There are quite a few things in my life that I am passionate about. To begin with, there is hardly anything that matches my zeal for freedom. Without freedom – both physical and mental, living life would be nothing short of a real torture. I need to act sans shackles to live my life to the fullest.
Secondly, my creative pursuits are something that I can die for. I love to read, write and share my thoughts with the global audience. I still remember the joy of seeing my words being printed in the newspaper for the first time. Since then, I have come across a long way. Still I feel the same anxiety and eagerness even today when my words are published – be it in the online media or the print media.
Third thing that I’m passionate about is traveling. Though my busy schedule doesn’t allow me the luxury to travel frequently, I try to squeeze out some time to go on short trips - usually during the weekends. Though I have traveled quite a lot - from the rugged terrains, lush green landscapes, forests till the snow-capped mountains and vast oceans, I have a clear affinity towards the water bodies. So, I often try to plan tours to places that are either seashores or have some lakes or rivers nearby. A friend of mine once jokingly told that perhaps my affinity towards visiting water bodies has something to do with my Zodiac sign, which is Pisces. According to him, just as fishes love to remain in the water or close to it, so do I – the true sign of being a Piscean!
Last but not the least, I’m extremely passionate about matters related to the mind and spirituality. I like to meditate and exercise to keep my mind and body fit. I am a strong believer of nurturing positive mentality. So, I try to read good books and meet successful people from various walks of life to motivate myself and keep the fire in my belly burning. I also try to make my own small contributions towards some social causes – the primary one being the task of ensuring education for the kids. I also love to bond with my family members and friends as I feel they help to nurture my life force and make it worth living.
In a nutshell, I can say that I am passionate about living my life to the fullest and enjoying the simple things that life has to offer.
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, March 24, 2008
Day-3
The previous day was very disappointing as we moved without a guide and the long journey was very boring, at least for me. So, our group decided to start early (@6.30 a.m) to make the most on this last day. Our itinerary included a visit to Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower and passing through some creeks en route.
Fortunately, we got lucky to have a guide with us on our journey. Though from the first day, I had seen varieties of mangroves in the region with their roots sticking out (often called breathing roots as these roots take oxygen from the air and not from the soil as is the case with other plants), our guide explained the things more clearly, thereby making the tour all the more enjoyable.
It is believed that "Mangrove" is a combination of "Mangue" (a Portuguese word) and "grove" (an English word). Mangroves are plants found in salty waters of tropical and subtropical intertidal areas of the world. The specific areas where these plants are found are called “mangrove ecosystem”. Sunderban is one such area. Our guide also told that the existence of mangrove ecosystems on coastline has saved lives and property during natural hazards like cyclones, erosion and storms. This could explain why some cyclones in the recent years passed without causing much damage to Sunderban while causing havoc in Bangladesh. (The Sunderban region, our guide told, was initially spread over 46,000sq. km. Out of this, India got 4262 sq. km while Bangladesh got the rest. However, what now remains in Bangladesh has decreased to even lower than India’s share).
Though I am very poor in Botany, the presence of our guide helped in the identification of various varieties of mangroves out of the 84 species that the place has. The ones that we saw were Sundari (Sunderban is believed to have got its name from these trees), Baen (Avicennia marina), Dhani grass (Oryza coarctata), Garjan (Rhizophora species), Goran (Ceriops species), Dhundul (Xylocarpus granatum) and Kankra (Bruguiera species).
While our boat was exploring the creeks, we were busy viewing the flora on the edges, enjoying an exciting ride at the same time. The few creeks that we visited were quite broad. So, our boat was choosing to be nearer to one edge at every turn so that we can have a clear view of the trees on that side.
