Asansol -E-Hoi-Choi Part 2

The day two of my Asansol trip was filled with greater adventure than the previous day.  The day started very normally with all of us getting into the car and asking the driver to take us to Panchet. No sooner did the car start that the tyre was left punctured and we were to wait till the car was fixed. While the boys of our group huddled near the car with my father explaining the problem and the steps required to fix it; the girls found a quieter place to sit in and talk with the local shopkeeper. Soon, the shopkeeper turned himself into a guide for us and gave us tips as to which places we should visit and how to reach them. While talking to him, we found out about the ruins of an old fort –Gaurponchokot. In fact we did plan to visit the place as well after laying our eyes on Panchet. However, ultimately the plan was cancelled. It took about an hour of waiting (for others) and jumping about impatiently (for me) before the car was repaired and we finally resumed our journey.

Panchet was a well thirty-forty kilometres from our hotel and it took us about an hour to reach the place crossing through farmlands, small villages and barren lands. Panchet is a dam and has been maintained very well.  In fact the view itself is amazing. On one side there are steps to go down and enjoy the beautiful landscape gardens and on the other side one can view the clear blue waters flowing under the bridge to the other side. It is essential that the pictures do the talking here instead of me. As this was a short trip, my narration ends here itself .But there are lots of other exciting trips that I have been a part of after Panchet and I cannot wait to share those stories  as well.

VIEW OF THE LANDSCAPED GARDENS FROM THE STAIRS DESCENDING FROM THE DAM GATES

VIEW FROM THE GARDENS TO THE DAM GATES 

LITTLE BUDDY I FOUND HIDING IN THE BUSHES 

VIEW OF THE RIVER FROM THE GARDENS

VIEW OF THE WATER BANKS 

CLOSE-UP OF THE WATERFALL

DAM GATES 

BOATING

BIDDING ADIEU

Asansol- E- Hoi Choi- Part 1

Short weekend trips are a blessed luxury in the busy schedule of our lives. That is why, to avail the luxurious opportunity I agreed to a three day trip to Asansol and the nearby areas. Thus we left Kolkata on a very chilly and smoggy day at seven thirty (which in my opinion corresponds to dawn) so that we could reach Asansol, our destination as soon as possible and without wasting time get on with our sight -seeing. 

A VERY FOGGY ROADSIDE

TRUCKS AND CARS ON THE HIGHWAY

The almost five hour long road trip from Kolkata to my destination is a story in itself. Having had to wake up at five to be able to get ready and leave by seven thirty I had to compromise on my sleep. However, I made it up by sleeping in the car for an hour (and yes blissfully without being disturbed.) .Then started the regular war –of-the- music -sessions which included demands of old songs from our parents and the new hip hop ones from the younger lot (which included only two poor souls). We came to an understanding of having both types for an hour each!

Soon time flew by and we came to Shaktigarh. For me, I would call it the Land of Langchas- a traditional Bengali sweet. What was funny was that the whole stretch of land had small roadside sweet shops and hotels all named after Langchas- Langcha More, Langcha Sweets, Langcha Sagar, Langcha Junctions and many more Langchas with a variety of prefixes and suffixes.

SHOP IN SHAKTIGARH

HOT FRESHLY MADE LANGCHA

After a tiring nearly five hour journey witnessing two very morose and disastrous truck accidents and a huge traffic jam caused due to repairing work on a certain road and yes not to forget my first time usage of the GPS system that my mobile has, so as to locate our hotel, we reached our destination.

After a sumptuous meal and a photo session, we left for Maithon. Apart from being the dam that it is for an endless list of uses, it has become a very prominent tourist destination. With its clear blue waters where one can occasionally spot fishes and its boat rides to two nearby islands ; it has started attracting people from all over Bengal, Durgapur, Jharkhand, Asansol and the likes. It has become a weekend hub for many families living nearby.

