Diary 6 : Santiniketan : A Spring Fantasy

Souls, without the magic of Colours find it terribly difficult to survive. And that's why Rabindranath Tagore, the most colourful wordsmith ever, started the tradition of celebrating the arrival of Spring with Colours. Thus the "Basanta Utsav"(Spring Celebration) was conceived. And it was carefully nurtured with the choicest of Spring Colours so that it could evolve into a global Festival because people all over the world need colours. Not to survive, but to live.

Such a riot of Colours need a place to mix and create many more loving hues. For this festival, the place chosen was Santiniketan. Translated into English, it reads the Abode of Peace. So when colours meet in the Abode of Peace, chaos follows close behind, upsetting the gray and dulled souls, pushing them into a journey that sends out a cloud of colours of cosmic proportions up in the air as a celebration of their union.

The Abode of Peace : Santiniketan '15

Shantiniketan, with its distinctive character and style, decks up for the Spring Festival ('Basanta Utsav') in a remarkable floral way whose chief ingredients are the 'Palash' and the 'Fagun Bou'. The flowers heap mounds of colours on the otherwise red soil of the Rarh region of West Bengal.

'Palash'

'Fagun Bou'

As Nature readies herself, her people rehearse for as long as a month to make the festival a resounding success. On the eve of Basanta Utsav, a musical night is staged at the University grounds.

Sitars, Sarods, Tablas and Harmoniums together make up the perfect Spring ambience which is pierced by strong vocals of the performing artists.Since it is the beginning of March, there is still a slight chill in the evening air which makes a cup of tea or coffee seem even more inviting. The local Chai-wallahs make brisk business as they go over to fulfill cups, which sometimes spill over with chit-chat about the next day's schedule.


The Morning Baitalik 

The early morning air with the essence of Spring, greets people as they rush to take their postions along the fence that has been put up along the 'red' road. Rabindranath Tagore had taken this route to to herald the arrival of Spring, followed by his students at the Viswa Bharati University. His way of welcoming the season has stood the test of time and even to this day, people abide by it. A procession starts from the 'Ghantaghor' and slowly makes it way to the University grounds.

As with all festivals, the rush hour happens just before the main event. And Basanta Utsav is no exception. The rush is most quintessentially felt amongst the young guns who are all brimming over with excitement and trepidations.

With the eternal lines of the bard's song, " Khol Dar Khol , Laglo Je Dol ", the procession begins. It is indeed unique as it is led by the youngest batch of students enrolled at the 'Ashrama'. Tiny-tots taking energetic and boisterous strides, sometimes mistaking the dance steps but making it up with their toothless grin and enthusiastic eyes !

Their teachers are quick to point out their wrong footings and are adept in damage control. Even spacing becomes crucial when too many little ladies and gentlemen engage in the most prolific form of a dance that has transcended the boundaries of race and culture. Choreography and human error never felt this beautiful before.

Two steps behind them, the seniors continue the procession with colourful sticks (similar to 'Dandiya' sticks) that clash against each other, adding a certain rhythm that reverberates jubilantly. Their steps are perfectly synchronised and it is pure joy to observe their expressions from such a close range.

Their graceful movements coupled with the sonorous
songs of Spring together make up the most beautiful way
to set the pace of the festival. Be it by humming or lip-syncing, people blend in cheerfully and Tagore's dream of achieving a cultural harmony through song and dance comes true.
Time and time again.

After the procession makes its way into the grounds, the festivities begin on stage. With each song and dance sequence, the 'Celebration of Spring' comes alive. The crowd is totally oblivious of a fierce March Sun as the performers captivate the visual and the auditory senses of the audience. Tagore's Spring songs usher in an atmosphere of brotherhood, love and beauty while the world blends into a huge palette of colors that can rival the greatest rainbows..

The last song on the playlist comes up and with the words "Rangiye Die Jao Jao " filling the air, cloudbursts of colored powder (abheer) shower upon the people. Humans in all shapes and sizes, caste and religion, race and creed throw the Abheer up, up towards heaven. And they come back enveloping the world in a colorful protective dome which far exceeds the perimeter of Santiniketan and Tagore's way of uniting people through a common love for colors shines forth brightly like never before.

