Rediscovering Nadia

A careful study of the social and political history should educate anyone of the historical importance of Nadia region in West Bengal. For example - the Battle of Plassey, resulting in the defeat of Nawab Siraj Ud Daula and advent of the Company Raj – started right in this region. The defeat of Nawab was facilitated by a disgruntled bunch of local kings and collaborators. Maharaja Krishna Chandra Roy was the most resourceful among them. Naturally Krishnanagar, named after him, earned a dubious reputation from this history.

Driven by kind of penchant for our own past, we embarked on hour 2-hr long train journey from Kolkata to rediscover Nadia. At Krishnanagar rail station the ubiquitous pedal rickshaws appeared to be most convenient option for our leisurely exploration of this long forgotten town.

Our first halt obviously was the King’s Palace or Raj Bari, which is still inhabited by the descendants of Raja Krishna Chandra Roy. One part the palace is in a sorry state, but the other side is well-maintained. The front gate, Charminar is a good example of Indo-Muslim architecture. It is a fine, yet neglected, piece of architecture. Yet the renovated main gate just behind still dazzles. The star attraction is a set of old canons. Legend has it they were gifted by Lord Clive to Krishna Chandra. Inside the palace is the Durga dalan, enriched with interesting frescos. While many religious events are organised here with great fanfare, it’s the unique Barodol festival which is widely known all over the state. The festival commemorates Lord Krishna in swings in twelve different manifestations and includes huge village fair held in front of the palace.

The catholic church of Krishnanagar is a big draw. Splendid Roman architecture of this 130-year-old church has made it one of the best in eastern India There is a tower and a silver dome side by side. Inside are 22 rare oil paintings of Jesus. The Original Italian interior and soft natural lighting are lovely. One should also visit the more much more austere Protestant church nearby which is even older.

Brahma Mandir, established in 1847 by Debendranath Tagore, is another attraction of the town. There are quite a few heritage buildings, Indo-European architecture of which has certain regality about them. Krishnanagar College, dating back to 1846, is worth a visit, as is the District Public Library, built a decade later. There are also some interesting private buildings of elite gentries of the British era, one of which became my favourite.  It is now converted in to Krishnanagar Collegiate School, one of the flag bearers of Bengal’s high education standard since the time of independence.

Krishnagar is an important centre for culture and literature. It boasts of many famous Bengali literary figures. Even today there is a vibrant culture of literary exchange among small groups of writers and poets, and there is a strong tradition of theater. All this would look significant when you understand that it is after all a small district town. The city’s progressiveness will also be understood when we found out that its Government run Diploma Engineering college has facilities (including hard court for tennis) which would put many private run Degree Engineering colleges to shame.

In fact, this distinctiveness amidst the ordinary has kept the town active and interesting. Take for example public religious festivals. Maharaja Krishna Chandra introduced Kali (instead of Lakshmi) puja on Diwali night in Bengal. And, today while for Bengalis Durga Puja is most important religious festival, in Krishnanagr it is Jagadhatri Puja, exactly 30 days afterwards (where the idol is Durga with the lion and Ashura, but without her sons and daughters). Take for example sweets; while rest of the Bengal celebrate Rasagulla and Sandesh, Krishnanagar has its heavenly Sarbhaja and Sarpuria, made using an intricate and exacting process by local Moiras, uninterrupted since last 150 years.

A trip to Krishnanagar is not complete without a pause at the shops-cum-studios of famous clay sculptors. The area where most of these masters stay is Ghurni Putulpatty. These artists produce images of Hindu gods and goddesses for traditional worship throughout the year, as well as clay models of human figures and real life objects. It is said that initially it was Raja Krishna Chandra who settled a few families of talented clay artists in the area. They were supposed to make clay models of the natives which the Britishers used to take back to their country as a memento. One look at the clay dolls and we are amazed at the reality with which the artist has displayed the character of the model. Indeed, the clay models / figurines crafted here are collectors’ items.

If you haven’t seen enough yet and have time to spare, then visit Shiv Niwas, about 20 km from the town, which was the new capital of the Nadia royal family. Three massive temples built between 1754 and 1762 are a magnificent throwback to those times.

