PROLOGUE
It was ideally a very compact and well planned trip to Kanker.Prasantada (familiar as PD to us) was the chief architect and minute to minute schedule was executed. I believe, one extra day would have been ideal to complete the entire tour and explore all the lovely spots in Kanker. I presume, no one of us was aware that the area is worthy for a visit except seeing PD’s working place and getting his companion that we had cemented in the last few years. Instead, we returned back with pleasant memories of Garia pahar trek, exploring Tatamari pleatue and naturally developed Limdehra park and experiencing Muktagan landscape with distinctive tribal architecture, Bhaluk pahar night safari, and night-roaming in jungles … and….mohua..and…many more…
Kanker, officially North Bastar Kanker, is a district in the State of Chhattisgarh (India). It was a part of the larger Bastar district but became a separate district in 1998, forming part of the broader Bastar Division.
The district’s headquarters, Kanker town, is situated on the National Highway 30 almost halfway between Chhattisgarh’s two major cities – Raipur, the state capital, and Jagdalpur, the second biggest city and headquarters of the neighbouring Bastar district and Bastar Division.
I AM LOVIN’ KANKER
Jnaneshwari Express reached Raipur at 12.15 noon, we were continually in cello-touch with PD since we boarded this train. When finnaly reached, at the exit gate of rail-station we found broad smiling face of PD and his junior colleague Sikandar. We felt free from all sorts of tensions to reach an unknown location. We, five in number, became Pancha Pandava after landing Chhatrisgarh.
Our journey by road from Raipur to Kanker took almost 3 hours covering 140 km. This journey was planfully divided into two parts including lunch break at a popular roadside Phuttu Dhaba. A special site, elevated concrete landing type, was arrenged where only special guests are allowed to take their refreshment and the place was encircled with the cool shadow of mahua, palash and tendu trees. This part of the refreshment session was thoroughly and efficiently managed by Sikandar, a young man from Haryana. After taking rest for some time and having lunch we continued our journey.
Ultimately we reached our destination, a nice forest bunglow, where we would stay for a few days. It was a two-suite bunglow. One suite was arranged for us and we got together lavishly. Some political VIPs were in the other suite. But no-problem environment prevailed throughout in our staying there.
Anyway, Came down the sun behind the line of trees of Kanker. We got ready for night venture in Bhalu pahar area.
MAHUA: LOVE AT FIRST NITE
It was the first night at Kanker and it was still young evening. PD had many noble ideas and mahua was one such delicacy waiting for us as welcome drink. We five moonliters joined the debut party with excitement of taste of wild mahu, religiously prepared by Jiten. Jiten was a quick learner cook of PD who can prepare, distil, cook and carry out all orders to please his boss’s friend. He was also an expert in mahua punch. With each sip we were experiencing his expertise in serving that liqure. Mahua liquor is made from the sweet, nectar-rich flowers of the Mahua tree (Madhuca longifolia). With that liqure we were served with fresh local fish preparation, Desi chicken, fresh salad and guava, much better than Baruipur variety. Aha, what a combination. We took some time to reach the level of Mahua-marg.
With the night becoming old, Chilling weather outside…we were chilling from within. It was, I hope a lifetime experience and a chance of tasting an Indian country-liqure variety. Two litres emptied to fill our passion. The most attractive part of the party was to have our dinner with steamed rice, a nice variety I never had before, and chicken curry. Night got deeper with much deeper snoring sound
TATAMARI MANOHARI……
The first morning at the forest bungalow started with a freshening morning walk. We could sense the smell of mahua tree. Cameras took snapshots of the rising sun and the enlightment of the age old Chotonagpur pleatue. By the time PD returned from his office and quickly disposed of some office assignments. We joined for breakfast in the bunglow. Breakfast was awesome with crispy parathas, vindi curry, curd and swadist or delicious gilipis which were further added by PD in our menu. We doubled our normal take and left for the Tatamari tourist place. It was 32 km drive towards south to baster range. Serene Tatamari hillocks with their flora-fauna in the midst of Keskhel region. We were so charmed with the beauty of this wide table-top, we lost ourselves in that serene nature. The pink grass carpet, the deep valley, panoramic view points at places, wide green medows made us to enjoy day long. Gavaskar (one of our friends) could not restrict himself from exercising the cartwheel signature step. PD suggested to taste locally made sweet, pakora, tea from NGO run shops. Looking upward we saw many bird-nests artistically made out of broader leaves, lookd like invert canopies. We enjoyed rocky landscape, deep forests, wide plataue of Tatmari and inhaled wild flavor throughout the journey.
