Being a Bankri (someone from the Bankura district of West Bengal), Bankura as a holiday destination always sounded quirky to me. Moreover, my son and I prefer the beach. Though my hubby loves the plateaus, we always won by 2 to 1. However, last December, I decided to see what’s there in Jhargram or Bankura that entices him so much. And fortunately, we found a resort (Rimil Lodge) with treehouses. The kid also loved the videos and instantly agreed to divulge from a beach trip.

So, off we were….

15^th December is my kiddo’s birthday and in 2021, it was also the last class in school before winter vacation. Our booking at Rimil was for the 15^th itself. So was his maths exam, from 8:00 am. We were so excited that instead of waiting for a day, we decided to let our son experience some fun on his birthday alongside having serious business to take care of. I know many will frown on this idea, but that’s a life skill, to be honest!

The plan was to Jhilimili forest via Jhargram- approximately a 5 hours drive. So, the kid was to take his exam from a roadside eatery in his school uniform!

15^th December 2021

We started our journey at around 6:00 am, aiming to reach Kolaghat by 7:30 am.

We reached there by 7:20 am, giving us enough time to freshen up and prepare for the test. Though we were worried about how the teachers would react to our crazy idea of taking the test inside an eatery, they were quite sporting. After all, it’s the new normal. However, the kid was excited to reveal his birthday plans to his teacher. We had to literally beg him to restrict his words only to “Ma’am, today’s my birthday.” And to keep aside his excitement as after vacation stories. Once the test was over, we changed him into his birthday dress and resumed our journey.

Trust me! I’m not exaggerating, but this was one of our best road trips – the roads were very smooth, and the lush green forests, from the moment we entered Jhargram, added to the charm. There were so many moments when we just stopped and looked around. Unlike any other trips, we had no hurry to reach our destination. There was hardly any traffic and we either passed by villages or forests. Life seemed so peaceful and so enticing. It seemed like a journey that we could continue forever.

Jhilimili Forest

We reached our destination by 2 pm and there wasn’t a single drop of tiredness in us.

Rimil Eco-Tourism

Rimil Eco-Tourism was just the place where we wanted to be. There’s enough open space with a children’s park. However, the treehouse is a bit overtly charged. It’s a make-believe tree house put up on a few pillars. After reading a few stories, the kid expected something more realistic, but the park and the freedom to roam about maskless made him happy. And he also loved the company of the staff. They were very hospitable and paid as much importance to the kid’s words as ours.

They also have a small pond, beside which you can sit and detoxify your city life’s tiredness. And the entire area is perfectly lit up, ensuring that you neither feel unsafe nor does it interfere between you and nature.

In the evening, we had a bonfire just near our treehouse. And they prepared a sal-pata chicken, a speciality of Bankura. The smoky flavour of the countryside chicken can beat any 5-star restaurant’s tandoori.

My father and his friends used this sala-pata recipe, as an old technique, as kids. They used to marinate fish with spicy Indian masalas, wrap them up in sal-pata and put it at the base of the bonfire. Then, once the fire was towards the fag end, they took it out and enjoyed it with hot rice. We enjoyed the same thrill but with chicken!

From Rimil resort, you can visit the Talberia dam. Amidst tribal villages, it’s an appealing spot for visitors who want to spend quality time with themselves.

Visit the hills: An Accidental Sojourn In Darjeeling

Sutan forest

The next day we left for Kangsabati Dam in Mukutmanipur, Bankura. On our way, we took a detour and went to Sutan forest, which is half an hour from Rimil.

Someone has rightly said, “True bliss is found in the silence of the nature.”

Sutan forest is no activity spot. It’s the ultimate heaven where one can sit and do nothing. And if you have a poor mobile network (like we had), consider it as nature’s gift. We could see nothing around except Sal, Seora, Simul, Amla, Palash and many other trees standing in tranquillity. And Sutan lake calmly flowed through them, creating a rustling sound. As if the ambience solaced us by saying, “we are there if you need us!”