Even more interesting and historically significant is Ballal Dhipi, located about 25 K.M. from Krishnanagar. The excavation work in 1980s revealed a unique structural complex covering nearly 13,000 Sq. meters, centering around a mound (Dhipi) having a height of 9 metres. This complex identifies itself with the Vikramsila Vihar. Experts say that this side of Stupa (Vihar) of eighth / ninth century was perhaps a seat of learning and pilgrimage up to the eleventh century.

Visits to nearby towns are equally rewarding. While Krishnagar situated on the left bank of Jalangi River, just on the opposite bank is Nabadwip, which was a great seat of learning for Sanskrit languages and religious texts and as well as the birthplace of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who spread the message of love as the driving force of the new Vaishnavite sect.

Similarly Shantipur, located 18 km away on the opposite side, had been another seat of Sanskrit learning and literature, Vedic texts and scriptures since ninth century. The Topkhana Mosque was built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The Shayam Chand Temple built in traditional Aatchala style, the Jaleswar Temple with its exquisite terracotta designs and the Adwaita Prabhu Temple are the noteworthy temples of Shantipur. The weavers of Shantipur have made themselves famous throughout India by their excellence in making Bengali Handloom Saree.

Nadia was a thriving bastion of native people and their culture even during the Mughal rule and today it has a certain distinctive charm. A visit to Krishnanagar will help turning back the pages of history books for some and the opening up of a whole new world for others.

Moving History of Murshidabad



Here history precedes the place. Murshidabad was a witness to those events which had changed the course of Indian history. It took its name from Murshid Kuli Khan - Aurangzeb’s Governor, originally a Brahmin who converted to Islam out of his gratitude to the man who brought him up. It was the capital of Sube of Bangla and was full of palaces, mansions and 700 mosques. But after the defeat of the Nawab Siraz-ud-Daula in the battle of Plasssey (1754), the British captured the city and handed it over to their puppet ruler Mir-Zafar. With the advent of the Company Raj, most of the palaces, public offices and religious shrines that were built by Murshid Kuli Khan and Siraz-ud-Daula were gradually laid in waste.

Siraz-ud-Daula lost the battle mainly due to betrayal of his own men. Obviously, often these traitors and collaborators were amply rewarded by the British colonizers. So the fabled Hazarduari Palace in Murshidabad is not the original one, but a new one built by the British for subsequent puppet kings and got its name from its one thousand doors - some real, some fake, and some imaginary. The edifice, however, is impressive, built in Indo-Sarcenic style, which distinguishes all colonial buildings in Bengal. With its characteristic pillars and green structural windows, the cream toned Hazarduari II stands majestically in its ground facing a few mausoleums and the Nazimat Imambara.





Hazarduary Palace - Uday K Chakraborty

The three-storied palace, now converted into a museum, has 50 halls and galleries. A vast staircase leads up to the first floor. Inside, the layout is grand though predictable - vast stone-floored halls, sweeping staircases and many more windows, then many doors. But the contents of the building are interesting - a silver chandelier with 96 branches, sent by Queen Victoria, that presides over the Darbar; a silver dressing table set used by Siraz-ud-Daula’s mother and handed down to the most important queen of his queens; a Burma jade dinner set, that is reported to change colour at the touch of a poison. There are a collection of arms, Phaeton and vintage cars and howdahs in silver and elephant tasks (ivory) and impressive collection of paintings and sculptures.





The second floor (entry with special permission) has great collection of books and manuscripts. Wander through and you will see examples of India’s most priceless manuscripts such as the original Ain-I-Akbari and Akbarnama, written by Akbar’s court historian Abul Fazal. A copy of Holy Quran penned by Emperor Aurangzeb and another, weighing close to 20 kg and measuring 4-ft by 3-ft , written by Haroon-al-Rashid, the Caliph of Bagdad. penned by the emperor Aurangzeb and another, weighing close to 20 kg and measuring around 4'' x 3'', written by the famous Haroon-al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad. The second floor of the Hazarduari Palace houses an equally (if not more) interesting collection of about 12,000 books and 3,000 manuscripts, in Persian, English, Arabic and Urdu. The Nawabs may or may not have been of a literary bent of mind, but their library certainly is well stocked. Wander through, and you''ll see examples of some of India''s most priceless manuscripts, such as the original Ain-e-Akbari and the Akbarnama, written by Akbar''s court historian Abul Fazal; a copy of the Holy Koran penned by the emperor Aurangzeb and another, weighing close to 20 kg and measuring around 4'' x 3'', written by the famous Haroon-al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad. The second floor of the Hazarduari Palace houses an equally (if not more) interesting collection of about 12,000 books and 3,000 manuscripts, in Persian, English, Arabic and Urdu. The Nawabs may or may not have been of a literary bent of mind, but their library certainly is well stocked. Wander through, and you''ll see examples of some of India''s most priceless manuscripts, such as the original Ain-e-Akbari and the Akbarnama, written by Akbar''s court historian Abul Fazal; a copy of the Holy Koran penned by the emperor Aurangzeb and another, weighing close to 20 kg and measuring around 4'' x 3'', written by the famous Haroon-al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad.

