Going to the eastern parts of India was always a side left long unexplored in my journeys. Bengal was a good start for that. And little bit of Orissa too peppered along with it. Kolkata or Calcutta as it was previously known, being the main hub of eastern India; economically, culturally, socially as we called it during our childhood ‘jai kali kalkatte walin-tera vachan naa jayen khali’ gets it famous name from its presiding deity “MAA KALI” swaroop of goddess ‘Durga-Shakti’. As Ganesha and Mumbai are two souls well integrated so are Durga and Kolkata.

princep ghat

City of joy ‘Kolkata’ can be reached by flight which is well connected with all major hubs of India but going there via train is altogether different experience as one starts getting the feel of true Bengal right itself from CST as one climbs into the superfast duronto. All around are bongs and depending on how you take the scene, either you will feel completely alien amidst them or will enjoy your integration into a new culture. Duronto takes the swiftest 26 hrs compared to other trains and with only 5 stops in between dosent stretch the journey into a long boring affair. As soon as I start my journey I’m pleasantly surprised to have company of a mixed bong-gujju young married family, a father-son pair from Dhaka who are arriving directly from Delhi and going to Kolkata for their garment business and lastly a young energetic shamanic girl who is on her spiritual journey to become an awakened women.

The couple is high on energy, hence not for a second can keep their mouths shut. Especially the bong women who is very much interested to know more about me;  as in why and what is the purpose of so called gujjuboy, stereotyped already; going over their land. We exchange stories of our lives and am pleasantly happy to know of how well this mixed caste marriage has worked for both of them and going steady into their 8^th year with all its small-big hiccups; well after all it was a integration of GUJARAT and BENGAL which traditionally not many think works but when two souls have decided then what’s a difference of language or culture to matter.

Then I’m super impressed with the confidence and clarity of thought of my young friend, just made in the journey; sitting beside me, let’s say her name is DEB.

Deb is a young single Bengali girl who speaks her mind fearlessly and who is carefree mostly in her wild spirited nature. She makes some of the most wonderful tribal inspired jewellery for women but her most valued trait is her inquisitive soul which leans towards majorly into Tantra, Shamanic rituals, Occults, Mystiques, Masters, Meditation, so on and so forth. Now when two carefree wild souls talk on such topics then major wild storms are bound to be created, and heart flutters no end. We connect on offbeat paths, self-growth, healing, energies, love, sex, yog, my journeys and her journeys in life. Later on I get to know she writes even more beautiful words creating magic by pouring out her soul into them. Sometimes in life a stranger all of a sudden out of the blue moon comes as a whisp of fresh air and makes everyone aware that the paths we choose are all worth their difficulties. Bonds have been forged, byes said as train comes to its destination, as time flew without abandon between us but one thing is for sure that we are to cross our paths again in some much more meaningful longer stints.

Eastern India if one goes culturally or just by way of social habits is very different from the western parts. My journey took me to major places of Kolkata city, then Digha beach, Mandarmani beach, Udaypur beach which previously was in Orissa but now again back in Bengal.

udaipur beach- not many are aware of the beautiful place mistaking it by its more famous rajasthani namesake

The first major difference encountered here is the food diet. Roti a staple considered in west or even north India isn’t given much preference here all over the east, be it Bengal-Orissa-Assam etc. Lunches here and even Breakfast too include rice in major quantities, and roti’s are just a side accompaniment in lunch or dinner if one so pleases to have it! Breakfast are either standard eggs or luchhi-sabjis (maida poori and aloo vegetable). Now in the western parts this is taken as a lunch but not here. It’s all okay to not get roti’s in first few days but as the journey progresses and more and more rice gets included into the diet then to be honest ‘The roti’ is sorely-sorely missed; after all as the saying goes “insaan ki bhook roti ki hi to hoti hain”!

