More On Digha through Surma Sarkars eyes

Digha, a four hour drive from Kolkata is the neatest weekend getaway as far as I am concerned. Till date I have lost count the many times we have been there, And each has been a new experience, be it culinary or anything else.Digha during the monsoon takes your breath away... A typical day at Digha might be getting up early and going for a walk or a bath in the sea... or getting up late having delicious kochuri and aloor torkari and then going to the beach,lazing with a beer or going for a dip. A sumptuous lunch there again You are spoilt for choice. Once we had made to order giant crabs and lobsters...yummy.. all at a throwaway price.Afternoon are lazy and sleepy because of the sun. Then again in the evening You can just sit on the beach and have endless cups of lebu cha, jhal muri and listen to the endless sound of waves. not or go shopping. Digha can be a shoppers paradise for pearls, bags,costume jewelry,quirky slippers and a lot of other things . But you should know what you are looking for. People seeking solitude, there are a few places in old Digha, New Digha is more vibrant. And if you want to be alone absolutely there's Shankarpur.The last time we stayed at a resort called Palm Resort which was a bit far from the sea but it had a pool so we all had our dips there.And we did go for a sea dip but only one day. The resort was pretty good situated in the midst of paddy fields...

Reshmi Pooja Mitras love letter for Delhi

I was born and raised in Delhi, but shifted to Bangalore at the age of 15. By then, I already knew that I’d never love a city the way I loved Delhi. In Bangalore, I was constantly reminded of all the things that I was going to miss there. Not the least of which was the food. I was going to miss the mouth-watering chaat found in almost every street, the chowmein samosas of Connaught Place, the Nahari of Purani dilli, the (no curry patta) biryani of Kareem’s, the Banta, the kebabs, the pork momos atDelhi haat-everything! I would miss the CNG autos, the biker lane near IIFT, the low-traffic wide 

roads, wide enough for car races (uhm, I mean, long drives?!).

I would run to Delhi every chance I’d get and unlike all of my friends, who’d go to hill stations and beaches during their vacations, I’d just go to Delhi and I never regretted it. What does Delhi have that other cities don’t? It has the metro, but so does Kolkata, it has great food, but so do a lot of other cities, it has good roads, but so does Chandigarh, it has the Sarojini market, but 

Bangalore has the Commercial street- so what is it that makes it so special? Well, first of all, it is like an amalgamation of all the awesome found in different cities all over the country. There are very few things that you find elsewhere that you wouldn’t find here. Second of all- and this is 
obviously a personal bias- it is beautiful. I mean, so are Bangalore and many other cities, but Delhi is exceptionally beautiful. Not only does it have beautiful ancient monuments and museums, but also picturesque gardens and parks. Speaking of monuments, I have to mention the Hauz Khas village and 

fort, one of the best places to go to for an evening with the beloved or for a writing day alone. The Lodis, Mughals and the imperial lot deserve the credit for their architectural expertise that created these works of wonder.

The humid sub-tropical climate gives you hot summers, which means longer vacations, banta, ice lollies and MANGOES, but also freezing cold winters, so you have the experience of both. Mirza Ghalib is known to have once said, “The world is the body and Delhi is its soul”. I don’t know about 

the world, but Delhi is definitely the soul of our country. It is multi-dimensional, with its majestic architectural wonders, medieval bazaars, handicrafts and zooming metros. From flea markets to malls, street food to fine dine restaurants, religious and ethnic diversities-Delhi has it all. And so, 

even though I am now an almost permanent resident of Bangalore, I still do not have to think twice when I say that Delhi is where my heart will always be. There are a load of things that I can tell the 

reader about the city, but Delhi is an experience on its own; and hence I shall leave you to explore the wonders that lie within and lose your heart in the city I call home.

