Day 1
We who live on the Bengal plains are very fortunate. We have the mighty Himalayas on the north and the luscious Sunderbans on the south, are rare geographical treat enjoyed by no other state in India. Infact, the great Bengal plains owe its existence to the Sunderbans, which stops the Bay of Bengal from eroding away the plains. It also bears the brunt of the storms brought in by the sea every year.
In 2009 winter, we booked a three day tour of the Sunderbans. We boarded a bus from Kolkata, which took us to the Goshaba port in 3 hrs. Then we boarded a launch bound for the our island resort. The great rive Ganges breaks into hundreds of channels before reaching the sea. These sluggish channels deposit enormous amounts of silt along its banks, sometimes creating islands. These islands are sometimes huge and some are just tiny. Some of the islands are hidden under water, creating deadly traps for the boats and launches that are the primary mode of transport in the Sunderbans. We were headed for one of the bigger, more permanent island which has villages, cultivation lands and resorts. It is one of the few islands in the Sunderbans used for commercial purposes.
We were travelling with our respective parents and a cousin. There were three other families onboard. Soon we were exchanging pleasantries and biscuits. We had the whole launch to ourselves, a stark contrast to the other passenger launches which seemed to almost dissappear under a thick cover of passengers. Theser rivers can be really dangerous in the monsoon. Even in the winter it was difficult to the see the other shore. We were travelling along the shore and I noticed that the other boats were doing the same. The Sareng (captain of the boat) told us that the middle part of the river usually holds all the hidden islands (chora). If a boat is stuck in one of these, it will have to wait for the hide tide or enlist the aid of another boat to free it. The high tide in the Sunderbans comes twice, followed by two low tides. Every high tide raises the water level by a few meters and submerges many islands and completely obliterates numerous channels.
We soon reached a huge water body which looked like the ocean. Huge waves swept across the surface and the shore on the both sides were invisible. We were told that the ocean was still 5hrs away. We cannot help imagine how it must feel to cover this distance in a small boat in the monsoons. The people of Sunderbans lead the fiercest battle against nature in the course of their day-to-day life than any other in India.
Soon the typical vegetation of the Sunderbans came into view. The trees were short, with strong roots sticking out of the mud around them. The whole scene looked so different than any other vegetation I had seen in India. The ground looked completely full of these protuding structures with sharp points. It did not seem navigable at all by foot. Then their is the constant threat of wild animals, especially the Royal Bengal tigers. Sunderbans boasts the largest tiger population in India and each one of them is said to be a man-eater. Each year thousands of people become their victims, as they go deep into the forest in search of firewood and honey.
It was late in the afternoon when we reached our resort island. We docked in the lower jetty, which is used during the low tide. The whole stairway leading to the shore was slippery and full of mud. We reached the deck on a small wooden platform perched against the boat railing. Our resort was only a few meters away. It was a beautiful collection of one-bedroom cottages, each with its own garden. There were three little ponds full of fishes and frogs. Their was a huge dinning area where we had a great lunch. As we were not going out that day, we decided to spend our time exploring the island.
A small village path, lined by solar powered lights, led us to a small village. Indra and Rajada started a conversation with a man sitting outside his hut. Our first question was regarding the tiger. The man said that he had seen many tigers during his fishing trips. The tiger used to cross the river from the jungle across it and visit the village a long time ago. But then the river became wider, too wide for a tiger to swim across. However, the shore across the river fall under the tiger reserve-a forest reserved for the conservation of tigers.
The water in there rivers are too salty, due to the close proximity to the sea. The land consequenty becomes too salty for cultivation following any flood. For this reason, their main livelyhood comes from fishing. And this is how they become the victim of the tiger.
Day 2
The next morning was beautiful. Their was a humid chilly feel to the air, which usually comes when your are near a water body. Coupled with it was the flowers and buzzing bees. Early in the morning, a resort employee got us some fresh Khejur Rosh. This is a juice gathered from the date palm trees. It is safe to drink only in the early hours of the morning. As the day progressed, the juice ferments to form a very potent alchoholic drink, popular all across bengal.
We were to spend the whole day on the launch, so we started early. We were headed for an tiger reserve and viewing point at the southernmost tip, near the Mohana (where river meets the sea). It is said that Behula (mythological figure who set out in a boat with her husbands dead body, who died of snakebite, to bring him back from the dead) got her husband back here. It is a desolate place, where only the bravest fishermen venture out in their small boats. As were neared the place, we knew why. The wind that swept across the water gave rise to gigantic waves in which our launch seemed like a twig caught in a storm. These waters and jungles are not meant for the human. It is fit only for tigers and wild boars.