After spending some time there, we started walking into the forest. The silence, the smell of the different types of trees, the hustling sound of water and the sudden ruffling sound made by the leaves as air gushed through them – created an aura of calmness and fear. It was broad daylight, but my heartbeat fastened as we went deeper inside the forest. I had to keep a straight face with the seven-year-old, showing courage. And I was relieved when he finally declared we should turn around or we’ll lose track.

After spending some time there, we continued on our journey toward Mukutmonipur.

Another Weekend Gateaway: Let’s travel to the unknown lands of Purulia Ayodhya Pahar

Mukutmanipur

Travelling through the exciting forest of changeable heights on both sides, we reached Mukutmanipur, one of the well-known places in Bankura. The WBFDC resort is on a hill covered by green woods. And within walking distance of the Kangsabati Dam. From the dam, if you look in the resort’s direction, you’ll see nothing but a small forest on a hill. But inside stands a resort with a hauntingly tranquil ambience.

WBFDC resort Mukutmanipur, Bankura

Though the rooms are big, they aren’t well maintained and the service is poor. As the parking is quite far from the reception, climbing up to the rooms might be difficult for aged people. So, try to book rooms near the reception.  For booking and other information, click here.

Kangsabati Dam

No vehicle is allowed on the dam. So, if you want to visit the tourist spots, you’ll have to book an auto or totos, which charge exorbitantly. The sites are mostly overcrowded with tourists, but the boat ride over Kangsabati was exciting. We didn’t want to disturb the harmony of the ride with the motor boat’s sound and took a paal-tola-nouko (a sailing boat). Every time the vast azure water current swayed the boat, chills ran down my spine. After the adventurous ride, we spent some more time loitering on the dam before retiring to our room in the evening.

Personal opinion

I feel we could have avoided this halt. It can be a day’s trip from Rimil resort. But, the hotel options are much more here than at Jhilimili forest. So, make your choices, depending on the type of traveller you are!

Coming up soon with our experience and stay options at Joypur forest and Bishnupur.

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About the Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary

The Satkosia is the gorge on river Mahanadi which is Saat Kosh or 14 miles (22 Kms) in length. The Satkosia Gorge is the habitat for a variety of wildlife including tigers, crocodiles, bisons, deers, elephants, porcupines, pangolins, langurs and leopards. There are also an amazing variety of colouful birds that can be spotted during the quiet hours of morning or afternoon. Presently, the number of tigers has decreased to 4, leopards are rarely spotted but one can easily spot Gharials basking in the sun while cruising on the Mahanadi river on local boats. The green forests remain rejuvenated throughout the year because of the regular rains showering upon the deciduous trees in and around Satkosia gorge.

There are many nature camps like Tikarpara and Purunakote, but we zeroed our stay in the cottages provided by the Chhotkei Nature Camp. The Chhotkei Nature camp lies on the northern side of the Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary. We booked our cottages online. (The online link for booking is shared in Part 2).

Reaching Chhotkei Nature Camp from Kolkata

Since train tickets weren’t available, we opted for a bus journey. The night bus started from Esplanade and dropped us at Bhubaneshwar just before dawn. From Bhubaneshwar, we hired a cab till Chhotkei Nature Camp. We drove till Angul Bazar, halted for a breakfast with Idli, turned left to reach Chhotkei Nature Camp. In the midway, we stopped at Pampasar to take the permission and register our entries into the Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary.

In short, our road journey was a tedious one with our kids. We won’t recommend a long drive to Chhotkei Nature Camp from Kolkata with toddlers. It would be best via train. You can take a local train to Angul Station from Bhubaneshwar and then take a cab to Chhotkei.

First Day at Chhotkei Nature Camp

We reached the Chhotkei Nature Camp in the afternoon. As we entered through the gate, the greenery and a calm afternoon breeze soothed our weariness. Our mobiles being transformed into playthings without network towers, we felt more close to nature.