The second floor of the Hazarduari Palace houses an equally (if not more) interesting collection of about 12,000 books and 3,000 manuscripts, in Persian, English, Arabic and Urdu. The Nawabs may or may not have been of a literary bent of mind, but their library certainly is well stocked. Wander through, and you''ll see examples of some of India''s most priceless manuscripts, such as the original Ain-e-Akbari and the Akbarnama, written by Akbar''s court historian Abul Fazal; a copy of the Holy Koran penned by the emperor Aurangzeb and another, weighing close to 20 kg and measuring around 4'' x 3'', written by the famous Haroon-al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad. The second floor of the Hazarduari Palace houses an equally (if not more) interesting collection of about 12,000 books and 3,000 manuscripts, in Persian, English, Arabic and Urdu. The Nawabs may or may not have been of a literary bent of mind, but their library certainly is well stocked. Wander through, and you''ll see examples of some of India''s most priceless manuscripts, such as the original Ain-e-Akbari and the Akbarnama, written by Akbar''s court historian Abul Fazal; a copy of the Holy Koran penned by the emperor Aurangzeb and another, weighing close to 20 kg and measuring around 4'' x 3'', written by the famous Haroon-al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad.

Tipola Gate - Uday K. Chakraborty

Around the palace are other attractions like the Wasef Manzil (the New Palace) by the bank of the Ganga, Tripolia Gate, the Dakshin Darwaza, the Chak Darwaza, the Gharighar (the Clock Tower), the Bachchawali Tope (a canon).  Parallel to the north face of the Hazarduari Palace, stands the Nizamat Imambara, built in 1847 AD., after the Imambara built by Siraj-ud-Doula had been destroyed by fire. The Imambara, which is the largest in Bengal, is perhaps the largest in India. The Imambara is recently renovated and deserves a detail look. Between the palace and the Imambara is a small mosque, ‘Madina’, with colourful tiled verandahs. The Mosque has an ornamented replica of Hazrat Muhammad's tomb at Madina. It is the only surviving structure built by Siraj-ud-Daula.

As it is locally said, Murshidabad is where silk and intrigue was woven in equal measure. There were intrigues and treason before and after the Battle of Plassey. Though Mir-Zafar became more ill famous, highly placed Hindus played equally active part in it. Jagat Seth was one such great traitor, who could have done anything for money. But, after the battle Clive tricked him and he hanged himself from one of these trees in his own garden. Nearby was the place, where captured Siraj was killed by Mir-Zaffar’s son after the battle of Plassey. Ironically, the imposing gateway Namakharamer Deori (traitor’s gate) still guards the way to the ruined palace of Mir-Zafar. Siraj-ud-Daula was assassinated near this gate. Later, harassed by Robert Clive, Mir-Zaffar also committed suicide at the mango orchard nearby. On the other side of the road are the cemeteries of Mir-Zafar and his descendents. Further away the palace of Jagat Seth at Mahimapur and the once famous Pareshnath Temple are now in ruins.

In contrast, most original Mughal edifices though look equally dilapidated, probably have better historical values. Nearby Hazarduari is the horseshoe-shaped Moti-jheel (pearl Lake), picturesquely framed by the ruins of Ghasiti Begam’s (Siraj’s wife) Garden palace. Here Lord Clive celebrated the acquisition of the Dewani of Sube Bangla (Bengal, Bihar & Orissa) in 1765. Moti Jheel was also the residence of Warren Hastings. In the area adjacent to the Mosques are the tombs of brothers and other family members of Siraj.