We reached the tiger reserve area safely. From the very jetty, the path is lined by high wire fences, which can be crossed only by monkeys. Infact the path is line by the tiny monkeys, which can be seen on the shores, picking tiny invisible things from the ground and straight into their mouth. Anything they get/snatch from the tourists is a bonus. The path took us to a viewpoint three stories high. We stayed their for some time but could not see anything, save the beautiful landscape. We could see the river twisting and turning around the green patches, impatient to the greenish blue horizon stretched out before us. On our way back, our guide spotted some pug marks near the fence. They said it was made the night before. One our way back, I spotted our first wildlife. I saw one beautiful deer eating the leaves of one of the trees. It was climbing on its hind legs to reach the highest branches. We saw a few more deer on the way.
Now dusk was approaching fast. As we entered one of the narrow channels, where we had seen a day old pug mark earlier, our boat go stuck. It was almost dusk and the shore was just a few metres away. In the dying light, the sharp details blurred and every bush seemed to conceal a tiger. This is what we call 'Jekhane Bagher Bhoi Shekanei Shondha Hoi' (Where there is a tiger, dusk comes quicker). If we don't get out, we will have to wait till dawn for the hightide or a boat to rescue us. The boat was open in all the sides. The cabin underneath had no doors and could not possible hold all of us. For half an hour we waited with abated breaths while the Sareng tried his best to take us out. Finally, with a mighty jerk, the boat lurched forward and we heaved a collective sign of relieft.
We returned to our resort to spend a nice evening full of adda and television. Little did we know what new adventures awaited us the next day.
Day 2
The day started on a sombre note as my father-in-law was not well. He decided to stay behind, accompanied with my mother-in-law.
Today we intended to take a trip to the sea. It was extremely chilli. We sat in the sun, so much that the boat tilted in that direction. The Sareng requested some of us to shift to the other side to maintain the equilibrium. We were served hot tea and were entertained with tales of the jungle. As we travelled we noticed that in some islands, a single red cloth was tied to a tree. It seemed that this red cloth indicated a human kill at the hands of the tiger, to warn off further excursions into the forest. But life is hard in the Sunderbans. We could see women wading waist-deep in water with net designed to catch crabs in that chilli weather. Every single catch is vital for thier existence.
As we neared the ocean, we ventured into a huge river, which we thought to be the ocean. But it was just another river. When we actually came to the ocean, we thought it was another river. After all that confusion and a little feeling of dissappointment, we turned back. The Sareng took us along the shores of the islands skirting the core area. We saw a few dears, some eagles, birds and numerious kingfishers. But the legendary tiger was still elusive. The terrible noise that the boat makes is likely to drive all the wildlife away. The best way is to take a fishing boat out in the wee hours of the morning. However, that is very risky, as tigers are great swimmers and are known to pick people from their boats.
When we reached Sudhanyakhali, the day was on the wane. We paid our respects at the Banbibi mandir situated near the entry and headed for the watch-tower. We saw that some major construction work was going on inside the enclosure. Apparently they were putting up some new rooms for tourists. We failed to notice how a small pile of rubble was getting piled up on the other side of the fence, creating a small mould which almost reached the top of the fence. Two days later, back in Kolkata, we read how a tiger had climbed up this small pile of rubble and climbed over the fence, into the enclosure. It then proceeded to maul two people. It was a miracle that nobody was killed.
The watch tower is situated near the fence,with a narrow staicase leadin up to a platform two stories high. Long strips of the jungle had been cleared to from a huge plus sign, with the tower at the center. This way the torists can see the animals as they cross the clearing between the two jungle patches. Just as we climbed the stairs of the watch tower, we saw two deers drinking in the small pond just outside the fence. Sensing our presence, they scampered off in a hurry. Moments later, something resting in the shore, slid into the water with a swish. We could only see it snout protruding out of the water. Maybe it was a crocodile. We could hardly contain our excitement when a Takshak (large land lizard) curled itself in a nice ball on the shore and went to sleep. Indra's binocular was passed from hand to hand to get a better view. Soon we saw a huge wild boar in the clearing. Suddenly another Takshak came into view, painfully crossing the clearing just ahead of us. The clearing on our right was teeming with something red. We soon discovered they were wild crabs. It seemed that the whole place was teeming with wild life. We left after all the animals had disappeared and it was time to go home. The sun was setting and this was not a good time to be in the jungle.
At our request the resort had arranged of a Ban Bibi pala (a play) that night. We thoroughly enjoyed the tale of Dukhe and how he was tricked into going into the jungle to become another victim of the tiger, Dakshinray. But his mother's prayers and that of Dukhe brought the jungle goddess, Ban Bibi, to his rescue. The plot was unfolded great skill by the actors who doubled as the musicians. What a perfect end to a wonderful day.
The next day we said goodbye to Sunderbans with a heavy heart and headed home.
