Sundarbans: Wild Call for the Adventurous

The Sundarbans, a part of the largest delta formed by the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna, is famous for halophytic mangrove forest and also the Royal Bengal Tiger. The soil of the delta is very much fertile and is being used by the local inhabitants for producing food for a prolonged period of time. The meaning of the name ‘Sundarbans’ is ‘beautiful Jungle’ in Bengali language. There is many a view regarding how the place got its name. The most accepted among them is the name of this place is derived from the Sundari trees abound in the area.


Sundarbans, the largest estuarine forest is situated at the feet of West Bengal and stretches beyond the boundary of India and penetrates through Bangladesh. To the south the forest kisses the feet of the Bay of Bengal and to the left meets the river Baleswar. 4000Km. of the total coverage of 10000Km. of this dense forest belongs to India. The place was declared as the UNESCO world heritage site in the year 1997. The place is dotted with several tidal channels and 56 islands of impregnable mangrove forest. It also plays an important role in protecting million of human lives in and around Kolkata acting as a barrier against the disastrous flood resulting from the cyclonic activity. The place has also earned its fame as an abode of the world-famous Royal Bengal tiger. The murmuring of saline water flowing through the channels, the long stretches of thick forest on both the sides is very much alluring for the adventure-sniffing buffs.


The journey from Kolkata to Sundarbans does not require a long time and the travelers can get at there with a combination of road and water transportation. Once set their feet there, the travelers can enjoy the adventures to the fullest by hiring motorized boats of a variety of shapes and sizes. The travelers can also enjoy the beauty of the sprawling greens on both the banks of the meandering straits.

The extensive landscape of the place is dominated by several floras and faunas. Along with the Bengal tigers, the place is also a secured hub of crocodiles, sharks and poisonous snakes. The place has been contributing a lot to maintaining the ecological balance by providing a safe canopy of shelter to many wild species. The greed of the poachers, laxity in night vigils and constant destruction of forest by the locals for subsistence are collaboratively attributing to the endangerment of the wild lives of this place. Several stringent measures have been taken to protect the enriched wild habitat by the government of India and still the proper implementation of laws and rigorous punishment for the culprits must be adopted to put a stop to the decline of the several species in this arena.

The place is also ideal for the enthusiastic bird-watchers. A consortium of a incredible variety of Water-hens, Spotted doves, Jungle-crows, Jungle Babblers, Green Pigeons, Night Herons, Pariah-Kites, Seagulls, Golden Plovers are to name a few among so many Avifauna. Among the aqua fauna, red fiddler crabs, hermit crabs, a great variety of fishes and of course crocodiles can be spotted.

Many a poisonous snake such as King Cobra, Rock Python, and Water Monitor is not a rarity in a place dominated by a large network of waterways. The roaring of tigers and cacophony of creatures breaking the silence and jerking you out of the slumber even at midnight softly whisper that the place is yet to call it a night.

Mukutmanipur Should Be the Next Spot to Satiate Your Wanderlust

We often feel stressed out and crumple under work pressure by going through the monotonous work schedules day in and day out. A rejuvenating escape is what we earnestly desire for. Mukutmanipur is a place where you can enjoy the serene beauty of nature to your heart’s content.

Mukutmanipur, a small town in India at Bankura district of West Bengal, is located at the juxtaposition of the rivers Kangsabati and Kumari. The place is not far away from Bengal-Bihar border. To provide irrigational facilities to an extensive area, a huge water dam reservoir was built up in 1956 to color the vision of the then chief minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy. The place is also famous for a man-made earthen water barrage that is claimed to be the longest one of its kind in the world. The barrage was made with a sole view to channelizing the two rivers Kangsabati and Kumari into the drought affected districts namely Midnapore, Purulia and obviously Bankura for extending irrigational facilities in summer.

This small hamlet is one of the favorite picnic spots for the enthusiasts. The quaint serene beauty of the place will surely quench your thrust for a relief for your weary soul. The place is miles away from the hustle-bustle of city lives and therefore, is a perfect destination for a leisurely walk while basking in the picaresque beauty of nature. The long stretch of transparent bluish water is an irresistible attraction and one can hardly resist the temptation of a boat ride here. The place is a photographers’ delight. The hilly place unveils its pristine beauty at its best at the time of sunrise and sunset.