However, after their staff showed our cottages and served our lunch, the steaming hot plates of rice, daal and vegetable curry lured us more than the trees and the chirping of birds around us. We were so hungry! The food was simple and had a homely taste; even our toddlers enjoyed it. The hospitality of the staff won our hearts. 

After the filling food, all we wanted was to have a siesta. The rooms were cool; the drawn curtains made them dark too. Sleep wasn’t elusive anymore. After an hour or so, the pitter-pattering of the rains on the asbestos slopes of the cottages woke us up. The backside verandahs of the cottages opened us up to the lush green forests around us. As the rains dripped in, cool breezes swept over, bringing in some raindrops with them. The rains stopped after some time. The birds started to chatter again, breaking the prevailing silence all around. 

Conforming to the true characteristic of the jungles, there was a sudden nightfall after a not-so-long evening. The crickets and the frogs took over the concert from the birds. Later in the night, as we strolled around the nature camp boundary before getting off to sleep, a Night Jar announced that the day was over.

Boating in Satkosia Gorge

The next morning we started off to Satkosia Gorge in our hired cab. The gorge is around 12 Kms from the Chhotkei Nature Camp. We stopped at Tikarpara for boarding the motorboat. As we waited for our turns to board the boat, we strolled around the nearby enclosures. 

The enclosures housed Gharials, Crocodiles, a few local poisonous snakes, and some monkeys. The signboard installed near the enclosures read ‘Crocodile Breeding Ground and Conservation Site.’

After some time, as the boatman called us, we boarded the motorboat. The two amateur photographers of our group placed themselves in vantage points in the hope of capturing the sights as the boat would advance. Mahanadi and the hillocks around appeared blue – the waves were glassy while the hillocks stood firm with trees dotted around them.

We had a fear that the engine sound emanating from the engine would drive the birds and animals away but nothing of that sort happened. The sound was barely heard by us, almost inaudible. As we glanced around from the mid-river, we caught a nonchalant crocodile lying down on a sandbank upon Mahanadi River and basking in the sun. A River Lapwing jostled around in the hope of catching a few crustaceans.

It was fun to introduce the animal life and the sights around the Satkosia Gorge to our toddlers. They avidly watched, rapt in attention. As we showed our kids the waves the boat made while sailing ahead, a Tern swooped down on the river like lightning, caught a fish on its beak, and flew up above towards its nest, maybe. We wanted to follow the Tern’s direction of flight but the dazzling sun hid it from us. 

The cool, moist breeze over the Mahanadi River was a constant companion and the reason for us not to sweat profusely. The viewing experience would have been better if we could take the boat cruise earlier in the morning. Nevertheless, the experience was marvellous. The Satkosia Gorge is one of those places which can make you crave solitude amidst nature and want to spend some more time by the sandbanks of Mahanadi River, whiling away your time by counting the soft ripples appearing on the surface of the river.

The next day we had planned to go for the customary Jungle Safari. Our driver Sunil, suggested us to go for a night safari after having our dinner. We will describe more about our Satkosia experience in the next part of the travelogue.

The post A weekend destination near Kolkata – Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary, Odisha (Part 1) appeared first on KolkataFusion.

Approximately 163 kms from Kolkata lies this small town, Shantiniketan – an ideal place to revive and rejuvenate your soul. The land of bauls, the land of art and culture, the dream place of Rabindra Nath Tagore, Shantiniketan, is now also a great weekend destination and attracts tourists from all over the world.

History

In 1863, when Maharshi Debendranath Tagore founded the Brahmo Samaj, he had a guest house on this land of red soil named as Shantiniketan. The story goes such that while on a boat ride from Raipur, this learned man chanced upon a small village called Bhubhandanga, named after Bhubhan Dakat, a local dacoit, and he fell in love with it. He decided to buy a piece of land there and built a meditation center, which later became the initiator of Brahmo Samaj.

Viswa- Bharati – communion of the world with India

Later on, in 1901, his son, Rabindra Nath Tagore, converted his father’s ashram in to a school, in the lines of the Asian Gurukul system. And with this he laid the foundation stone of our renowned institute Visva- Bharati – as Tagore had said, a place “Where The World Makes A Home In A Nest.” A school which started with a handful of students is now an internationally accredited university that offers wide range of courses starting from regular graduation courses to specializations in different genres.

