Transgender and Woman Saint Communes in Sinhastha Kumbh Mela- 2016

I reached Ujjain on a hot sultry evening of April, two days ahead of the opening day and first Shahi Snan of Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2016.  Next day, one important thing in my to-do list was to see the pre-Kumbh processions, called Peshwai.  The leading Akharas (commune of saint groups) take out processions to demonstrate their grandeur and importance.  The one scheduled on that day was of the Kinnar Akhara (commune of Bisexuals/Transexuals). 

There are 13 officially recognized Akharas- for more details refer http://www.simhasthujjain.in/about-simhasth/akhara-details/

 

1.         Panchdashnaam Juna Akhara  

2          Panchayati anand akhara

3          Panchayati Mahanirvani akhara

4          Nirvani Ani Akhara  

5          Nirmal Akhara

6          Digambar ani akhara  

7          Nirmohi Akhara  

8          Panchayati Naya Udaseen Akhara  

9          Panch Atal Akhara  

10        Taponidhi Niranjani Akhara  

11        Panchayati bada udasin akhara       

12        Panchayati Agni Akhara  

13        Panchayati Avhan Akhara

 

These Akharas are granted recognition and official status by the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP), which is an apex body of Sikh and Hindu saints.  The concept of Akharas was propounded by the 8^th century philosopher Adi Shankaracharya who first set up seven Akharas to strengthen the Hindu religion and unify devotees practicing varied rituals and customs.  ABAP plays an important role in various religious discourses such as Ram Janmabhoomi issue and interface with the government administration regarding important decisions for Kumbh melas.  Kinnar Akhara was formed in October 2015 with transgender rights activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi as their spiritual head ('Mahamandaleshwar').  ABAP had denied recognition for the newly formed Akhara.  Another all-woman Akhara which created quite a flutter in 2013 Allahabad Kumbh and was allotted land by the Ujjain administration in the 2016 event also met with the same fate in being denied permission by ABAP for Shahi Snan (joining the elite group of Akharas in royal bath).  Trikal Bhavanta, the woman seer and head of the Pari Akhara announced a dramatic plan for self-burial in protest and dug a 10 ft pit for the purpose.  She however ended up being arrested.  

Photo courtesy: Patrika newspaper, dated April 28, 2016

Nonetheless, the Kinnars (eunuchs) decided to go forward with the plans, including setting up their own camp and holding their own Peshwai on the day before the first Shahi Snan.  An image of Ardhnarishwara- an amalgamation of the male-female form in Lord Shiva- reportedly formed the backdrop for the Kinnar Akhara’s main stage in their camp.  They put forward several arguments in support of their stance- the transgenders are saints in real sense of the term because of ingrained asceticism, free from belief in caste, and are mentioned in Hindu scriptures with positions of dignity.  Indeed, the transgenders were once mainstream in Indian social system but lost it in course of time.  In Ujjain, the devotees flocked to see the Peshwai of the Kinnars and also to their camp seeking blessings, indicating that at the core there is still social and religious sanction about the community.  This article by Devdutt Pattanaik provides a deeper insight: http://scroll.in/article/809995/how-a-new-akhara-of-transgendered-people-stole-the-spotlight-at-the-ujjain-kumbh          

 

When I reached the precincts of the Mahakaal Temple, the excitement in the crowd about the approaching Kinnar Akhara procession was palpable.  The police looked tense, and none had authentic information about the exact route of the procession.  I learnt later that the reason of their hassle was that the procession was unauthorized, and they were throwing coins en route which resulted in huge crowd surge, raising fear of a stampede.  The police administration was trying to prevent the procession from coming near Mahakaal temple and Harsiddhi Chowk where a huge crowd was waiting for the procession with eager anticipation.  A member of the audience made a tongue-in-cheek remark that such interest is not seen in the procession of big religious leaders.  I spend half an hour trying to obtain information from police and public regarding the route of the procession, and finally climbed up a watch tower which was set at Harsiddhi Chowk for CRPF for a bird’s eye view.  Soon, there was a flurry of activity and the head of the commune was seen being escorted past the crossing amid heavy police protection.  The rally had been disbanded.  It was an exciting beginning of the 2016 Kumbh mela experience for me.