We finally reached Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower at 9.30 a.m (Last tiger was sighted here on 15th March'08 @ 5.20 p.m) . We were told that this was the place where most of the tigers have been sighted. There is a pond of sweet water here where the animals come to drink water. We saw seven axis deers merrily eating grass on the edges of this pond. Another visitor who took a dip in the pond was a snake (goshaap, in local parlance) though some of the visitors mistook it to be a crocodile (sigh!!!). We stayed at the tower for half an hour but the tiger decided not to appear. So, we left. Though most of the tourists were very disappointed for not having seen the tiger, I wasn’t so sad coz my primary agenda had never been seeing the tiger (though I would have been happy to see at least one). Rather, I was interested to visit this World Heritage Site (the core area namely the Sunderban National Park has been given the status of a World Heritage site) and enjoy whatever the place has to offer. So, I was returning in a happy mood as I finally made this trip (there was a lot of uncertainty in the initial stages about this visit). My balance sheet reads viewing some monkeys, deers, snakes, honey-bees and varieties of mangroves.
However, if I get a second chance to visit the place, I would surely design my own itinerary, hire a boat and guide and explore the region sans the constraints of a package tour.
Fortunately, we got lucky to have a guide with us on our journey. Though from the first day, I had seen varieties of mangroves in the region with their roots sticking out (often called breathing roots as these roots take oxygen from the air and not from the soil as is the case with other plants), our guide explained the things more clearly, thereby making the tour all the more enjoyable.
It is believed that "Mangrove" is a combination of "Mangue" (a Portuguese word) and "grove" (an English word). Mangroves are plants found in salty waters of tropical and subtropical intertidal areas of the world. The specific areas where these plants are found are called “mangrove ecosystem”. Sunderban is one such area. Our guide also told that the existence of mangrove ecosystems on coastline has saved lives and property during natural hazards like cyclones, erosion and storms. This could explain why some cyclones in the recent years passed without causing much damage to Sunderban while causing havoc in Bangladesh. (The Sunderban region, our guide told, was initially spread over 46,000sq. km. Out of this, India got 4262 sq. km while Bangladesh got the rest. However, what now remains in Bangladesh has decreased to even lower than India’s share).
Though I am very poor in Botany, the presence of our guide helped in the identification of various varieties of mangroves out of the 84 species that the place has. The ones that we saw were Sundari (Sunderban is believed to have got its name from these trees), Baen (Avicennia marina), Dhani grass (Oryza coarctata), Garjan (Rhizophora species), Goran (Ceriops species), Dhundul (Xylocarpus granatum) and Kankra (Bruguiera species).
While our boat was exploring the creeks, we were busy viewing the flora on the edges, enjoying an exciting ride at the same time. The few creeks that we visited were quite broad. So, our boat was choosing to be nearer to one edge at every turn so that we can have a clear view of the trees on that side.
We finally reached Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower at 9.30 a.m (Last tiger was sighted here on 15th March'08 @ 5.20 p.m) . We were told that this was the place where most of the tigers have been sighted. There is a pond of sweet water here where the animals come to drink water. We saw seven axis deers merrily eating grass on the edges of this pond. Another visitor who took a dip in the pond was a snake (goshaap, in local parlance) though some of the visitors mistook it to be a crocodile (sigh!!!). We stayed at the tower for half an hour but the tiger decided not to appear. So, we left. Though most of the tourists were very disappointed for not having seen the tiger, I wasn’t so sad coz my primary agenda had never been seeing the tiger (though I would have been happy to see at least one). Rather, I was interested to visit this World Heritage Site (the core area namely the Sunderban National Park has been given the status of a World Heritage site) and enjoy whatever the place has to offer. So, I was returning in a happy mood as I finally made this trip (there was a lot of uncertainty in the initial stages about this visit). My balance sheet reads viewing some monkeys, deers, snakes, honey-bees and varieties of mangroves.
However, if I get a second chance to visit the place, I would surely design my own itinerary, hire a boat and guide and explore the region sans the constraints of a package tour.
Postscript: I erroneously marked gosaap as a snake but thanks to Avra, I would correct it now. The "Water monitor" (gosaap in local parlance) isn't a snake. Rather, it's a member of the monitor lizard family.
Day-2
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.
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.
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.)
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