Mukutmanipur is also dotted with many species of flora and fauna. Sprawling green surrounding the bluish water of the lake presents a unique and majestic contrast of color that is quite relaxing for your thirsty eyes for panoramic beauty.


You can also drop a visit to Ambikanagar, four Km. away from Mukutmanipur to see the ruins of a Jain temple. It is a little known fact that it is the tribal community of Mukutmanipur whose brilliant craftsmanship into a myriad of items with bamboo sticks and Saboi grass draws attention of many who admire such artistic excellence and do not squeak on splurging huge bulk to avail such items to deck up their interiors.


Mukutmanipur is not a virgin beauty as every year a great number of tourists visit the place. One can easily get at there. Train service is available from Howrah though one can easily available the bus service from Calcutta too. A short trip to Mukutmanipur at the weekends will surly satiates your itchy feet.

Jaldapara - a Montage of Pristine Beauty of Nature and Wildlife

India with its magnificent and diversified natural beauty and cultures has always been an undeniable attraction to the tourist buffs. Added to the charm of this divine beauty is its large reservoir of wild lives. It has been abode to many a wild animal, some of which are on their way to extinction being prey to greed of human being. Several measures have been adopted to protect such precious wild lives. Jaldapara is one such sanctuary that reflects the timely and heartiest effort to preserve the fascinating wildlife of India.

Nestled at the foothills of Eastern Himalaya in Alipore, sub-division of Jalpaigudi in West Bengal, the place offers a picturesque and riverine beauty. The spot is situated on the bank of river Torsa and covered with tall grasses all over. The sprawling grassland imbues the place with a soft touch of green that is quite fascinating and soothing for one’s eyes. The Jaldapara Forest was declared as sanctuary in 1941 with the sole intention of preserving one-horned rhino, an endangered animal.

Apart from the rare one-horned rhino, it is the safe abode of many an animal. The place is almost a heaven for royal Bengal tiger, sambhar, barking deer, wild pig, bison and many others. For the bird watchers, the place is a delightful experience. More than 240 species of birds can be found here. Among a handful of places, Jaldapara is one where one may have a sight of Bengal Florican. It is really a pleasant moment to watch many a colorful bird streaking across the blue canopy overhead. Apart from Bengal Florican, others birds that can be sighted are crested eagle, shikra, jungle fowl, patridges, whistling teals, merganser, and pea fowl etc. etc.


For the wildlife lovers, an ride on the back of elephant to the dense forest and coming across one-horned rhino and herds of elephants being splotched with the muddy water and wandering freely is really an experience to savor till the end of the life. It will be no less than a thrilling experience to have a glimpse of spotted deer whisking past you at cracking speed. One may chance upon tigers and leopards, the only predators in this habitat though it is a rare experience.

Along with endangered species, in not so distant Totopara, you may chance upon the Toto tribe, considered one of the almost extinct ethnic communities in the world. In spite of several measures taken to improve the living index for them, their numbers are dwindling at a rapid rate leading to threatening their very existence in the world. Persons with profound interest in ethnic culture, watching the traditional customs of this tribe will be a mesmerizing experience.


The enthusiast and adventurous tourists may squeeze time to drop a visit to the Chilapata Forest to see the ruins of a fort, estimated to be thousand years old and of great historical and archeological importance. Believed to be built up in the times of Gupta dynasty, it rustles up the unheard tunes of the golden moments of the Gupta period when ancient India was flooded with milk and honey. The place has been transformed into a safe abode of poisonous snakes and other reptiles due to lack of preservation. Another attraction of such forest is a bleeding tree which oozes fluid of blood-like color of human being. According to local people, these trees are unique and can not be found in any other places in the world. Jaldapara, with its serene and exquisite beauty that sometimes erupts into life with the roar of lion and chattering of birds will definitely be a pleasant ride for the travel buffs.