2021, we visited a few places nearby as part of the ‘opening up’. Being on the road after almost a year, felt too good and we were rewarded with incredible sights of mustard fields, blue skies and sometimes foggy evenings. Another funny thread that links these three travels is the ‘Desi Murgir Curry’ which we had at all the places: each of which excelled in taste 😊.

The first visit was at Taki, for a day trip, on new years day. Actually Taki has been on our radar for quite sometime. The urge was accelerated after looking at haisaikat’s multiple Taki travelogues. Enquired about the route from Saikat the past night and thanks to his prompt response we commenced our journey taking the correct route.

We started around 9 in the morning on a great and cold day. From the Avishikta crossing we took the road past Heritage Institute/Urbana – this was the first time that I was taking the route – which connects to the Basanti Highway. We had planned to have breakfast at one of the road side eateries on the highway. But there were no proper Dhabas and we ended up having breakfast at a ‘jhoops’ style shop where we had bread toasts, poached eggs and tea.

We then crossed Bantala and reached a place called Malancha after which the road condition deteriorated but the beauty of the places increased manifold. Ugly construction and human populace were replaced by ripening mustard fields, ponds, palm trees and mud huts. The road condition till Taki remained patchy and finally we reached Taki around 11.30 in the morning with plenty of halts – the distance of 67 kms covered in 2.5 hrs. We parked the car at a spot slightly away from the center of the town and walked 200 metres approximately to reach the road beside the river Icchamati where most of the restaurants, hotels and guest houses are located.

If there was a list of activities to do at Taki, it will center around the following:

1.Viewing the different attractions along the shores of Icchamati river while taking a boat ride. The other side is Bangladesh.

2.Visiting the mangrove forests (Golpatar jungle)

3.Some spots like the banyan tree and the house where the movie Bisorjon was shot have become ‘tourist’ attractions.

4.I was told that Gen. Shankar Ray Chaudhury hailed from Taki and he has his ancestral house there. Though we didn’t visit that.

…and of course having the freshly cooked Bengali meals!

Now coming back to the trip, since it was New Years day, the crowd was huge and the narrow alleys of the small town was choc-a-bloc with traffic i.e. totos and people on foot mostly. First we reached one of the ‘launch ghats’ from where we took a boat ride. These boats took us very near to the Bangladeshi shores where we saw folks on a picnic and also some boats bearing the Bangladeshi flags. The ride lasted for 30 mins after which we strolled around the town. Around 2 PM we went for lunch at ‘City Guest house’. The lunch was a simple yet tasty affair: Rice, dal, alu bhaja, badhakopir ghonto (cabbage curry) ,local chicken curry and finished with some tomato chutney. The food was so tasty and I was so hungry that I over ate quite a bit and was barely able to move for sometime.

After lunch we took a toto ride to the other side of the town to the ‘Gol patar jungle’ – which is the mangrove forests. Around 5 PM we reached the parking spot and commenced our journey back home. Had tea near Avishikta and reached home around 8.

All in all, a nice day spent!

Western Arunachal: A Road Trip Along the Tawang Hills

2025-03-02T12:02:00.008+05:30

The winter of 2019 was great as far as travels were concerned on the personal front. Apart from the usual weekenders, we travelled to Goa, Odisha and Western Arunachal Pradesh. Whereas the former two travelogues were written long time back, this blog is about the 10 days spent in Western Arunachal Pradesh. The itinerary:
· 7-Dec-19: Calcutta to Raiganj
· 8-Dec-19: Raiganj to Bongaigaon
· 9-Dec-19: Bongaigaon to Shergaon
· 10-Dec-19: Shergaon to Dirang
· 11-Dec-19: Dirang to Tawang, War Memorial in the evening
· 12-Dec-19: Tawang to Bum La & Sangetsar Lake, Tawang Gompa & some shopping
· 13-Dec-19: Tawang to Shergaon; detour to Sangti Valley
· 14-Dec-19: Shergaon to Cooch Behar
· 15-Dec-19: Cooch Behar to Calcutta
Writing after almost a year, some of the memories have be erased. However, I will try to present as much as detail that I can remember. At the outset however, let me state that we had almost escaped from Arunachal and our original plan to stay in Sangti and Nameri couldn’t materialize due to the NRC protests in Assam.
7-Dec-19 (Sat): Calcutta to Raiganj
We are wont to leave Calcutta for any journey early in the morning. However, a number of factors cropped up this time due to which we couldn’t start before 9:00 AM. Accordingly I had targeted to reach Raiganj for the night. And since the target was to reach Arunachal on the 3rd day, I figured out staying at Raiganj will not be a problem. Instead of halting at Azad Hind Dhaba or Hindusthan Hotel on NH2 in Hooghly district, we opted for Shaktigarh this time. A plate of Kochuri-Tarkari along with some Rosogolla is a great try. At Shaktigarh, I stopped at the first shop and we ordered our breakfast. Truth be told, the Kochuris just melted in the mouth. Travelling along SH7 in winters has the added bonus of ripening mustard fields in mist, which is a sight to behold. The rest of the journey was uneventful and we reached Raiganj around 5 in the evening. No prior booking was done. So, we booked WBTDC Raiganj after reaching. At Rs 900 per room WBTDC Raiganj is a bargain and this time we had great food too. Since we had skipped lunch, so we ordered for some tea, toasts and omelettes.
8-Dec-19(Sun): Raiganj to Bongaigaon
Next morning we were up at 5.30 and left the hotel at 6. The sun was up and cast its cool light through the leaves of the trees. The roads were empty and overtaking those trucks was a breeze along this single laned highway. But just 1 km before Botolbari we encountered a massive traffic jam – to cross which took us around an hour. Then halted for a short tea break after crossing Dhantola. Progress was fast and smooth and we reached Bagdogra around 10 AM . However, after that the heavy traffic slowed us terribly so much so that it was around 12 PM when we reached Sevoke. Had momos and maggi that served as breakfast cum lunch and continued along NH31. The NH31 skirts along the Buxa Tiger Reserve, Jaldapara Sanctuary before finally crossing into Assam late in the afternoon. Those who have visited the Eastern part of India know how early the sun sets and in the winters the sunset time comes down to 5 o clock. As we were crossing through the town on Bongaigaon we noticed a nice hotel and on the spur of the moment felt why not stay the night there itself since in any case we will reach Arunachal the next day as planned. It was a great decision indeed for the hotel was luxurious and the food was great too. They had a complimentary breakfast, however since we had planned to leave around 6 they promised us a packed breakfast.
9-Dec-19(Mon) Bongaigaon to Shergaon
We were up early in the morning and after a hot bath checked out of the hotel. But we hadn’t gone too far when we were stopped by the police who said “Today is Assam bandh”. It came as a complete surprise for us. For Bengal too, 20 years back, was infamous for its Bandhs. But that was quite sometime back. We pleaded with the police but they wont allow. Trucks were also standing idle on the road side.
However, a private car came from behind and the policeman started lecturing him not to go further ahead and in the melee I started my car and sped off. I filled up fuel from the first available petrol bunk – enough to carry us to Arunachal. And even though traffic on the highways were very less, we were never caught up. Since we had packed breakfast so we didn’t take the trouble of going to a food joint. Most outstanding was a weather: clear blue skies and a cool breeze blowing. Soon we found ourselves driving through tea plantations and betel nut gardens. Then there were grasslands and finally we could see the blue contour of the Arunachal Hills. We took the Mangaldoi – Rowta – Orang – Balemu route to Arunachal (currently BHPians are frequenting this route).
For accommodation we had booked the Lamazukhi Homestay at Shergaon. Reaching Shergaon in the falling afternoon light, we found our way to the Homestay after little trouble. And after a hot bath and cup of tea, we went for a quick sortie around the village. Shergaon is a quaint little village in the lap of the Arunachal Himalayas with its Gompa, Apple orchards – now dried, trout harvesting center. When we returned to the homestay all sunlight went kaput and the hearth was being lit up in the center. We sat around the fireplace for rest of the evening with the owner of the homestay, listening to their stories.