Other major point of concern for travellers to keep in mind is that if they are veg then again please be prepared for major struggle to find too many varied options into your platter. Bengali cuisine is predominantly fish. Fish or Hilsa runs in their blood as many say proudly. Daily while eating I encounter hilsas, katlas, pomfrets, kakdas, prawns, chickens, muttons and on other hand very less of panners or vegetables. Nevertheless the food was always mouth-watering tasty though be it fancy dinners in Chinatown area of Tangda which is last and only authentic Chinese settlement in India or roadside snack items of ‘moori’ (puffed rice), famed puchkas which are 3 times more bigger than any pani–puri we have in our parts.

chat items or street food is the real life of kolkattan appehouse

authentic traditional veg Bengali thali, enjoyed at a traditional bengal eating house

As one travels on the road more in this parts and interacts with more and more people one other thing is 100% of surety again. Women here are the dominant gender unlike to patriarchal man in other parts of India! Be it running the house, or taking major decision, or playing the lead role in marriage life, or for that matter even on streets; in fights or in crowds as in politics and socio events women are definitely more dominant then the men. Firstly let me put it straight that women here are more free and liberated in their thought process, flip side to that being man mostly have become very subdued ‘mammas boys’ kind of. If dominance of men is wrong in patriarchal terms then so too is dominance of women wrong in matriarchal terms, for in a balanced society both sexes sholuld have equal weightage and say. Maa Matti Manush being the slogan of the firebrand Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee (dominant political party in Bengal) here I get a feeling that most women here have taken literal liking and acceptance of that kinda way of life with the resigned acceptance of men.

Life in Kolkata is slow. Pace here is very subdued but not too joyous as akin like one might say for the slow paced life of Goa. The city and its life overall lacks that easy going character. If at risk of offending I may say; bordering on lazy. One dosent feel that energy that vibe here in the city. People in general are stiff. But as u plonk them through they surely open up. Use of Bengali language is predominant and Hindi speaking on streets doesn’t make others responsive in first go. Even in many institutions, hotels, parks, museums, spoken Hindi comes second to spoken English. Delightfully traffic rules are majorly obeyed at signals and crossings, though the overall traffic scene is a big mess like most other urban cities of India.

Grand Dakshineshwar temple

Kalighat temple which again is centuries old. Image courtesy- bharatorg.in

The Victoria palace is splendid along with its vast green grounds, one can regale at the lost empirical times of queen and her empire here for whole day. Laze out or soak the sun and grab some corners if you have someone along then, in the huge green manicured gardens here. Do partake the blessings of Dakshineshwar temple and Kalighat temple, both where in mother goddess KALIs darshan will fulfil the gaps of your heart and grant you Shakti as the deity is known famously for that. Kalighat is a bustling very old suburb of the city which is best reached by the extensive metro network of Kolkata. More gigantic and  grandeur filled experience is awaiting at Dakshineshwar; whose main temple holds 9 domeshaped spheres, abutting 12 other smaller Shiva temples inside its complex. The journey towards Dakshineshwar I go via boatride on the mighty Hooghly river. And that in itself is a spiritually fulfilling ride, cause as when stepped into the boat one encounters the vast banks of Hooghly, experiences the city built around its river banks, as the sun filters its reflections onto its sweet waters, and one wishes for this ride to never end. Hooghly is the local name of the tributary of the mighty Ganga river here in Kolkata.

After seeking blessings from Dakshineshwar Maa Kali; one more gangatic destination from where blessings are a must is BELUR MATH of SWAMIVIVEKANADA and his Guru SWAMI RAMAKRISHNA PARAMHANAS. The matth or school of though is famous throughout the globe for it was founded by a bright bold young master named SWAMI VIVEKANADA who was trained and attained his famous enlightened aware status from which he shone the spiritual light onto the world in the world religious gathering at UN in far back 1893(parliament of religions @Chicago). The matth has at its entrance itself symbols of all major religions, signifying its school of thought of oneness. Ex-president and defacto humble inspite of his immense achievements in life APJ ABUL KALAM regarded Belurmath as a “place of heritage and national importance” in his own words. I was very much excited and wanted to spend decent long hours at this highly disciplined mutt but for my badluck as it strictly adheres to timings and is closed in noon’s from 2to4. All my repeated cajoling’s and requests of me coming from so far and being here as a seeker fall on deaf ears here at the gates as I’m told of a famous story by the person in charge here that once without the explicit permission of the gurus inside, even a sitting CM was denied entry when she arrived extempore unannounced here in the noon; that unlucky one being MAMTA BANERJEE herself! Now what chance do I hold when a person holding constitutional high chair is denied entry, truly now that’s discipline. But nonetheless I make promise to myself to be back here sometime in near future to learn among the masters here and I do also in my future journeys but alas that’s a different story told in another blog of mine. With a strong resolve and mixed feelings of joy and resentment in heart I turn back, make to the boat onwards Hooghly as the sky turns mellow golden, winds of mist start blowing, city from afar appears exactly as shown in movies of romance and yore, and what a beautiful sight and day this is well spent with and on Hooghly along with Maa Kali.