We who live on the Bengal plains are very fortunate. We have the mighty Himalayas on the north and the luscious Sunderbans on the south, are rare geographical treat enjoyed by no other state in India. Infact, the great Bengal plains owe its existence to the Sunderbans, which stops the Bay of Bengal from eroding away the plains. It also bears the brunt of the storms brought in by the sea every year.
In 2009 winter, we booked a three day tour of the Sunderbans. We boarded a bus from Kolkata, which took us to the Goshaba port in 3 hrs. Then we boarded a launch bound for the our island resort. The great rive Ganges breaks into hundreds of channels before reaching the sea. These sluggish channels deposit enormous amounts of silt along its banks, sometimes creating islands. These islands are sometimes huge and some are just tiny. Some of the islands are hidden under water, creating deadly traps for the boats and launches that are the primary mode of transport in the Sunderbans. We were headed for one of the bigger, more permanent island which has villages, cultivation lands and resorts. It is one of the few islands in the Sunderbans used for commercial purposes.
We were travelling with our respective parents and a cousin. There were three other families onboard. Soon we were exchanging pleasantries and biscuits. We had the whole launch to ourselves, a stark contrast to the other passenger launches which seemed to almost dissappear under a thick cover of passengers. Theser rivers can be really dangerous in the monsoon. Even in the winter it was difficult to the see the other shore. We were travelling along the shore and I noticed that the other boats were doing the same. The Sareng (captain of the boat) told us that the middle part of the river usually holds all the hidden islands (chora). If a boat is stuck in one of these, it will have to wait for the hide tide or enlist the aid of another boat to free it. The high tide in the Sunderbans comes twice, followed by two low tides. Every high tide raises the water level by a few meters and submerges many islands and completely obliterates numerous channels.
We soon reached a huge water body which looked like the ocean. Huge waves swept across the surface and the shore on the both sides were invisible. We were told that the ocean was still 5hrs away. We cannot help imagine how it must feel to cover this distance in a small boat in the monsoons. The people of Sunderbans lead the fiercest battle against nature in the course of their day-to-day life than any other in India.
Soon the typical vegetation of the Sunderbans came into view. The trees were short, with strong roots sticking out of the mud around them. The whole scene looked so different than any other vegetation I had seen in India. The ground looked completely full of these protuding structures with sharp points. It did not seem navigable at all by foot. Then their is the constant threat of wild animals, especially the Royal Bengal tigers. Sunderbans boasts the largest tiger population in India and each one of them is said to be a man-eater. Each year thousands of people become their victims, as they go deep into the forest in search of firewood and honey.
It was late in the afternoon when we reached our resort island. We docked in the lower jetty, which is used during the low tide. The whole stairway leading to the shore was slippery and full of mud. We reached the deck on a small wooden platform perched against the boat railing. Our resort was only a few meters away. It was a beautiful collection of one-bedroom cottages, each with its own garden. There were three little ponds full of fishes and frogs. Their was a huge dinning area where we had a great lunch. As we were not going out that day, we decided to spend our time exploring the island.
A small village path, lined by solar powered lights, led us to a small village. Indra and Rajada started a conversation with a man sitting outside his hut. Our first question was regarding the tiger. The man said that he had seen many tigers during his fishing trips. The tiger used to cross the river from the jungle across it and visit the village a long time ago. But then the river became wider, too wide for a tiger to swim across. However, the shore across the river fall under the tiger reserve-a forest reserved for the conservation of tigers.
The water in there rivers are too salty, due to the close proximity to the sea. The land consequenty becomes too salty for cultivation following any flood. For this reason, their main livelyhood comes from fishing. And this is how they become the victim of the tiger.
Day 2
The next morning was beautiful. Their was a humid chilly feel to the air, which usually comes when your are near a water body. Coupled with it was the flowers and buzzing bees. Early in the morning, a resort employee got us some fresh Khejur Rosh. This is a juice gathered from the date palm trees. It is safe to drink only in the early hours of the morning. As the day progressed, the juice ferments to form a very potent alchoholic drink, popular all across bengal.
We were to spend the whole day on the launch, so we started early. We were headed for an tiger reserve and viewing point at the southernmost tip, near the Mohana (where river meets the sea). It is said that Behula (mythological figure who set out in a boat with her husbands dead body, who died of snakebite, to bring him back from the dead) got her husband back here. It is a desolate place, where only the bravest fishermen venture out in their small boats. As were neared the place, we knew why. The wind that swept across the water gave rise to gigantic waves in which our launch seemed like a twig caught in a storm. These waters and jungles are not meant for the human. It is fit only for tigers and wild boars.