The Great Corbett National Park Adventure

Pug Marks of the Big Cat

Eloping at 45 may not be every ones idea of high romance, but that’s exactly what the spouse and I did to  break the monotony of wedding anniversary celebrations. We felt that the 24 th wedding anniversary should be a prequel to the 25th.Something different, something spicy and something that would remind us what we started with in our early 20s..
I dithered between Ranthambore and  Jim Corbett National Park,but seeing that we just had an extended weekend worth of leave,I settled for Corbett- a mere 240 kms from Delhi.
Unlike other visitors, whose idea of Corbett is living at a nearby resort,dancing to music played by a DJ,playing snooker and maybe throwing in a safari for a couple of hours,I knew the spouse would appreciate an unadulterated feel of the jungles. For which,we had to stay inside the national park.
KVMN runs the catering unit at the best property –DHIKALA and if one goes through the Uttarakhand tourism at new Delhi, it  is possible to get a room at the ANNEXE section of the campus. Telephonically I asked the man at Uttarakhand tourism to hold a room for me. Without wasting any time,because accommodation is limited and is on first come first serve basis,I went and made the payments. They charge for food at 600 rupees a day(3 buffet  vegetarian meals)per person Based on that one is issued a letter,(which has to be presented at the forest department, Ramnagar)a room is allotted at Rs.1500 a night
Apart from this reservation can be be done through the forest department..
 Armed with the food voucher and letter, we sped on, not having the foggiest idea what held for us at the other end. This reminded us of the time when we did take the plunge into the real world, 24 years ago. We had no idea what the jungle of human relationships and domestic responsibilities held in store for us.

 The first sunrise of our 25th year(as man and wife) saw us on the banks of Brijghat on garh ganga as we sped towards  the Dhangarhi gate of the Corbett National Park.
Breakfast at Bhajans Dhaba,Gajraula was an one paratha affair.The road condition has improved significantly since we traveled on it last and we made very good time. We were in Ramnagar by 10.20 am.
While  making the room payments and permits required payments we realized that the car would not be allowed into the park.Only  Maruti gypsies authorized by the department. The total cost of all the permits was 1100 rupees and the gypsy cost is 3300 rupees for a one night and 2 days. It  comprises of 2 safaris and the vehicle is at our disposal. Our car was parked at the parking lot of the tour operator whose vehicle we hired.

The jungle is every bit romantic as we visualized, and the pictures tell the tale.
Watching animals in the natural habitat is an experience every city dweller should experience. Corbett National Park is divided into 4 zones and DHIKALA is reputed to be the most beautiful of the 4-in terms of picturesque vistas and animal sightings.
Our driver and our forest guide(another mandatory expense- 300 rupees per trip) were in complete sync with the call of the wild. Their sharp and observant eyes spotted every little wild animal much before our binoculars did.

There are no roads in the DHIKALA zone, which is reputed to have the maximum tiger sightings-only mud tracks. More than once I found myself thanking my lucky stars that the car was kept back at ramnagar. It is very easy to get lost in the park. And not to speak of the damage to the vehicle.

Our Gypsy operator told us that each car needs to go for complete servicing after every 3 trips.
There are four entry points to Corbett National park.
During the monsoon period, the park is closed for visitors barring the entry through the JHIRNA gate(which is open round the year),for the roads get washed away with the numerous mountain streams which flood.

the river roads

It was a new experience traveling across dried up rivers and visualizing them to be flowing rivers during monsoon, washing away the roads that we were traveling on ,The silence of the jungle and the call of the fauna made beautiful melody.

the dark Ramganga

The gurgling of the brooks and the gushing sound of the Ram Ganga river remain deeply embedded in the soul much after we cross the area.

the palm behind which the tigress hid

The heart did start to thud as  the light started fading and we waited in absolute silence for the big Cats to appear. Could feel myself shivering- anticipation- anxiety- .whatever, but it was there. However some things are not meant to be. The felines did not make an appearance and we moved on-What compensated for the non sighting of the felines was the crossing over of a herd of over 20 odd elephants with their young barely 10 feet from where the car stopped and we waited with bated breath..I could hear my driver murmuring to the guide that he would probably have to reverse and speed if the elephants charged.

grasslands

It was heartening to see how the forest department have made efforts to conserve the environment. The  fire files made in the grasslands are areas of the  vast grasslands which are systematically burned to avoid fires during the dry season and to ensure that there is fodder for the vegetarian beasts. At the Dhangarhi gate where our permits were checked we were given jute bags to put our non bio degradable stuff. It was a pleasure to find a natural environment devoid of human degradation- barring an odd instance here and there.
We managed to sight lots of elephants, some of them at arms length, all the four available variety of deer(sambhar, spotted, barking and hog) crocodiles, alligators and wild boar.