But, Shantiniketan hosts lot more than the university! The wealth of information housed within the Rabindra Bhavan is a treasure trove to dive in and can entice any living soul. It remains closed on Wednesdays. And the complex also has an art gallery that treasures many of Tagore’s work. To take a tour of Tagore’s houses – Punascha, Shyamali, Konarka, Udichi and Udayana, visit the Uttrayan Complex  – a Tagore lover is sure to die for it.

Let’s now move out of the University and look at another game changer – Amar Kutir.

Amar Kutir – my cottage

Yes! That Amar Kutir which supports the locals now andshowcases various handicrafts and has a stock of over 1300 regional handicraft products; that Amar Kutir which is a must-go place for a shopaholic, and that Amar Kutir where you can see artisans giving shape to the raw products, had played a significant role in our Independence. Set up by Late Susen Mukherjee, Amar Kutir, meaning my cottage, was a place where Indian independence activists took refuge. It is a half an hour’s drive from the university and you will easily get local transports to this place.    

Susen Mukherjee, the follower of Ramakrishna Vedanta Culture, had found that his purpose in life was “to free yourself from the bondage of foreign rule”. He had been allied with many spearhead leaders of the freedom movement, and has been greatly motivated by their visions. He wanted to build a remote, human inhabitant free haven for the fugitives, preferably in the midst of woods to dupe cudgels and piercing eyes of the alert British Police. It was to help the youths involved in freedom movements earn their livings for themselves and their families. They could work on sari printing, handloom and leather craft production. Mr. Mukherjee was a hitherto wanderer, and through his rigorous travelling, he met different people, learnt new techniques of waxing, cracking and printing.

It is said that this place has once been home to notable Moni Ganguly and Pannalal Dasgupta, whom Mr. Mukherjee had met in prison. His dream vision was on halt from 1932 to 1937 – during his imprisonment. However, on returning they started with a new zeal and with the help of notable freedom fighters, they also imparted knowledge on Marxism.

Two brothers, Kamalaksha Bose and Alok Bose, are the heirs of the nearly 100 acre land and are running the organisation with utmost love and dedication making it the only place in India to specialise in creating leather Batik objects, the motifs on them inspired by the Bengal school of Art and Ajanta cave paintings.

How to reach Shantiniketan

Shantiniketan, a neighborhood city of Bolpur is in the Birbhum district. Though you can go by road, the most convenient transport is train.

Train – Find the list of trains available – Indian Rail. It takes around 2-3 hours to reach by train.

Road – You can go by your own vehicle, the route is pretty simple with a comfortable drive via NH2 till Burdwan. From here, once you take the NH2B, the roads are a bit congested, but only until you leave the Burdwan town (50 m approximately). Some 15 kms from the main road, the smell of Bengal’s villages is sure to hit your nose. With lush green paddy fields, palm trees, and small ponds every here and there, it’s usually a relaxing drive till Shantiniketan. The road crosses a few villages, and thus at times making the drive cumbersome. It takes around 4 to 5 hours to reach by personal vehicle.

Another weekend within a few hours distance from Kolkata is on the banks of Rupnarayan River

Best time for a weekend trip to Shantiniketan

The best times to to visit is July to February.

However, you can also visit during the different festivals

• Vasanta Utsav – Rabindra Nath Tagore named Dol as Vasanta Utsav to welcome the onset of Spring, is celebrated in the month of March. This national festival of India, is known as Holi in most of the parts of our country. But dol in Shantiniketan has a different charm. There was time when all the colors used to be handmade from the flowers – it used to be what we term as organic today! A number of dance performances and cultural programs are staged by the students during this time of the year.
• Rabindra Jayanti – another time when you can witness the rich culture of the town is the birthday of Kobiguru Rabindranth Tagore (in May)– to commemorate him, students perform cultural programs like poetry, dance and drama, written and composed by him.
• Poush Mela – One of the biggest attractions of Shantiniketan is the Poush mela which pays a homage to the day when Devendranath Tagore With Twenty Followers Accepted The Brahmo Creed From Ram Chandra Vidyabagish On 21 December 1843 (7 Poush 1250 According To The Bengali Calendar). Though the fair is officially for three days, it starts from December end and lasts till end of January. Besides finding rich work of art, you can also enjoy live baul performances.