10-Dec-20 (Tue) Shergaon to Dirang
We woke up early again, around 6. The sun was shining bright. Found that the dew had frozen on the wind shield of the car. Had a cup of tea and then planned to commence our journey around 7. However, disaster struck yet again. We came to know that day was also a ‘bandh’ in Arunachal. Apparently, the NRC protests were rather heavy in the North East. So, we spent the day exploring around Shergaon. But the good thing was in the North East the strike timings were 5 AM in the morning to 4 PM in the evening. So, around 3.30 PM we left the homestay after a lunch of momos and headed towards Dirang. Around 4 PM darkness had almost descended on the mountains. And we glided through the roads towards Dirang reaching around 6.30 ish, IIRC. We had plans to visit the Chiliapom monastery enroute, but had to forgo that. We stayed at Hotel Pemaling in Dirang. Rooms were slightly old but clean. Food was undoubtedly superb.
11-Dec-20 (Wed) Dirang to Tawang
This was a long day. But the roads were good again. A few kilometers from Dirang, the climb to Sela Pass begins. The road remains good mostly until a few miles to the pass. Initially what was rain, became snow in the higher altitudes and a good amount of traffic jam later we reached Se La. One can see that a sea of clouds dominated a side of the Se La massif that continue to hit this high massif and precipitate into rain and snow (the wind ward side). Once on the pass, the weather changes for the better and even though cloudy, the persistent rain does indeed stop. Had some interesting chit chat with the jawan posted there. We had tea at the army canteen. The road from Se La descends into a Christmas land like place where pines, firs grow and with the seasons first snowfall look just like out of a wonderland. On the way to Tawang there is the Nurarang Falls and Jaswantgarh War Memorial – must visits. You will also observe a glacier high above the mountain near Jaswantgarh which is quite a sight. We reached Tawang late afternoon and went to Shangri La Serene (Team BHPians: Samba & Co. stayed here). Nice hotel with good food to boost.
In the evening we went to the main market and had some momos. It had started to rain then and returned to the hotel soon. I had told the hotel to arrange for the permits for Bum La and Sangetsar Lake but received news that there was heavy snowfall in the upper reaches and military was not allowing vehicles without snow chains. So, as a back up hired a Xylo in case they don’t allow my Swift to go.
12-Dec-20 (Thu) Tawang To Bum La, Pang Teng Tso, Madhuri Lake. Tawang Gompa and Tawang War Memorial
Another long day started with light snow falling on the ground and everywhere white. The Xylo had arrived and I too started in my car. It was pretty dark and snowing all around and I had to turn on the heater. At the Maratha Ground checkpost the military folks said that vehicles without snow chains wouldn’t be allowed to proceed further. So, parked the car in the confines of the military camp and all of us got in to the Xylo and proceeded to Bum La. The road conditions till Y junction was very good. And infact from Y Junction to Bum La new road construction was in progress with some portions already completed. The Swift would have found it difficult, may be some underbody damage but it would have surely reached Bum La. At Bum La when all the tourists got together we were given a detailed briefing and all most every one could feel the rush of patriotism!
From Bum La we receded to Y-Junction and proceeded to Madhuri Lake. This road was horrific but it was supremely beautiful. Snow on the branches of the trees and on the ground, some of them melting in the sun and dripping. The Indian flag flying high was also a sight to remember. I went on to click the lake along with the Christmas like natural decorations. We then went to the Army run cafeteria for some maggi and momos. And then returned.
It was around 2 PM when we reached the Maratha Ground check post and got into the Swift and headed straight to the Tawang Gompa which is quite huge. The lamps were being lit up and we visited the main temple and followed that by the different rooms where preparations for puja was in progress. A drunk woman tried to tell me something, but neither me nor my wife could understand what she was trying to convey.
Next I dropped my wife and kid to the hotel and went to the Tawang War Memorial where I watched the light and sound show. It was quite nice. I tanked up the car and then headed to the hotel. But little did I know that a storm of agitating crowds was brewing in the plains of Assam.

13-Dec-20 (Fri) Tawang to Shergaon
We were originally supposed to stay the night in Sangti Valley and the next night in Nameri.
Now as I was leaving Tawang I came to know from the hotel reception that there is fuel shortage in many of the pumps of Arunachal because in Assam there is extreme turbulence due to the NRC and trucks were not being allowed to leave Assam. This put all of our plans haywire. So, instead of staying at Sangti Valley we continued our drive towards the plains as far as possible and stayed at Shergaon for the night.
The scarcity of petrol was alarming. It was not available in Dirang. At Bomdila there were rationing 10 litres per fill. At Rupa it wasn’t available. We were thoroughly shaken because I have never carried a petrol can during any road trip previously and felt how acute the need was.
But we got lucky just before reaching the homestay in Shergaon where I tanked up the car. And filled up fuel by emptying 5 litre water cans. With that we could breathe a little easy – fuel was secured. But at the homestay we got to know that they were burning cars etc. in Assam.

14-Dec-20/15-Dec-20 (Sat/Sun): Shergaon to Cooch Behar to Kolkata
So at 3 AM the next day, we left Shergaon – it was a continuous run. Most shops in Assam was closed, traffic was also almost zero. Found a fuel pump (don’t remember the location now) but filled up the car to the brim. It ensured that I wont have to the dig into the reserve petrol cans. On the main highway we saw quite a few cars being burnt which was unnerving but since the roads were empty we sped off until we were close to Bengal border – which, IIRC, we reached around 1.30 M. There we had lunch and then by 3 PM we reached Cooch Behar (parent’s place) for the night.The next morning we started at 4.30 in the morning and reached Kolkata – with its fair share of troubles (though nothing when compared to what faced in Assam) around 7.30. Had packed Biryani and Chicken Masala from Hindusthan Hotel and that was dinner!
x

Spending the Year End 2019: A Goan Vacation

2025-03-02T12:01:00.004+05:30

The flow of the pen, to a certain degree is dictated by the depth and gravity of the events that are being described. What does it mean? That’s a question you are surely going to ask. And me, the writer will say: Consider a solo motorcycle ride cutting through the great Indian outdoors or getting stuck in an overnight blizzard in the lap of the high Himalayas vis-à-vis an airplane journey to the warm sea beaches during winter or drive to a hill station where soft snow falls through the night, as we listen to the crackle of the firewood in the confines of a warm home.

The former events are emotionally and physically much different from the later. They are in touch with nature, at its mercy and sometimes even testing your breaking point. And that is why, I probably can detail a few incidents over other in all these years.

Similarly, the motorcycle ride versus a car, as Robert Pirsig’s writes in the philosophical treatise, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:

“You see things vacationing on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.

On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming. That concrete whizzing by five inches below your foot is the real thing, the same stuff you walk on, it’s right there, so blurred you can’t focus on it, yet you can put your foot down and touch it anytime, and the whole thing, the whole experience, is never removed from immediate consciousness.”

So, why did I write so much? Its an excuse – and really it is – because I seriously don’t have anything to write about this vacation to Goa where we did spend 5 days – but all we did was breakfast + dip in sea + lunch + dip in sea + rest in the evening + dinner and then go to sleep.

Hence, if you are looking for literature, don’t look any further because all you will see below is a narration of events and pictures of food.

Following is the schedule that we followed:

30-Dec-2019: Calcutta to Goa morning flight. Stay Overnight at Chalston Beach Resort, Calangute, North Goa

31-Dec-2019: Stay in North Goa

01-Jan-2020: Stay in North Goa

02-Jan-2020: Travel to South Goa. Stay at Beleza by the beach, Colva.

03-Jan-2020: Stay in South Goa.

04-Jan-2020: Check out and fly back. End of trip.

---------------- -- -- -- --

30-Dec-2019

We had been travelling to the hills of North Bengal and Sikkim for quite sometime during the Christmas/New Year period. And whereas there are places still remaining to be discovered, we felt that for a change, lets go somewhere, a little distance off. We hovered over Himachal – Uttarakhand for quite some time, until my wife popped up Goa.

Now, all of us know that Goa during the New Year period is expensive. Hence adequate financial planning is required to make things a reality. With the flights tickets booked, we next booked the hotels directly by making advance payments.

And finally on a cold December morning (the 2019/20 winter had been long and intense in Calcutta) we were finally on an airplane to Goa. Indigo flies a direct flight, once daily and it takes 3 hours to reach Goa.We exited the airport around 3.15 PM and took a cab. Outside, it was quite hot. And reached our hotel in North Goa by 5 PM. There was a huge traffic jam near the Zuari bridge.

We freshened up and ordered for some tea and sandwiches after which we headed to the beach and spent till the sunset. Goa, being West, the sun sets much later – around an hour and a half later than Calcutta.

The night, we headed to the open air restaurant, where the cool see breeze was blowing directly from the Arabian sea. And we had a long meal. The day was quite a long one and we slept off quite soon.

