Moutushi Ghoshdeysarkar

4 day trip including journey dates – 20/12/2017 – 23/12/2017

Day 1 || Day 2 || Day 3 || Day4

Terracotta or baked earth art is extensively in use in West Bengal, from temples to jewellery, decorative sculptures to tiles and everything in between. The rest of India and abroad also adores terracotta, for its pliability which helps give form to a plethora of ideas that is bound only by one’s imagination.   The sun was shining bright negating the weather forecast and we set out to shoot all that we could at will. 24 temples was a bit too over the top sort of a target but one must try.   This time we started from the nearest one. Rasmanch. You got to buy a ticket, Rs.15 per head, it also pays for two other temples maintained by ASI, Pancha Ratna and Jor Bangla.   Rasmanch is a raised platform for displaying the idols of Radha and Krishna from temples around on a particular occasion. It has the essence of a step pyramid to it. There are loads of Drongos for the bird lovers.  

A 10 min walk along the canal took us to the Gumgarh, which is a very ancient structure and is yet to reveal its purpose to the archaeologists.   The famed Pancha Ratna temple is another 5 min walk. We found it being renovated and thus could not capture this one of a kind beauty with 5 pinnacles; the images we took are like that of a bandaged heroine.  

Further up the road, we found a twin temple which now has the privilege to witness martial arts training.

The Mrinmoyee temple comes up next as we keep going along the road. Built in 997 AD, this temple houses goddess Durga and is alive with the sacred rituals being performed till date.

Bang opposite to the Mrinmoyee temple on the main road is the Radheshyam temple. Across the grounds beside it, where children were happily playing is another hottie the Laljiu temple.

Marching backward through the grounds onto a mud lane on the other side of Radheshyam temple we found Jor Banglo, the most famous of them all. It had a small contingent of makeshift shops in front of the entrance selling souvenir and also some local specialties like the cotton towels the size of almost a bedspread for peanuts.

We had refreshments at an open-air spread out shop which had benches to sit, tea, biscuits of all sorts, sour, sweet, sweet and sour, chocolate flavoured, adorned with nuts and many more. It also had a dish favoured by most Bengalis, the ‘ghugni’ which was on offer with or without bun. ‘ghugni’ is black gram or dried yellow peas or dried white peas cooked with gravy, in the traditional eastern Indian style.

A mud lane from the gate leads up to the Mrinmoyee temple, we went past the temple looking for a place to relieve ourselves and found one behind it. It is a ‘Sulabh’ sort of a place, not so unclean and usable. The keeper, however, was very confused about what to charge. He wanted to ask something big but was suddenly mobbed as a bigger group came around. This group had ‘English speaking Bengalis’ who loved to throw their weight around and the poor fellow was completely mellowed. We paid him the dues and went off.

We walked and walked and walked, through the big and small gate of the fort walls that once stood there, down into the densely populated part of the town through winding roads, left and right, asking local guides and finally hiring a rickshaw to reach Madanmohan Temple.

A man very humbly dressed offered me ‘prasad’(anything edible that has been offered to the god), it was some variance of the ‘khichri’(rice and pulses cooked together) and it was nice. The man said he had made it himself at home.   From this temple which was deep into the heart of a maze of lanes, we tried reaching out to other temples but that seemed impossible on foot. After a good amount of trekking when we were about to give up we got a ‘toto’(a battery operated three-wheeler which does not need a license to be driven; this is restricted only to West Bengal).  

A couple of more temples could be covered thanks to the ‘toto’, but most were in a dilapidated state, being family owned who were unable to bear the cost of a proper maintenance. In some, the deity is actively worshipped and is expected to take care of the structure with its divine grace.   Back in the tourist lodge, we had a late lunch and soon after went out shopping for curios. I bought terracotta neckpieces for reselling; Rajib bought a ‘dokra’ artifact modeled on the famed canon that is called ‘Dal Madol’ which can be seen on display in a small courtyard near Chinnamasta temple. It was made around 1600 AD, was lost after the Malla dynasty declined only to be found by the British.  