History and Gradure in decay - Uday K Chakraborty

Khosh Bagh lies on the opposite banks of Bhagirathi. The grave of Nawab Alivardi Khan, Alivardi's Mother, Siraj-ud-Doula and his wife Lutfannesha and other members of the Nawab family lie here. Further away, Kadam Sarif is a beautiful mosque near the much fabled Jahan Kosha canon and is said to contain a replica of the footprint of Hazrat Mohammad, the prophet.



Katara Mosque - Uday K Chakraborty



But the grand example of the original Mughal architecture stands about a kilometer away from the Hazarduari. Built in 1720, Katara Masjid stands as the lone testimony to the contributions of the city’s founder. The gorgeous mosque with its huge domes and high minarets has a simple cemetery of the Murshid Kuli Khan below the front staircase. Even in death he followed the austere style of Aurenzeb.

In Murshidabad history flows with time

Most people do Murshidabad in a day, running from palace house to garden to mosque and returning to Kolkata in the evening. But, this historically important town deserves a much longer time to explore as well as to understand how human pettiness, greed and betrayal of a few rich and powerful can start a two century long subjugation of a great nation.

In and out of Old Goan Homes

For a state that was under the domain of Portuguese for 450 years, it’s difficult to root out the influence. The landscape of Goa is dotted with heritage houses, villas, mansions that are reminiscent of the Portuguese era. There are also some unique examples of clever blend of the Indian and Portuguese styles. At places glimpses of European and Italian styles are also available. And, fortunately in some of these beautiful homes are lived in by some Goans who do everything to keep their traditional food and lifestyle alive.

So one bright day we drive up to a large, elegant Indo-Gothic mansion in South Goa which my daughter would swear was haunted. We are in search of Antonio D’Cunha. An attractive lady who turns out to be Antonio’s wife, Nancy, ushers us in. A quick tour of huge rooms with high ceilings and fading walls leads us to a small, snug room where several people are sitting about, chatting – a few government officials, a judge, local district magistrate, local  journalists and an American “from the Embassy”. Then there was Dona Maria, whom I am told makes the best Bebinca in Goa.

Bebinca! Now that’s a word to conjure with! Recipes for the dish begin: “take the yoke of 40 eggs ….” This rich, layered cake, which is probably Goa’s most famous dish, can take as long as a day to make. And a lady’s status is said to depend upon how well she makes bebinca. Dona Maria is evidently a lady of consequence.

Lunch is deliciously indulgent buffet laid out on several tables in a long room with many windows. Dishes include fried king prawns, pork sorpotel, cauliflower fugard, a variety of wonderful fish dishes, araz rice cooked in coconut milk, crème caramel, and, of course, bebinca. For me the bebinca, created, sliced and served on my plate by Dona Maria herself, was the crowning glory - a rich, lingering taste of fermented coconut, something to be eaten slowly and in small mouthfuls.

Lunch completed we join the tour of ancestral Goan homes, through dusty, winding rural roads, past palms and paddies, churches and shrines.  Salvador Da Costa mansion, situated in Loutolim, a south Goa village, was built in nineteenth century. Mixed architecture of this Single storied mansion has come to be referred as the Goan eclectic style.  It would be appropriate to say that the mansion carries the best of both worlds: what was and what is now. It has a low pitched tile roof and a wide veranda (typical of Indian style) and designs include Gothic style windows, and columns clustered.

South Goan landscape that is dotted with architectural examples like Figueredo mansion, raised on a high plinth and its balcao (porch) and Miranda mansion (1710) with internal verandas and chapel etc. Another country mansion in Margao, Sat Burnzam Ghor (1790) is a replica of Portuguese style with a grand double storied facade. Dr. Alvaro Loyola Furtado Mansion in Chinchinim displays richness unrivaled at the time it was built (1833). Near Colva beach, we take the narrow road northwards, from the Colva church crossroad towards the village of Betalbatim. We find every Christian house in this lane portraying a stone bearing cross at the front door. Right across the street is a pretty house (meio sobrado) of an ordinary citizen with handsome wooden railings. Such house is referred as half-storied house in architectural parlance, ironically, such a house is set o a plinth so high that it is almost like a double-storied house, with a wide array of steps, giving the house an illusion that it is a very important mansion!