31-Dec-2019

The Christmas – New Year time is when son’s school remains closed and also taking leaves is easy for both of us. Also, it’s a nice time to think of that the entire year finally “concludes” from most aspects during this period and that makes the break even more valued. On the 31st we spent the entire day at the beach sipping coconut water and having a nice lunch. Calangute was specially quite crowded – but we enjoy the crowd and feel quite energized 😊. Many people, many activities and so on and so forth.

The weather was cool in the mornings and evenings with hot afternoons.

That night the resort arranged for a gala dinner. But we missed the casual vibe of the restaurant on the usual days. Decorated chairs and lighting were set up on the lawn facing the sea – but the sea breeze was missing too. Food and drinks were limited to the buffet.

Then there were the fireworks off course and that was quite a treat to the eyes!

01-Jan-2020

We hired an i10 for the next 4 days that we were in Goa costing Rs 1600 per day. The initial interest was Thar, but those were 2800 per day – way too much for 4 days. After searching team bhp we shortlisted some spots in North Goa: The Anjuna Flea Market, Chapora Fort and have lunch at Brittos etc.

We started 11ish in the morning. And after visiting the Flea Market and Chapora fort, we had a long lunch at Brittos. Tried Goan fish curry with rice, son had fish and chips. The taste of the food and quantity was great – but prices were on the higher side.

We returned to the hotel around 4.30 PM and headed straight to the beach. As the sun was going down, the air was getting quite cooler and so we came back to the room, cleaned up and took a short nap.

In the evening, we again headed to the open restaurant and spent a couple of hours.

This was also our final evening in North Goa and the plan was to drive to South Goa the next day.

02-Jan-2020

After the buffet breakfast, we checked out.

The 1.3 lacs km done i10 was quite peppy on the highways. We had planned to see the Fort Aguada, Basilica of Bom Jesus, The Church at Panaji, Fontainhas – as most of them were on the way. Also, I could relate to the map as we moved from Calangute to Candolim to Panaji and then onwards to South Goa. We faced a terrible jam at Zuari Bridge yet again. And finally reached our resort Beleza around 3 in the afternoon. Ordered for a pizza lunch.

The resort was located near to the Colva beach and we walked to the beach late in the afternoon. Unlike Calangute, the crowd was minimal and mostly foreigner. We enjoyed a nice sunset and then spent the the time till dinner in the balcony.

03-Jan-2020

This was the day, again we spent almost entirely on the beach. We had lunch at a local shack, Mickey’s, very near to the resort – food was great, though overpriced. In the evening we went to the Colva market to buy some stuff for friends and family. Shot some sunset photos. And returned to Mickeys yet again for dinner. And then went off to sleep.

04-Jan-2020

Like all good things that have to come to an end, this holiday too was getting over. All of us were sad. We checked out around 10 AM from the resort, handed over the vehicle to the rental company and then flew back to Calcutta.

Forests of Orissa: Kuldiha and Simlipal

2025-03-02T12:00:00.003+05:30

Certain things just happen. And there are things, which, no matter how hard you try don't.

As the winter peaked around mid-January, we found ourselves cruising along NH 6 with the compass set to Kuldiha - a decision that was unforeseen and unplanned. We had planned to spend one night each at Kuldiha and Simlipal. The itinerary is mentioned below:

11-Jan-20 (Sat): Calcutta to Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary

12-Jan-20 (Sun): Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary - Safari - onwards to Lulung, Simlipal

13-Jan-20 (Mon): Lulung - Simlipal Safari - return to Calcutta

Eventhough Simlipal, Satkosia and Bhitarkanika are the 'Big Three' National Parks of Orissa, Kuldiha emerges as the dark horse in the fact that it is still raw and virgin. And in those three days in the forest, eventhough we were not able to sight much wildlife except for some peacocks, jungle fowls and deers our primary objective was to experience the jungle, the high pitched shrill of the cicadas, early morning chirping of the birds, the barking of a deer and feel the soft, benevolent winter sun.

One aspect,that I found great in the Orissa forests is, if you have the right car with you, you can do your own safari - all you need is to hire a guide.

Now coming back to the drive. The magic about winter mornings is that you dont realize how fast the hours pass and before we keyed in the ignition, noted that it was past 7.30 AM. And when we had finally joined the highway, the AC was turned off, the windows rolled down and we could feel the cold wind and toasting sun - mild and gentle. Kuldiha is roughly 300 kms from Calcutta and takes approximately 6 hours with relaxed driving. With speed enforcers now on the highways, one needs to be careful with the speeds.

This time, instead of stopping at Sher-E-Punjab at Kolaghat, we decided to try the 'New Ghosh Hotel' - bad decision that we realized later. We followed the NH 6 till Kharagpur and then turned left onto NH 60 and then onto a state highway. One needs to pay camera and vehicle charges on entry. When we reached the Rissia Nature Camp, Kuldiha, it was around 2 PM. Mobile towers don't work as you enter through the gate and just like it was mentioned in ADC's Kuldiha travelogue 10 years back, Kuldiha forest is strikingly dense.

The Rissia Nature Camp is located at the rear of the Rissia Dam. And after a 'Fish Thali' meal we went on a walk to the Rissia Dam. 'Sapla' flowers had grown in the still waters of the lake. Far beyond one could see amorphous silhouttes of forests. A group of picknikers had gathered too. Sometimes a wind was blowing off the lake waters, and even in the afternoon, was chilling us to the bone. For some urgent supplies we had to go to the nearby village and after procuring those we reached our tent at night.

The only source of electricity is solar power and the LED bulb was feebly powered. We were seated in the chairs on the verandah. Gradually the moon rose high in the sky and the chilly wind increased its intensity. The moon light was so strong that it cast intense shadows of the trees and tents. We were supplied with tea and snacks in the evening. Sometime later we could hear the distant cry of an animal, which the forest department folks confirmed, were of deers. A little distance away from the Camp area was a clearing and beyond the clearing the forest started again. In the moonlight one could see fireflies flying in Brownian motion. We had our dinner at 10 in the night and went to sleep.

The mornings at Kuldiha are sacred. We woke up at 6.30 in the morning - the camp site was flooded with soft golden sunlight. The plan for the day was to embark on a safari across Rissia - Kuldiha - Jodachua and checkout later. We hired a guide from the forest camp and went to explore the jungle trails of Kuldiha. The forest, like I mentioned, is thick and dense. And the landscape is hilly, undulating. Huge termite moulds are seen beside the track. We got down from the car a few times and could feel a sense of eerie. Leaves that had fallen on the ground had turned brown and when you walked over them you feel them cracking.

From Rissia we went to the Kuldiha Forest Rest House. The guide took us to a spot to view the salt pit - and was able to see a deer. From there we went to Jodachua Forest Rest House. Accommodation is available at both the places, but needs permission from the DFO. Set deep in the forest, staying at Jodachua will surely be an experience to remembered. We met a group of birders who were staying at the place. From Jodachua we went to a couple of waterfalls - Mench Kund and Dev Kund (IIRC). The blue, still waters upstream of the fall, with streams of water spread over the huge, black rocks appeared sinister and had it been at night, it would have been adventurous.

One must note that Kuldiha is famous for being a part of the Elephant Corridor that stretches across Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa and has a rich population of the pachyderms. Our safari continued along morram roads till 10.30 in the morning after which we returned to the Rissia Nature Camp. While checking out from the camp, we went to the Rissia Dam, a scenic location where several picnic parties had assembled for picnic. After which we checked out from Rissia and went to Simlipal. The Rissia Nature Camp cost us Rs 3,780 per tent (2 adults) including breakfast,lunch,snacks and dinner. And whereas we found that to be okay, chicken was off the menu conspicuously. There were a few tribal villages enroute as we departed Kuldiha for our next destination Simlipal. It was a drive of 2.5 hours.

Simlipal is a large tiger reserve with several 'entry' gates. We had chosen to stay at Aranya Niwas, Lulung. Aranya Niwas was an erstwhile government property but has been leased to a private operator for 30 years. The old buildings were renovated and refurbished. In the evening we had some sandwiches. For dinner , either you could select the buffet or select some menu had to be selected from the buffet - we had Pulao, Dal, Mutton for dinner.

We went out to the Forest Checkpost for the entry permits at 7 in the morning for the permits. And found that they dont allow hatchbacks with the result that we had to book a high GC vehicle - a Bolero and hired a guide. At 8, after breakfast we set out for the Simlipal safari.