BEER-BEAR AND BHALU PAHAR
Bear was our first priority. PD used to send us many short videos of bear movement near Bhalu Pahar. At Moonlit weekend chit-chat was going on about our tour while sipping one or two beers. Beer was our last attraction too in Kanker tour….and that is also a part of our story. Whle we were returning from Tatamari, Falgunida read out one roadside caution, ‘नजर हटी, दुर्घटना घटी’ and added ‘नजारा से नजर हटने का फुर्सत कहां’. On the way back, we entered Limdehra Park. 100-acre of waterbody converted to an attractive tourist spot with park. Colourful Palash trees were none less charming than Birch trees.
Heavy breakfast discouraged all of us from going to protein intake in the late lunch hour. Jam Jam biriyani was another attraction for biriyani lovers waiting at New Bus Stand in Kanker. We went to PD’s residence to take a short nap. Meantime PD had planned to show us his evening walk ground, and jungle adjacent where haina, leopard and other nocturnal creatures were frequently seen. The Sun, scorching in the noon calmed down and was in a hurry to go behind Bhalu Pahar. We started for Bhalu Pahar safari, on the way we saw lakes full of Lotus bloom. We were wandaring around Bhalu Pahar, encircling it twice .. thrice…and more to feel that beauty. we visited villages around, double fencing to protect wildlife and as well as human beings. We saw lively stremes.
Again we settled in PD’s house. Mutton was on the main menu, egg boil, salad, Desi chicken served along with a decorative sense of Jiten. Steam rice when served , just gave a feel of American sizzlers. We planned to settle down a bit early because we planned to visit Garia pahar near one at around 8 in the morning. PD was also with us in the forest Bunglow not to lose our company even one moment. We take time to catch bed and prefer to take a few snaps of calm forest, night flavour of the bungalow. …we don’t remember when all went to sleep to execute the next day’s plan….
GARIA PAHAR
In our Kanker tour we all five are of diversified interest , different professionals, and yet there was a common agenda to enjoy nature. A biker by profession and all bikes are parked around, an attractive forest with a motorable road.. it means the journey is incomplete- this planning was going all through in Shubha’s mind. He first tried to fulfill it by driving the Mahindra force+. Yea’ Opportunity came to Subha when a moderate level bike of his choice he managed to get out of the parked one owned by one staff of the office. He was so thrilled to drive around bhalu pahar, focusing head light to imaginary bhalu and its original cave seen from far, it was to enjoy another part of our life specially when we touch fifties. Subha was seemed just like a small matured kid who was playing around bhalu pahar to exploit his biker passion.
But this was yesterday’s story, today we are in harse-bisad(हर्ष-विषाद) mood. Today is our last day in Kanker and today we will visit Garia pahar. As usual, the morning walk was over, we assembled to take morning tea at the guesthouse restaurant and hurriedly kept all baggages ready to leave the house for the final one, the beautiful lonely queen home in the midst of a huge forest property and adjacent to Kanker town. The vehicle came in time, 8:15. we all boarded and within a short while we reached the foot of Garia Hill of 700 ft height. It was 8:30 in the morning; the far away sound of cricket from the hill-woods is still alive. To our surprise the level-crossing type gate of the hill entrance is closed. I have forgotten to mention that the hill top we planned to reach by vehicle only. Now we four (as PD was not accompanying us and was busy in arrangement of our ‘branch’) are of splitter opinion go further or not to go further. The reason is whether the time will permit us to complete this expedition and catch our train at Raipur which is 140 km away.