Situated on the left bank of river Mandovi, Solar Dos Colacos Mansion has a baroque façade. First built around 1730, it continued to add features that were in vogue at that time. Evidences of the creativity of an early occupant who was artist and craftsman are visible all around the house. The floor of entire ballroom was built in wood of 16 different types. The mansion has other interesting features such as the intricately carved Goan furniture, chandeliers, mirrors, the dining hall has scenes from Ramayana. A visit to this house will liven up different prevailing trends of different times.

Braganza Mansion, situated in Chandor, is considered to be one of the grandest mansions in the state. The sheer magnificence of the mansion from outside as well as inside is beyond comprehension. Italian patterned flooring (tiles and marble mosaic), stained glass windows, china ware and vases, the mansion will itself narrate stories of its magnificent past. The Mascarenhas Mansion which lies in close proximity of Anjuna beach has rich and classic 'balcoes' (balconies). There are also some fine stained glass floral etchings. Dr. Pinto De Rosario Mansion lying between Panjim and Mapusa is in Porvorim. The mansion is filled with Indo-Portuguese furniture, European and Chinese wares.

Smaller but equally interesting Goan homes are everywhere. If you have an eye for architecture then just set on foot and you will discover numerous examples yourself. For example, The old district of Fontainhas in Panjim is the most atmospheric area to walk around, and includes many quaint homesteads. 

Old Goan homes, however, suffer from insufficient funds to keep them in proper repair. However big, however beautiful they are, however rare and exotic the content, the general effect is a sort of genteel decadence. For their present occupants their upkeep is a labour of love.

The American’s verdict: “Well, they certainly look lived in.”

I wonder what he thought of the bebinca.

Celestial Journey

Long before your train reaches Puri station, ending an overnight journey from Kolkata, you would become the target of the practiced eyes of the enterprising pandas (temple priests) of Jagannath Temple, who are on the lookout for prospective clients. If you are religiously inclined, you would eventually succumb to one of their long persuasions and do what most others do. Graded according to their rites and ceremonies in a hierarchy ordered through the centuries, Pandas are your sole connection to the Lord Jagannath and his blessings. However, your chance of site-seeing on your own is much better during the spectacular Rathajatra festival, when the sizeable number of Pandas can not cover even a fraction of the people who pour in to take part in it.

Puri has been a place of worship since time immemorial. The guardian deity of the city is Lord Jagannath, whose temple remains the chief attraction throughout the year, both to the believers and the casual tourists. Indeed, to the pandas, Lord Jagannath is the saviour and employer. Their duties include changing the deity’s clothes, feeding him, carrying him out on their shoulders up to the chariots once a year for Rathajatra when all Jagannath believing world congregates at Puri. It’s a festival so colourful, vibrant and full of life, that even the foreigner dominated ISKON (though followers of Shri Chaitanya and Shri Krishna) has appropriated it as their main festival. However, ISKON’s version is nothing compared to the real one in terms of massiveness and expression of true devotional tradition.

Yes, the climax of all is the Rathajatra (Chariot Journey) in Puri, definitely one of the world’s most impressive festivals. During the festival, the lord traverses just a three-kilometer route and returns. But within this short journey a real life event of epic proportion is enacted every year.

On one end of Puri’s main road is the Jagannatah temple. Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra or Balaram and sister Subhadra travel on a gorgeously caparisoned wooden “ratha" (chariot), from the main gate of the Jagannath temple to Gudichghara or the Garden House of their aunt. They remain there for a week and are then brought back to the temple again, amidst much rejoicing one rainy ulta-ratha or reverse journey. For a week this main road teems with milling crowds and an array of shops on both the sides.

Magnificient Chariots stationed outside the temple of Lord

Though, every year, three chariots are newly built, the process follows the same age old materials and practices. On the day of the Rathajatra, the chariots are placed outside the main gate and three deities of the temple are brought to their respective and installed with great pomp and ceremony. Suddenly the whole place is filled with the sounds of religious hymns, flutes, cymbals and drum beats. The chariots wait near the “Singhadwar” for a few hours, while about a million devotees jostle to get a better view or offer their prayers. Some enterprising onlookers manage to get atop roofs of nearby buildings or perch precariously the walls of the temple itself to ensure a better view of the spectacle. Then, all wait patiently for that magic moment.