Legend has it that Lord Krishna himself used the canon to ward off the enemies.   We bought a few more souvenirs for ourselves and as gifts including the famous ‘dashavatar cards’ which is handmade on cloth and depicts the 10 avatars of Vishnu. Its a Mallabhum specialty, collectible item.

The day was well spent culminating with a flavoursome dinner at the lodge and speculations about our next and final day at Bishnupur.   Time management was crucial on the last day, as we still had a few important temples to visit, travel 44kms to and fro to visit a village called Panchmura where they make the famous terracotta horses and other artifacts and catch a train back home at 3 pm.

Day 1 || Day 2 || Day 3 || Day4

Temple List::Bishnupur – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_temples_in_Bishnupur

Moutushi Ghoshdeysarkar

4 day trip including journey dates – 20/12/2017 – 23/12/2017

Day 1 || Day 2 || Day 3 || Day4

We decided to do the farthest first. 

The next morning, a foggy one, we hired a taxi, an ambassador! I just love the car; the space, the height and the nostalgia. It has been ‘the car’ through most of my growing up years!

The target was to cover as much of the surroundings possible in a day. As the car rolled out of the narrow streets on to the highway we zoomed past many ruins, reminiscence of once a glorious kingdom.

Bahulara, the first destination is a village 25 km north-west of Bishnupur. The nearest railway station is Onda. We crossed the railway tracks to reach our destination, trains excite me so much whether am in it or just watching it.

…………….You mighty beast on track,
…………….Long or short, shiny or dull
…………….Your whistle at night, or as the dawn crack,
…………….Takes me afar whether or not am in your hull.

Archaeologists have found significant presence of Buddhism and Jainism till the 7^th century CE in and around the place when the Malla kings turned the temple and the place into the seat of Lord Shiva. The temple, our destination is quite some way from the main road. We passed a couple of villages to reach this quiet site amidst another village by the pond.

The Siddheswara temple as it is known has a unique architectural style called the ‘brick Rekha deul’ style in line of the Kalinga architecture from the Pala (medieval) period. It is a fine specimen towering up to 19.2 m in height. The Susunia Hills nearby is famous for rock climbing and trekking.

We clicked and clicked and when we had all we wanted and more, we admired its beauty.

Next we headed for Dihar, its only 10kms from Bishnupur but for us it was 35kms as we were at Bahulara, but the guy driving us around was a local and knew amazing shortcuts. He took us through serpentine lanes, villages with thatched roof houses, someone’s courtyard and over such narrow bridges which one would think were only built for Maruti 800 but the ambassador went through miraculously unscratched.

At Dihar the temples are built of laterite stones, there are two of them Sareswar and Saileswar, both dedicated to Shiva the enchanting God and are protected monuments under ASI. Not much to click there, it is more of a place for serious devotees and could also double up as a day outing for the locals and picnic party, with a huge mango groove surrounding the area.

Moving on, we crossed the Dwarekaswar river, not by an over or an under bridge but one that is on the river bed. In winter the river is so shallow that people can walk over it and thus the indigenous idea of building a motorable mud road, which can shorten the distance to the other-side considerably. In summer a ferry would have to be used to cross the river at that point.

In a short while we emerged on the other side of the river, went through a part of Joypur forest, where the mighty elephants reside and parked at the Banalata forest resort which is gaining popularity as an upcoming hospitality centre on state highway 2, WB.

The resort is built on a vast area and is quite picturesque with a pond, loads of flowering and ornamental plants scattered around. It had thatched huts alongside two storey staying quarters. We had a straightforward lunch, which we generally do, if on a day trip. The staff and arrangement are new and will need a lot more grooming up before the service can equalize that of a professional establishment. We heard the staff comprise of local village woman and that is indeed a great initiative towards their employment and empowerment.

Gokulnagar, the next stop is difficult to reach if one is self-driving. One has to know the area or else there is every possibility of falling into a ditch or going off track at the next turn.