 

 

Simhasth Kumbh Mela- 2016- Highlights and Headlines

The 2016 Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain has come to an end on May 22, 2016.  The month-long event has been momentous on various counts.  But the event means different things to different people.  One possible mirror that is expected to capture and reflect the mood and reaction of this mega event is the media.  So I present a collage of media coverage of the event.   

 

The headlines and excerpts have been taken from the local newspapers of Madhya Pradesh, published between April 20 to 24, 2016.  The opening day and main event of first Shahi Snan (Royal Bath of saints) was April 22.  The translations have been done by me.  I followed Ujjain edition of four Hindi dailies- Patrika (www.mp.patrika.com), Dainik Bhaskar (www.dainikbhaskar.com), Nai Duniya (www.naidunia.com), Dainik Avantika (www.awantika.com) and one local English daily- Free Press (www.freepressjournal.com).  These papers were awash with pictures and news reports of various aspects of the mega event.  The national newspapers have not captured a fraction of the flavor conveyed in these vernacular and local dailies.  For example, Times of India published a total of about 6 reports, mostly cursory and half of them about a hailstorm killing 6 people in the Mela grounds.  But the mood in the local papers was refreshingly celebratory and positive; as compared to the guarded curiosity, cursory reporting, elitist tokenism and superficial criticism of most of the national English dailies.  It just exemplified the gulf of difference between the silent faithful core and the vocal rebellious fringe of this country.  I immensely enjoyed reading the local papers and carried the copies back home for a better introspection.  Here are some of the news which made headlines locally- I wonder how much of this I would have known if I did not go to Ujjain.  Thank God I did.

 

But before the news clips, a summary of highlights of the event and of opening day and first Shahi Snan of Simhasth Kumbh Mela 2016:

 

• Estimated expense over two years of creating the infrastructure for hosting Simhasth Kumbh Mela in Ujjain- Rs. 3,650 crore ($545 million).
• Mela zone covers 4,000 hectares.  The area divided in to 6 zones, 22 sectors, 7 satellite towns.  16 bathing ghats spread over 8.5 km- enough space for 5.8 million people to bathe in a day.  Water was pumped from Narmada river to Kshipra river at flow rate of 5 cubic meters per second at an estimated cost of $11,000 per day.  A 19 km pipeline was laid.  Water quality prominently displayed in electronic board in Ram Ghat.  34,000 toilets constructed.   
• 70 million pilgrims estimated to have visited Ujjain over the 30 days of the event.  This includes 30,000 foreigners.  About 1 million pilgrims came on the opening day- much less than anticipated.  The draught and intense heat wave affecting several states is cited as the reason.  Pilgrims from Gujarat, Maharastra, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh were conspicuous by their absence.  Many of the pilgrims were from Punjab, Haryana and West Bengal. 
• 50,000 pilgrims visit the temple of Mahakaal- the reigning deity of Ujjain.  On a regular day, about 2,000 pilgrims visit the temple.   
• 60 temporary police stations set up in Mela zone, with numbers published in newspaper. 25,000 policemen posted to maintain law and order.  Another 24,000 civic police and volunteers on duty as well.  54 watch towers of height 7-35 feet.  106 Lost-and-Found centers.  All kinds of helpline numbers and senior officer’s contact numbers advertised. 
• Bathing ghats monitored through 670 close circuit television cameras in 134 locations with feed being beamed on 16 screens (each covering 32 locations) in police control room.  Face reading camera in 14 locations.  14 cameras placed to read license plates.
• 50 layer GIS map prepared to facilitate monitoring of the Mela from the control room.    
• 80 fire engines placed in 25 locations with 1150 firemen on duty. 
• 1550 public transport arranged.  100 special trains arranged.  Arrangement made for 118,000 vehicles to be parked every day.
• Congregation of about 200,000 saints. 
• Free food cooked in 4000 locations to feed 100,000 people every day.  12,000 gas cylinders arranged daily.
• 35 ft tall and 30 ft wide bronze colored statue of Vikramaditya- the legendary ruler of Ujjain seated in his famous throne unveiled on opening day- the creation and beautification cost Rs. 67 million ($1 million).
• Full prohibition on alcohol in the city for the full month of the mela. 
• Alongside the religious gathering, a month-long Simhasth Kala Utsav was organized to showcase folk and religious dance/play/songs/music in six different venues in the mela zone involving hundreds of artists/musicians from all states of India.  Also, Global Yoga Convention, Yoga Seminar, International Spiritual Film Festival and 3-day Vaicharik Mahakumbh (Kumbh Mela of Philosophy/thoughts) were organized.     
• 350 scientists and engineers from Department of Electronics & IT, Government of India conducted a research project on 30-minute-early warning system for stampede risk- they collected information using GPS trackers and wearable devices.  Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research is a collaborator.      

