The Sunderban National Park is a Tiger Reserve, and a Biosphere Reserve located in the Sundarbans delta in the Indian state of West Bengal. Sundarbans South, East and West are three protected forests in Bangladesh. This region is densely covered by mangrove forests, and is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger. It has largest number of Tigers and most of them are habitual man-eaters. It has been declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
For me, Sunderban is a beautiful place - a place of calling in the lap of mother nature mixed with the excitement of catching a glimpse of my favourite animal - The Royal Bengal Tiger. I had visited Sunderban when I was a child but the want of going back with my trusted camera was too much. I was planning this trip for a very long time, but somehow, it was not working out. Finally, when I planned my trip to Kolkata, I decided to visit Sunderban with Maa, Anjan Mama and Krishna Masi (like old days). It is difficult to explain in words my anticipation and excitement towards the trip!!
We started around 7 am from home to reach Priya Cinema at Deshapriya Park where our journey began. We had already made reservations through Sunderban Tiger Camp for a 2 N 3 day trip and their car was ready to take us to our favourite destination. We were given breakfast in the car (sandwitch, samosa, sweets and bottled water) while our driver took us through Science City where we turned left and took the Basanti Highway and drove towards Basanti. En-route we passed Ghatakpukur (26kms) followed by Malancha (20kms) and then after another 44kms we reached Basanti. From Basanti we turned left and drove for 10 Kms reaching Gothkhali Jetty. Here we parked the car and board a ferry which will take us to Sunderban Tiger Camp. We were given a welcome drink of coconut water and our companions were all foreign tourists from England, Australia, France & Germany. It was interesting to see their excitement during the entire journey.
The 1.5 hour journey through the mangrove forest was simply breathtaking and we could get a glimpse of the variety of flora and fauna of the area. One interesting thing I observed was that there are nets put across various areas to stop the tigers from swimming across the islands and enter the area inhabited by the locals. A simple effort to make man and beast cohabitation better.
En-route we passed the Sajnekhali ghat which is the home for the West Bengal Tourist Development Corporation's Tourist Lodge in the area.
Our journey ended at Waxpol Ghat- the entrance jetty to Sunderban Tiger Camp on Dayapur Island where we were escorted by staff members of the Sunderban Tiger Camp.
We checked into a 4 bedroom (1 double bed and 2 single) hut. The huts have hand crafted panels of bamboo in the exteriors to experience rural Bengal. The interiors are hand painted by local artistes. The rooms are designed for guests awaiting to experience the local way of life. And I can say without doubt that their attempts was successful!!
We quickly freshened up and headed for lunch of local delicacies at the dining room (Fisherman Cove) . We enjoyed our meal of shukto posto, arahar dal, bhetki maach and mishti doi. Whether you are a Bengali or not, meals like this can excite your taste buds anytime.
Soon it was time to embark on our journey through the criss cross rivers and enjoy the beauty of the mangrove forest. We visited the Sajnekhali tiger reserve and got to see a monitor lizard and a crocodile sun bathing. His wide open jaws towards the sun in order to kill the germs in his mouth was an interesting sight to watch.
We returned by sunset to enjoy our evening coffee and pakoras while watching a documentary film on tiger and man. It was heart breaking to watch the tigress being killed as it had turned into a man-eater, and the same people who had been attacked by this tigress offering their prayers to her after it was shot. We had an early dinner and retired to bed thinking about the day. My 1st day in Sunderban ended with memories of a beautiful and a feeling of excitement for the next!!
The next day began early where the ferry took us through the criss-crossing rivers of Pitchkhali, Pirkhali and Gajkhali till we reached the confluence of 5 rivers - Vidya, Gomdi, Pirkhali, Gajkhali & Matla. To the left, we could also see the Mohana of the Bay of Bengal. The journey was beautiful as it takes you through the heart of the reserve and you can get to view the Sundari trees with their aerial roots, the beautiful creeks, different species of birds and villagers offering their prayers to Bonbibi (the forest goddess) before entering the jungles for their daily needs. We took a stroll on the Dobanki watch tower and enjoyed the beauty of the island. I could also capture the Brahminy Kite (Shankha cheel, made infamous by the poet Jeevananda Das).
Soon it was time to return to our resort for lunch. Post lunch, we took a walk to the local Dayapur village. It was like walking through any village of rural Bengal with its thatched huts, paddy fields, scarecrows and unpaved roads. It was the day for the village market and the size of the vegetables on display captured our attention while the villagers were enjoying a bunch of foreign tourists asking them questions about their daily life. Another interesting thing to watch was the solar panel in every house. Would like to thank all the NGOs and government agencies who are working tirelessly to improve the life of these simple villagers.
We returned to our camp to witness the folk dance (Jhumur) performed by local artistes and also the Chou dance from Purulia. Some of us also joined the dance and had a great time.
The 3rd and last day at Sunderban was again a ferry ride through the creeks enjoying the flora and fauna. We visited the Sudhyannakhali tiger reserve and were able to see a wide variety of birds. Our driver Balaram and forest department guide Amar enriched my knowledge of the different species of birds and I could decent shots of Stork Billed Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Heron and also 2 otters.