After you enter through the Lulung forest checkpoint, the road turns hilly. More than forests, it is hills with altitude ranging from 1500 ft to 3000 ft.

We encountered a peacock, jungle fowls and giant squirrel. At some viewpoints you can see rows of blue hills extending towards the horizon. There are two majestic falls - Joranda and Barehpani - in Simlipal.

There are several hamlets in the Simlipal area. And grasslands too. The small tribal villages, little dots of colour in the otherwise huge, wide green forests added to the variety and versatility of Simlipal. We had tea from one of the stalls. At Barehpani we had a lunch of Rice, Dal and superbly cooked Desi chicken.

Since we had to return to Calcutta the same day, instead to going ahead to the Uski waterfalls, we retraced our steps.

We returned to the resort around 5 in the evening. And after a cup of tea started the return journey. From Lulung we took the State Highway through Baripada - Gopiballavpur - Bahargora and reached home around 10 in the night.

Vignettes from Austria

2025-03-02T11:59:00.003+05:30

Writing a travelogue, if you are travelling “dedicatedly” is easy. Reasons are you are cent

percent focused on the travel and the mental recordings of the travel are automatic. However, when you are making a quick escape with work in your mind, the mental recordings get difficult. In such a case, whatever gets recorded, is rendered through the camera and that forms the backbone of the travelogue - which is the case here.
I had travelled to Munich in the summer of 2019 and during the course of the workshop we got a few weekends in between. On two of these weekends I ventured out to two beautiful Austrian cities: Salzburg and Vienna - both places are very near to Munich and were covered by train. This is an account of that travel. Unfortunately I didn't get much time to study about these places - though I referred to the late Sam Kapasi's travelogue a few hours before getting on the train to Wien. I covered Salzburg on foot and most parts of Vienna were covered through the well connected metro.

Weekend One: Salzburg

I had planned to visit Salzburg for a day. Since time was a constraint, I choose to visit the main sights which were in proximity. I had a cup of coffee and sandwiches in the train. The Rail Jet train from Munich Hbf was supremely comfortable. A clouded sky accompanied me on the journey from Munich to Salzburg, but the route through the undulating Alps landscape with meadows was soothing to the eyes. It took me a little more than 2 hours to reach Salzburg and it was rainy. The first thing that I did was to purchase an umbrella because the forecast predicted rain for the entire day.
As I discovered, Salzburg was the city where Mozart was born and spent years of his life here. The Salzach river cuts through the city and there are numerous of those "love lock" bridges that connect one part of the city to the other. The road to the Hohensalzburg Fort rises behind the Residenzplatz. The photos that follow are taken as I climbed to the fort. It provides a birds eye view of Salzburg city. And also of the hills that extend much beyond the city. The rains hadn't stopped and I had to use my umbrella and camera together - quite an arduous exercise .

Salzburg is host to some unique beer gardens and while coming down from the fort I went to Steiglkeller Biergarten. The rains had stopped by then and the waiters were mopping the wet benches. So, took a seat on the outside and watched the view of the city and the distant mountains. The long walks had made me hungry and thirsty – so after having a drink of water and beverages ordered for roasted chicken with sour potatoes. Sour potatoes is a local speciality – though I didn’t like it very much.
While coming down from the restaurant, I went to the Salzburg Cathedral – an architecturally impressive structure then through the Kapitelplatz – Getreidigass: Salzburg main shopping street - Dom Quartier - Mozart’s Birth place and Mirabell Gardens.
Met many Indians who we on tour of Salzburg. Interacted with a few local folks. Purchased some souvenirs and then took an train at 6 in the evening from Salzburg. I was back to Munich by 8.30 PM.
A Weekend In Wien

The Salzburg trip was nice, but it was only a day trip. The next weekend I was on a train to Vienna. Vienna takes around 4 hrs from Munich. And whereas the Salzburg trip was dominated by rain, this weekend was relatively dry. As I found out, the OBB Railjet trains are much better as compared to the Meridien ones (in which I returned from Salzburg). Ordered for a breakfast of Ham sandwich and coffee. Munched onto the sandwiches as I looked into the swaying sceneries on the outside. The trains had WiFi too – but then I was looking at the scenery and let my camera cut loose. Speeds touch in excess of 200 kmph and the coffee in your cup wont slip even a bit.
I got down at Vienna Hbf and located my hotel which was around half a kilometer away from the station. Even though I had reached much earlier than the scheduled check-in time, the hotel said “Your rooms are ready”.
Freshened up and from the nearest available metro, 50 meters from the hotel, got a 24 hour pass. The Vienna metro, stations and processes are slightly “old fashioned” when compared to Munich – but the routes are directions are much simpler.
To tour Vienna in detail you need at least 3 days – but with only 24 hours in my hand I had shortlisted some of the following places which were near and achievable to cover:
Day One
St Stephansplatz & Cathedral: Vienna’s city center
The Spanish Horse Riding School
Wiener Prater
Naschmarkt
Karlskirche
Day Two
Schonbrunn palace.
Hofburg Palace
After visiting the first two places went to Café Europe at St Stephansplatz. Had a lunch of Grilled Salmon. Then visited Wiener Prater: basically an amusement park, the Naschmarkt – unique market – but then it had closed down by the time I had reached and the church Karlskirche.
When I returned to the hotel, it was almost 7 in the evening. And after multiple metro rides and long walks I was exhausted. Had a hot water bath and then some coffee.At night I went to a restaurant nearby and had Grilled Chicken in a cheese sauce and tiramisu. Superbly cooked.
The next morning I went out again – first for breakfast at a lovely place and next visited Schonbrunn Palace and Hofburg Palace. It took a long, long time. My train to Munich was around 4 in the afternoon. And as I took the train, a fleeting visit to a nice city came to an end.

Dooars: The Chalsa, Gorumara and Jhalong Circuits

2025-03-02T11:58:00.003+05:30

So today, Sunday, 8 PM setting on the couch I take time to recollect the May trip to this section of the Dooars centered around Chalsa. The places that we visited can be divided into three clusters:

Chalsa, Matelli, Samsing, Rocky Island & Suntalekhola
Chapramari, Jhalong, Bindu & Paren
Gorumara and the Murti River Bed
Day One: Kolkata to Raiganj
We ambled along from Kolkata around 6 AM in the morning. And after an uneventful 9 hours drive we reached WBTDC Raiganj where we halted for the night. Accommodation and food was okay. We really liked the Tea, Toasts and Omelette that we had ordered on reaching the place in the afternoon. Its very hot in May and with nothing really to do we rested in the afternoon. We had ordered the usual Rice, Dal, Alu Bhaja and Chicken for dinner. The food was stale and overpriced - both of which was unexpected.
Day Two: Raiganj to Chalsa. In & Around Chalsa
We woke up early the next day and after a cup of tea we were on the way driving through Raiganj - Dalkhola Bypass (under construction) and over to NH 31. We stopped for a breakfast of Puri, Subzi and Omelette at Kishanganj. Now, there are two ways to go through Chalsa:

· Route One: Islampur - Bagdogra - Sevoke - Chalsa
· Route Two: Islampur - Fulbari Bypass - Gajoldoba Canal Road - Chalsa

We chose the later just to try out the route. The road condition is good through out by there are a few railway crossing and the road gets narrow at certain places that impact the speed. The Fulbari bypass too had some on going construction due to which we were diverted through some narrow village roads, which impacted progress.
Nevertheless, it is said, better late than never and by 12 PM we had checked into Sinclairs Retreat, Dooars.
I had been to a couple of Sinclairs properties earlier and this too was spic and span. The resort located on a small hill overlooking the vast Dooars plain lands. Its spread over a huge area dotted with trees. There are cottages that are spread across in clusters. After a quick hot shower, we headed for lunch - fried rice and chilli chicken. Great food, good price!
After lunch we went on a drive towards the Matelli tea estates. As the car glided along the narrow, winding road the sun rays seem to have been dispersed through dark clouds and then there were droplets of rain on the wind shield. As the rain stopped the sun came out blazing and the afternoon became very hot. Our first stop was the huge Matelli tea estate.
These tea gardens of the Dooars are different from the ones of the Darjeeling hills - not only in taste and strength but also in their landscaping.These areas are not that hilly and there are gentle slopes over a flat land. Tall shady trees are spread over the acres of tea bushes and far beyond one can see the rising hills of Bhutan.
There were frequent stops along the way as the green of the tea bushes soothed the eyes. At a cross road we enquired about the way to Samsing and Suntalekhola. One of the locals said that the main road was closed, so we had to take an ‘under construction’ road. Well, the road didn’t exist at all, but the car climbed onto the boulders and rocks quite deftly and off we went. It was close to 4 in the evening and we saw school children returning. Singing and chatting – very nice. We also saw the WBFDC accommodation at Samsing. These low rising hills are deeply forested, and the evening sunrays could barely glint through the recesses of the trees. We asked a local about which way was Suntalekhola and he pointed us to go further ahead. But as we went ahead we saw a notice that outside cars weren’t allowed to go towards Suntalekhola. This was a surprise for us and the guys manning the gate wouldn’t allow us to proceed further.

