Just About Everything

                                                   Sundarbans Reserve Forest Continued from my last post  Sundarbans Reserve Forest: the largest continuous mangrove forest in the world Day 2 : We checked out of our hotel at 8 in the morning and got into our launch for our 2 nd and last day at Sundarbans (yes, a very short trip:) Breakfast was prepared and served in the launch. Hot luchis (fried refined flour bread), aloo sabji (potato curry with gravy), and tea was the menu, and exactly what we needed to start the day with :) Our first stop was Sajnekhali and this is the place where a permit is obtained to get into the reserve forest area. Sajnekhali has watch towers which provides  a good view of the mangrove forest a. We saw monkeys and river terrapins during our stop here. With the permit done, our launch  ride continu...

                                   Sundarbans Reserve Forest West Bengal, India Finally went out for a short trip with the family after almost two years! What a relief to be able to start travelling  again:) We chose Sundarbans because of the short time it takes to reach Sundarbans from Kolkata. It was not my first visit but i like visiting Sundarbans anyway:). If you are in Kolkata, Sundarbans must be in your list of places to visit, especially if you like nature. It will take you approx. three hours by road from Kolkata to reach the closest point from where the launch journey to Sundarbans begins. Day 1 : We started around 9.30 am, and by the time we got  dropped off at Godkhali, it was almost 12.30 pm.  Godkhali is one of the points from where you can get into a launch that will take you into the reserve forest. You can also reach Sundarbans from Canning. For us, Godkh...

Baradwari Mosque Gour Gour, near Malda town, West Bengal is also referred to as Gauda and Lakhnauti. It's origin can be traced back to the Buddhist Pala Dynasty in Bengal that rose in the 7th century AD and ruled for four centuries. Gour, however rose to prominence in the 11th century under the Hindu Sena Dynasty. Not much archaeological evidence exits of these times and today what we see in Gour dates back to post 1198 when Gour fell to Bakhtiyar Khilji and that was followed by the foundation of Muslim rule in north-west Bengal. The Muslim Sultan shifted his capital from Gour to Pandua in 1350. How to reach Malda : Malda is very well connected from Kolkata. Overnight trains and AC buses are easily available. Shatabdi express is another option from Kolkata to Malda. Where to stay : There are quite a few hotels and tourist lodges in Malda town. You may check tripadvisor ( https://www.tripadvisor.in/SmartDeals-g1187926-Malda_Malda_District_West_Bengal-Hotel-Deals....

Kanchenjunga peak Lava is a small and scenic little place in Darjeeling district, in West Bengal, India. Lava is one of the most popular tourist destinations in West Bengal not only because of the scenic beauty, and the beautiful birds that can be sighted in Lava, but also because it happens to be one of those very rare places in West Bengal where you can find snow in winter. You can reach Lava by road from NJP which is one the most frequented railhead and is well connected. A private vehicle can be rented for the onward journey to Lava. It takes around 4.5 hours to reach Lava, via Kalimpong. I am posting pictures of these tiny little gems clicked by Soma during her visit to Lava this year. These birds are between 9 cm-14 cm in size, smaller than a sparrow. Ashy-throated Warbler Black-faced Warbler Fire-breasted flower-pecker Fire-tailed Sunbird Red-tailed Minla Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler White-browed Fulvetta Yell...

Sharing a very brief video of idol immersion. You will get a glimpse of idol immersion in the Ganges. The water and the lights make the whole scene dreamy and peaceful. Not a very clear video but you can make out the boats at a distance.

Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most popular festivals in India. On this day in Bengal, Goddess Kali is worshiped. Fireworks are an essential part of this festival and are very popular. So much so that fireworks competitions are organized in quite a few areas in Kolkata. In Jadavpur, every year, a fireworks competition is organized on Diwali. Usually, there are Fountain fireworks (Anars) on display. If any of the fireworks were to burst then the participants would get disqualified. The participants give interesting names to their fireworks. This brief clipping will give you an idea.

A workshop with so many idols! Kumartuli is the place to be if you are interested in sculpting. The work of these talented artists is indeed mesmerizing. Kumartuli (Kumortuli) is home to talented sculptors who sculpt the idols of Gods and Goddesses. Kumartuli is well-known for the Durga idols that the artists create in there. You will find the place abuzz with activities all through the year, but it reaches its peak during Durga pujas. Durga idols start getting sculpted almost five to six months before Durga Puja. Not only do the artists create idols for West Bengal and other states, the idols are also sent abroad. Kumartuli is located near Shobhabazar in North Kolkata, West Bengal. I am sharing some pictures of the beautiful sculptures that these talented artists create.                                         An artist at work at Kumartuli Durga Idol Durg...