For those who missed the event this year, the next Simhasth Kumbh Mela will be held in Ujjain from April 9 – May 8, 2028.  And those who are busy during that time frame, they may consider the next one- April 27 – May 25, 2040. J       

 

April 21 & 22 (pre-event reporting)

 

 

• Desh duniya ko lubha rahi hain Avantika Puri- Simhasth Ujjain mein milegi aloukik anand ki anubhuti

[The country and world is being tantalized by the city of Avantika (ancient name of Ujjain)- divine pleasure will be experienced in the Simhasth event in Ujjain]

 

• 427 saal ke baad shubh yog ki tribeni

[Astrologers say that after April 30, 1589, there has never been such confluence of auspicious factors and astronomical alignments for 427 years until April 22, 2016; it will increase attachment towards religious and cultural values]

 

• Ab sikshak sadak par baithkar sraddaluo ka sahyog karenge- 1250 sikshako ko help desk aur takniki chattro ke sath lagaya mukhya margo par

[1250 teachers will assist pilgrims on the road- they will man helpdesks on various main roads- they will be assisted by two technical college students armed with laptops at each location]

 

• Jab Sant’o ne diya ek dusre ko aashirvaad- Seth Muralidhar Mansinghka Yatri Niwas me hua adbhut milan

[When saints blessed each other…]

 

• Dutt Akhara Ghat- sabse pehle Juna Akhara nahayega- Simhasth 2004 ke kram anusaar hoga Shahi Snan, Ram Ghat par sabse pehle Agni Akhara snan karega

[Saints of Juna commune will take the first bath in Dutt Akhara Ghat; the sequence of Simhasth 2004 will be followed for the royal bath of the saint communes; Agni commune will take first bath in Ram Ghat]

 

• Shahi Snan ke liye aney lagey sraddhalu- police ke nakebandi se 7-8 km paidal chalne ko ho rahe majbur

[Pilgrims have started coming for the royal bath- due to police barricade they have had to walk 7-8 kms]

 

• Bara Udasin ne bikhera jalwa, Agni Akhara bhi nikla shan se

[Bara Udasin commune of saints take out 2-km long procession in morning to show off the grandeur; Agni commune too takes out grand procession in the evening with 20 tractors, palki, band, horse, camels]

 

• Amrit snan ke liye raat 12 baje khali karaye ghat

[6 hours before first royal bath of saints, police administration clears out general pilgrims from the bathing ghats at midnight]

 

• Kinnar Akhare ko jan manyata- Kinnar Akhare ki Simhasth ki pehli peshwai dekhne umri bhir, deshprem aur paryabaran sangrakshan ka diya sandesha- dil khol ke di duyae, bante note

[The commune of Bisexuals-Transexuals take out their first ever procession in Simhasth; crowd swells to watch; message of patriotism and ecological protection conveyed; generously bless the crowd and distribute money]

 

• Shahar mein ek mah tak sharab bikri par pratibandh

[Ban on liquor sale for one month in the city]

 

• Har tin minit mein Indore ke liye bus’e- 40 rupiya hoga kiraya

[Bus service to and from Indore every three minutes (Indore is 55 km from Ujjain- nearest airport and major rail head)- Rs. 40 will be the fare]

 

• 10 hazar shraddhaluo ne ki Bhasmaarti ke darshan- aam din mein 2 hazar hotein hein shamil

[10,000 faithful watch the ceremony of ablution of Lord Shiva (Mahakaal- reigning deity of Ujjain) with crematorium ash- two thousand come to watch on regular days]

 

• Hanuman Jayanti aaj- Palki mein nagar bhraman karenge Bal Hanuman

[Today is Hanuman Jayanti- the deity of baby Hanuman will be taken around town in palanquin]

 

• Nau ratno ke sath biraje Samrat

[35 feet tall and 30 ft wide statue of Ujjain’s brave and famous emperor Vikramaditya dedicated to citizens; his statue is accompanied by statues of nine “gems” of his court including poet Kalidasa; the beautification cost Rs. 67.3 million]

