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.

Diary 4 : Kulik Wildlife Sanctuary

Yep ! Three cheerful Asian Open Bill Storks just greeted you :D This is surely not a dream ! Or maybe it is. It indeed is a dream come true for many of the birders and bird enthusiasts out there !
Now, every dream, in order to come true must occupy a 3-dimensional space and a fourth dimensional time as well.Let me tell you about this one.


The Place :

This dream is centered around the Kulik Wildlife Sanctuary in Raiganj, West Bengal, India.
Feel the contours of the dream.

The Kulik river has carefully crafted a beautiful oxbow lake inside the forest perimeters.Along the oxbow lake a deep forest has developed over decades to serve as the second home to one of the most majestic winged creatures ever - The Asian Open Bill Stork .
Apart from this , one can find 164 different species of birds( my amateur birdwatching eye could spot only 11 ! ) depending upon the seasonal timings.Sounds exciting right ?

Okay then ! Let's get down to the little boring but somewhat important details !


Getting There :

By road - Kulik WSL is located at a distance of 430 km from Kolkata and 185 km from Siliguri.The National Highway NH34 (infamous for footwide potholes and imaginary asphalt layering in parts :P ) connects Kolkata to Kulik.And if you've ever been to Darjeeling or Siliguri or Gangtok or to any of those Northerly places by bus or a car then you must have crossed this place.For the highway cuts right through the jungle.It is indeed difficult to imagine a forest with a national highway running through it ! The trucks are not exactly a part of the flora or fauna ! 

By Railway - Radhikapur Express(departing from Kolkata Station) stops at Raiganj.It is a 10-11 hour journey.Bookings can be done online at India Railways.

By Air - Nearest airport is Bagdogra airport in Siliguri which is 180 km away.Another option is Kolkata Airport at a distance of 430 km.


Place to Stay :
Kulik , Raiganj is not a tourist-heavy place.Which means lodging facilities are limited.The best place to stay will be the Raiganj Tourist Lodge maintained by West Bengal Tourism Department.Advance Bookings can be made at WBTDCL .

Time to Visit :
The birds start arriving from early June.The nesting season begins soon.And a profusion of 70,000-80,000 migratory birds flock the forest during the breeding season.Ideal time to visit : October
to Early November.



Keeping all these in mind , planning a trip to Kulik for a longer weekend can be made easily through the dimply-lit 15 inch laptop seated infront of you ! Make sure your wifi is on too :D

Now that all your plans are made ,bookings done, you're ready to roll !

Plural

The Raiganj Tourist Lodge compound has around 30 trees and in each of these trees there are 10-20 nests.Most of these are abandoned now as the birds start departing from mid November and these pictures have been captured in late December.Within a span of one month, the abandoned nests manage to invoke an unearthly sense of melancholy for what had once been ,a tree bustling with flocks of storks.The background score - a crescendo of the cacophony of a hundred birds all voicing their opinions simultaneously ! 

Singular

The Kulik Wildlife Sanctuary : 

The gate leading to the sanctuary remains open from 10a.m till 6 p.m in the evening.If you happen to find it closed and you can't wait to get inside then I have a tip for you.Follow the barbed fencing along the highway and you will come across an opening, made solely for the local children involved in clearing of the fallen leaves and dusting the trail through the forest.

Get right in.


Climb up the watch-tower.And slowly , very slowly just sink in the scene.

An adult Asian Open Bill Stork. 

Wingspan similar to a Pegasus !

   

                                            A fulfilling Mother.A Hungry Childhood.

The First Taste of Flight.

Sharing the same plate over lunch.

Three is company !

Okay now too much time spent with the birdies ! It's time to get down and explore the rest of the Sanctuary.The path is laid out in the form of cute colourful, eccentric bricks.They take you around a fixed path that encircles the entire area.Inbetween you can spot the ox-bow lake,some rundown watchtowers that are out of bounds because they're falling apart real quick.For music you can definitely tune into a huge band of frequencies generated by a profusion of insects and birds.An occassional truck horn might intrude if the driver encounters a particularly obstinate cow or a goat ambling on the National Highway !                                                      

               

And if you're lucky enough you can definitely spot the highlights along the path and the lake,  each taking turns to create a visual treat.

A watchtower without a heart.

This has to be the most heartwrenching sight ever.This clearly proves that we still lack the basic infrastructure to support these beautiful creatures.Do your bit to save them.Spread awareness like they spread their wings.And even if that results in lowering their deaths, then you can feel proud for doing good to this world. 