We are not at all a good trekker also. I took full energy first to see whether the gate can be uplifted manually to cross the vehicle in the jugad process, but it was locked. A notice besides written will open every day at 8.00AM. I have crossed the bar and crossed the blockage ‘ not to ascend the hill top’ trekked 200 steps upward and assured others to come back well within the time schedule. I further added to enjoy while coming up to cherries the beauty of yellow tecoma flowers bloomed both sides of the road. They are motivated, in fact Subha was more motivated than me he has the passion for photography also. It clicked well but the speed matters, we trekked hardly 200 ft further and we got tired. Now again the voting options opened go or not to go further. We are afraid of wild animals too, as in our journey we are finding no one except wild creatures like squirrels, lizards and various insects. Suddenly a view point came from where we clicked the entire Kanker town, a lake encircled by other hills and newly constructed python highways. Aha, we all melted like cadburries and we get further energies to climb on. Almost we trekked 500 ft and Subha , me were leading the journey. Jayanta da called me from 50 ft down that it will not be a calculated risk to go further. Moreover the beauty is the same from the top also. Anything undesirable happened at this abandoned place we may be in deep trouble. Subha was busy clicking and recording nature, he focused his I-phone camera to the top and showed me; see dada that view point above large boulders are beyond imagination. I will never miss going there, we are almost at the top, we have crossed that gate build of largest mono-block inscribing hijibigi also. We simply ignored Jayantada’s call and went further, it is as if আরও গভীরে যা।
We reached the landing, the top the place to our present destination and we have not even reached. Where is the so called lake, the temple, the view point. Instead we saw the exit paddle road : marking THIS SIDE. What a fallacy, what will be the answer when PD will be questioned about how the lake was, what about the panoramic view from the hill top!. Meantime the other two have joined us with good news that our vehicle is also coming to take us back. The driver came and joined us to the lake and temple which was actually at the left of this table top and we had to go downwards. Beautiful cool and calm Sonai-rupai lake. At it side man made half built temples and one natural cave temple. On the other side is a small cave entrance. We have been told that going further down through this narrow entrance of the cave inside there is a larger space where almost 500 people can accommodate. We were running short of time, we cannot go further our destiny is pre-written, coming back to the table top area we went to the top view point above of those large boulders seen from the bottom. This was amazing , this was a summit feel for four of us. Falguni da who is tallest among us was felt as if he had reached its height. He was a good time keeper as well, very punctual throughout the journey, very methodical and looking excellent with his too short desi towel usually after bath or while changing his dress. Falguni da got more excited when he heard that Subha is making blogg of this tour. We had to come down from those large boulders turned top view point, we all become so nostalgic , so close to nature, so close to old original biodiversity that for a moment we decided to sit there for countless times. No, driver reminded, sir let’s go, PD sir had telephoned. Yes, it’s PD who is behind all these happenings. It is PD for all these plan, execution , dos and actions.
FAREWELL
Tickets for Falguni da n Subha had confirmed at eleventh hour and they had to drop the plan of staying back one more day, nor they have to travel back by bus route. We had our early lunch by 10.30 at PDs home( present derrah). This was simple yet preparations were reminiscent of our examination days. My mother always used to tender a simple meal before any marked exam so that stomach wouldn’t make any hindrance. We quickly boarded the vehicle where PD also accompanied us. Worthy to mention here, the taste of Chhattisgarh guava, custard apple and rice touched our choice and forced us to collect some samples to bring to Kolkata. Falguni da already collected a bag full of custard apple from the road side yesterday.
In today’s journey we collected some guavas from the road side vendor and rushed towards Raipur. The return road journey was too good, it was like we were leaving the jungle and slowly approaching concrete, manmade so called urban habitats. The change is crystal clear. The artificial change of nature is echoing during this journey and we felt our accountability. To add more in this philosophy PD said, it is quite early to catch the train, we can pass quality time at ‘Muktangan’ an entertainment park near the airport area. Unanimously accepted the decision, we all roamed around the park, enjoyed the artificially projected flavour of culture of the State. Clicked a few photos and started for the railway station. We were a bit exhausted from this road journey and to think about the upcoming train journey to be continued. This was overcome by sitting all five in a pub adjacent to the railway station. Finally with beer we cheer all to celebrate the journey. This beer sound bears our heart and soul many more times. The violet light rays in the pub could hardly catch the moment in Subha’s I-phone, the beer flavour ever remained in our heart ❤️as Kanker Diary.