 

• Shahi Snan ke sath prarambh hogi khuni naga’o ki diksha

[The process of indoctrinating new ascetics in to Naga commune will begin with 108 dips in Kshipra River…those who are indoctrinated in Ujjain are termed Khuni Nagas…before this they have to serve their Guru for three years and abide by all discipline of the commune…after indoctrination they have to perform their family’s and their own last rites according to Hindu custom]

 

 

April 23 & 24 (post-event reporting)

 

 

• Amrit Avgahan: 10 lakh se jyada logo ne kamaya punya- Kshipra ke zero bacteria jal mein Simhasth ka pehla shahi snan

[Over 1 million people take holy dip in Kshipra river’s zero bacteria water in the first royal bath of Simhasth Kumbh]

 

• Anupam, Adwitiya, Abishwaraniya- saadi ke dusre Simhasth Mahakumbh ke pehle shahi snan mein chalka bhakti ka amrit

[Beautiful, unprecedented, unforgettable- in the second Simhasth Kumbh mela of the century, nectar of devotion brimmed over in the first shahi snan]

 

• Akhado ne dikhaya shahi tej

[The saint communes showed royal power]

 

• Simhasth mein koi VIP nahin, CM se hua shuruat

[There are no VIPs in Simhasth, starts with Chief Minister- he went around without read beacon and follow car]

 

• 50 gm chandi sikke se 13 akharo ka dhwaj pujan

[The head of all 13 saint communes were presented with a 50 gm silver coin on behalf of the Mela organizer.  As per tradition, the flag of the commune is worshipped by the  administration.  The coin has the Simhasth logo on one side and photo of reigning deity Mahakaleshwar on the other side]  

 

• Sant’o ne dharm ko banaya karobaar- Ma Adi Shakti/Bakwas na karein mahila Mahamandaleshwar- Computer Baba

[Controversy: Leading woman saint of Niranjani Akhara says many of the male saints have made a business out of religion- women saints should stay away from it.  She felt that actions of Asaram Bapu and Nityanand were not saintly.]

 

• Ek dubki ke liye chalaya 10-12 km

[Due to police barricades, pilgrims had to walk 10-12 km]

 

• Ek mah ki sharab shahi snan par hi pi gaye Kaal Bhairav

[The Kaal Bhairav deity, to whom wine is offered as prayer offering, drank one month’s quota of wine in a day, due to visit of 30,000 pilgrims as compared to an average of 1,000 pilgrims each day]  

 

• Pehle Shahi snan mein 100 log lapata, 20 hi milein

[On the first day, 100 people lost, only 20 found]

 

• Kadi suraksha ke bawjud sahar mein kar gayi jeb

[Despite tight security, instances of pickpocket in city]

 

• Murde ki bhasm arpit nahin kar sakte toh naam gobar bhasm aarti kar dein

[Kapalik Bhairavananda Saraswati, receipient of President’s Award/Holland’s Global Peace Award, protested against the recent practice of offering ash made from cow dung (as opposed to ash from crematorium) to Mahakaal, saying it is anti-Tantrik and unreligious]

 

• Hitech control room se ghat o par nazar

[Over two dozen officers kept watch on the bathing ghats through 16 screens (each covering 32 locations) using feed from 670 cctv cameras]

 

• Shahi snan se shuru huya yagna, chalega 108 saal

[In Maun Tirtha Ashram on Ganga Ghat, a mega fire prayer ritual started on the shahi snan day, which will run for 108 years]

 

• Kadoro ka business chor kar lagein hain sewa mein

[Karan Mittal- owner of Mital Corp, industrialist Mangilal Ishwar, hospital owner Krishnakant Dhoot- are few among several who have devoted themselves to serving the pilgrims- with quotes such as “got the opportunity after 12 years”, “nothing is bigger than serving the Guru”, and “serving pilgrims give peace”]

 

• Pashupatinath se Mahakaal pahuche Shakti ka jatha

[delegation of woman saints from Nepal traveled from Pashupatinath Temple to Juna Akhara for Simhasth]

 

• Sant o ne uthayi Pradesh mein sharab bandi ki awaz

[In context of Ujjain being declared dry from the full month of Simhasth Mela, the saints have raised the demand of permanent prohibition of alcohol in the state]

 