We reached the tiger reserve area safely. From the very jetty, the path is lined by high wire fences, which can be crossed only by monkeys. Infact the path is line by the tiny monkeys, which can be seen on the shores, picking tiny invisible things from the ground and straight into their mouth. Anything they get/snatch from the tourists is a bonus. The path took us to a viewpoint three stories high. We stayed their for some time but could not see anything, save the beautiful landscape. We could see the river twisting and turning around the green patches, impatient to the greenish blue horizon stretched out before us. On our way back, our guide spotted some pug marks near the fence. They said it was made the night before. One our way back, I spotted our first wildlife. I saw one beautiful deer eating the leaves of one of the trees. It was climbing on its hind legs to reach the highest branches. We saw a few more deer on the way.
Now dusk was approaching fast. As we entered one of the narrow channels, where we had seen a day old pug mark earlier, our boat go stuck. It was almost dusk and the shore was just a few metres away. In the dying light, the sharp details blurred and every bush seemed to conceal a tiger. This is what we call 'Jekhane Bagher Bhoi Shekanei Shondha Hoi' (Where there is a tiger, dusk comes quicker). If we don't get out, we will have to wait till dawn for the hightide or a boat to rescue us. The boat was open in all the sides. The cabin underneath had no doors and could not possible hold all of us. For half an hour we waited with abated breaths while the Sareng tried his best to take us out. Finally, with a mighty jerk, the boat lurched forward and we heaved a collective sign of relieft.
We returned to our resort to spend a nice evening full of adda and television. Little did we know what new adventures awaited us the next day.
Day 2
The day started on a sombre note as my father-in-law was not well. He decided to stay behind, accompanied with my mother-in-law.
Today we intended to take a trip to the sea. It was extremely chilli. We sat in the sun, so much that the boat tilted in that direction. The Sareng requested some of us to shift to the other side to maintain the equilibrium. We were served hot tea and were entertained with tales of the jungle. As we travelled we noticed that in some islands, a single red cloth was tied to a tree. It seemed that this red cloth indicated a human kill at the hands of the tiger, to warn off further excursions into the forest. But life is hard in the Sunderbans. We could see women wading waist-deep in water with net designed to catch crabs in that chilli weather. Every single catch is vital for thier existence.
As we neared the ocean, we ventured into a huge river, which we thought to be the ocean. But it was just another river. When we actually came to the ocean, we thought it was another river. After all that confusion and a little feeling of dissappointment, we turned back. The Sareng took us along the shores of the islands skirting the core area. We saw a few dears, some eagles, birds and numerious kingfishers. But the legendary tiger was still elusive. The terrible noise that the boat makes is likely to drive all the wildlife away. The best way is to take a fishing boat out in the wee hours of the morning. However, that is very risky, as tigers are great swimmers and are known to pick people from their boats.
When we reached Sudhanyakhali, the day was on the wane. We paid our respects at the Banbibi mandir situated near the entry and headed for the watch-tower. We saw that some major construction work was going on inside the enclosure. Apparently they were putting up some new rooms for tourists. We failed to notice how a small pile of rubble was getting piled up on the other side of the fence, creating a small mould which almost reached the top of the fence. Two days later, back in Kolkata, we read how a tiger had climbed up this small pile of rubble and climbed over the fence, into the enclosure. It then proceeded to maul two people. It was a miracle that nobody was killed.
The watch tower is situated near the fence,with a narrow staicase leadin up to a platform two stories high. Long strips of the jungle had been cleared to from a huge plus sign, with the tower at the center. This way the torists can see the animals as they cross the clearing between the two jungle patches. Just as we climbed the stairs of the watch tower, we saw two deers drinking in the small pond just outside the fence. Sensing our presence, they scampered off in a hurry. Moments later, something resting in the shore, slid into the water with a swish. We could only see it snout protruding out of the water. Maybe it was a crocodile. We could hardly contain our excitement when a Takshak (large land lizard) curled itself in a nice ball on the shore and went to sleep. Indra's binocular was passed from hand to hand to get a better view. Soon we saw a huge wild boar in the clearing. Suddenly another Takshak came into view, painfully crossing the clearing just ahead of us. The clearing on our right was teeming with something red. We soon discovered they were wild crabs. It seemed that the whole place was teeming with wild life. We left after all the animals had disappeared and it was time to go home. The sun was setting and this was not a good time to be in the jungle.
At our request the resort had arranged of a Ban Bibi pala (a play) that night. We thoroughly enjoyed the tale of Dukhe and how he was tricked into going into the jungle to become another victim of the tiger, Dakshinray. But his mother's prayers and that of Dukhe brought the jungle goddess, Ban Bibi, to his rescue. The plot was unfolded great skill by the actors who doubled as the musicians. What a perfect end to a wonderful day.
The next day we said goodbye to Sunderbans with a heavy heart and headed home.
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