Exploring the Sunderbans - The land of the Royal Bengal Tigers

Planning for the Sunderbans

The Sundarbans is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. But it is more famous for being the land of the gorgeous and majestic Royal Bengal Tigers, India's national animal. The landscape of the Sunderbans is unique is many aspects. Since childhood I have been hearing about the place, reading in books and newspapers, but have never visited the place. When I tried to find out how far is it from Calcutta, I was pleasantly surprised to find that its not even 100 km! So, I decided to visit the Sunderbans during the Christmas time. I did not like the idea of going in a group or with the tourist party. That would ruin the serenity I was looking for. After a frantic search, I booked a full boat or launch for 2 days. Though there was a provision to spend the night at the boat, I decided to book the government accommodation at Sajnekhali tourist lodge. The itenary was finalised. The night of 22nd December would be spent among the Royal Bengal Tigers, not that I expected to see them.

22nd December, 2013, Sunday.

Getting to the Sunderbans 

My wife, daughter and myself boarded a train from Sealdah early morning to Canning. The ride was of one hour. It was a cold winter morning. People wrapped themselves with sweaters and mufflers. The tea stall owners made brisk business selling hot cups of tea to the passengers. Men sorted the newspapers from the stacks. The sun was still behind the fog. Hawkers sold everything from pins to pans to pain balms in the train with innovative marketing.People talked of the chilled weather. Very few passengers were going on a vacation to the Sunderbans. The passengers were more of the daily commuters. And so, the train was fairly crowded, despite it being a cold morning. The tourists who were destined for the Sunderbans had high hopes of watching tigers on the prowl. The train blew its whistle more often than not as it pierced through the dense fogs. 

From Canning we took a auto rickshaw that got us to Sonakhali. It was another 30 mins of ride through rural bengal. When we reached the jetty, we found our boat has been anchored on the shore. Our plan was to have all meals on board. The cook had gone to get the requisite vegetables, fish, spices, water and utensils from the local market.There were ferries that were used by the local villagers to cross the river. We waited on the boat for 15-20 mins and after a minute-long whistle our boat left the jetty.

The lazy ride

During the first hour of the ride, we passed though the villages with thatched roofs and huge stacks of straw piled up at places.The climate was pleasant. Soon the villagers disappeared and so did the villages. There were mangrove on both sides of the lagoons. We reached the the Sajnekhali Permit Office at 11 AM. Our boatsman made the permit and then we were again on board to Sudhanyakhali. The lunch was served on the boat. Nothing much to write about. It was just a lazy ride through the lagoons - big and small, wide and narrow. Our eyes were wandering here and there, in case we spot some animals in the wild. We basked in the mild winter afternoon. The landscape was very different to what I had seen anywhere in the past. The pneumatophores need a special mention. They stick out from the muddy soil. We spotted some birds flying across, kingfishers snooping down for fishes. Our guide pointed to the different trees. But I was in no mood to increase my botany knowledge then. 
We arrived Sudhanyakhali just before sunset. We climbed up the watch-tower. The view was such a feast to the eyes. Stretches of greenery is what you find. Different shades of green. My daughter got excited after spotting a

few deer. Soon  the watchtower became crowded. The placed lost its charm and the high-pitched human voice ensured that deer ran away to a more peaceful place. We did not waste much time either and proceeded towards the boat once again. The sun was about to set. Our boat stealthily sailed towards the Sajnekhali Tourist lodge, where we had booked for the night stay. On the way, we stopped by at Pakhiralaya. We got country chicken and then back to the boat. When we arrived at Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge, it was pitch dark. The tourist lodge is the only accommodation in the national forest. All other accommodations are on the other side of the river. So, the lodge was fenced. It also did not have electricity. The sound of generators greeted us. The entire lodge is lit by diesel-run generators. My wife had a bit of indigestion. So we decided to have a light meal, but could not resist the temptation of the delicious country chicken. There was nothing much to do and the best option was to go to sleep at the earliest.

23rd December, 2013, Monday.