Day Two - Continued
So, Suntalekhola came to a naught and we descended downhill towards Rocky Island. Spent some time at the bridge instead of going down to the river bed, took some photos and we resumed the return journey.
It was almost 6.30 in the evening when we reached our rooms. After refreshing up, we thought about what to have for snacks (Being Bengali, food is always high in the list of priorities for us!).
And ordered for Cheese Toasts and Tea.
Sometime later the rains started, and it poured heavily. We opened the curtains and saw the rain, feeling secure in the confines of the cottage, yet enjoying its feeble hammering sound. After a while, there was a door knock and when we opened the door, a smiling waiter arrived.
I have always felt the food at Sinclairs to be very tasty and rightly priced. And the cheese toasts and tea that arrived in the rains justified it again. We all gorged into the toasts with the tea.
The rains stopped, may be, a couple of hours later. After which we headed for dinner and had Rice, Dal, Bengali Style Chicken Curry and Salad - well-cooked home comforts!
Day Three: Jhalong, Bindu, Paren, Murti & Gorumara
The next day we woke up late and had breakfast after which we headed towards Jhalong.
As I have said before, the resort is located on a small hill, so we got down and took the left turn and were on towards NH-31. The NH-31 is a two lane highway in these parts right till Barobisha and passes through several forests – out of which the Chapramari forest (a forest adjacent to Gorumara national park) is one of them.
We took a left from the highway and were driving deeper when a couple of local fellows waved their hand. One of them were asking for a ‘lift’ if we were doing towards Jhalong. We said yes and asked them to get into our car. The forest got deeper and deeper, and after a railway level crossing the cloudy skies gave way to the rain and the cicadas and birds were screaming through the forest. The drive was surreal.
A few miles later we came across rubber plantations and then the road winded up a hill which was a mostly a drive in third gear.
One of the locals suddenly popped up a question, “Sir, do you want to go towards Bindu?” to which we said “Yes”.
So he said, “I can guide you on that road and if my relative is there at the hydel power station then I will be able to take you to the insides of the dam too”.
We were happy about it. And then at Jhalong one of them got down and we saw the Jaldhaka river bed from far above. After which we passed through a 12 km journey through narrow, forested and a potholed road towards Bindu. Presently, with overcast skies, the river thundering below and vacant village ‘haat’ it made us feel unique.
The local, then walked towards the Hydel Power Station gate and asked then security if he could bring us along to which the security guard nodded. So, we went inside the dam – nothing fancy though. But what was interesting was – we walked over to the other side of the dam and there was a Bhutan Police picket post – so, we were standing in Bhutan!
Day Three - Continued
While returning, our new friend suggested us to take a different route that he promised will be better. This route was through a place called Paren (covered by Golam-da in an earlier travelogue). True, the road was good but it was steeper than other route. Nevertheless, we dropped him near Jhalong and onwards we went, back again through the rubber plantations and Chapramari forests towards a restaurant on the NH 31. The 3-4 hours detour had left us hungry and we headed to a restaurant on the highway. Lunch was Jeera Rice, Dal Fry, Chicken and Fresh lime soda and was too heavy for us. So, felt a little drowsy.

But, then there were a few more places to visit. Accordingly we went to the Murti River bed that was dry in May and which, by June will be flooded with water when the monsoon picks up in full swing in the hills. The Murti area is again, dotted with tea gardens and a number of resorts. We spent sometime in the evening on the river bed, listening to the cool wind that was picking up some of the rain, which was falling somewhere towards the North. The WBFDC at Murti is once again next to the river bed and the best place to be if one wants to stay at Murti.
From Murti we went to Gorumara National Park. But without any prior safari booking and being late in the evening we coud not take any safari into the forest. But the drive from the Murti end to the Lataguri end through the depth of the forest was a thrilling drive. The sky remained cloudy and the evening sunrays weren’t present and through the deep jungle the sounds of the insects and animals gave a sinister feeling around. When we were returning from Lataguri, the rains had again started and it was so dark that it was difficult to differentiate twilight from the night.
That night at the resort we ordered dinner in the room. Roti and Goat Meat Curry. Again, great food and perfect taste.
Day Four: Chalsa to Cooch Behar
The next day we checked out after an early breakfast. That day we were going to Cooch Behar (my native place). We reached home around 12 in the afternoon and then had some rest, good food. Went to a few relatives’ place in the evening. Since we had to start early the next day, so went to sleep early.
Day Five: Cooch Behar to Kolkata
The Cooch Behar to Kolkata drive is a 700 kms journey through 2 lane and 4 lane highways and a lot of uncertainties. Hence we started at 4 AM in the morning. Mom had packed some sandwiches and a flask of tea. The initial hour of the drive was dark and then gradually it began to lighten up. But there was a heavy cloud cover all through out. We took the Fulbari bypass and were on towards Islampur when the first rays of sun became visible. Stopped by the road for the home made breakfast and tea.

A 'Recce' of Shillong

2025-01-26T13:04:00.006+05:30

We were seated at one of the small eateries overlooking the Noh-Kah-Li-Kai falls and sipping the hot Maggi. Thick clouds had gathered around the horizon and in the immediate outside, the sun was shining much like it shines after a rain, within the clouds. We were wondering, what a pleasant surprise Meghalaya proved to be, and how we should have spent more time.

This trip was the result of crazy planning. We were on a 3 day trip to Shillong, having to spend 4 days in transit. And since touring other parts of Meghalaya wasn’t a possibility, Shillong it was for us – for its cafés and rock music.

This detour towards Cherrapunjee, that I just described, was only an aberration. So much so, that you will see from the photos that hardly there are any photos that speak of the landscape and waterfalls – most of it is foods and flowers. At best, this trip would have been a recce, I had wondered before embarking on it.

But now, when I think and write about it – it was undoubtedly one of the best trips that we, as a family, had. We planned that while going towards Shillong, my wife she and kid will take a flight to Guwahati (wife had some challenges with her leaves), whereas the return will be by car.

The first day I (I was driving solo) reached Cooch Behar where I spent the night at home. My mom had cooked a dinner of Rice, Dal and ‘Boroli’ fish – a fish indigenous to the Torsa river. The next day I started from Cooch Behar around 8 ish. Google map showed two roads towards Guwahati – one way through South Assam and the other one was slightly north. I wasn’t aware of which one to take – and took the road which was in the immediate path – the Southern that passes through Dhubri.

The entire road was two-lane and whereas 80% of the road was good, another 20% was bad to very bad. Nevertheless, with a lunch break near Guwahati, I reached the ‘Eagle Nest Homestay’ at 3.30 PM. But this route was picturesque – tall Sal forests lining up the road, green fields at the place, railway lines passing just beside the road at many places – it was a very nice drive. In the evening, I went out for a stroll and by 6 I was back at the homestay.

The next morning, I woke up, took a bath, settled the bill and left for the airport. Kid and missus were coming!

Now, every motorhead whom I had interacted with, had lavished praise on the Guwahati – Shillong highway – and true to everyone’s word – what a lovely drive it is - smooth, curvy and clean. We had a refreshment break at a Dhaba in Nongpoh and within 3 hours (quick by my driving standards) was in Shillong, where we had booked our stay at Tripura Castle.

A little history here. The Maharaja of Tripura had come to visit Shillong and liked the place so much that he purchased a piece of land and built his residence. Presently, a part of the residence forms the hotel that has three wings – A Heritage Wing, A forest wing and a Valley wing. We had selected the Forest Wing.