the kingfisher moment

The jungle babbler, jungle fowl, red crested vultures(now on the verge of extinction),fishing owl, fish eagle(one even had a catch on its claws as it was flying) were just some of the birds that we saw. The king fisher with its vibrant hues at a camera shootable distance was a bonanza for us. Trees full of beaver bird nests and jumping langoors were happy camera moments.
There is absolutely no compromise on the “no walking in the jungle”, rule- not for love or money. In fact the driver and the guide, managed themselves precariously on the footboard of the car when they needed to pick up polythene and plastic elements that the tourists left behind insensitively-but adhered to the rule of not getting off the vehicle at any cost.

where we stayed

The food at DHIKALA is , even though vegetarian, is extremely tasty and caters to all taste buds. Alcohol and non vegetarian food is strictly prohibited, within the reserve forest.
The tea that they serve within the forest smelt distinctly of lemon grass additives and was soothing to the senses.

Once out of the reserve park our driver told us of another beautiful place to be covered-Sitavani  forest- across the river Kosi. Legend has it that when Sita was banished from Rams kingdom after returning from Lanka- she lived at the Valmiki Ashram at Sitavan forests-there is an ancient temple dedicated to her in the middle of it.The Valmiki ashram is atop a hill and in inhospitable terrain..
We returned to the place where our car was parked-Corbett Motel.
This accommodation is an apology in the name of hospitality, small rooms bad service-but we didn’t care. The setting of the hotel made up for all the inadequacies.The hotel is set midst  a lush mango orchard. In any case one just needed to crash for the night.

the anthill and I

A quick lunch and we were off to Sitavani forest-this time in our own car.
Our next destination was the ancient temple- 30 odd kms from Ramnagar.The drive through the thick Sal and Teak forests  and numerous mountain springs had many Camera moments.This time we were allowed to get off the car and we had a lovely time enjoying the forest on foot.The wildlife here is the same as Corbett but because human population is existent –the safety levels are slightly higher.
The locals are extremely aware of eco conservation and make it a point to adhere to it- a decided feel good factor where we are concerned.

And then we were back- back to the hotel- two best friends who sometimes get lost in the humdrum of marital life.This trip was an eye opener for both of us – for we acknowledged that no matter how much we get dragged into domesticity our basic love for nature and for the deep friendship that we have shared over 25 years remain intact –and it takes just a quick trip like this to have us charged up and gung ho to take on the world by its horns……
So as we speed back towards Delhi- there is no regret that the holiday is ending,but looking forward to many such trips that shake off the dust that inevitably settles on any long relationship……

Diyas Digha

 Not many words are required when the sea side holidays are described. We let Diya Biswas have her say with her pictures.
Digha is a popular sea side resort of West Bengal on the Bay of Bengal..

lovely Diya

sunrise

Hotel Sea Hawk

the road to digha

If this a dream I dont want to wake up- at Alibagh

A day that  could be easily classified as one of the happiest days of life when nothing went wrong happened when we were holidaying at Alibagh, some 120 kilometres off Mumbai. After a lazy breakfast of Vaada Pav we set of for Murud, a resort 50 Kilometres from Alibagh. As usual we took a wrong turn and landed going along the sea front across vast stretches of mangrove forests flanking us on both sides. Slowly the vegetation changed to the more dense coastal forest, with coconut, palm and other thick foliage. Suddenly we spotted some beautiful ruins which was actually an old temple- the Rameswar temple. We barged in to find the typical wood carvings and beautiful murals that one finds in older temples.

