| Escape
To Sundarbans…. |
| Indian
Flexabiltiy |
| By Rajdeep Bhattacharjee |
| Journey to
India is not complete if you do not travel to the northeastern part of
India. And as you travel to the Eastern part of this unique land, you should
take out some time to visit the 1330.10 sq.kms swampy delta of the two
mighty Indian rivers, Brahmaputra and the Ganges known as Sundarbans, famous
across the world for being the home of the Royal Bengal Tiger. The name
Sundarban is derived from Sundari Trees, once found in abundance in this
swampy delta island.
The islands
Goasaba, Sandeshkali and Basanti form the northern boundary of the Sundarbans;
on the south is the sea; to the west side of the Sunderbans National Park
is the Matla and Bidya Rivers and to the east is the international boundary
of Bangladesh. |
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It was
the last week of July that I was invited by a Tour Operator Group based
in Kolkata, India named East Wind Holiday Tours Pvt. Ltd. to join them
on a short trip to this magical island. We left Kolkata for Basanti on
29th July’ at 7 am which is the starting point of the river cruise to reach
Sundarbans. It took 3hrs. to cover 92kms. and I thoroughly enjoyed the
journey as I got the opportunity to have a glimpse of the rural life of
West Bengal.
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It took us nearly
3 hrs. to reach the Bali Island where our stay was arranged in a
newly developed Resort. The environment inside this tiny resort is life
freshening with ponds on one side with a relax facility extended over it. |
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| I was surprised
when I was told from the organization that started this resort about the
fact that those who are looking after the day to day work of the resort
along with managing the Privet Jetty were once all Poachers. The kind of
hospitality I received from them during my short stay is just unforgettable.
They have the vast knowledge of the whole forests island and few of them
are learning English so that they can be more travelers friendly.
We were
soon treated with the Exclusive Lunch comprising Prawns and Rice which
again made me refreshed from within. I just can’t miss Prawns!!! After
lunch we again got on board the Jetty and we started sailing on the sides
of this world famous Forested area of Sundarban in search of Royal Bengal
Tiger. Though it was sunny at 1630hrs. little drizzle in between made our
evening journey more exciting and mystical. Sundarbans National Park is
the home of many fascinating flora and as you penetrate into the deep forests,
this fairyland unfolds its true beauty. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| It is the
home of Royal Bengal Tiger who has adapted themselves with the saline and
aqua environment of the park and are very good swimmers. The adventure
world inside the park is one of the most thrilling experiences one can
have in his/her lifetime. As our search for the Royal Bengal Tiger and
Crocodile were coming to an end on the first evening with the sun very
fast disappearing on the other side, one of the guides (who was poacher
once) asked the Pilot to slow down the boat and asked to move it closer
to the forests. As it was getting closer to the forests, we could see something.
More closer to the forests and we saw one huge Water monitor on top of
a tree and to ensure that we get the best position to see it, the Boat
Pilot took the Boat under the tree extension and it was a rare sight.
We returned
to our Resort and soon after freshening up, took dinner where the main
dish was again Prawns and Local fish prepared in the Indian way. The next
morning we started our Sundarban Exploration at 7 am and the first place
we visited was the Sajnakhali Sanctuary which is regarded as part of the
Sundarbans National Park. As you reach closer, you can see various species
of birds, mainly the seven colorful species of Kingfisher (off course
if you are the luckiest one on that particular day) |
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White bellied Sea Eagle, Plovers, Lap-Wings, Curfews, Whimbrels, Sandpipers
and occasional Pelican. I was not that lucky as I could spot only two
varieties; White belted Sea Eagle and the occasional Pelican, As we had
limited time in our hand, we could not visit some other attractions in
Sundarbans National Park and one of them which we missed is Netidhopani,
where the ruins of a 400 year old temple and legends lend mystery to the
atmosphere. We left the Bali Island at 1430 hrs. for Kolkata and reached
the city at 1900hrs. The journey was one of the finest I have made in my
life and I made it a point to return here during the coming winter.
Best Time
To Visit:
The ideal time
to visit the Sundarbans National Park is between September
and May. Winter is the best time to see the mighty Royal Bengal Tiger sun-bathing
on the river banks. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| How To
Get There
The nearest
airport is the N.J.C.B. International airport in Kolkata. If you are
coming by Train from New Delhi or any other Stations of India the best
is to get down at Howrah from where East Wind Holiday Tours Pvt. Ltd will
take care of the rest.
Every foreigners
wish to travel to Sundarbans National Park has to acquire permits from
the: Secretary, West Bengal Forest Department, Writer's Building, Kolkata
– 700001, India but with East Wind Holiday Tours Pvt. Ltd. you can be worry
free as they will arrange permits for you and can be collected on arrival.
A 2Night 3
Day package of Sundarbans comes at a price of $300 per person and East
Wind Holiday Tours run exclusive packages for Sundarbans. You can either
stay at the Resort or in the Boat but both forms will give you an experience
of a lifetime.
The following
are Rajeep's previous articles for the magazine:
Rajdeep Bhattacharjee
is a Travel Writer and can be contacted at rajdeep@ecotourism.cc |
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