• Height of penance- Avdhoot Radhikanand performs “Surya Sadhna” for 9 hrs under scorching heat [the saint worships sun under sizzling heat from January-June and performs Varun Sadhna from October-December sitting in ice cold water]

 

• Recitation of Vedic hymns marks beginning of Simhastha Kala Utsav

A Day by the River at Geonkhali

West Bengal has several hidden gems for the last-minute traveler.  Some of these places are tucked away in a quiet countryside by the side of a river but in close proximity to Kolkata and connected by good motorable roads.  One such place is Geonkhali near Haldia- 105 km from Kolkata.  The mighty Rupnarayan and Hooghly rivers meet here and flow southward where it further meets the Haldi river before draining in to the Bay of Bengal.   There are traveler reviews available on the internet about the place, and I have visited it once many years ago to see a water treatment plant which operates from here.  I remembered the majestic span of the river and the Haldia Development Authority’s Triveni Sangam Tourism Complex at the confluence.  This weekend, I arranged for a booking there and started at 9 am from Kolkata.  The 50 km drive to Kolaghat along NH-6, the 29 km drive from there to Nandakumar Roundabout along NH41, then the 14 km drive along State Highway 4 via Mahishadal and the last 2 km along the river embankment was smooth and pleasant.  The roads are lined with greenery- both vegetation and agriculture- which makes it soothing to the eyes.  During a quick stop at a tea stall in a roadside market, a vendor educated me about how green coconut exteriors are getting a burnt look from cell phone tower radiation.  I have trouble digesting the theory, but I know that this is a widely prevalent belief and certainly makes for a jolly good conversation.  We reached by noon, perfectly timed to walk in to a ready room.  The Complex is located on the edge of the river’s turn in a very large parcel of land with lots of open space, plantation, a large boating pond.  However, the maintenance leaves much to be desired.  

Lunch was served within an hour- the beckty fish cooked with mustard tasted quite good.  After an hour of rest, we started off for the ferry ghat located near Geonkhali village market.  There are separate jetties in the vicinity for three destinations on the other side of the river- Noorpur, Gadiara, and Raichak.  We chose the Noorpur ferry.  The ferry was good sized, but the boarding method was a precarious plank of wood with a bamboo pole as hand rail- the latter being held in place by the boatman’s shoulder at one end and the stairs leading down to the river at the other end.  There was no jetty.  Since failing was not an option, we succeeded.  Looked scornfully at the mass of silt and water swirling underneath us and walked past the plank with the gait of a ballerina. 

The river is wide and it takes half hour for the ferry to cross.  The interface where the two river waters mix has good sized waves and very strong current. 

In the ferry, I chatted with a Muslim co-passenger during which the conversation meandered from the river to Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar’s greatness to an anecdote about a local legend named Mastan’ji.  More about him later.  We didn’t have a clue what to do on the other side, but we talked to a ToTo driver who agreed to take us around for a half hour tour of the place.  He took us to the riverfront by the side of Falta Special Economic Zone, where there are some hotels to cater to tourists and business travelers.  We had actually visited this place from the Diamond Harbor Road side many years ago.  The driver was a young local boy named Zakir.  It turned out that he was quite an enterprising fellow- he did a Seaman course from the privately run Maritime Education Training & Research Institute in Falta and now works in Gujarat for a shipyard logistics company.  He was on his home leave and bought the battery powered commercial car for his brother who would run it for livelihood.  The last ferry from Noorpur leaves at 7:00 pm, but we boarded an earlier ferry at 5:30 pm and reached back in Geonkhali side by 6:00 pm.  Just near the ferry ghat, there was a Sitala Puja Utsav as part of which singers were singing “Nam Sankirtan” was happening in a courtyard- the rendition was being relayed using loudspeakers in the neighborhood.  The voice projection of songs praising Lord Krishna merged with the excited announcement coming in from the other side of the market which has a dominant Muslim population about an Islamic musical soiree to happen the next day.  The Muslim van rickshaw puller who brought us to the ferry ghat had told us about it, and also said that in the night “Hujoors” will be coming.  When asked who they were, he said they are learned people of the community from the city.  The Hindu and Muslim communities live alongside each other, do business in the same market area, share each other’s pains and pleasures and respect each other’s choice of faith.  It was a welcome opportunity to form opinion first hand and was reassuring to see the strong fabric of social harmony, despite the alarmist portrayals regarding “intolerance” in recent times by the mainstream media and political activist groups.  We returned to our accommodation just in time for the India-Australia match, which turned out to be quite a humdinger. 