The journeys through these settlements that have been sitting here unchanged year after year are in themselves monumental to city dwellers like us. Here, life goes at a pace that we only read in books and call them fiction, but it is the reality of millions of living breathing people, for whom nothing changes, year on year, millennium to millennium.

Yet development is happening, many undaunted individuals are working towards the upliftment of the society at large, many bright young minds are fighting their way through hardships and attaining their goals.

The Gokulchand temple at Gokulnagar is considered as the largest stone temple of Bankura District, and hence the endeavour to reach it.     

This handsome structure had been plundered by locals and contractors for its stone for many years and yet it stands tall, 64ft with five pinnacles and is worth a photographer’s effort.

The sun had been merciful towards these two hapless photographers, who had come all the way from Bangalore to Kolkata, ditched their friends and relatives there to document these beauties through their lenses.

We still had time and urged on our transport to take us to Kamarpukur and Jairambati, famous for being the birthplace of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa and his wife Maa Sharda respectively. They are the pillars of Ramakrishna Mission, the charitable institution famed for serving humanity across our country and the globe to an extent. By sundown, we were on our way back having had a glimpse of the bearings of the great saints. Though the premises are kept clean and well maintained, the surrounding needs a huge makeover both to enhance the quality of life and to lure tourists other than devotees

Day 1 || Day 2 || Day 3 || Day4

Moutushi Ghoshdeysarkar

December is pleasant everywhere in India, well almost. Except for the extreme north where temperatures dip to sub zero, it is the time of the year to definitely book a trip.

I wanted to revisit Golconda Fort and my hubby acquiesced. After having travelled for so many years and living in one or the other city in India since birth now he feels that yet another Indian city is not worth visiting, and second time is out of question. Yet he agreed, was it something to blush blush!! Or some architecture which he found was not covered last time, I wonder now??

A three day trip was planned. If possible we prefer trains as our son has flight allergy. It is not just the load of sickness bags that we would like to avoid it is also the inconvenience caused to the other passengers owning to the horrendous sound accompanied with the spew.

We de-boarded the express at Kachiguda station. It was early morning and the breeze had a slight chill. Our destination was 16 kms away on the outskirts of the city near the Golconda Fort. It is called Taramati Baradari. All through the city traffic was thin, owning to the hour of the day. The neatly done flyovers and pedestrian bridges were impressive enough and then we left the city behind to enter the military area. The greens, wide roads with divider and the highway experience, were all whispering a good start.

The signage indicated Golconda Fort to the left and Taramati straight ahead, 2 more kms. Confused? Why we are heading towards a tourist attraction without checking in somewhere? That’s what this write up is all about. I chose Haritha Hotel by Telangana Tourism which is housed in the same complex as that of Taramati Baradari to be far from the city limits and yet be near our major attraction – The Fort!

The Taramati complex is a treat to nature lovers, trees lined up in harmony with the well maintained lawns, clean path ways and ample opportunity to create frames.

Photography is allowed anytime and is free for residents of the monument complex and has a monumental fee of 3000 INR for visitors within restricted hours. The double storied livings quarters are lined up in a semicircle, with all rooms facing the manicured lawns. The rooms are basic with a geyser, TV and AC. All are double bedded with a provision of an extra bedding if need be.

The pleasant weather, chirping birds, smell of wild flowers and a hungry belly! We freshened up and rushed to the restaurant which was to the right of the entry gate and gobbled up some idli and puri that was on offer. The food I must caution all and one is a dampener. To begin with, the menu is very restricted. The taste is average and the staff is reluctant to serve.

After a not so happening breakfast but a filled stomach we went on to explore the Baradari. A little short of 200 stone steps up, up and way above the ground is a big hall with pillars. Apparently it was a Serai (caravan station) on the banks of Musi River. The second sultan of Golconda, Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah built a beautiful Persian garden called Ibrahim Bagh. This Serai was part of it. A Serai typically provides the much needed refreshment and entertainment for the wary traders after a long and tedious journey. The ancient structure more than 500 yrs old is naturally ventilated with 12 arched doorways which must have been beautifully painted to the delight of the temporary boarders.