The city is also much famed for its food culture. Park street being akin to like queens necklace of Mumbai with its range of pubs, lounges, restos, bars, starred hotels and discs, quaint cafes etc all holding their own fort very strongly. This is the most lively part of uptown Kolkata. Visit here is a must in noon times either for lunches or during nights for its famed dinners with drinks. I’ve seen serpentine queues of people patiently awaiting their turn for lunch even @4 in high noon, bongs being foodies they are. Nights get rocking as youth of city descends into its pubs and discs with streets all filled with the vigour of merrymaking.

night view on a festive 25th DEC of park street

From Kolkata towards Digha it’s almost 4 hr ride which is done via train. Now Digha is a bustling cheap beach destination closest to for kolkattans from their bustling city to enjoy a la kind of Goa-ish atmosphere of sun-sand and sea. Journeying via train is wonderful experience. Filled with fantabulous greened countryside landscaped views, and the cacophony bustling economic train ride which one can only be experienced on India’s trains. As the train crisscrossed enormous vast rice harvested lands, small but culturally rich villages, the strong wind blowing in face makes one forget all worries of life while seeing the slow setting golden sun. By evening Digha arrives and I’m amazed at how small this town is. From stn the best option is to avail the local tuk-tuk cycles which charge very nominal fares till the beachfront.

While scouting for cheap hotels as travelling on backpacking mode it dosent make sense to spend much on stays as its only nights which are supposed to be spent in the rooms. The thing that this town makes me aware of is that at certain point in past this was a ghost village which was slowly transformed into a tiny town for its beach economy. There are no big hotels leaving 1 or 2 in the whole vicinity, and to eat there are mostly only smallish dhaba kinda eateries which is pretty ok as for backpackers and catering for mostly crowds who are on a budget only visit here. The beach front overall is pretty neat, added with all the hustle and bustle of its street vendors, artefact shops, local artisans on streets, and even some transgenders selling their usual stuff and blending their own garish colours into the whole ecosphere here. Food again is simple but fulfilling thali for veg; with more varied options available for non-veg’s. Great evening spent at the beach strolling in full moon, on its sands as waters turn golden with moons reflection falling over and making the whole shimmery effect worth the day’s efforts.

Next day early morning as the car has already been arranged for Mandarmani which is a short one hour casual drive, the inner excitement peaks as this singular beach place was the jewel being awaited amidst the whole trip. Mandarmani beach is the most isolated beach; if not the least then surely one amongst the top 5 that I have encountered in India! Many small big resorts line up the whole isolated beach front and pretty much all the resorts have their exits and landings directly onto the beach which is the best part for beach lovers. Whole expanse of almost 10km beach front is super clean and misty too as evening falls. When I say most isolated take my words in a literal way as even during noon high tide time there were only handful of souls like us soaking in Mandarmanis experience. For me this isolation is the wonderful fruit of labour one human should strive for in life. As you stroll its silvery sands, u literally talk with its calm waters, and see thousands of small crabs come and go, making and breaking their houses into earth. Walk from one end to other takes only a leisurely few hours but the enrichment of soul during this will last a lifetime, as one dodges waves, sits where and when one pleases on sands, soaks in cool misty winds, gulps in open clear skies and in end sits across some local shacks to have high tea and snacks. Beware though because of its isolation finding much snack items is a big no here, it’s not Goa after all.