Dont expect a spotless vehicle when your pet joins you in your adventures

The thing that struck me as heart-warming and strange was that there were dogs roaming freely inside the temple - even in the sancto sanctorum- I felt that this is a place which is truly a place of worship where all living beings are treated as creatures of the One above.

na mange sona chandi

Untouched by human degradation

if you can call this a road

The beautiful rocky Arabian Sea

We moved on towards our destination and saw a fort at a distance atop a hill- Like Columbus we took the turn to go through a sleepy fisherman village and un-metalled roads to reach the Korlai lighthouse and fort.Driving through the fishing hamlet,the mind started going on an imagination overdrive as yours truly looked around expecting the fisher people to break into song and dance Bollywood style as Raabert went about quietly smuggling crates of foreign liquor and Gold. 

Looking out for Raabert

It was out here that the strangest thing happened again- the beach was uninhabited by any humans or dogs save the five of us.Needless to mention but the odd hours we spent there were the happiest - it was as if we were the masters of our universe- the sea was in low tide, the water calm and Neuton proved his water dog credentials. Set free of all shackles, the bugger spent his time swimming chasing crabs and warning us whenever we treaded too deep into the water. Even the spouse who normally hates water was loathe to get out.

 With great reluctance we got out and headed towards Murud- not because we wanted to, but because we were hungry as hell and there was nothing commercial to be seen within miles. So we headed back towards civilization and after getting out of the dusty road and speaking to the locals we were told that Patils at Murud is the best joint for sea food.On reaching murud we hit straight for Patils and discovered that their fame was not ill gotten. Our bellies filled we hit back again for the beach- this beach though not crowded was inhabited- we drove the car right into the sea and let ourselves loose once again- bathed, swam till we could do it no more. Tired and blissfully happy, we got out of the water shivering as the breeze dried us out. Neuton looked like a grubby urchin - cant say we looked very much better though! As we were hitting back for alibag we saw the sea coming in and mercilessly sucking in a chevrolet parked near the water- the rescue operation was a long drawn affair, but happily they were able to save the car. On the way back we stopped at kashid beach rested on the hammock and made plans for the next day.

 We were supposed to hit for Mumbai darshan that day but we chucked it up as we wanted some more lazing in the sun and sand.So after a repeat breakfast of vada pav, we hit for the Kashid beach.Now let me give you a brief run up on the beach- its a long stretch of golden sands dotted with rocks - the sea is incredibly calm and in low tide one can venture in as far as 2kms.However the USP of this beach is the parallel pine grove dotted with shacks which have used the pine trees to hang up hammocks. We had made arrangements yesterday with the owner of a shack- a lady who was kind enough to whip us a typical maharashtrian fish meal if we got in the raw fish.We picked up Surmai and pomphret on the way -and handed it over to her who said that she would take around two hours to whip us a fish curry fish fry and rice meal.

 We had the day to ourselves, so after fortifying ourselves with some snacks and raw coconut(dab),we walked right into the sea till we came across some waves which were worth riding. Swimming some, riding waves playing ball(you get footballs on rent) in the sea, watching young couples making out like crazy in the sea(this brought a smile on my face as certain memories of days gone by flashed across),its difficult to actually pinpoint how the time flew.The spouse went on his rock collection spree- we even caught a big crab with my rubber slippers(we let it go though).Neuton went ballistic like before and he started swimming with the waves and barking at us sporadically urging us to follow him. All too soon we found ourselves hungry- and trooped like the wet brigade to the shack to find a steaming meal of kokum based coconut gravy surmai and pomphret fry with rice.between the four of us we wolved down over 2 kilos of fish and around a kilo of rice.
The spouse and the daughter went off on a sandcastle making spree while yours truly plonked myself on the hammock and tried to sleep some, somewhat sceptical whether the hammock would hold the 75 kg plus weight. Fortunately it did and there are no tales of injured dignity regaled over parties for the rest of my lifetime.

The sea looked serene and with the sunlight shimmering on the water my mind captured the image because no camera could express the emotions that surged through my heart on the view. However when there is water dripping all over and the comfortable sea breeze cooling you further- sleep is difficult to come by and one feels recharged and ready for more action. So after resting for over an hour I trooped back into the sea where the family was riding the waves- so just for this once all 5 of us went crazy- what I feel good is the fact that hubby went berserk in water- a first in my over 2 decade years plus of marriage- he has never been a water baby- hates getting wet on principle.