We checked into our rooms and went out for a walk in the evening. Found that Dylan’s café (a supposedly well-rated café in Shillong) was along the road which they call the ‘Tripura Castle’ Road. The evening was very chilly and so we headed to the restaurant for dinner and cocktails. Tried something called the ‘Maharaja’s Special’ – don’t remember the exact name here – it was nice. The restaurant was very lively. It seemed to have a soul of its own. A tandoor section where they were making kebabs. An open-air section where people were playing pool. And we took a window seat overlooking a part of Shillong. Lights from the houses – so very beautiful. And the behavior of the staff, professional, yet having a personal touch. We spent around three and a half hours at the restaurant. There are certain things which you can hit off almost instantaneously – this restaurant was one was spot – we knew we had found the place to be.

The next day, after breakfast we went to Cherrapunjee, visiting the Mawkdok view point and the Noh-Kah-Li-Kai falls – the colour of its pool is a ‘seen to be believed’ blue. Thought someday must be there at the pool. When we returned, it was 7 in the evening – Shillong has its share of terrible traffic jams.

The next evening, again, the same place at the same restaurant and cocktails and sizzlers. Lip smacking food. The next day was the wife’s birthday and I some plans to be executed. We planned to go light on travel –a visit to the Shillong peak, Elephant falls and the like. The afternoon, we spent in the Police Bazaar for lunch and shopping where we purchased some bamboo and cane stuff for the folks back home.

After reaching the hotel, we packed all the belongings and it was around 8 we were headed for dinner. There, we had a quiet birthday celebration – again, with the personal touch. I was elated with the arrangements and the missus was clearly surprised. The next morning, the hotel gave us some packed sandwiches and fruits for breakfast and it was a long drive towards our home in Cooch Behar, where we spent the night. This time, I did take the correct road and it was four lane all the way through. And then the next day we reached Kolkata around 10 in the night.

Somehow, Shillong took a piece of our heart away. Felt, it was better than Darj – sans the tea and the Kanchenjunga. What remains next is a proper Meghalaya holiday.

Pujo Vacation,2018 to Kalimpong & Chamong

2025-01-26T13:00:00.010+05:30

This year, travel plans were being postponed, shelved and deferred very frequently. Apart from the Chadar Trek in January, we had travelled only to Shanitiniketan, Jhargram and Tajpur. Usually every monsoon we drive to one or two nearby places but even those plans got shelved. The work situation too was giving hell and was swamped with work all along. So, something had to be done!

Sometime in the blistering heat of May, figured out that the Durga Puja leaves this year were just apt for a short getaway. Zeroed in on Kalimpong and a Tea Garden Bungalow in Darjeeling. And throughout the summer and monsoon waited for the days to pass as killing work took its toll.

And then I was rewarded. Almost on a week’s notice got a prized trek to Rupin Pass in the last week of September. Returned on 2nd Oct and the Durga Puja spirit was in the air.

The plan was to leave on Ashtami (17th Oct) and return to Kolkata on 24th Oct.

Itinerary:

17-Oct: Hop towards Bagdogra and spend the night.

18-Oct: Bagdogra to Kalimpong. Spent 2 more nights

19-Oct: Around Kalimpong

20-Oct: Around Kalimpong

21-Oct: Kalimpong to Chamong

22-Oct: Chamong

23-Oct: Chamong to Malda

24-Oct: Malda to Kolkata

Day One: Calcutta to Bagdogra [560 kms, 13 hours]

We did some pandal hopping for the first 3 days. Didn't want to strain myself on Saptami night, so the outing was deliberately kept short.

And on Ashtami set sail in our nine year old Swift. The streets decked with lights. Even at 4 AM, Rash Behari crossing was flooded with the crowd. For a moment pinched myself to check that whether it was evening 7 PM or the crack of the Ashtami dawn.

As others have described, this year Farakka bridge was closed for repair for truck traffic from 7 AM to 5 PM and all the trucks were stranded on the north bound flank of NH-34 and was quite anxious as to what the situation will be. But the journey to Bagdogra (we usually stay the night at Marina’s Motel) was a breeze.

Apart from tea breaks, we stopped at the BP Moregram for a heavy breakfast of Aloo Paranthas and that stuff was good enough for the entire day. Checked into the hotel around 5.30 PM, freshened up and when we headed to the restaurant it was around 8.00 PM. Had Roasted Chicken for dinner and slept off early.

Day Two: Bagdogra to Kalimpong [70 kms, 2.5 hrs]

The day we hit the hills!

I had lost 3 kilos of weight after the Rupin pass trek and so wanted to relax, have good food and generally stroll around at a leisurely pace. We started from Bagdogra around 11.30 AM. Our destination - Kalimpong.

The weather was great and as we are wont to, rolled down the windows to let the fresh air hit our face.

The NH 10 has deteriorated at several places and in a hatchback it can quite uncomfortable at times. Stopped at a point for some vegetable momos and by 2.30 PM we were at Sinclairs, Kalimpong. The resort is located 5 kilometers before Kalimpong and is on the road to Chibbo village.

Check in process was smooth. The room that we had booked had a balcony attached to it overlooking the valley. The missus reckoned ‘just as we wanted’ – away from the crowd, yet has all the amenities and is supremely comfortable.

The weather during all the three days that we stayed in Kalimpong was mild. In the mornings you would require a light windcheater till nine, a t-shirt would suffice from then to around four in the evening, after which you would again require a windcheater.

Had a hot shower, ordered for some Chowmein and Chilli Chicken from the “all day menu” and sat on the balcony reading a recently purchased, yet old book – Ruskin Bond’s A Room on the Roof – and whiled away a cool two hours.

The sun had disappeared into the haze by then and the air got cold in the remaining light.

The trees at a distance rustled in the evening and my son, who had slept off after lunch woke up fresh and was happy and excited.

The balcony was too enticing for me to resist. So, I made some tea for ourselves and sat for a while. We debated on – should the dinner be ordered from room service or should we help ourselves to the restaurant? Our discussion then shifted to the plan for the next day. Our son was happy getting up and down the attic. And spent some time drawing the trees and forests and hulls. At the end, room service won over walking over to the restaurant. By 11 PM we were fast asleep.

In the hills there was hardly any feel of Durga puja – but we had found solitude!

Day Three: Around Kalimpong

Woke up late - so late that the breakfast time was almost getting over. So hurried to the restaurant where after a sumptuous breakfast we deliberated on “What to do?”. Checked a few websites on “What are the things to do in Kalimpong?” – the idea was to leave the hotel before noon and reach by sunset.

A rough itinerary was made – visit Dr. Graham’s Homes, Delo Park, the market and return. The sun was very bright, and it was getting hot as we wound through the hill slopes. Lost our way a few times and finally reached Dr Graham’s homes – basically a school – closed due to the Pujo vacations.

The Delo hill is further way up, along the same road that passes beside the school. And by the time we were back on the road, the sun had disappeared, and fog caught up with us. It was all – dark, foggy, wet and cold – in no time. We stopped for Maggi at a road side joint. Later we reached the park, strolled around, had some ice cream. Parking was a problem because of too many tourist vehicles everywhere, but all is well that ends well.

On the way down from Delo, we found a sweet place to park the car near Kalimpong bazaar. The wife bought some bakery stuff: cream rolls, biscuits; son bought a balloon and I had a beer at Gompu’s and tasted some beef momos at a road side spot. We were back at the resort by the time darkness had fallen.

An anecdote here about parking my car. That day was Vijaya Dashami and the car parking space (which is located at the rear of the resort) was full. So the security guard asked me to park my car inside the resort – near to the reception. But when I tried to take my car inside, the other security guard – who didn’t know I was hotel guest – told me to park my car outside. Saying that he will look over it and it won’t be a problem. Since the parking space was insecure, so I called up the reception and told them about the incident. Thankfully, the resort folks promptly responded: not only they apologized but they parked my car inside the resort. That night we dined at the restaurant and called off the day soon after.

Day Four: Around Kalimpong

Since this would be the final day to spend in Kalimpong, I had planned a short excursion Chibbo village which was nearby. Hence woke up earlier than usual – the wife and kid were sleeping.

Started the car and in no time I was meandering the curved, steep but well paved roads. Terraced fields, small houses, rooster’s call – all part and parcel of a hilly village life – appeared.

There were a few little shops where I had hoped for a cup of tea – to be denied every time. Asked the locals where the road went and was told that it ends at a football ground beside the Durpin monastery. Since we had time to explore later in the day, so thought that we can visit Durpin monastery later. Instead tried my hand, very poorly, at car photography.