Abheer smearing happens immediately, punctuated by the steady lyrics of the song. Colours find their way into the unlikeliest of places - the tiny crescent shaped region behind the ears, eyebrows, innocent nostrils and even inside those hearts which open their doors to the world. Humanity lets itself get smudged by the brightest hues of abheer.

 It's just as the bard had predicted, a century ago - "Rong Jeno Tor Morme Lage". Translation renders : "Let the colours touch your souls...".
Indeed it has touched ours. In the most divine way. 

Diary 5 : Sunderbans , An Alternative Outlook

"...the mother and child reunion
is only a motion away..."

The Sunderbans is perhaps the most dynamic land in all of India. Sculpted and remodelled every instant by a low tide and a higher one, it presents it's flora and fauna in a most remarkable way. For it is the largest tidal halophytic mangrove forest on Earth. And coincidentally it hosts one of Nature's most magnificent beasts - The Royal Bengal Tiger. The ever elusive big cat lends a momentary glimpse only to a limited few.Sunderbans is the most difficult place to spot one which in turn makes it a sort of challenge for tourists. And in pursuit of this challenge a large number of motorised boats traverse through the saline waters for 12 hours a day, diligently stopping at watch towers. And with each failed attempt at spotting a tiger, frustration follows close behind and it soon invites a plethora of comments from the tourists which are best left unsaid. This primarily happens because the Sunderbans has been symbolized, since the distant past, by Panthera Tigris which is quite misleading.  If you're hoping to catch a glimpse of the four legged beast, then this blog will disappoint you terribly ! Because the Royal Bengal Tiger is only a tiny fraction of all that it has to offer. And this blog is about the remaining greater fraction which makes up the 'Tide Country' complete with it's own set of beliefs, ideals, people, and most importantly its emotions.

The 'Tide Country'

Sunderbans can be accessed easily from Kolkata. Nearest railhead is Canning. Kolkata Airport is the closest airport, incase you are planning to fly. Detailed transit routes are attached alongwith  the vital stats of the Sunderbans. Travel time from Kolkata varies from 4 to 5 hours.

Now that you have finally reached the edge of the huge mangrove forest, you are desperate to find a nice place to stay. There are plenty of staying options available at Pakhirala, Gosaba. But all these hotels and resorts are situated in the buffer zone of the forest. In the core zone there is only one option – the Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge ( maintained by WBTDCL ). You will have to take a ferry across the river from Pakhirala to reach the lodge gate. The place is infested with Rhesus monkeys. They are practically everywhere waiting to pounce on whatever food materials you might be having! So it’s better to put your food 'undercover' for sometime. Checking in is a breeze thanks to the ever competent lodge staffs. Once you’re out in the balcony you will get your first feel of the Sunderbans. The forest surrounds the lodge compound on two sides. Territories are marked out clearly by a green colored iron fence that is almost 10 feet in height. Just across the fence, survival takes a new meaning and life is at all time risk. 

Of Wooded

Melancholia

The Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge and the Forest Department have set up some pools inside the compound dedicated to the nurturing of some reptiles like a giant salt water crocodile, turtles and water monitors. There is also a Mangrove Interpretation Centre inside Sajnekhali Island which aims at spreading awareness about tigers and their habitat, the future life of the mangrove forest, threats to its sustenance, etc.

Sunny Spike Up !

'Monitor'ing the Coast !

Of Patterns and Symmetry.

                  
On the first day of your trip , there is really not much exploring to be done because by the time you will reach Sajnekhali, it will be too late to explore any other island.Atmost you can visit "PakhirChor" in a rented ferry during the lazy afternoons for birdwatching.

A collage of some of the local birds spotted.You might have a better luck next time !

The actual trip begins next morning.

In Line. On Line.

The only way to get in touch with the mangrove forest is the motorised boat. You climb onto one and immediately get drowned in the low humdrum of the six cylinder engine. As the boat leaves the jetty, the engine hums to the tune that seems offbeat to the very core. A few more hours later,the sound blends in with your subconscious.

Inner Peace

Tagged Along.Alone.

A Wider Fit.

From the very first moment, you try to sink in the sheer volume of the saline waters all around you. They slowly seep into your mind and plant the seeds of the mangrove trees which stitch the entire ecosystem, together around here. It's due to them that in this 'tide country', some of the larger islands are still in existence. And again, it's only due to them that the soil fights till it's last breath before uniting finally with the vast stretches of moist memories. Yes, they are the real architects of the 'tide country'.Meet the Mangroves !