Soon it was time to for us to leave this beautiful place. I can say that I enjoyed every moment of my stay and would like to return for more. Just wandering in a boat through the creeks and rivers of Sunderban, watching the beautiful trees, is an experience in itself, even if you don't catch a glimpse of the Royal Bengal Tiger. However, if you are lucky, you can get a glimpse of the royal beast as well.
For all nature lovers, this place is a must visit.
Refer to the following links for more details -
Sunderban Tiger Camp details and reservation - www.sunderbantigercamp.com
West Bengal Tourism Sunderban Travel Details - http://www.westbengaltourism.gov.in/web/guest/sunderban-home
Photos of my trip - https://www.flickr.com/photos/14336081@N06/sets/72157641362031473/
For me, Sunderban is a beautiful place - a place of calling in the lap of mother nature mixed with the excitement of catching a glimpse of my favourite animal - The Royal Bengal Tiger. I had visited Sunderban when I was a child but the want of going back with my trusted camera was too much. I was planning this trip for a very long time, but somehow, it was not working out. Finally, when I planned my trip to Kolkata, I decided to visit Sunderban with Maa, Anjan Mama and Krishna Masi (like old days). It is difficult to explain in words my anticipation and excitement towards the trip!!
We started around 7 am from home to reach Priya Cinema at Deshapriya Park where our journey began. We had already made reservations through Sunderban Tiger Camp for a 2 N 3 day trip and their car was ready to take us to our favourite destination. We were given breakfast in the car (sandwitch, samosa, sweets and bottled water) while our driver took us through Science City where we turned left and took the Basanti Highway and drove towards Basanti. En-route we passed Ghatakpukur (26kms) followed by Malancha (20kms) and then after another 44kms we reached Basanti. From Basanti we turned left and drove for 10 Kms reaching Gothkhali Jetty. Here we parked the car and board a ferry which will take us to Sunderban Tiger Camp. We were given a welcome drink of coconut water and our companions were all foreign tourists from England, Australia, France & Germany. It was interesting to see their excitement during the entire journey.
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| Foreign tourists who were to be our companions for the next 2 days |
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| Ferry of the Sunderban Tiger Camp that took us to our destination - Boat Driver Balaram at the helm |
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| Black capped Kingfisher |
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| Nets across the creeks to stop the tigers from crossing the island and enter the inhabited area |
Our journey ended at Waxpol Ghat- the entrance jetty to Sunderban Tiger Camp on Dayapur Island where we were escorted by staff members of the Sunderban Tiger Camp.
We checked into a 4 bedroom (1 double bed and 2 single) hut. The huts have hand crafted panels of bamboo in the exteriors to experience rural Bengal. The interiors are hand painted by local artistes. The rooms are designed for guests awaiting to experience the local way of life. And I can say without doubt that their attempts was successful!!
We quickly freshened up and headed for lunch of local delicacies at the dining room (Fisherman Cove) . We enjoyed our meal of shukto posto, arahar dal, bhetki maach and mishti doi. Whether you are a Bengali or not, meals like this can excite your taste buds anytime.
Soon it was time to embark on our journey through the criss cross rivers and enjoy the beauty of the mangrove forest. We visited the Sajnekhali tiger reserve and got to see a monitor lizard and a crocodile sun bathing. His wide open jaws towards the sun in order to kill the germs in his mouth was an interesting sight to watch.
 |
| Monitor Lizard |
We returned by sunset to enjoy our evening coffee and pakoras while watching a documentary film on tiger and man. It was heart breaking to watch the tigress being killed as it had turned into a man-eater, and the same people who had been attacked by this tigress offering their prayers to her after it was shot. We had an early dinner and retired to bed thinking about the day. My 1st day in Sunderban ended with memories of a beautiful and a feeling of excitement for the next!!
The next day began early where the ferry took us through the criss-crossing rivers of Pitchkhali, Pirkhali and Gajkhali till we reached the confluence of 5 rivers - Vidya, Gomdi, Pirkhali, Gajkhali & Matla. To the left, we could also see the Mohana of the Bay of Bengal. The journey was beautiful as it takes you through the heart of the reserve and you can get to view the Sundari trees with their aerial roots, the beautiful creeks, different species of birds and villagers offering their prayers to Bonbibi (the forest goddess) before entering the jungles for their daily needs. We took a stroll on the Dobanki watch tower and enjoyed the beauty of the island. I could also capture the Brahminy Kite (Shankha cheel, made infamous by the poet Jeevananda Das).
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| Villagers offered prayers to Bonbibi before entering the forest - Also, notice the roots of the trees |
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| Brahminy Kite or Shankha Cheel |
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| Solar Panel in a village hut |
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| Giant cauliflowers at the Dayapur village market |
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| Local artistes performing Jhumur |
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| Purulia "chou" dance |
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| Otters peeping to us from behind the tree |
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| Heron |
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| Pied Kingfisher |
For all nature lovers, this place is a must visit.
Refer to the following links for more details -
Sunderban Tiger Camp details and reservation - www.sunderbantigercamp.com
West Bengal Tourism Sunderban Travel Details - http://www.westbengaltourism.gov.in/web/guest/sunderban-home
Photos of my trip - https://www.flickr.com/photos/14336081@N06/sets/72157641362031473/
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