Sundarban: A great place to visit-3

Largest Mangrove Trees- Sundarban

Our two days were passed with the villagers and their stories. Next two days we will pass in the forest and inlets area of the Sundarban. This part of our trip was very adventurous and dangerous too. Because tigers on the land and crocodiles in the water, as a whole we were covered by death, any tine anything could be happened.

Before enter into the forest, Bipul was arranged two villagers who had vast knowledge about Sundarban. They were our path-finders. According to them, we moved very carefully and very consciously, because any time tiger can attack us and then nobody will alive, tiger will not spare anybody. We followed those two villagers and watched the beauty of the forest. Birds were chirping on the banks of trees and watching us very curiously. Then we found a villager who was arranging to collect honey standing under a tree. We observed his activity how to collect honey from honeycomb. That man fired under the honeycomb and huge smoke were created which can’t tolerate by honey bees, they were fled away; in the mean time that man broken the honeycomb and put into his bucket. But during our one day forest trip, we couldn’t find the sign of tigers and we became very frustrated. We went back to nearest Bungalow; two rooms of this bungalow were already booked in our name, before went there we booked these two rooms of the bungalow. 

Next day was full moon day. We have planed our trip calculating this matter of full moon. Because of full moon Sundarban looks very pleasant and charming, moonlight was fallen in every places of Sundarban. Generally, in winter the day becomes smaller than summer day, at 6 pm, the entire area were covered by night darkness. Bipul came to us with the news that Vutvuti-boat is ready for journey. Bipul was managed one person who had vast knowledge about the inlets paths of Sundarban.

We started our journey. The entire area was bright lighted by full moon. A dreaming sequence was created at the both sides of the inlets. The Vutvuti was proceeding very slowly and we were watching both sides of Sundarban. Entire night we moved on most of the inlets and enjoyed much. That night I will never forget in my life.

Sundarban is very near to Calcutta. This is ideal for weekend trip. If anybody wants to go without package, then first take train from Sealdha South Station for Canning. From Canning will get conveyance upto Ferrighat. There is arrangement of Launch, Vutvuti, Boat, etc to go Sundarban. There is the system of taking permission from forest department and entry fees. After completing, there are two options, either stay at lodge, Village or at Bungalow. In non-package program, the entire arrangement will have to done by the concern person. That might not be the problem for local visitors; but this might be the problem for any foreigner. In that case, this is better to contact with any travel company or West Bengal Tourism Department. The will take total charges as per their package and entire tour will be conducted by them only. So there is no headache for travelers and the trip will be very comfortable.

In my next blog I will try to give more information about better tourism companies of Bengal in details.

Eagle catching fish- Sundarban

Sundarban: A great place to visit-2

Launch-Sundarban

Winter season is the right time to visit Sundarban. In winter, the temperature of Sundarban is around 10*C and in day time it raises up to 25*C-30*C. from October to February is the right time to visit Sundarban. My three other friends and I were made a plan to visit such adventurous forest trip for four days. Though two days is enough for Sundarban tour, but another two days we spent within the villagers to know about them.

We visited Sundarban many years ago, then my age was around of twenty-five and my friends were like me. Earlier tour to Sundarban was not easy, especially transportation system. Now we can book steamer from Calcutta (Kolkata) direct to Sundarban. But we took the train from Sealdah South Division Railway station for Canning Station.  From Canning I took three wheeler-Cycles Rickshaw for Ferrighat. Before starting this trip to Sundarban, we have taken necessary permission from the West Bengal State Government.
 
First two days we spent within the village. One local man helped us to get accommodation in village. In these two days we had talked with villagers who were linked with the forest. Earlier, in British period, there were no strict rules that prevent local people to enter inside the forest. That local man who helped us to get the accommodation was taken our guide for this trip. He charged a very nominal cost from us. The name of that man so far my memory is concerned was Bipul. Bipul took us a area where had no male persons, only widows and children. We had heard their stories; all stories are almost same; their husbands were honey collectors from Sundarban. It was their only earning source as they had no much land for cultivations. Generally the honey collectors are used one man mask behind their head; thus they assuming that tiger will think that the man is looking at the tiger.

Before leaving for the forest they would worship their Goddess ‘Ban Bibi’. Because they would think that Ban-Bibi will protect their lives. Most of the time it would not happen and the innocent villagers were killed by the tiger.

Women and children of the villages are engaged in fishing the kids of shrimp.  This is also another source of their earning. But get down into the water of inlets of Sundarban is also very dangerous, because of crocodiles. Any time they can attack and eat human body. Thus huge villagers are being food of crocodiles.

Within two day of our tip, we met various villagers and heard their practical stories of their life which is closely related with Sundarban. They always live with a fear that any time they can be the food of tigers and crocodiles. Still their lives are move on and on. Bipul was taken us an open concert area where the villagers were singing and dancing with full of joy. We watch their programs whole night. And in the morning we went to bed, because another two days of our trip will pass at density of forest and inlets.

Royal Bengal Tiger -Sundarban