Survival.

Red Specks of Crabs.

Piercing Shadows.

The vast saline stretches of water and the mangroves on the shorelines will be your compatriots in this part of the ‘tide country’. The three layered greens and the muddy waters of the rivers, together with a clear blue sky present a most contrasting picture. It magically heals the eyes which are tired from searching the concrete jungle for the signs of the living. Meanwhile a Greater Egret happens to stand like a lone sentry guarding the tidal creeks and thankfully it poses for a moment in time.   

The Lone Egret.

Your boat sails on, venturing further into narrower rivers that sing along with the tide and the ebb. The first stop is the Dobanki Watchtower. Famous for it’s canopy walk, it’s your first chance to come close to the forest and actually feel it’s pulse through the wired fencing, constructed all along the path.

The Canopy Walk.

All the watchtowers feature a sweet water pond which are artificially dug to attract the wild for a drink. Most of the animal spottings occur around these ponds especially during the twilight. You have reached Dobanki at mid-day but fortunately a mother and a child deer along with an Egret are present to raise your spirits !

The 'Right Angle'.

Thirst.

After spending about an hour or so at the Dobanki Watchtower, it’s now time to move on to the next one on the itinerary : Sudhyanyakhali Watchtower. This will again be a journey through the muddy ripples of time sidelined by the greens. On this stretch you will pass through a place called ‘Panchamukhani’. Translated into Bengali it means ‘five mouths’. It is the conjunction of five rivers. And yeah, the result is indeed terrific. When your boat is somewhere near the middle of the meeting point, you cannot practically make out the horizon. Because the sky has blended into the rivers and everything else is so infinitesimally tiny! It’s looks more like a huge ocean than a confluence of five rivers! See it for yourself!

Far.

Near.

And Away.

Past the Confluence, you're again back on track. The waters infront, all lead to the next watchtower !

Sudhanyakhali Watchtower is a special one because it has recorded the maximum number of tiger spotting among all the others ! This is why it is also the most crowded watchtower in Sunderbans ! The best time to visit it will be during the twilight zone. Because probability of catching a glimpse of the big cat increases during this period because at the end of the day, it is expected that His Royalty will come for a ‘sweet drink’ in order to quench his thirst after a hearty lunch! The Forest Department folks have done a brilliant work here. They have created four Corridors or Passages through by clearing out sections of the forest. Thanks to these corridors, you can easily spot any animal  which is trying to cross it. And this has resulted in a record number of game-spotting !

Corridors.

A family of spotted deer and wild boars are here to slurp up for the night ahead. The sweet water pond behaves like a clear mirror according to the mood swings of the setting sun. And each reflection counts in the wild.

The real and the image.

The Stare.

Mirroring Patterns.

Doe-Eyed.

There are times in life when everything seems magical.Like the backdrop of the following two pictures. It seems like it has been lifted straight out of a Chronicles of Narnia book. It's really wonderful that the best magic in this world is hidden inside nature in a subtle way. And sometimes it just shines through.

 Bidding adieu to Sudhyanyakhali. A last look at the place.

After Sudhyanyakhali, it’s time to retrace your way back to Sajnekhali island. The setting sun looks absolutely stunning. A penetrating ruddy circle which is as fierce as the burning embers of a fire which is all consuming.

On your way back home, you cannot help but be mesmerized by the feel of the mangrove islands. Life for each and every other organism is indeed difficult. And you feel pity for them all. Yes, starting from the tigers who ‘burn bright’, even after facing countless threats from Man and Nature alike to the spotted deer which is still unaware of the danger lurking inside the next shadow. From the innumerable fishermen and  honey-collectors who venture into the shallowly depths of the forest in search of a dangerous livelihood, to the rare Gangetic Dolphins which are on the brink of extinction. You learn to feel for all of them as you leave behind a trail of white ripples on the estuarine waters.

The entire length and breadth of the Sunderbans revolve around a single abstract thing : Faith. It is faith which promises the Royal Bengal Tiger of a sumptuous meal. It is the same faith with which a young deer cub  ventures for the first time beyond it’s mother’s encapsulating protective ring. And it’s again faith which guides the fishermen and the honey-collectors to the nameless, countless creeks where life and death stage a one-act play every moment.

Here's to that same old faith which keeps the ebb and the tide turning.

Faith.