Ritual are many

But, two rituals are to be performed before the chariots can start their journey. At first, the king of Puri, popularly known as Gajapati, has to sweep the floor of the chariots. So, he arrives on an elephant and performs the ritual, amidst jubilant crowd and clicking cameras. Another, somewhat unusual ritual follows. It is believed that the deities do not really like to visit their aunt’s place because of her meanness. So, one of the senior pandas is assigned to rebuke the Lord. As is the custom, the priest takes this opportunity to shower the Lord with choicest abuses available in his repertory. Harsher are his word, merrier becomes the crowed.

At last comes the most important moment. The teeming pilgrims who floor the festival line up one after another, and holding the long, long rope and start pulling the chariot with their collective might. The dense mass struggle forward by convulsive jerks - tugging, sweating, shouting, singing and praying. For all of them this is the moment to become one with the lord himself. For the onlookers viewing from a higher lever, it’s a magnificent sight. It looks as if three colourful boats are moving slowly on a sea of humanity. It’s a view that would be in their mind as long as they live.

At the end of the journey, the multitude surges back to have one last glimpse of those dazzling eyes of the lords, arms mutilated, but holding the very essence of creation. After, six days, the chariots would make their return journey from Gudichaghara to the world of their temple - a world that has changed a little over the centuries.



Lord is everywhere



Suddenness of Sundarbans

Just imagine a slow motor boat moving through a river with dense jungle on both the sides, sun setting in the horizon, there is a perpetual nagging fear of the unknown both from the Jungle and the river. Amidst this, freshly brewed tea has been served and sitting on top of the cabin’s roof our left-leaning aunt, with her Sari’s pallu floating in the air, singing those soul stirring classical and Rabindra Sangeets. It is a situation which can not be recreated by money anywhere else is the world. For this one suddenly arranged trip I remain indebted to my father, who treated us to many other unforgettable trips as well.

Frankly even without this kind of endearing human add-ons, the Sunderbans archipelago of 108 islands interspersed with tidal rivers and narrow creeks hold all visitors spell bound. This is an area where land and sea meet at Gangetic delta. Meandering rivers, springs, creeks and beautiful estuaries, Sundarban is superbly endowed by the unique natural beauty of its surroundings.

Winter is the best time to visit the largest mangrove forest in the world. After reaching Basanti from Kolkata, we were quite excited to see our private launch waiting for us. For next four-days this launch would be also our home providing food and sleeping accommodation. Soon on our way to the Kalas Island we entered an ecosystem that has few parallel in the world. As we moved ahead we faced a maze of islands surrounded by endless stretches of water. Rich tidal creeks that provide diverse habitat such as channel sands, inter tidal mudflats, mangrove forests. As it was winter days,  we could enjoy a beautiful scene of migratory Siberian cranes  flying over sail boats fully loaded with many items like timber, fuel wood, honey, fish and shell adding to the serene natural attractiveness of the Sunderbans. As the night fell we moored our launch off a small Island.

Our Motor Launch

On day break we disembarked at the Kalas Island and saw two boars with fairly large tusks. But what had thrilled us the most were pugmarks on soft ground and with that the hope of spotting a Royal Bengal Tiger. But the local fishermen and our guide, apprehending that the pugmarks were fresh, advised us to return to the safety of the launch.

Now we sailed to the Haliday Island. The Haliday Island is the winter nesting and egg laying spot for the Olive Riddley turtles. Reaching there, we were again disappointed. We did not find any turtle. But the rare beauty of the mangrove delta, the glow of perpetual green when the sun falls on them and tranquility of the remote island was fascinating.

Just entering Netadhopani

As we sailed towards Netadhopani, we were among the densest part of the mangrove forest. Birds were playing on the sand heads. Colourful kingfishers dived in and out of the water. At Netadhopani we spent an hour on protected watchtower with forest guards. Some deer and a couple of wild boars visited the waterhole but there was no tiger. Back in the water, we were looking for estuarine crocodiles, when we heard excited voice of the motorman. We looked ahead and saw the sight that is the dream of all wildlife lovers. A tiger was crossing the river. It was swift and beautiful. It vanished into the forest of the Dakshinrai River in flash. But we were so over excited that all forgot to catch the moment in their camera.

