We visited the farthest point on our itinerary, Dobanki, on the second day. Before reaching the Dobanki Watch Tower (last tiger was seen here on 5th March'08), we passed the Panchamohana (where five rivers meet, namely Vidya, Vidyadhari, Dobanki, Gajikhali and Herobhanga). This place, we were told, is about 6 kms from the Bay of Bengal. The vastness of the river (I’m using the singular form as the five rivers couldn’t be identified separately) enthralled me.
The Dobanki Watch Tower could be reached after walking a stretch of pathway, fenced on both sides, offering an uninterrupted view of the forest. However, the tower doesn’t has any shade (unlike the other two namely at Sajnekhali and Sudhanyakhali). As the sun shone at its best, it was scorching and we quickly came back to the boat.
The evening was kept for a village visit. We visited a village of Dayapur, Block No.3, seeing the lifestyle of the locals from close quarters. The village has a school where classes till Madhyamik are conducted at present. However, it has already got the permission of extending the classes till 12 and the same would be made effective very soon. The village, its houses, ponds…all were very neat. The market place was selling everything of daily need and we even spotted CDs being sold in a shop. On our return, the sun was setting and the lush green field in the foreground presented a view that would stay etched in my mind for a long time to come.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Day-1
After reaching the resort at the end of a 5.5 hr journey (from Kolkata), we freshened up, had our lunch and retired to the room for a short siesta (we were to leave for the first day sightseeing at 4 p.m).
Our first stop was the Sajnekhali Tiger Reserve. This place has a Watch Tower (not more than 20 persons can climb it at a time, though no one was there to maintain the rule strictly), Bonobibi Temple, Museum and Sea Turtle Pond.
Bonobibi is a famous goddess in Sunderban who is regarded as the savior of the villagers who had to go deep into the forest to earn their livelihood. Local people believe that if “Dakshin Roy” (tiger) attacks them, the goddess would save them. Originally, the Muslims offered prayers to the goddess (the word “bibi” in Bonobibi suggests a Muslim influence). Slowly, the Hindus and Christians also developed their faith in the savior-goddess and thus Bonobibi became synonymous with Sunderban. For many Hindus, she is also known as Bonodebi.
My climb at the Watch Tower wasn’t too fruitful as apart from seeing the vast stretch of the forest, I didn’t see anything (I mean no wild-life sighting. The notice board at this place had a writing scribbled: Last tiger sighted on 15/3/08). Even the Sea Turtle Pond disappointed me as I got to see nothing. It would have been any other pond if not for the signboard.
The Museum was an interesting place. But before this, I should tell about another interesting thing: the map of India and Bangladesh with islands marked in yellow, green and white fitted with small replicas of the watch towers. I got a good view of the map from the stairs leading to the museum and if the picture comes out as I had visualized it, I would surely post it later.
Now, a few words about the museum: it had a variety of interesting specimen of fauna on display. A few amongst the noteworthy specimen were the tongue, lung, kidney and spleen of Tiger, foetus of Deer, eggs of Olive Ridley, foetus of Leopard Cat, Indian Dog Shark and a huge Irawaddy Dolphin. Many species of snakes, prawns, ducks, crabs and fishes were also on display at this museum. Apart from these exhibits, there were many informative laminated charts about the flora and fauna of the place that were hanging on the walls. A few laminated placards also told about the statistics of Sunderban. I would share a few interesting things with you:
1) 85% people of Sunderban are dependent on agriculture on reclaimed land, which bears mostly single crop of paddy. Some other occupations of these people consist of fishing, pisciculture, honey collection and firewood collection.
2) 50% of the agricultural laborers are landless. 44% of the total population belongs to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
3) Sundarban Tiger Reserve was created in 1973 to protect the Royal Bengal Tiger and conserve faunal and floral associates in mangrove forests. The statistics of the region is as follows:
Area: 2585 sq. km
Core Area: 1330 sq. km
Buffer Zone: 1255 sq. km
4) According to the 2004 census, there are 274 Bengal tigers in the region, 249 in STR (133 female, 83 male and 33 cubs) and 25 in 24 Parganas South Forest Division.
Our next stop was the Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary. Once famous for its rich avian population, the sanctuary now doesn’t have much to boast about. Our guide told that after the cyclone of ’88, the natural habitat of the birds was destroyed so badly that most changed their course to go to the Buffer Zone of Bangladesh. So, we had no luck at this place either.
