If you were to glimpse at the picture above , maybe even for a split second, you would have been transported thousands of kilometers away to the Grand Canyon of USA. And once there, you could wish to stay and marvel at one of nature's finest masterpieces ever created. Or else, you could come back to reality and witness a similar land form, closer home. For those returning back, Gangani, tucked away in the Garhbeta region of West Midnapore district of West Bengal, can happily satiate your wanderlust.
Once infamous for Maoist activities, the entire region has been off the tourists' map for the past decade. Lately most of their activities have ceased and slowly, it is on its way to becoming one of most preferred weekend destinations near Kolkata. Located approximately 180kms away from Kolkata, Gangani, till date remains one of West Bengal's best hidden jewels, just waiting there to be explored.
Once infamous for Maoist activities, the entire region has been off the tourists' map for the past decade. Lately most of their activities have ceased and slowly, it is on its way to becoming one of most preferred weekend destinations near Kolkata. Located approximately 180kms away from Kolkata, Gangani, till date remains one of West Bengal's best hidden jewels, just waiting there to be explored.
This beautiful canyon has stood the test of time. It finds place in one of the greatest epics : The Mahabharata. As the legend goes, this entire land was under the rule of a fierce monster named 'Bakasura'. ;Bheem', our protagonist had slain 'Bakasura' and freed the poor villagers from his evil clutches. Epics and history don't always go hand in hand. Sometimes there are conflicts about the origins of a particular place. For instance, once Siharuddin Bugrasah, the son of Samaduddin Firoj Shah, the erstwhile ruler of Bengal had occupied this area. Hence, this was named Bagri after him.
A regular tourist won't get into a conflict. Instead he would rather conclude that both 'Bakasura' and Siharuddin had fantastic tastes since they both occupied such a marvelous landscape and ruled over it!
If it's an overcast day, and her only grandchild has skipped school to stay with her and their two cows, you can hope to meet this old woman. She is as ancient as the land itself and she will be happy to enthrall you with tales of 'Bakasura' and 'Bheem'. Those stories might induce laughter and disbelief in us, encapsulated within our city walls.But if you decided to give a little time to the canyon growing on you, visualizing the battle scenes will be child's play.
Here's her grandchild and that's his idea of bunking school. His favorite past time ? Weaving stories around the bends of the river interlaced with the steep gorge.
The beauty of Gangani lies in it's ability to camouflage itself well with the surrounding hills and hillocks. In some angles, it feels as if the canyon goes on endlessly, merging with the horizon. The greenery complements the Red-Yellow soil combination of the canyon walls turning it into a delight for the eyes.
The whole landscape manages to evoke a sense of yearning deep inside one's mind. As you try hard to look back in time in your quest to trace the origin of such a magical place, you are left intrigued by the past. And all the forces of erosion and creation join hands to paint a picture of a long forgotten world. A world which you long to be a part of. A world where freedom had no boundaries. And today, you can't help but stand mesmerized by the sheer grandeur of the canyon, bathed in the kind of an afterglow, we used to trust, back in our childhood.
P.S. Here's a tribute to my amazing team, without whose support, Gangani wouldn't have been ticked off from my bucket list.
L-R : Me, Somok Da, Santanu Da, Aritra and Nilabrata. (We appear tiny against the facade of 'Bakasura's Cave')
P.P.S We achieved quite a feat that day by covering 450 kms through rain, dirt, red soil and asphalt on our beloved motorcycles. Kudos to the men and their machines !