 

Rest of the trip was about photography of the river and village life, and about food.  There was a heavy dose of photography in the next morning from 6:00-8:00 am.  Some of the photos I liked are uploaded here. 

The chicken curry served in the night and the puri-sabzi served during breakfast were very tasty.  The culinary tradition of Medinipur district has always been strong.  The lunch of the next day was at a new place in Kolaghat which has come up just a few meters before the well-known Sher-e-Punjab Dhaba.  It is called Express Food Plaza.  It is amazingly spacious and surprisingly lavishly decorated.  The drive back took me little over three hours at a leisurely pace.  Ritz petrol gave decent mileage of 18.2 km/liter.

The closing anecdote of this article is about an interesting local person named Mastan’Ji.  He once lived in Geonkhali but left the place suddenly 10-20 years ago (no one remembers exactly).  I was amazed how well Mastan’ji is remembered by both Hindus and Muslims of the area with equal fondness and reverence.  In fact, he is equally popular on both sides of the river in Geonkhali and Noorpur.  I first learnt about him from a ferry co-passenger while talking about how Pandit Ishwarchandra Bidyasagar crossed the mighty Damodar river which was in spate.  He then mentioned that years ago there was this old man who lived in Geonkhali and who swam across the shores (the river is over a kilometer wide with sharp eddy current and it took the ferry engine 30 minutes to push us through) at ease.  Boats and ferries used to stop to offer him a ride but he used to wave them off.  He had gout, but that did not stand in the way of his miraculous swimming feat.  It was as if he was powered by the power of his faith as he played at ease with the mighty river.  He was a pious Muslim, who stayed in the market area, wander around, gave divine medicine to the sick, asked for clothes and food from the shopkeepers to distribute among the poor and needy.  Everyone loved and respected him; his wishes were obeyed by all.  He used to distribute sweets among children and asked them to pray to the Almighty.  I found the anecdote extremely interesting, and decided to check the veracity.  I then asked about Mastan’Ji to three other elderly people at tea stalls and other locations, two of them being Hindus.  All remembered Mastan’ji with equal reverence.  One even said Mastan’Ji could walk on water.  But no one is sure when and where he went away.  I dug out one of the followers- Sheikh Riyajul- who has named his shop after Mastan’Ji.  He was pleasantly surprised with my visit and queries, and offered information and tea to go with it.  He ended with a comment that if Mastanji was present today, he would have been much sought after.  Knowing about such an enigmatic local legend who will soon be buried in the ruins of time was the high point of my trip at a personal level.  Of course, as you can see from the pictures, I liked the river too J                                                                     

 

 

 

Murti- Photo blog

As part of phase I of a 7 night trip to Dooars, stayed for three nights at Murti Tents in Gorumara.  This, unlike the larger West Bengal Forest Development accommodation on the other side of the road, is quieter and closer to the river.  There are only four cottages- so a large travel group booking 3 or 4 cottages can practically own the place.  To add to the relaxation, the place has huge open land which adds to the ambience.  The Forest Department staff stay at another end of the property.  All meals are included in the package rate.  Food is freshly cooked by locals and is good.  Every evening, there is a local tribal dance program held in the lawns.  Perfect base for visiting Chapramari forest range and also for visiting Bindu/Jhallong.  More importantly, perfect place to relax.

  

Buxa’e Bagh Nei. But Boddo Beautiful

As the car turns left from Rajabhatkhawa in to Buxa Tiger Reserve, dense forest rushes in to engulf the glistening metal road meandering through it. It’s the perfect build-up of tanticipation (tiger-related anticipation). The 30-minute/16 km drive from the Buxa Reserve gate to Jayanti is entirely through lush green forest of matured trees and dense foliage. Sashastra Seema Bal (Armed Border Force) jawans in olive battle fatigue and toting INSAS rifle at the three-point Buxa Crossing adds to the eerie ambience.