almost empty, wildly soul stirring and serene mandarmani is one of few beaches in India where a vehicle can be bought in

Evening befalls and a big glowing moon arises in the night sky, making me aware that I’m the only one on whole beach front strolling, talking, enjoying with nature and there is none other soul in eyesight. Beers, brezzers, etc drinks can be sourced from the resorts helpful staff but remember it will be more than double the prices as there are no wine shops here. Few drinks by the layback chairs seeing time lapse by; and yet again as night befalls just sit on the stairs and keep watching the brightest phase of moon along with millions of other twinkling stars, what can a soul yearn for more. Every once in a while all souls should quit their hectic worry filled lives and come at such naturist rich places to connect back with thy oneself and regrow or readjust ones lost paths in life. The quantum of energy, peace, solace, I derive from here is enough to last for coming many chapters of life’s journeys. Truly creation does talk to you in its own way, only if one is open to receive what it has to give. Mandarmani it was nice to be amidst you even though it was brief a period but the wealth you’ve given me is going to last in the depths of my heart for very long times to come.

Car is arranged for next destination as bye is bid to this beauty of place after only a few hours of sleep in the beautiful earthy spacious room which also had a bathtub for longer baths after rough swims in the waves at beach. Mandarmani to Udaypur bordering Odisha is where we are headed to next. Udaypur is pretty close to Digha and though previously it used to come in Orissa, now as locals made me aware that it has been given jurisdiction into Bengal. So arriving back at Digha where lunch is scooped up in form of thali; rice plus two sabjis plus salad plus bhujias and plus generous helpings of curds! Tuk tuk is the preferred mode again as the slow ride is better for enjoying the local landscape rather than the faster battery operated mobikes. It’s a real hard laborious job unbelievably still carried on even in 2017 across many corners of country even though as the urban youth lives a digitally high life. These local people are a hard working lot and seeing their working lives one ponders that still vast sections of population have yet to be integrated by us into the mainstream success stories that we harp upon in our daily lives.

waves kiss our feet as we literally sit at the edge of waters while eating, an live experience not to be missed

Udaypur beach has a brand new entryway created which passes thru an amazing tree lined sandy jungle which I reach after climbing flight of stairs. The jungle along with its beach is desolate which is akin to my liking. We don’t get to see such virgin beaches so close to urban cities nowadays; take example of Mumbai, where most beaches are heavily dirty and commercialized at risk of abusing its natural beauty. Sitting few hours in the cool shade of tress and watching the waves come and go, seeing the ships grow and disappear as time passes, see a flight of birds, hear the sounds which are many if one hears attentively emanating from the jungle ecosphere, that’s what I do and ruminate spending time here. As time fly’s by, stomach makes me aware of its existence too and hence out of sheer necessity I go towards the section of beach where various stalls do brisk business selling all kinda food and drinks. Again predominantly its seafood which people are relishing busily here. Washing down with all kind of beers and hard drinks at high tides, sitting right amidst on waters. So a table is set for us. Right in middle of tide as waves wash our feet. Crabs, beers, and hard earned soothing oil head massage is indulged into here.

 Life at 33 for me isn’t about corporate growth or rat race with others for posts and chairs. My competition is me itself. To better my own follies and mistakes. To outgrow my own insecurities and fears. To control and command my own senses. All this inner churnings do happen with me in such escapades and that’s the dominant reason for wild carefree soul like me to go on journeys to places like Mandarmani, Udaypur etc. Lot of discoveries are still left untouched as are lot many newer places left unexplored. Eastern India is a great earthy pot of melting cultures rich in biodiversity and crown being the 7 sisters of northeast India which I will write about in my other blog escapades in future. Till that time, get up the couch and start your journey as soon as possible. Hit the road, don’t let fear overcome you, don’t let your worldly commitments come in between, money won’t go along with you but yes surely this experiences of yours will be yours and go too along with you! See you on other never ending journeys……………..