Three Gems In Jhargram (West Bengal)
A decade or so ago, my husband's hometown of Jhargram, Medniapore, was always in the news for wrong reasons. The pristine jungles around the town were all war torn with maoist activities. Although nothing happened in the main town but it became infamous due to its association with the neighbouring areas. This disrupted not only the daily lifestyle of the people to some extent but also reduced the flow of tourists in and around Jhargram.
However, things have changed for the better now. Peace has again been restored in the beautiful red soil region and the local goverment is trying hard and fast to lure back tourists. Tourism is a good source of income for any beautiful place. Therefore, new resorts have opened, the old are being given a fresh coat of paint, there are new food joints and now even the supermarket chain Vishal Megamart has opened an outlet there.
About 40 kms from Jhargram are the beautiful Ghagra Falls on the Tarafeni River. We had for a long time tried to plan a trip there. My in-laws and husband have of course visited it, but a visit to a beautiful place again with family is always a cherishable event. We wanted to leave early and return only after sunset(hubby wanted to take pics of sunset). But then we discussed that it would be too long and hectic for our toddler and even our parents. So we started late at around 10 a.m. Take lots of water, umbrellas, caps and of course food. There are small villages on the way where you can get food and water but a backup especially with a toddler is always a good idea.
Our driver suggested to visit the Gadraseni Hill and Khandarani Lake on the way. So off we went to the hill first. He dropped us off at a designated point. There is a small ashram there. The main attraction, however, is an half an hour or so trek to the top of the hill to visit the Hanuman Mandir and also to get a bird's eye view of the whole area. The way up is very precarious and steep, full of pebbles and stones, so take precautions when you trek. We heard an incident of a child and mother who slipped and rolled down and got badly hurt. Plus, it had already become so hot that we decided not to go up the full stretch. We climbed a bit, clicked some pictures for memory and returned back.
From there we went on to the Khandarani Dam built over the lake with the same name. Quiet and pristine, a cool breeze was blowing when we reached there. People were sitting around under the trees having picnics. Imagine, if people could have picnics in that hot weather, then what is the number of people who visit during the winter season! We also roamed around, took in the clean air, ate potato chops and puffed rice and made some happy memories. From there we moved on to the Ghagra Falls. A natural waterfall over the Tarafeni River, the area around is also well known for the rich flora and fauna and also for being the site of historical findings of ancient settlements. Elephants are often seeb in the forests nearby and when so happens, tourists are often asked to stay away or turn back. Also, very recently, since the visitors have been increasing, the local goverment has been working hard on making the roads better and wider. Do not expect very good amenities nearby, rather there are hardly any. Things can get dirty when lots of people visit but that is because people litter even if there are dustbins nearby.
Because of the dry season we could not see the falls in their full glory. The gushing of the water was audible but not visible among the huge rock formations. We hopped around on them but with caution. My hubby took pictures and we took rest on the river bank. It was a busy place with villagers bringing their animals to bathe, children diving from the high banks, a continuous flow of tourists coming to visit, the birds chirping, the trees rustling in the breeze, the dogs coming to take bites of food. We sat there and took in all these lovely sights. It was past 2 then and we had our paranthas, aloo dum and some mouth-watering kalakands. My brother-in-law even took a short nap, the breeze under the trees was so cool.
Sitting there we all discussed how these beautiful places in our countrysides go unnoticed because of less exposure from the media. Life in and around the villages near the river must be strifed with so much difficulty with hardly any amenities. Less access to electricity, no medical facility, not even a proper school. Yet, life goes on at a steady pace and people are content with what they have. How this beautiful place must have felt during the unrest, so unsure, so insecure. Although things are changing and the mobile phone has already spearheaded a change, but I am sure that the simple lifestyle of the rural people of India will hardly ever change.
Nearing the time of sunset we got up to leave because after that there would be no lights. Our baby boy was also becoming restless. We had lovely outing and prayed and hoped that this peaceful place remained so forever from now on.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Momspresso.com (formerly mycity4kids). Any omissions or errors are the author's and Momspresso does not assume any liability or responsibility for them.
By - Gargi Bandyopadhyay
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