Eyes are strained looking out for the elusive streak of yellow stripes, or the majestic movement of a giant pachyderm. But of course nothing happens- not even the stirring of a monkey or a peacock- and we arrive unmauled/untrampled/unruffled at the forest check post in Jayanti. A quick review of the forest entry pass issued at Rajabhakkhawa and we are waved in. Stay is arranged at Public Health Engineering Inspection Bungalow. This and all of the few other decent accommodations are located in the bank of the dry bed of Jayanti river. Rovers Inn (http://www.roversinnjayanti.com/) is quite popular among travelers, but I liked the look and feel of Banante Resort (http://banantedooars.com/) better. The latter has cottages; but it also has a separate building with two rooms at a higher level and a terrace which I liked best. I also spotted a Jayanti River view homestay by the side of the river. I heard there is a CESC guest house in the area too. The PHE Bungalow’s VIP rooms with balcony overlooking the riverbed and the mountains are unbeatable, only comparable or a shade less than the Forest Rest House. There is a Bhutiya Basti in the area- they run small grocery stores and eateries. Some of our travel group members loved the spicy Wai Wai noodles and vegetable momos served at such eateries.
 

There are multiple local tour options. A drive on the dry Jayanti river bed can be quite exciting. One also crosses the river bed to get in the forest for a tour. There are jeep safaris available, but other option is to go in with your own vehicle. Obtaining permission from the check post and hiring a local trained guide is mandatory (costs Rs. 200 for most destinations). There is a “watchtower trap” to watch out for. There are three watchtowers- Tashigaon, Chunia and BB. Tour guides and local tourist vehicles strongly encourage tourists to go to all if possible. But the chances of animal sighting during regular hours in all of them are equally dim. Of course animals come near those watchtowers, but not when rows of jeeps are roaring in, kicking up dust, and tourists are chattering excitedly about every leaf that is moving anywhere in the periphery. A better option is a drive through of the forest just to enjoy the beautiful forest ambience and the serene streams and interrupt the dirt tracks occasionally. The only wildlife we saw- a python- was during our drive along regular alphalt road. There are other tour options including Pukuri Hills and a stalactite cave known as “Mahakal Cave”. The latter has two variants- Choto and Boro, with different rates. A longer distance option is to visit Buxa Fort, which requires a trek for the last 2 kms. The squash momos at Santrabari, prepared by Bhutanese families at the foothill of Buxa Fort climb, are delightful. I chatted with the Forest Beat Officer whose office is located at Santrabari. He talked about the regular sighting of elephants in the area, but his view was that it is their area whereas humans are guests. He talked about the recent tiger census in the huge forest area, which is quite a project. Buxa Tiger Reserve was one of the first tiger reserve in India to adapt tiger census through DNA technique. Forest staff, aided by NGOs, travel through the forest and collect excreta in polythene pouch filled with silica gel and record the GPS location of the place of collection. The samples are later put through genetic analysis to confirm the presence of tigers and other predators. The Beat Officer felt that there are still 3-5 tigers, though they mostly stay in the higher areas of Bhutan mountains. However, wildlife conservationists are extremely upset at Bengal Forest Department’s dismal performance in toger conservation. Wildlife Institute of India scientists have reported that they did not find any sign of tiger in Buxa. According to them, the Bhutan vacation of tigers is a convenient excuse of the foresters to cover their inadequacy. Read more about the debate in in: http://www.sanctuariesindia.com/buxa-tiger-reserve-has-no-tigers/. A good official website, though not most current, is http://www.buxatigerreserve.com/

We also went for a trip to Coochbehar- about 32 km from Jayanti. The only disadvantage is when we exit the Buxa Forest, the entry charge of around Rs. 600-700 for a car with 6-8 passengers have to be paid again at the Rajabhatkhayoa check post. It is therefore more economical to visit Coochbehar on the way in or out. The drive is through congested roads. Coochbehar is however a neat town with well maintained roads, heritage structures and nice people. We visited the two most important attractions- Madan Mohan Temple and the majestic Coochbehar Palace. On way back, we stopped a a local haat to buy Tulaipanji and Kalo Nuniya rice- both quintessentially North Bengal products.

Our three nights at Jayanti was most relaxing and refreshing. It is best not to do much. A daily drive around the forest is exhilarating enough. Rest of the time, it is rejuvenating to put your feet up in the balcony and stare at the vast expanse of the dry river bed with the endless flow of activities that go on it. An eerie ambience descends with nightfall, with the mountains, forest and riverbed presenting a silhouette with different shades of darkness in the open canvas. The moon showers a magical glow on the vast expanse which makes the place most surreal. Buxa’e Bagh nei, but boddo beautiful. 