By the time I was back in the resort, wife was already awake, but kid was sleeping. So made a cup for coffee for ourselves and sat on the balcony for half an hour soaking in the fresh air that came off from the forests.

After breakfast made the day’s plan – visit Morgan house, the Army golf course and Durpin monastery and on the way down visit the market. All these “touristy” places were nearby and by 2 PM we had completed the “circuit”. So, went to Gompu’s yet again.

This time we ordered for Chowmein and chicken with vegetables. After lunch we strolled around the market place. Gompu’s is located at the center of the town and whereas the food and environment are average – yet there was a positive vibe about the place that came from the buzzing customers.

We went for dinner around 9ish. And ordered for Kebabs, Tandoori roti and the Bengali styled Kosha Mangsho with Potato chunks. Had a few drinks too. Overall great food, accentuated by great ambience and service. Had Gulab Jamun as dessert. Loved every bit of it.

Day Five: Kalimpong to Chamong Chiabari [Around 65 kms, 4 hours]

The hospitality at Sinclairs had left us impressed. The service, facilities, ambience, infrastructure, food – it was value for money redefined. In fact, both of us felt, that it was better than the Elgin hotels where we had stayed earlier. Plus the weather too had been great and everything combined to make the stay just as we had thought it would be.

So, we started around 11 AM from Kalimpong in anticipation of an even greater experience at the next place of stay: Chamong Chiabari – which is a resort located in one of the tea gardens operated by the Chamong tea company.

Down we went through the Kalimpong road to Teesta Bazaar and took the Peshok road. Stopped mid-way at a tea shop amidst beautiful tea gardens sloping up and down hill. A light breeze was blowing all along and sitting on a bench we were enjoying the cup of tea. But then tea led to lets have some maggi and so we had maggi once again.

The clouds and fog started gathering thereafter and not for a moment in the next (almost) thirty-six hours could we see the sun. Went up till Jorebungalow and then took the road downhill till Sukhia Pokhari. The road to Chamong is on the left of Sukhia Pokhari and as we went for a couple of kilometers, the road deteriorated badly. After quite a bit of miscommunication and bad roads we finally reached our destination Chamong Chiabari – cold and hungry.

We were upgraded to a “Suite” room that was great and sandwiches, Darjeeling tea were provided as evening snacks. Here too there was a small balcony from where twinkling lights of the villages nearby could be seen. Dinner call was at 9.30 PM and after a nice dinner we were off to sleep.

Day Six: Around Chamong Chiabari

The next day when we woke up it was cloudy. Initially we had planned to go to Darjeeling. But the bad roads put us off. Instead, we spent the day walking around the tea garden, photographing a nearby temple and going to Pokhriabong for some errands.

The most interesting among all of these activities were obviously the photo shoot in the adjoining tea garden , but was later warned that the tea gardens are infested with poisonous snakes. Far beyond, through the view finder zoomed, I could see small and colourful houses that dotted the slopes; mist that came down from the top. A valley floor also could be seen at a distance – a river snaking its way through forest lands and sandy shores.

Whereas the experience at Sinclairs was rewarding, the same cannot be said of Chamong. Chamong was pretty expensive and not value for money, service isn’t upto the mark. But the location of the resort is scenic and the rooms are good.Also very interesting was the food. Dosas and omelettes being whipped up for breakfast, Darjeeling tea available ‘on tap’.

Day Seven: Chamong to Malda

That day was bright and sunny and after breakfast in the lawn, started the car. And it was a usual run to Golden Park, Malda where we stayed the night. Next day we started for home and except a 45 mins hold up at Farraka we had a smooth run towards the city.

Weekend Trip to Baranti

2025-01-26T12:55:00.005+05:30

It seems Purulia remains the district that has proved to be most elusive for us.

Like, we have never been able to visit to Purulia in March to see the Palash and Simul trees flame red. Similarly, a visit to Murguma has never been successful despite having booked accommodations a couple of times. So, when we had booked our accommodation at Baranti, we were optimistic, yet skeptical because it too was in that ‘elusive’ list.

We started around 7 in the morning and hit the Kona Expressway, then on towards Durgapur Expressway where the road ‘really’ opened. Heavy fog had limited visibility, so, the best was to practice caution: Drive Slow.

This was a trip with my mom and aunt. After a filling breakfast at Azad Hind, we resumed the journey. Even though it was January, that day was particularly warm.

We took the left from Chittaranjan Crossing and then on towards the State Highway towards Ajodhya Hills. Observed that the road condition had slightly deteriorated since my last visit. Google maps was fairly accurate and we took another left turn . At places, it was so narrow that it seemed to run through the courtyard of the houses. After a lot of navigation, we finally saw a few hillocks and the huge Muradi Lake.

We had booked our accommodation at Palashbari and true to its name the resort was filled with Palash trees. After a quick lunch we went to the dam to watch the sunset behind the hill and that was a lovely thing!

After night fell, a bonfire was lit. The beats of the ‘madol’ came from far. And we sat on the charpoy under an open sky, surrounded by the palash trees – drinking cups and cups of tea. My mother spent a few years of her childhood in Purulia and this visit brought those memories back to her. At night we had Roti, Chicken and Salad and called it an early night.

The next morning was very cold. But then we realized that we had forgotten to bring toothpaste. So, went to purchase it. Then, after having tea, all of us went for a short walk again to see the Baranti village – bullock carts, hand pumps for drawing water, little children running around barefoot, hay stacks, cattle being tended. We checked out around 10ish and went to visit the Panchet Dam – which my mom had visited during her school days. The ‘Garh’ of which she wasn’t aware, has been reconstructed now and we went for a short visit there too. It was teeming with tourists and resorts that have come up too.

We also made a stop over at Asansol, and then it was a quick three and a half hours door to door.

But the sound of 'madol' still ringed in the ears.

Weekend Trip to Doladanga

2025-01-26T12:54:00.002+05:30

The moon had risen high in the sky and through the recess of the Sonajhuri trees, extending much further its reflections shimmered and rippled over the slow-moving Kangsabati river. We were munching on hard, bony chicken pakodas, seated around a bonfire, when the wind that came far off the from river chilled us to the bone. A lantern hung from the bamboo gazebo, flickered wildly and somewhere far away, but visible through the forests, one could see a row of yellow lights of the huts.

We were at Doladanga, Purulia. Basking in the moonlight. Our faces glowing in the lights of the bonfire.

A relaxed (late) start from Kolkata and a leisurely breakfast at Azad Hind Dhaba ensured that we were quite delayed. We were travelling in an Innova and the back seats were occupied by my friend and me, the kids were chit-chatting in the middle row and the ladies.

The route towards Doladanga is through Durgapur. Sometime later we stopped for a tea break. Till then we were dependent upon Google maps for navigation and watched how the roads became narrower with every mile. From four lane highways in the Durgapur Expressway, we were now cruising on single lane carriage ways in the rural heartlands bordering Purulia and Bankura. But the road conditions were excellent - highly commendable development as far as the road situation is concerned.

The evening had started to descend with barely a few minutes of daylight remaining, but we still hadn't found the way to the Doladanga Backpackers Camp.

And then the road vanished and we hit a huge mass of Palash trees. Going further we found a few huts here and there existed, but no one could tell us the way.

Communicating with the villagers was a problem because even though the villagers were speaking in Bengali, the dialect was so different that we had to enquire a few times before understanding what they meant.

But whatever it was, the sinking sun, empty roads and forests did create an exciting last mile journey. And it was around 5 that we finally managed to reach.

The accommodation was in mud huts - basic would be an understatement. And as darkness fell, we asked the caretaker to lit a bonfire. A few chairs were arranged and then the stories continued late in the night - an experience not to be missed. We had a dinner of Roti and Chicken and by the time we went off to sleep it was late in the night - the kids having slept off much earlier.

The next morning was nice and bright. And we went on a walk to the river side. Mustard fields had bloomed yellow, bees and butterflies had huddled across the flowers, ducks were swimming in the slow moving river.

Our short excursion was cut short by the call for breakfast. Under the bamboo gazebo, where we saw a kerosene lantern lit the previous night, we munched onto a breakfast spread of Deep fried brinjals, Puris, Aloo Subzi and loads of tea.

And then it was a long journey home.