Royal Bengal Tiger

We disembarked at Netadhopani and went to the watchtower through a passage protected by steel netting from tiger attack. We spent an hour on watchtower with forest guards. Some deer and a couple of wild bore visited the waterhole but again tiger eluded us. We met Gagan Majhi. Muktar told us that tiger mauled him while he was fishing. He still carried deep scar on his back. Gagan did not take his shirt off. After he was mauled, he had become an exhibit for the visitors. Being fed up, now he does not show his wounds.

And here the unthinkable happened. While from the tower we could not see any tiger and returned to our boat. We did not notice that my youngest brother was still inside the fenced shore. And, then suddenly we saw him running towards us and then a confusion and the most frieightening sight of the tiger running after him, though fortunately form the outside of the fence. For a few seconds both ran parellely one inside and the other outside the fence, when the boatman, who was left inside first  closed the entry gate from inside and then he started wilding his stick while uttering peculiar sound from his mouth. We, at the boat stood frozen, and prayed that the boat moves to mid-river to avoid the charge of the tiger, though that would mean abandoning my brother and the boatman. However, soon the situation improved when the tiger diecided to abandon his city-bred pray, and with the quickest and most precariuous  run over the wooden plank, my brother returned to the safety of the boat followed by the boatman.

MY brother's escape route

For the night, we anchored at Dobanki. Here we saw young boys, girls and ladies standing in knee-deep water and catching shrimps. Muktar told us that poverty had driven them for such risky job. Risky as every creek and river is the habitat of estuarine crocodiles and these giant reptiles attacked all things living including human. Now it was clear to us why did we see so many people, young and old without limbs in the Sundarban.

From Sajnekhali watch tower

On our way to Sudhanyakhali, when we sailed along deep mangrove forests, we realized that civilization as we know it comes to end in this forbidden terrain and we enter the well known tigerland. The watchtower of Sudhanyakhali Reserved Forest was also protected by steel net. Dense mangrove forest and local trees like Sundari, Hetal, Garan and Garjan was the home of tiger but we again failed to see tiger from the tower. But as we left the reserve forest we saw some wild crocodiles. One was floating by with two nostrils just above the water level. As the river turned right, we saw a fearfully huge estuarine crocodile sunning on a sand head.

On our last day we visited Sajnekhali, a favourite tourist spot. We visited Mangrove Interpretation Centre and crocodile and turtle pond. In the afternoon, we went to Pakhiralaya, the bird sanctuary. It was full of migratory birds from Europe and Central Asia. Ducks of many colour, storks, and so many other species were visible. We also saw a large iguana or Gosap as these are called locally.

We slowly understood why such a terrain in is in the list of UNESCO as a world Heritage Site. The Sunderbans is mystical and mysterious. There is an awe inspiring beauty that is difficult to define. In the morning it is bright and understandable. But when the settings sun turns it into faintly glowing green pristine land where time has stand still, one is charmed and mesmerized. During the night the eerie and mysterious stillness of this riverine forest give goose pimples, when the silence is interrupted by buzzing of insects and growling of animals that one mostly hears, but hardly ever sees.

Life in the estuary is tough and dangerous

The whole natural ensemble is so fascinating that even missing a tiger sighting becomes bearable. But, when one actually sees the rarest of rare fishing cat for a fleeting moment in this wilderness, it becomes one of the ultimate adventure trips in the world. And, we return with the clear understanding how human beings have to live and survive in harmony and in animosity with the jungle and its animals, who are equally fighting a harsh battle for its own survival.

Just in Jaipur

The calm and serenity of rural Rajasthan are worlds away from the teeming agitation of Jaipur, the state capital. From cloth merchants to the countless trades of the streets, the city hums with endless activity. Its streets are always teeming with life, which thrives inside and around a horde of historical edifices, providing an illusion of fantasy from days gone by.