BOAT RIDES FROM THE RIVER BANK

CAPTURED WHILE BOATING IN THE RIVER

VIEW OF THE DAM GATES FROM THE BOAT

To be very honest, the dam itself did not spark any glow to my face. In fact all I could notice was a lot a gates, water flowing from various parts of the dam, levers, machines, turbine room, engine room and the likes. This would probably have interested engineers a lot and in fact it did to the two engineers we had with us in this trip. What interested me more was the scenic beauty of the place.

The boat ride along the river was a mesmerizing experience. Not only did it give me an opportunity to experience nature's beauty but also gave me varied  angles to capture photographs from (which was my main aim of getting onto the boat anyway). As we were short of time, we decided not to visit the islands and explore them.

RIVER BANK

MOTOR BOAT

ISLANDS ON THE RIVER

KIDS POSING ON THE RIVER BANK

SUNSET FROM THE BOAT

SUNSET FROM NEAR THE DAM 

While going back I could see many visitors who were awestruck by the beauty of the sunset on the river waters. On our way to the hotel, we did visit the sacred Kalyaneshwari Temple.  However, as  camera's are not allowed inside I was unable to capture any photographs. But what intrigued me the most was I saw a jackal for the first time in my life happily trotting along cars on the roadside.

It is suggested by everyone in the area that it is not very safe to wander out of hotels and houses after four thirty –five in the evening. Thus we went back to our hotel to an evening of well -deserved relaxation and to prepare for the adventure that lay in front of us the next day.

And truly so, the next day was filled with adventures and amusing tales!

 But more about that in the next  post!

The Ganges Retreat

The most random trip I  ever made was to the  Diamond Harbor Resort Punyalakshmi. It felt like the other day, I was chatting with my friend and casually proposed an outing and voila, our mother’s made it come true. Thus, five of us set off on an exciting journey last Sunday to Diamond Harbor with great expectations from the place and hopes of getting our heads into some wild adventures (which sadly did not happen!).

We set out at 7:30 am on a beautiful (and not so sunny Sunday morning) to greet our destination. We had gone on a package tour, and I must add here that the staff knew how to take care of their guests. After a very warm welcome and breakfast, we went ahead with exploring the place.

PATHWAYS INSIDE THE RESORT 

PATHWAYS LINED BY VILLA 

A STATUE 

BRIDGE LEADING TO A VILLA

Punyalakshmi is a very beautiful and most importantly open resort. It overlooks the Ganges at such proximity which I have never seen or felt in the other water-side resorts I have been to in my life. The resort itself has a variety of rooms and cottages to make everyone’s stay happy and comfortable. In fact an extension work was in progress when I visited.

The playground was occupied by children and teenagers both. The swings, see-saws and the slip were temptations enough to engage everyone for a long time. Once in a while kids even brought in water to make sand castles which ultimately did not formulate and they left feeling irritated but finding something else to engage them soon after.

The well maintained lawns saw many a footballs trampling it. If not footballs then many pairs of feet  who were either peacefully crossing it, or posing in front of the camera for a group photograph or else playing badminton. Some were more interested in clicking pictures of the flowers and bushes that lines the lawn. I tried chasing a yellow-orange butterfly for at least thirty minutes before I finally gave up pretty disheartened.

SWIMMING POOL

The swimming pools were a special feature of the resort. Being available from 7 am in the morning right till 8 pm, both the adult and the children’s pool were engaged by the guests throughout the day.

VIEW FROM THE RESORT

MEN AT WORK

ROWS OF BOATS

MEN AT WORK

The best part of the resort, however, was the benches placed overlooking the Ganges. The cool and fresh air, the never ending waters, lush greenery and rows of streamers, cargo ships, boats and occasionally men doing something really important (though I could not figure out what ) near the river banks; were sights that were common and could engage one for hours in the end. In fact the Kolkata Port Trust had set up regular streamer facilities for daily commuters. In fact many of the small fishermen boats were also at rent to be taken across the sea. Though my friend and I had the wild ideas of trying both of them or either one at least, our puppy faces were returned with those of a roaring tiger by our seniors and our adventurous plans went for a toss in the Ganga waters.