Sources: SiliconIndia, Wikiwand, Amar Kutir brochure

For an escape to the hills, know about Darjeeling.

Coming up… Where To Stay and What To Do

The post Weekend Destination Near Kolkata – Shantiniketan appeared first on KolkataFusion.

The next afternoon we headed towards Darjeeling which was only about a 2 hours’ drive. The owner Asenla Pradhan welcomed us in on reaching the hotel. We were quite awestruck since the time we entered the premises. There was “Beatles” all over. In fact, the name of the hotel was given from the most famous album “Revolver” of the “Beatles” band of the yore. We kept our luggage in the rooms “George” and “Brian” respectively and walked out towards Mall.

After an evening walk around Mall road accompanied with an extra sweet tea from a local seller, our tummies alarmed that they were attacked by hungry monsters. We walked up to “Boney’s Snack Bar”, our favourite local stop for momos, pizzas, sandwiches and Chinese food. My daughter had the delectable stuffing of a few vegetarian momos as she wasn’t eating any non-vegetarian food at that point of time. After the stuffing, she had a few spoons of vegetarian soup and rice. Her face glowed in containment after finishing her first birthday dinner. We had chicken momos, farmer fresh pizzas and packed club sandwiches for late night hunger cravings.

The friend about whom I mentioned at the introduction had ordered a birthday cake from the marvellous bakery of the “Boney’s”. We went back to the hotel and cut the chocolate cake with our daughter. She lapped up a morsel and slept while we enjoyed our packed food. I had to pack the left-over rice (my daughter’s prasad after her dinner) from the restaurant and took an accompaniment in the form of “Chilly Prawn” for my dinner. Before people start questioning my unusual choice, I would like to say I can eat rice with any food item and “Chilly Prawn” being one of my favourites, how could I choose something else?

We retired to our respective rooms for the night after ordering our next morning breakfast. While drifting off to sleep, a part of my heart was excited that my daughter would be tasting her first cow milk porridge in Darjeeling itself.

Next day, my daughter had a hearty breakfast with oats porridge. We tried out pancakes and sampled English breakfast platters available in the hotel restaurant. Our next stop was the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling.

The upslope walk past the animal enclosures was an indescribable experience, especially when one was carrying his or her child on the shoulders acquainting the two little eyes with the furry and feathered friends. Indescribable because it is impossible to translate the wonder in the eyes of the little humans into comprehensive words. I lost count how the hour in the zoo went by. We took a cab to the famous Glenary’s to complete our Darjeeling ritual of having a meal there while watching people and a peeping Kanchenjunga from the balcony.

The lunch was a simple affair with stews and rice for the kids, Fish and Chips and Meat sizzler for us. We packed a few cupcakes and chocolates from the Glenary’s confectionary section for our journey back to Kolkata, the day after.

After the Glenary’s ritual, we bade adieu with the promise to visit again next year to treat ourselves on the ambience and the gastronomic delicacies offered by the Himalayan Queen – Darjeeling.

                                _________________________________

Hotel Details:

Hotel Revolver (A Beatles-themed hotel)

Owner: Asenla and Vikash Pradhan

Address: 110 Gandhi Road, Behind Union Chapel, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101

Phone Number: 083719 19527

Charges: Rooms – John & George (Double +1): Rs.1700/- (+GST)
               Rooms – Paul, Ringo & Brian (Double): Rs. 1400/- (+GST)

Image Courtesy: World Wide Web

Recommended Read: In the forests of Palmajua

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