I always loved travelling to offbeat places far away from the hustle and bustle of our regular lifestyle. Every time I travel to these remote places I find my soul and rediscover myself as a traveller. That's how I can sum up my trips so far but this time I decided to break my regular travel pattern. While nature has always been in the top of my priority list literature also incites me from within. So, this time I decided to break my regular travel pattern & take a trip to Bolpur, Santiniketan on 29th April, 2022.
One-day, my brother told me that he was travelling to Puri with his office colleagues on 29th of April, 2022. I could never sit back when it comes to travelling. So I decided to take a short trip as well. Whenever I start to plan for a trip nature comes to my mind first but as the time was very short we could not make the necessary ticket reservations. I called up Netin and he came up with the plan of travelling to Santiniketan. In the mean time I also called Abhranil Kundu (one of my friends) and disclosed him the entire plan. Finally we all agreed upon and set forth.
We boarded Santiniketan Express (12337) from Howrah and reached Bolpur on 29th April, 2022. Bolpur being a heritage station is very well maintained.
As soon as we stepped out of the station we were encircled by the awaiting Toto drivers and offered us with several packages for sight-seeing. We thoroughly negotiated with many toto drivers before selecting one. Fortunately, our Toto driver was a humble person and offered us a good package (Boloram- 8759647922). We boarded his Toto and headed straight towards our accommodation for the next couple of days, Lodge Swagatam.
After reaching the lodge we quickly freshened up and headed for lunch as we were very hungry. Our destination was Ghare Baire Restaurant. The restaurant is famous for Bengali cuisine. On finishing the lunch we called up the Toto driver and headed to our first spot of the day Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary/Deer Park. Entry fee for each visitor is fifty rupees. The park is a part of the sanctuary which serves as a rescue centre for the Chitals or Spotted deer. The park is very well maintained and it being off season we were the lone visitors in the park. The tranquillity and serenity of the place touched our heart. More than 250 Chitals are being conserved in the park.
While we were strolling through the vast wilderness we noticed a watch tower and quickly went to the top for getting an overview of the area. Here I would like to mention that I prefer travelling during the off seasons not only because it is budget friendly but also because I can witness the true essence of any place when people are less in number. If one is planning to visit Bolpur, Ballavpur Deer Park is a must visit place.
From Ballavpur Deer Park we went straight to Srijani Silpagram maintained by Eastern Zonal Cultural Council, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It is an ideal place for people who are in love with culture. The objective of the place is to provide a realistic glimpse of different states and their cultural heritage.
Whilst we were inside the silpagram weather suddenly turned stormy and soon it started pouring heavily. Fortunately, by that time we had almost completed our exploration. Sellers from the nearby locality displayed their self made handlooms to the visitors. We not only enjoyed the place but also were surprised by the sudden upturn of the weather. The downpour was so welcoming after such a hot and humid day that I wished to drench myself but somehow managed to control my exuberance.
Because of the rain we had to drop our plan of visiting Surul Zamindar house and were forced to return to our abode. Finally, when the rain stopped it was already 7: 30 P.M. We went for a little stroll in order to explore the locality and its street food. Santiniketan is not famous for its street food so apart from panipuri and chicken momo we could not find any other choice. That day we had our dinner at Canteen 4. It was a sumptuous dinner and the quality of food was excellent. We were so tired from the day long exertion that after reaching the lodge we could hardly stay awake. We quickly called it a day.
Next day i.e. 30th April, 2022 we woke up early and headed straight towards the Kankalitala Temple located in the outskirts of Bolpur. Due to the heavy rainfall in the previous night, the weather was very pleasant. On our way to the temple we witnessed numerous small villages. We halted every now and then to get lost amidst the greeneries. When we finally reached the temple it was already 9: 30 A.M.
Kankalitala temple is one amongst the fifty-one Sati Peeths in India and is very auspicious among the devotees. Here I would like to mention that there are no bullies or Panda (one who force the devotees for money) in this temple so everyone can offer their prayers peacefully and according to their capacity. We spent quite some time sitting in the temple campus as the place offered us immense inner peace. The temple is located at the banks of the Kopai river.
There is a small water hole or Kund beside the temple and according to the locals the water in that water hole never dries even during drought. The devotees often carry the holy water of the Kund far and wide as a mark of blessing.
From Kankalitala we went straight to Shonajhuri forest market or Khowai market or Saturday market, as people tend to call it. The market is named after the numerous Shonajhuri trees that grow in the area. Being a Saturday the market was in full swing when we visited the place.
People from nearby localities sell their handmade looms and wooden house hold items sitting between the Shonajhuri trees. If one decides to purchase sarees and wooden decoration for their household decoration Shonajhuri market is the best destination for them. There is no fixed price for the items and one need to sharpen their bargaining skills before purchasing stuff. I would request my readers to kindly taste the local kheer and sweet curd in between exploring the place. From Shonajhuri we headed straight to Banabithi Henshel Ghar for lunch. After having their delicious food we were so full that we could hardly move. As time remains a permanent constraint in short trips, we had to keep rolling. Our next destination was Surul Zamidar Bari.
In spite of the age old structure, the Surul Zamindar Bari is very well maintained by the Surul trust and to keep up with the expenditure of maintaining the colossal palace, every now and then it is being rented out for the commercial purposes. I love visiting palaces as I feel that every brick holds some history behind it. Being a thinker, I love to retrospect the bygone eras.
From Surul Zamindar Bari, we came to Viswa Bharati Campus. Visitors are restricted from entering the campus due to political unrest so we had to take pictures from outside the campus. We witnessed Chatimtala, Kala Bhavan, Sangeet Bhavan, Parthana Bhavan, Viswa Bharati Museum, Poush Mela Prangan, etc.
We also visited Maharshi Devendranath Tagore house known as Santiniketan where Rabindranath Tagore spent his adolescent days. Here we heard an interesting story from a localite that the name of the place is not Santiniketan, instead it is the name of the house and because of obvious reasons it got so popular that it became a household name. So now Bolpur is known as Bolpur (Santiniketan).
We bid adieu to our Toto driver and went back to our lodge. That night we again had our dinner at Canteen 4 and conversed late into the night reflecting on our trip so far before snoozing.
On 1st May, 2022 when we woke up it was already 9 A.M. We rearranged our belongings in a lackadaisical manner and took bathe before check out. From there we went straight to Bangladesh Bhavan but unfortunately it was closed for renovation.
We strolled through the Vivekananda Sarani exploring numerous beautiful farm houses and experiencing the true essence of Santiniketan. We got too exhausted in the scorching sun and headed for Kasahara, the cafe located adjacent to Sangeet Bhavan. We had our lunch and passed time in a lazy manner as our return train (12348 Sahid Express) was scheduled at 5: 38 P.M. All three of us enjoyed our stay at Bolpur and laden our soul with new memories. As according to the great poet:
"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add colour to my sunset sky..."
Oh! We also visited Gitanjali Rail Museum on our way back which is adjacent to the Bolpur railway station. Our stay in Bolpur is very well depicted in Abhranil's vlog "Da Bong Family".
Picture Courtesy: Netin Baidya and Abhranil Kundu)
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