We were told that near the resort was an old English fort which was now in ruins. I was extremely excited and curious to see the fort. But sadly, all I saw was a chunk of old brick peeking its head out from the waters. That was all that was left of the huge fort. Instead what intrigued me was a goat kid that was wondering near the shore.

No one knew when time flew by and we found ourselves sitting in the restaurant for lunch. Lunch in this resort was an elaborate affair. Ranging right from salads, roti’s, flavored rice to mutton, chicken, Chinese, fish and chutneys, sweets and ice creams for desserts. And yes all cooked to perfection!

After lunch, it was time to laze around the Ganges water banks. I found a nice and comfy seat and settled with my camera and started talking to my friend. We saw numerous streamers and boats pass by and also an occasional bird which we were sometimes lucky enough to capture through our lenses.

Soon, it was time to leave. By six the place became dark and lanterns were lit up in the lawn and the garden areas. The resort looked prettier. In fact, the reflections of these lights falling on the Ganges made the river look like a prettily dressed up bride. It felt really sad leaving the place. But I left it with great memories and a promise of being back again in the future- maybe with family or maybe with friends (to try our luck in those unaccomplished adventurous plans of ours) . . . . . . . .

An Ode to Fruits

                    "Autumn is the mellower Season,

                     and what we lose in flowers,

                     We more than gain in fruits."

                                       -Samuel Butler 

                                            

It is not that I am too fond of fruits; in fact, I am a very picky fruit eater. I might like something one day and dislike it the other day. But that did not stop me from going into the wholesale fruit markets of bara-bazaar on 11th October, even if it was to only look at the place and see the various activities going on there. Here I must acknowledge that the fruit bazaar was certainly not what I had imagined; it was even better.

On entering the fruit bazaar, apart from some shops where the people were busy in packing and loading and unloading fruits from the trucks, we were greeted by a very old goat. It must be too soon for me to say, but the goat seemed to tell me that he had seen everything that possibly went on inside the mandi (popular term for the markets) and was probably waiting for a change.

Nevertheless, what interested me was that the entire place was abuzz with various activities which appealed to one’s senses. People were busy collecting fruits that had come from the trucks. While many unloaded carton full of fruits; there were others who sat and maintained records and finances of the deal. At many corners men gathered around a table and one person howled prices on top of his voice. Not knowing what it was when I went to check, I was told by another man that it was live auction at progress and those auctioneers surely wanted me to leave them in peace.

Delving further into the market one can notice that the ground had been covered by straws and hays. These were the materials in which the fruits were brought every morning and they were just discarded on the floor. This covered the floor into layers of hays and actually one can say that the ground was hardly visible. One has to walk on the "hay" floor inside the mandi. Looking up, the entire market is surrounded by houses- two or three storeyed houses. They were so old that it felt like they might fall any moment. But I prayed that they would not, at least not while I was there.

The actual market was a colorful delight. Everywhere one looked there were stack and stacks of fruits of various colors- red juicy pomegranates, huge fat pineapples, guavas, lovely peaches, delicious dates, ripe bananas, green and black grapes and the lot. But what dominated the scenes most were the green lemons. Everywhere you look there were lemons, lemons and more lemons.

While I stopped to take the entire feel in, I realized that this is nothing but an entire colony in itself. People living in the houses had their occupations just outside their thresholds. Apart from the fruit dealers proper, there were auctioneers, truck drivers, barbers, people who owned food shops and many others.

This post would not be complete if I miss out on the reactions of the people in the mandi. It was a mostly male dominated place where I could spot an occasional sari here or there. While most of them were middle -aged, many were also young who helped their fathers or uncles in this trade. Seeing people with DSLR’s in their area they became quite thrilled and gave a variety of responses. While some willingly posed in front of the camera, some started howling at us.  Many were eagerly calling us to take their photographs and one gentleman even posed for a single shot. I was actually lucky to be able to experiment with various techniques which I had recently learned from my mentor. Though not everything came out exactly what was in my mind, nevertheless it left me satisfied, though smelling of fruits and eager to go back for some more shots.