Known as the Pink City, Jaipur was built by the great eighteenth-century maharaja, warrior and astronomer, Jai Singh II, who followed an ancient Hindu architectural plan. This city is remarkable for the regularity of its wide, pink-fronted avenues and for the extraordinary invention of the Palace of Winds

The city palace complex houses a graceful group of palaces and flower gardens, and its museum has a superb collection of paintings, sculptures, carpets and ancient weapons. A textile section contains opulent costumes of former Maharajas and maharanis of Jaipur.

All visitors are duly impressed by the surreal Jai Mandir observatory (or Jantar-Mantar) near the gates of the royal palace, which enigmatically presents its instruments in the form of stucco-covered masonry. To layman this appears to be a vast exhibition of modern sculpture, but to the scientist it is a group of intricate astronomical instruments – accurate even by today’s standards. Built in 1728 by Jai Singh, this masterpiece of functional geometry enabled the monarch to calculate the position of the heavenly bodies.

But the real piece de resistance of this charming city is the Hawa Mahal or Palace of the Wind, looming above the activity of the old city centre. This fantastic five story building is actually only one room thick and is a façade built on one side of the City Palace. It was completed in 1799 so that royal ladies in Purdah could watch festivals and processions out of public view. Like a theatrical set, this hive-shaped building with its thousand openings is no more than an empty shell. Seated behind it, ladies of the court were able to watch public events without being seen.

Eleven Km from Jaipur is the former capital of the state of Jaipur, the Amber Palace. A walk and climb en route took us to Tiger Fort and its nearby sister, Jaigarh, from whose ramparts one can see a number of watchtowers on surrounding hilltops, all guarding the valley pass which leads through to Delhi. A part of Jaigarh is nearly 1,000 years old and was so important in the defense of the route to the capital that a major foundry was established here. What is reputed to be the world’s largest wheeled cannon was made here and is still on display. The tank here was supposed to contain treasures but perhaps the real treasure is the beauty of the fort and the antiquity of the Kaal Bhairav temple, which dates back to the eleventh century AD.

Even from a distance, the immensity of Amber is overwhelming. The crenellated walls twist and writhe up and around the hills for miles. The citadel itself rises sheer, vast and dominating. Only someone of extraordinary vision – and untold wealth – could have conceived such splendor. And what Jai Singh I started, Jai Singh II finished. The oldest section is 400 years old but the main part was completed from the mod-16^th to the mid-17^th centuries, the result of constant labour by thousand of artisans, craftsmen and painters. The austere ramparts give no clue of the glittering refinement that lies within. Rooms are lined with gold, silver, ivory, glass and stained glass and elaborate murals. And, if this was not enough, marble, eggshells and even pearls were added to the last coat of paint to give the walls a glorious shine.

One of the most magnificent of the building is the Shish Mahal or the Mirror Palace, built between 1625 -50 by Jai Singh I. It is a soaring monument to Mughal architecture and artistic influence and contemporaneous to the Taj Mahal. Small and slightly curbed pieces of mirrored glass are fitted into lead surrounds, in a technique similar to that used in the medieval stained glass windows. Rooms shimmer with multiple, fractured reflections, while other chambers and hall ways glow with floral and geometrical wall designs. Elsewhere, domes, turrets, parapets, intricate carved marble plaques, miniature ripping waterways and marble lattice work of the women’s viewing galleries (Jharoka) all combine into an architectural extravaganza. Amongst it all, a host of cheeky monkeys made death defying leaps over walls and embrasures, stealing food or floral leis from unwary passersby.

It is perhaps at Jaipur and Amber that the splendours of the Rajasthani past can be best recaptured. Continuing restorations have resurrected some of the luster and sense of opulence which surrounded court life. One example of these massive riches is found in the courtyard pavilion of the Jaipur City Palace Museum. A pair of enormous urns here are the largest single pieces of silver in the world. They were made in Jaipur in 1896 for Maharaja Swai Madho Singh II, who filled them with the holy water from the Ganges and took them with him on a visit to England. Each weighs 345 kilograms and holds 9,000 litres.

Prosperous business community also ensured that city is provided with good place to eat and being entertained. Even decades back some of its cinema halls were most luxurious and provided with latest amenities for a high class experiences. It also offers a wonderful shopping experience with its famous carpets, tie and dye sarees and scarves, Jaipur print furnishing and bed linens, and other handloom and handicraft items. You can spend hours in the labyrinth of its bazaars which itself is an experience.