Year End Drive to the Sikkim and Darjeeling Hills, 2018

2025-01-26T12:52:00.009+05:30

The period from Durga Puja to mid-March, for us, also happens to be the favourite time of the year. And it also brings back memories of the Deity, of great lunches and dinners, of Christmas Plum cakes or the Koraishuti Kochuri Sundays. Of dew soaked vegetables that were picked up from the fields earlier in the morning. Of mustard fields ripening to yellow. Of fog. Of Pitchers hanging from Date Palm trees. Of layers of smoke from the ovens. And of evenings, when a creepy chill, hits the bone.

So, it was sometime in 2018. August.August, when it was raining. August, when it was hot. And a deja vu decision was made. Some places leave an overwhelming feeling. A ‘hangover’ of sorts. In 2017, when we had visited Pelling & Darjeeling, we were overwhelmed with the experience. And we decided to visit the exact places yet again in 2018.

So, in the last week of December, we, in our Red Devil were breezing across the Durgapur Expressway, well before daybreak subconsciously fearing, what lies a few hours ahead - the dread that was the Farakka bridge.

Through mist and mustard fields, we rolled, stopped, sped and rollicked over to the breakfast joint: BP Morgram. The car for its share of fuel; us for the share of Aloo Paranthas. By evening, we had reached our shelter for the night - Marina's Motel glittering with Christmas lights, where the sizzlers and beverages for dinner has become next to routine.

A long, arduous and bone rattling drive followed the next day - after a long breakfast - broken by a 'hole in the wall momo shop' break. It was evening and dark when we finally checked in our rooms at The Elgin Mount Pandim, Pelling.

A cup of tea and sandwiches later we felt that we were 'home' for three days, looking into the twinkling lights reflecting across the valley, which were at times overwhelmed by the lights burning in the room. Took a hot bath and got the child ready and headed for dinner.

And for the second time in the trip, felt that it was Christmas.

Christmas Eve.

The Gold and Silver boxes that adorned the trees and bouquet creating lights that were wrapped around them created a festive mood. Warm glowing lights. Candle lit dinner. And the restaurant was buzzing with diners and cutleries: that hit the plate after slicing through a piece of roasted chicken or the grilled fish. Glasses of wine were served too. After a long dinner, when the restaurant was almost empty, we returned to our rooms.

The next morning reminded me of Santa Claus. Of School Days. Kindergarten and a few years past those days. Of Christmas gifts. Innocence. I wonder why? But really dont have an answer and dont spend time thinking over it.

We drove to the Sanga Choeling monastery and for my limited driving skills in my modest car the road presented a 'steep' challenge, which I somehow managed to negotiate. Next, we went to the Dentam Cheese factory and returned in the evening with cheese balls.

That evening is slightly subdued - the candle lights have disappeared from the table. But the food remains as good as ever.

I sleep very well in the hills. And the fact that there is nothing to disturb you apart from the birds in the morning is highly desirable. Mornings, usually the kid and the lady of the house are sleeping and I brew a cup of coffee for me and drawing the curtains aside, that lets in slices in sunshine, look deep into the valley sipping coffee. Light travel and relaxation that’s the purpose of the trip, which we precisely do. During the day we drive towards a few waterfalls and while returning visit the Pemayangtse Monastery. Lunch is Chowmein and Chili Chicken.

Pelling is a small hill busty, with the main thoroughfare lined with hotels, stacked and packed like sardines – resembling unplanned, spiral growth.

The next day we reached Darjeeling with a break at another 'hole in the wall maggi shop'. The weather, that was cloudy for the past three days, worsened as we reached Darjeeling - thick mist restricted visibility. At night we went to Glenarys for dinner and slept like logs again till late - almost as breakfast time started to get over.

The day was spent shopping. Nathmulls. Keventers. All along again cloudy. Then we went on a visit to Tiger Hill in the evening. Heck, who cares its evening!

Around 6ish in the evening we walked to the mall - when suddenly it felt that the same woolens which were sufficient cover till the last day were inadequate. Cloud, mist and wind all around - the cold was numbing and a wave of darkness descended.

And as we stood on the mall, feeling numb, up from the sky fell something soft and powdery. Initially it looked like rain in slow motion. But then we realized it wasn't rain - it was snow. What a lovely moment to be in!

That night's dinner. Plus the next - we dedicatedly spent at Glenarys. Music. The Cold. Good Food. Warm People.

Two days later, under a bright sun, with the Kanchenjunga range forming the backdrop of a busy cluster of red,blue, yellow, orange and purple roofs interspacing the conifers we drove back home.

Weekend Trip to Tajpur

2025-01-26T12:30:00.008+05:30

The only reason that I took up to writing this trivial visit to Tajpur was to 'brush up' my writing skills that have been suffering of late.So, on a recent weekend, a friend of mine and me along with our families were travelling along the known road towards Tajpur with a usual pit stop at Kolaghat.

When we reached Mallicka Resort at Tajpur it was a quarter past 1 in the afternoon and drizzling. The pond of the resort, which was up to the brim last year, had dried up. But with the drizzle increasing to a downpour now, we chose to sit on the recliners to unpack the goodies that we had loaded at Kolaghat. After the rain had ended, a short while after 2:30 PM , we went to the sea shore.

I am not a sea loving person, but I do love the balmy breeze that blows off from the sea, at times almost unrelenting and never ending and sometimes smelling of the catches of the fishing liners blowing in the horizon. So, after spending just under an hour sea bathing, I returned to the shack, sitting on a highly malleable plastic chair watching the others take a dip in the sea and then looking at the moist-from-the-waves gravels on the sea shore shimmering in the yellow rays of the just-after-the-rain evening sun and sipping onto the cold beverages and fried eggs, followed by fried prawns that were just ordered.
A short while later, when darkness was almost descending and my companions had returned, we saw a couple of fishermen walking across to the shack carrying their paltry catch of the day in the fishing nets - 4 parsheys*. The tropical sun had tanned their faces brown and the high tide and monsoonal storms had kept them confined near the beach. Bad day for business, but thats how monsoons usually are. They sold us those fishes and also obliged for a photograph.
A leisurely visit has a generally agreed upon objective: which is, having a good time. And sitting in that shack, sipping onto the cold beer in those paper glasses and munching onto the from-the-nets-to-the-table parshey* fries was a scene that we hadn't foreseen. I had presumed it to be the 'high point' of the journey. But then there were further unforeseen scenes. Like, I pedalled a rickety old bicycle after more than twelve years, through the darkness of the casaurina trees and the night, with barely anything visible. And that was followed by a meal of country chicken cooked in a wood fired oven. The red gravy and the fiery taste of the chicken curry still lingers as I write.
The next morning after checking out from the hotel, we reached the same shack and under the same bamboo shade and seated in the same chairs and it was just like the scene from yesterday - excepting that the sun was stronger. Beverages were in abundance, but we had to be back home. So, like everything, this fun too needed an ending. After a lunch of Rice, dal,cucumber-onion salad, alu bhaja and pomfret jhal# we boarded the car for the road home.
*Parshey: A type of fish
#Jhal: A type of curry made with tomato, onions etc.
Distance: 180 kms from Kolkata
Accommodation: Mallicka Resort

Weekend Trip to Jhargram

2025-01-26T12:27:00.003+05:30

Visited Jhargram over the last weekend and stayed at the WBTDC, Jhargram Rajbari complex. I was pleasantly surprised by the facilities. The furnitures, rooms, staff behaviour and the entire facility was awesome and I will go out on a limb and and say I wouldn't have expected these five years back.

Heat was fierce in the morning and after reaching we had some chilled beverages, followed by an authentic Bengali lunch (Rice,dal,alu bhaja,mutton kosha,jhinge posto,chutney) and an hours nap.

4ish in the evening when we were preparing to leave for the Dulung River (12 kms away), the weather turned stifling and humid. A quick cup of tea later as we were speeding through the rural roads and a few forests, a shade of darkness that made it look like night - the darkness of an impending storm.

From the Kanaka Durga Mandir, its a short walk to the Dulung river and just as we neared the clearing, appeared the sandy, brownish shores of the stagnant, greenish Dulung river. For a moment as we stood, there appeared too much light and there was a rise in the wind - a cold, seeping wind that punctured the heat and a deluge - a much needed one sending delicious shivers down the spine. The cicadas were crying through jungle, the smell of a new rain rose from the parched earth and the rain drops on the river brought back memories of paper boats of the child hood. We felt, as if, we were living in the promised land!

For accommodation one can also stay at the WBFDC, Jhargram - more scenic (refer to Golam's travelogue on Jungle mahal). Theres another one, Kaushalya Heritage on the outskirts - that too is good (a friend had stayed here).