We viewed the sunset from the boat, enjoyed the scenic beauty and came back to the resort. In the evening, some local artists performed before us giving us a taste of the culture of Sunderban’s people. We enjoyed the performances while munching the snacks. It got over at 8 p.m. After having dinner at 9 p.m, we retired to bed after a hectic first day.
Our first stop was the Sajnekhali Tiger Reserve. This place has a Watch Tower (not more than 20 persons can climb it at a time, though no one was there to maintain the rule strictly), Bonobibi Temple, Museum and Sea Turtle Pond.
Bonobibi is a famous goddess in Sunderban who is regarded as the savior of the villagers who had to go deep into the forest to earn their livelihood. Local people believe that if “Dakshin Roy” (tiger) attacks them, the goddess would save them. Originally, the Muslims offered prayers to the goddess (the word “bibi” in Bonobibi suggests a Muslim influence). Slowly, the Hindus and Christians also developed their faith in the savior-goddess and thus Bonobibi became synonymous with Sunderban. For many Hindus, she is also known as Bonodebi.
My climb at the Watch Tower wasn’t too fruitful as apart from seeing the vast stretch of the forest, I didn’t see anything (I mean no wild-life sighting. The notice board at this place had a writing scribbled: Last tiger sighted on 15/3/08). Even the Sea Turtle Pond disappointed me as I got to see nothing. It would have been any other pond if not for the signboard.
The Museum was an interesting place. But before this, I should tell about another interesting thing: the map of India and Bangladesh with islands marked in yellow, green and white fitted with small replicas of the watch towers. I got a good view of the map from the stairs leading to the museum and if the picture comes out as I had visualized it, I would surely post it later.
Now, a few words about the museum: it had a variety of interesting specimen of fauna on display. A few amongst the noteworthy specimen were the tongue, lung, kidney and spleen of Tiger, foetus of Deer, eggs of Olive Ridley, foetus of Leopard Cat, Indian Dog Shark and a huge Irawaddy Dolphin. Many species of snakes, prawns, ducks, crabs and fishes were also on display at this museum. Apart from these exhibits, there were many informative laminated charts about the flora and fauna of the place that were hanging on the walls. A few laminated placards also told about the statistics of Sunderban. I would share a few interesting things with you:
1) 85% people of Sunderban are dependent on agriculture on reclaimed land, which bears mostly single crop of paddy. Some other occupations of these people consist of fishing, pisciculture, honey collection and firewood collection.
2) 50% of the agricultural laborers are landless. 44% of the total population belongs to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
3) Sundarban Tiger Reserve was created in 1973 to protect the Royal Bengal Tiger and conserve faunal and floral associates in mangrove forests. The statistics of the region is as follows:
Area: 2585 sq. km
Core Area: 1330 sq. km
Buffer Zone: 1255 sq. km
4) According to the 2004 census, there are 274 Bengal tigers in the region, 249 in STR (133 female, 83 male and 33 cubs) and 25 in 24 Parganas South Forest Division.
Our next stop was the Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary. Once famous for its rich avian population, the sanctuary now doesn’t have much to boast about. Our guide told that after the cyclone of ’88, the natural habitat of the birds was destroyed so badly that most changed their course to go to the Buffer Zone of Bangladesh. So, we had no luck at this place either.
We viewed the sunset from the boat, enjoyed the scenic beauty and came back to the resort. In the evening, some local artists performed before us giving us a taste of the culture of Sunderban’s people. We enjoyed the performances while munching the snacks. It got over at 8 p.m. After having dinner at 9 p.m, we retired to bed after a hectic first day.
Sunderban Visit (Fact File)
1) From Kolkata, it takes about 5-6 hrs to reach Sundarban.
2) How to reach: Sundarban can be reached only by waterways. From Kolkata, suburban trains can take you to Canning (64 kms) from where launch services are available for Sundarban. Otherwise, you can avail of buses to reach Raidighi (76 kms), Najat (92 kms), Sonakhali (100 kms) and Namkhana (105 kms) from where motorboats will take you to Sunderban.