This Serai gets its special name and is romanticised by popularising the stories of romance between Abdullah Qutub Shah, the seventh sultan and his favourite courtesan Taramati. An unbelievable but fantastic fable is that Taramati used to sing at the Baradari and the gentle breeze used to carry it to the fort 2kms away reaching the Prince’s ears. Some say Taramati and Premamati were two beautiful dancing girls who would tie a rope to their waist and dance between their pavilion and the king’s balcony. Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could and thence there must be some truth in the fables whatsoever. As a token of love and tribute Taramati and Premamati were buried in the royal cemetery.

One of the domes of the royal cemetery more popularly known as the Qutub Shahi Tombs can be seen from the Baradari and whether or not the breeze could carry the melody so far, the eyes can reach the top quarters of the Fort and vice versa.

The journey from the light and sound show at the fort was quick, easy and breezy as we carried the melodies back to the hotel. The lack of gourmet gratification was compensated by the ambiance. The silent night, magical light, historical site all combined into a concoction of pure delight.

Click here to read a blog on Chowmahalla Palace

Over the next two days we hogged on authentic Hyderabadi Biriyani from the original “Paradise” at Secunderabad, visited Charminar and the ornate palaces half circling the Hussain Sagar at least 4 times, and finally having a gala lunch at the Tansen beside it, each time coming back to our sanctum, the Serai.

Apart from the hotel, keeping in tradition of the Serai, Taramati Baradari today caters to a wide array of entertainment and literary programs, for which its open air auditorium and AC theatre can be hired. It is assuredly a lair, far from the madding crowd and pollution of a city.

Moutushi Ghoshdeysarkar

With growing popularity Kanha is teeming with people, increasing substantially every season. The nearest airports being Jabalpur and Nagpur, which is fairly well connected with the rest of India, Kanha is exceedingly accessible.

The part of the park opened to public has been divided into four zones, namely Kanha, Kisli, Sarhi, and Mukki for better administration although there are no physical boundaries. There are two access points to enter the park, Mukki gate and Khatia gate. Mukki gate is nearer to Nagpur, but it is more convenient to visit all the zones from Khatia gate.

Once we entered the park, the temperature dropped a few more degrees. The vegetation is dense and picturesque. The jeeps are open gypsies and very apt for witnessing wildlife, as they are four wheel drive petrol vehicle making least noise and pollution. Some zones are frequented more and thus the spotted deer which are abundant in the park do not run away at the sight of the vehicles. The Sambhar deer is shy by nature and loves to stay amidst the vegetation, occasionally crossing the pathway or grazing nearby. We sighted a female barking deer, which is an extremely rare sighting. Golden Jackals were always seen in pairs and only a single couple in an area. Gaur (Indian Bison) herds have plenty to graze on and they looked fabulous. All the animals had shinny coats and well nourished looks. Gray Langur and spotted deer live in perfect harmony and are a joy to watch.

There is an abundance of bird species in all the zones, but Sarhi we found is like a repository. Sarhi seemed to be least visited but has an awe-inspiring landscape with huge open grasslands and virgin dense forests, even the animals looked petrified to see us at a distance of 200mts, jerked and vanished into the forest as fast as possible. We got a glimpse of the female blue bulls, which looked more like small horses, much bigger than the deer.

The water body in Kisli zone on the right of the pathway as we enter the park is a good place for bird watching. Also there are specific trees where the hawks, the vultures or the cranes love to perch. The experienced guides are well versed and can identify such places. We got to know a gentleman called Salim (09425417436) who drives his own jeep into the forest and is a naturalist in his own right. He can also help with the park bookings and stay at Khatia.