Waking up to a foggy morning

I woke up at 6:00 AM and wanted to perch myself up on the watch tower which was located inside the lodge premise. My wife and daughter were still asleep. As I walked upto the watch-tower, I realised that the lodge itself is a very romantic place. There were rows of trees and narrow roads through them. There were also lots of monkeys around. We got a taste of that when a fearless monkey entered our room the previous night and snatched the packet of potato chips that was kept on the table. Through the dense fog, I walked upto the

watch-tower, knowing fully well that with such poor visibility, nothing can be seen. I spent about 30 minutes on top admiring the natural beauty. Our boat, which was anchored on the other shore, had a tough time finding our jetty in the fog. When we got out of our lodge onto the jetty, we found that the thick foggy blanket has made visibility to only a few metres. Nonetheless, we set out for the day, expecting nothing but another lazy day through the lagoons. The breeze was chilling. The sun was hardly to be seen. Other boats had just started making moves. The boatman explained me our route. 

The Sunderbans from the boat

Post lunch, we reached Dobanki Watchtower. It had a nice canopy walk. We saw the pug marks at one place. It was mentioned where and when tigers were last spotted in the area. In the Sunderbans, you always get a feeling that you can spot a tiger anytime anywhere - among the bushes, swimming on the water (only tiger spices in the world who can swim), behind the mangrove forest. We spotted many deer on both the days. We spotted a big crocodile too, which moved slowly in the water. On our return journey we saw some forest officials carrying a huge turtle, possibly to the turtle-farm in the park. 
Our Sunderbans trip was more of a lazy trip, than an eventful one. It was about getting connected to another nerve of India, about which I had read a lot, heard a lot, but never seen. It was about seeing the world's largest mangrove forest. It was about sailing beside the villages, which , unfortunately, is one of the poorest in the country. It was about meeting the limited localities and understanding their lives. The setting sun on the Bay of Bengal, the foggy winter morning, the journey through the maze of creeks, the sight of birds flying across - the journey had its own share of precious moments. 
When we were returning and were passing by the villagers, we found the village life before darkness sets in. The villagers there live in a constant fear of being preyed upon by the

tigers. Each of them will have stories about how someone they knew closely met a tragic end on an encounter with tiger. We saw people carrying vegetables in baskets. Boys were playing in the field. Some young girls were gossiping on the river bank. An old man stood by a huge tree as his cow munched on the green top. A woman was removing clothes from the clothesline. We passed by other boats. Some tourists had just landed in Sonakhali and have started their trip to the Sunderbans. A boat had heaps of grocery items. I did not get to know too much of the villagers, but whatever I saw from my boat had stories of their own. There were solar panels on the thatched roofs of some huts. A girl was returning from her school with school bag on her back. The road that ran beside

the bank sees so many activities each day. Each time I see these people in different parts of my motherland, I think again what "India" means. And the thought comes to my mind again that India is more of a concept that binds the Indians. Otherwise what similarity does these people have with those of my next destination, Sikkim. Even the anthropologists will say that they have the origin in different races. Our boat reached Sonakhalli before dark. The dark smoke from the huge factory chimney rose high above and got mixed with the hovering

clouds. When we arrived on the morning the day before, the place was so full of life. Now the place seemed to placid and getting ready to plunge into darkness. Do we see the environment the way we like to see? Does the environment change with us? Are the people who had arrived for the Sunderbans at the Sonakhali jetty an hour back, felt the same way I was feeling?
We boarded the Canning local to Sealdah. On the way I bought 2 bottles of jaggery. They were the authentic jaggery that I had not had for years. Somewhere, deep down one's childhood never dies. Wherever we are, whoever we become and whatever the time is, some taste, some smell back bring some thoughts like the gushing of water once the floodgates are open. The smell and taste of jaggery did the magic on me.

The heart-beat of the Sunderbans

If not for anything else, but for the lazy afternoons on the deck of the boat and the taste of jaggery I will visit the Sunderbans again.Some things are seen, some are heard, some are felt. The Sunderbans has the beautiful collection of enriched flora and fauna, which is a feast to the eyes. The world's largest mangrove forest has that inexplicable silence all around, except for the sound of the engine of the boat, which you soon learn to ignore. And somewhere deep beneath this lazy village life lies an undercurrent of strong zeal to fight all hurdles and obstacles to continue living a simple and happy life. This heart beat of the Sunderban needs to be felt. This pulse is what makes the place so special.


PS: After the Sunderbans trip, I was in my native for a week. And then I was battling it out at some 14000 feet above sea level in one of the most harsh and yet beautiful regions of India - eastern part of Sikkim. That blog will follow soon. 

My journey across India continues....