3) Where to stay: Best to stay at Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge (run by WBTDC, Booking at 3/2, B.B.D Bag (East), Ph: 2248-5917/5168/8271, 2210-3201/3199). However, if you don’t like restrictions (you’ve to be back at the lodge by 6 p.m and can’t leave your room and roam in the area as it’s not allowed), try staying at the private resorts (would definitely be a costlier option, with tariffs varying between Rs. 3000 to 5000 per head for 3D/2N), the Tiger Camp and Tiger View Point being two of the renowned ones.
4) When to visit: Winter Season (from December to February); our guide told that the best time for tiger sighting is the month of February.
5) Permits & Access: For conservation reasons, there are some restrictions for the visitors. Joining WBTDC group tours or package tours of private operators would save you a lot of trouble though the best option is to go on your own, hire a guide and boat and then enjoy the flora and fauna at morning and afternoon (when it’s low-tide time) and spend the rest at watch towers (the best being Sudhanyakhali, where most of the tigers are sighted).
For permits, foreigners can contact:
The Joint Secretary (Forest),
Govt. of West Bengal, 4th Floor, G-Block,
Writers' Building,
Calcutta- 700 001.
Tel: 225-5601 Ext: 411/754.
For visiting the tiger reserve, permission is given by:
Field Director,
Sunderban Tiger Reserve,
Port Canning.
Entry Permits can be obtained from Bagna, Canning and Sonakhali for STR (Sundarban Tiger Reserve) and at Namkhana, Canning and Raidighi for Western region of Sunderban Forest.
6) Places to visit: The Sajnekhali Tiger Reserve, Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary, Sudhanyakhali, Dobanki, Netidhopani (a temple that’s 400 yeas old), Bhagabatpur (crocodiles), Kanak (Olive Ridley Turtles), Holiday Island (Barking Deer). [We could visit just the first four in this list]
(We booked ourselves for the 3D/2N package of Tiger View Point, with pick-up and drop facility from Science City. The total cost: Rs. 3400 per head. Our tour began on 21 March.)
2) How to reach: Sundarban can be reached only by waterways. From Kolkata, suburban trains can take you to Canning (64 kms) from where launch services are available for Sundarban. Otherwise, you can avail of buses to reach Raidighi (76 kms), Najat (92 kms), Sonakhali (100 kms) and Namkhana (105 kms) from where motorboats will take you to Sunderban.
3) Where to stay: Best to stay at Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge (run by WBTDC, Booking at 3/2, B.B.D Bag (East), Ph: 2248-5917/5168/8271, 2210-3201/3199). However, if you don’t like restrictions (you’ve to be back at the lodge by 6 p.m and can’t leave your room and roam in the area as it’s not allowed), try staying at the private resorts (would definitely be a costlier option, with tariffs varying between Rs. 3000 to 5000 per head for 3D/2N), the Tiger Camp and Tiger View Point being two of the renowned ones.
4) When to visit: Winter Season (from December to February); our guide told that the best time for tiger sighting is the month of February.
5) Permits & Access: For conservation reasons, there are some restrictions for the visitors. Joining WBTDC group tours or package tours of private operators would save you a lot of trouble though the best option is to go on your own, hire a guide and boat and then enjoy the flora and fauna at morning and afternoon (when it’s low-tide time) and spend the rest at watch towers (the best being Sudhanyakhali, where most of the tigers are sighted).
For permits, foreigners can contact:
The Joint Secretary (Forest),
Govt. of West Bengal, 4th Floor, G-Block,
Writers' Building,
Calcutta- 700 001.
Tel: 225-5601 Ext: 411/754.
For visiting the tiger reserve, permission is given by:
Field Director,
Sunderban Tiger Reserve,
Port Canning.
Entry Permits can be obtained from Bagna, Canning and Sonakhali for STR (Sundarban Tiger Reserve) and at Namkhana, Canning and Raidighi for Western region of Sunderban Forest.
6) Places to visit: The Sajnekhali Tiger Reserve, Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary, Sudhanyakhali, Dobanki, Netidhopani (a temple that’s 400 yeas old), Bhagabatpur (crocodiles), Kanak (Olive Ridley Turtles), Holiday Island (Barking Deer). [We could visit just the first four in this list]
(We booked ourselves for the 3D/2N package of Tiger View Point, with pick-up and drop facility from Science City. The total cost: Rs. 3400 per head. Our tour began on 21 March.)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
A rare phenomenon
On Friday, the 21st March, we will witness a rare phenomenon when three different religions will have their festivals...all on the same day. So, while the Hindus will be celebrating Holi, the festival of colors, the Muslims will be busy with the rituals of Fateha Doaz Daham and the Christians would be observing Good Friday.