Finally the big cat sighting, the question one faces as soon as they reconnect with peers and anybody who had been aware of the jungle visit. The answer is Veni vidi vici and it wasn’t just a sighting. We were blessed with witnessing two occurrences of Bhima the tiger deciding to show up and flaunt his royal self.

The second sighting was more like a show where in an invisible director was directing his moves. Bhima moved in the bushes adjacent to the pathway towards a water body called “baba thenga”, sat there for a while, got up, moved around the water body taking in the scent of a women (Tigress) he was desperately in search of. Well he is in the prime of his youth and its mating season, got to give it to him guys. He marked a tree, slipped into the water to cool it off, you know ! Then straight came out of the water at us. Not attacking though, actually we seemed to be oblivious to him. He walked a little, sat, rolled over and kept on trying to smell her.

The park timings are to be followed so strictly that you got to leave a TIGER on the road wanting to give more… shots I mean.

Apart from the mesmerizing jungle with its inhabitants there are the beautiful “Baiga” and the “Gownd” tribes who are trying to fit into the so called civilized fabric of our lives. We visited their villages, saw their rhythmic dance and tried some mahua too !

Both the gates are flanked by resorts and eateries of all levels. Khatia gate has Club Mahindra whereas Mukki gate has the Taj. We stayed at a place called Windsor Tiger Resort (Contact Santosh Yadav – 09424339613, 09644145995, 07649-0277243) near Khatia gate and at INR1500/- a night; it was a fairly decent place with facilities of dining, bonfire and very responsive and cooperative staff.

The safari timings change depending on the season. Around November the morning safari starts at 6:15 AM, which in the warmer months starts at 5:30 AM.

The jeeps that go in for the safari must return to the gate by 11:00 AM sharp. Now here comes the explanation for the convenience of visiting the zones through the Khatia gate. The first camp once we enter the park through Khatia gate is 10 mnts away, called Kisli. This is also the entrance to the all the zones. MTDC has log huts here which can be booked online or otherwise. Also there is Baghira lodge and other administrative offices. This camp has restrooms and tea / coffee. Kisli zone is spread on the left and right of the pathway that the jeep has to take. On the left are Kisli and Sarhi zones, on the right are Kisli and Mukki zones, straight ahead is Kanha zone. Thus it takes less time to come back to this Kisli camp, from any of the zones, which the vehicles must pass back at 10:45AM.

The evening safari starts at 3:00PM and has to wrap up by 5:30PM in winter. The warmer months get an extension of about a half hour.

If one enters through the Mukki gate, reaching the camp in Sarhi zone, which is at one end of the park and also has a gate which may be to be opened at a later date, becomes impossible within the stipulated time. Though it is a matter of personal preference and associated circumstances which largely govern the selection of the gate to enter the park.

It is worth mentioning that it would be a good idea to drain out the bladders whenever possible as the camps are distant and disembarking the vehicle at any place other than the camps is prohibited at all costs. Visiting the restroom at the Kisli camp before getting ahead with the safari is highly recommended, this helps to be at ease till one reaches another camp, especially in the morning. Apart from Kanha camp which also houses a museum along with a curio shop, no other camp has snacking facility, thus one needs to carry breakfast along.

The way to enter the park is through advance booking online (https://forest.mponline.gov.in/Index.aspx) or current booking at the counter adjacent to the gate . In both the cases one has to queue up at a counter with the ticket (booked online or at current booking counter) which shows booking for a particular day (morning / evening), particular zone, particulars of people with their ID numbers. This counter allocates a guide and a jeep for a fee of INR 2200/- for the Jeep and INR 300/- for the guide (November 2015 rates). One needs to carry the same identity proof as mentioned in the ticket for verification purpose. All of this is mandatory each time one wishes to enter the park.

The road from Nagpur to Khatia that we took to reach Kanha 250 kms away was roughly a 7 hours drive with lunch and tea breaks, it is ravishingly lined up with Teak trees, colourful town and village markets, wide open fields and ofcourse parts of Pench national park, which is also a must visit for jungle lovers. Well another time, another day !