All in all, the entire trip was worth it and made me discover a new aspect of Kolkata which I had been negligent of all this while.

Meghalaya Memories #Part 2

Many a times a trip does not turn out to be what one had initially planned. Thus the second post on the Meghalaya journey by my aunt turned out to be more thrilling. With a Bandh on the list it seemed quite an adventurous position to be in , in terms of making a decision as to stay or leave. Read on to know what they exactly did throughout the second phase of their trip in this lovely land. Here it must be mentioned that due to lack of photographs all of them were taken from various sources from the internet and yes I do not run into Copyright violations.

Man proposes God disposes. That's what my father used to say. Early next morning as we went to have our breakfast, there were rumors that there might be a bandh the very same day. Nevertheless we decided to carry on with our sightseeing plans even if it was for just half a day.

GIRLS WEARING MEKHLA

So we went to the marketplace first & it turned out to be quite disappointing. It was drizzling and we could not find anything. The women were wearing Mekhla, the traditional skirt, sometimes with a light velvet stole and T-shirt instead of traditional Dupatta and blouse. They were also wearing a wrap around dress. A few elderly ladies were wearing it traditionally and in hand woven fabric. The younger girls wore it like a long frock or evening dress in synthetic or chiffon material. We did try to speak to some of the local girls, though most of them were reluctant and shy to speak to us.

We gave up shopping soon after and went to see the Elephant falls .The falls is named such because of the structure - it is a three layered structure which has resemblance with  an elephant trunk. The falls itself is magnificent and the powerful sound of water falling on the rocks, awe inspiring. Some of my friends wore the Khasi dress and posed for pictures.

VIEW FROM SHILLONG PEAK

Then we started for our last destination, the Shillong peak which offers an aerial view of the city. One can see the entire Shillong city from there. For the last time, we inhaled the breathtaking beauty of the State, the mysterious mountains, the pastel shades painted by the greatest artist of all times.

BUTTERFLY MUSEUM

HYDARI PARK

We did not have time for the Butterfly museum and Hydari Park. Perhaps we should have skipped the attempt at shopping in the morning but it was afternoon and we decided there was no point sticking around in uncertain condition of Bandh. 

 

MONGPU

We went back to hotel and made arrangements to climb down to Guwahati. The Shillong to Kolkata flights are not operational every day and the helicopter services were not available. We had to cross Mongpu where the Bandh was supposed to start by 6 pm. So, we had no other option but to make the return trip on the rental car at a supremely escalated rate. Locals informed that the Bandh might continue for more than a day. Staying back could have disrupted our future schedules.

We saw the Barapani nearer this time. The night fell before we could get down. The road curved dangerously but our driver was quite an expert. In about three hours, we reached Guwahati. We only had one stop for refreshments. In the evening dim, an unusual series of brightly lit liquor shops lined the roadside as we drew nearer to Guwahati. 

The hotel we now checked into was okay but not a great one. It was located in a very congested area of Guwahati. The rooms reeked of naphthalene but the group was tired and hungry. We had to compromise.

SILKALAYA

KAMAKSHYA TEMPLE

Next day, we had breakfast at the hotel and started for the airport. On the way, we stopped at Silkalaya and did some shopping for our near and dear ones, back home. We did not have time for Kamakshya temple but we drove by Brahmaputra glistening in the morning sun. Guwahati seemed like just another city with heavy population. Roads are lined with leading Indian brands and congested with heavy traffic.

The flight took off and it was the end of our journey. We discussed when and where we would go next - a common topic on all vacations. Sweet home, hot weather and routine life beckoned us.

 Himalayas still appear out of thin air, as I close my eyes...

...and then my heart with pleasure fills  ...and dances with the Seven Sisters...