His gaze should cheer up your spirits.The depth of his eyes equal the phantom depths of the mysteries still left in this world.His wings have given mankind, another new realm to conquer  the infinite.the blue sky.

             Two young guns sharing a private moment together.This picture describes what is meant by binary in this universe.

"The Sense of an Ending "

Dreams end.And we go on living happily ever after.It is during the short duration of our dreams , that we explore a new kingdom complete with its own set of characters and colors and stories.This dream was of a special kind.Freedom found a new meaning, perched atop the wingtips of these storks.Time stood motionless as a testament to the thousands of kilometres these birds travel in their lifetime.Each one has a unique story a million miles long.And that sets each one apart from the other.Just like in us, humans.

We differ.

And we unite.

In countless dreams.

For centuries and beyond.

Diary 3 : Santragachi Jheel - A Birder's Backwaters

The Stance

The first time I heard the name "Santragachi", steam engines,diesel engines,locos and pantographs and railway-stuff crowded my mind ! I have crossed that railway station countless number of times,oblivious to the fact that it houses rather in a clandestine manner - a full fledged lake or Jheel capable of supporting thousands of migratory birds ! If you haven't been there, you might find it very hard to believe!Many photographers and bird watchers and bird enthusiasts flock this Jheel in huge numbers to catch a glimpse of these foreigners from faraway shores!And incase you were wondering why , read on !

The Jheel Blends in with the Locality.A dreary sight indeed.

Getting There 

You climb down the Santragachi bridge, make a left turn, proceed along and reach the railway crossing.Most probably a train will be there before you and so you have to wait up until the coast(or the track) is clear again ! Cross the railway lines and enter the bazaar.Take a right turn and soon you will reach the lake-shore.

The First Sight of the Lake

All About It ! 


At first , you feel like you have come a long way from the city.You will start to miss the honking and the shouts and the city-noises immediately.The cacophony of the birds is the only sound punctuated by tired train horns.There is greenery all around and they manage to enhance the ambience of the Jheel very easily.By now you are ready to take the first shot !

Cleanliness next to Godliness !

A flock of lesser whistling ducks greet you ! "Cheerio" , they say ! Say "hi" to them !
Okay so now that we are done with the greetings and formalities we can proceed further !
They have given you permission to take their photographs !

And your shutter goes on and off , on and off .. And the results are quite stunning !

A Common Egret ! A Spotless White !

Amidst a sea of Lesser , something Greater !

The Castaways Starring a He and a She !

Whiling Away ! Whistling Less !

The Lesser whistling Duck (Dendrocygna javanica)  is found in profusion.
Sadly I am not an authority on Lesser Whistling Ducks or their habits and habitat.I just love to observe them and take their photographs ! If you are interested in knowing more about them, you can always consult Dear Old Wikipedia !


Wikipedia Link !



The common Indian pond heron is indeed a beautiful creature.It holds itself in a very graceful stance most of the time.

Camouflage

Sandwiched between two Lesser whistling Teals !

For all your heron-ry needs it is advisable that you give Wiki a visit !


WikiHerons !

Calcutta winters can be a bit gloomy and overcast.But you have hit the Sunny Side Up time of the Day ! Thanks to the Sun's "happydent smile" the surroundings , the lake waters and the birds offer a beautiful contrast and you go clicking happily ever after !

The Majestic Cormorants !

An Egret Affair !

And because the light conditions were favourable here's an Egret captured in Monochrome !

The following picture presents the relativity between time and space for three "very" different kinds of birds ! A Common Crow , A Cormorant and A Flock of Lesser Whistling Teals frozen in time in a single shot.

Translated into Bengali , one reads : " Ek Dhil e Teen Pakhi ! "

"Ek Dhil e teen Pakhi "

These migratory birds are a joy for ever.They have been travelling for the greater part of their lives.The word dynamic has found a new meaning in these birds.They come here every winter and go back when their time comes.They leave  behind a few precious shots that we cherish for an entire year and then revisit the Jheel to get new pictures.Sure they age but they never grow old.And everytime I see a bird taking flight I am reminded of Jonathan Livingston Seagull.A bird that taught us to keep chasing our dreams irrespective of the wind direction.This blog is dedicated to all these foreigners and local birds who flock the lake shores and give us the inspiration to keep flying higher and higher every moment.

One fine day , Time decided to fly away.For inspiration , it looked up to the Cormorants . The outcome was as poignant as these pictures.

    No one ever saw it come back.