Finally it was time for us to dry up and get into the car- so out of the sea again- this time with the sun throwing the evening rays it was actually cold- the drying up process that is.However I said what the heck if I have to die of pneumonia let me at least die happy - so I hung on the hammock sipping tea till I dried up enough to be allowed into the car. Happy and tired we hit back for home. Ready for more…

Rajasthan- royalty and romance- through the eyes of Diya Biswas

Jaisalmer Fort or Sonar Kella

The Rani mahal

 Rajasthan even 11 years after (I went in 2002 - 2003) should look same as here, inside the Forts time stands still. U will remember stories of Mirabai singing in praise of Lord Krishna, and just close your eyes to visualize.

In front of Jaisalmer Fort. Anyone saw the famous movie by Satyajit Ray called Sonar Kella? It was based on this fort. Later on many other movies came to be shot here. It is golden, made with golden coloured sandstone, peacocks roaming in abundance like stray dogs. This fort looks a bit different from other forts, it is not built on a high ground & people actually still live inside the fort.

View of city from the fort

The Rani Mahal inside Jaisalmer Fort. This is where the Queen & her friends stood to look down at the courtyard below during celebrations.

Rajasthan in all its glory & color shows how diversified our culture is. Since nature has not been very kind to them, they have brought color & spice in their attire & food. The people are generally helpful & kind towards tourists. Jaipur is full of roadside eateries, some strictly vegetarian & some selling tandoori chicken which is done on the front on an open mud oven. U can try them. Do have tea in Jaipur, the milk tea is really tasty. Jaipur is again a shopper's paradise selling camel skin beautiful jootis, I still have the one I got from there, for aux jewelries of gala & kundans. Beautiful jhollas, potlis, scarves adorn the shops. Beware of camels & the cow goddess roaming the city on their own free will blocking roads & pavements.

Haldighati. How many times have we read about the Battle of Haldighati? Rana Pratap Singh allied by Raja Mansingh of Amber fought it against the Mughal ruler Akbar. It was fought only for 4 hours but so much bloodshed had happened in that time that the battleground came to be known as Rakta Talab. At the end it was an indecisive battle.

When you see a desert u understand why desert people are with certain characteristics, they are different because the environment is different.

Sunset Point at Mt Abu. If you are ever visiting Rajasthan please don't forget to visit this tiny hill station. From the heat & rough terrain of desert, you enter the cool & pleasant Mt. Abu. Surrounded by hills and a tiny place. See Dilwara Jain Temples, i couldn't take any photo s as it was not allowed inside the temple. The camera had to be submitted. Some people do smuggle it in but I am very much against it. It is made of pure white marble with intricate carvings. Take a walk in the evening to see the setting Sun from the Sunset Point. You can sit there & enjoy a cup of tea. The place is any photographers delight. After dark take a walk on the Mall of the hill station. Colourful shops of knickknacks and mementos, scarves & woollens, handicrafts would enthral u. Things are more costly here as it is a hill station. U would find the same things in Jaipur at less price. Just do some window shopping if you want. There is beautiful cafeteria at the end of the Mall, with a glass facade & a view of the Mall. Sit there enjoy your coffee & cookies & the market place.

A city within a city - chittorgarh fort

the magnificient sand dunes

Krishna Temple - Mirabai used to worship here

I remember while traveling to Sam on a mini bus with the group, the bus broke down in the middle of the highway, luckily there was a petrol pump near by from where mechanics came. Near by was a vegetable stall where we went and sat down while the bus was being repaired. The man had the biggest of the big turban on his head, with a bigger mustache which frightened my little son. He was selling chillies, bigger than french beans, which was only Rs2 a kilo. They make pickles with it to have it with thick rotis. Those days Rajasthan was passing through a severe drought problem with  very minimal produce

But my husband was furious with the tour manager & the bus driver. We wanted to see Sun set at Sam. The driver was very polite & gentle. He said he would make sure that we see it. Ap log yeh dekhne ke liye itna dur aye hein??? For him it was difficult to digest perhaps. But he did take us to Sam before dusk. Rajasthan had smooth as butter highways (those days Bengal didn't have it), covered the 3hrs journey in 1 1/2 hrs flat.