It would truly be a reason to say loud cheers to the secularism that our country holds aloft. So, here's wishing everyone a very happy festival and an extended weekend that begins tomorrow.
It would truly be a reason to say loud cheers to the secularism that our country holds aloft. So, here's wishing everyone a very happy festival and an extended weekend that begins tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Suicide @ Central Metro Station
Yesterday, the metro rail services had gone haywire in the morning as a man jumped in front of a Dumdum bound train in his suicide bid. When I reached the station @9.20 a.m, I heard the announcement that trains were plying till Maidan. After some deliberation, I decided to get down @ Park Street and to take a bus from there till B. B.D. However, the only train standing at the station was already jam-packed and when it was announced finally that it would go till Dumdum, some more jostled into the already packed boggies. That train finally left @9.40 a.m.
I took the next train, getting into position right after the previous train had left or otherwise, I would have to stand all the way. Finally, I reached office @ 10.20 a.m, a good 30 minutes late from what would have been my original time.
The sad part of the story was that not a single word of solace was uttered for the man who died on the tracks. Instead, everyone was cursing saying "Morar r somoy pelona ei office time chara?" (Couldn't he find some other time than the rush hours of morning?)
I took the next train, getting into position right after the previous train had left or otherwise, I would have to stand all the way. Finally, I reached office @ 10.20 a.m, a good 30 minutes late from what would have been my original time.
The sad part of the story was that not a single word of solace was uttered for the man who died on the tracks. Instead, everyone was cursing saying "Morar r somoy pelona ei office time chara?" (Couldn't he find some other time than the rush hours of morning?)
Problem of 50 paisa
Recently, I've been forced to cultivate a hobby of collecting 50 paisa coins....all because of the shrewd autowallahs (especially those whose vehicles ply between Jadavpur 8B bus stand and Baghajatin) who always demand the exact fare of Rs. 2.50 and never give back the change if it's Rs. 3.00. If Rs. 5.00 is given, they would make you hear some sweet nothings (though these dialogs are quite somethings, at least to me) and then reluctantly give back the change. However, if your stars don't favor you, you may encounter someone who would drive the auto forward without giving anything back saying "Khuchro nei to othen keno?" (If you don't have change, why do you board the auto?)
25 paisa is already an extinct species and I feel awkward whenever I get a single coin of this denomination (coz if it comes in pair, my 50 paisa problem is solved). So, until the 50 paisa follows suit, my turmoil would continue.
25 paisa is already an extinct species and I feel awkward whenever I get a single coin of this denomination (coz if it comes in pair, my 50 paisa problem is solved). So, until the 50 paisa follows suit, my turmoil would continue.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
A hillarious forward that I got in my mailbox
God created the donkey and said to him. "You will be a donkey. You will work un-tiringly from sunrise to sunset carrying burdens on your back. You will eat grass, you will have no intelligence and you will live 50 years." The donkey answered:"I will be a donkey, but to live 50years is much. Give me only 20years" God granted his wish.
God created the dog and said to him: "You will guard the house of man. You will be his best Friend. You will eat the scraps that he gives you andyou will live 30years. You will be a dog. " The dog answered: "Sir, to live 30years is too much,give me only15 years. " God granted his wish.
God created the monkey and said to him: "You will be a monkey. You will swing from branch to 
branch doing tricks. You will be amusing and you will live 20 years. " The monkeyanswered:"To live 20years is too much, give me only 10years."God granted his wish.
Finally God created man...and said to him: "You will be man, the only rational 
creature on the face of the earth. You will use your intelligence to become master over all the animals. You will dominate the world and you will live 20years."
Man responded:"Sir, I will be a man but to live only20 years is very little, give me the 30years that the donkey refused, the 15years that the dog did not want and the 10years the monkey refused. " God granted man's wish.
And since then, man lives 20 years as a man, marries and spends30 years like a donkey, working and carrying all the burdens on his back.Then when his children are grown, he lives years like a dog taking care of the house and eating whatever is given to him, so that when he is old, he can retire and live 10years like a monkey, going from house to house and from one son or daughter to another doing tricks to amuse his grandchildren. That's Life..... MY FRIENDS............
(Courtesy: Bhaskar Bhattacharjee)
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