Poush Mela - Shantiniketan

Shantiniketan, meaning the home of peace resonates its meaning in full. Going there from the chaos of the city rejenuvates one’s being. Shantiniketan has been made famous for Rabindranath Tagore, as this was his abode for literary pursuits. His home has been converted into a museum and the Vishwa Bharti vishwavidyala where he used to teach the tribal children under the mango trees has now become a huge complex.

I have been there before and to the surrounding areas, but this time I was there for the Pous Mela. This is a festive time for the people at Shantiniketan and the tribes in that area. Poush Mela brings alive the traditional folk culture of Birbhum. Talented bauls from the nearby villages sing the popular religious and folk numbers and strum the melodious tunes on their ektaras. Lively folk songs, dances, drama and other soirees keep the large crowds glued to the fairgrounds until the wee hours of the morning. Visitors from all over the country and abroad, flock to Shantiniketan to participate in the annual festival. 

Though we didn’t stay there for long, the trip was amusing and enchanting as ever. It was the month of December. We had booked our train tickets in the ... express for reaching Bardhaman, and from there we had arranged a paid taxi to stay with us for two days. 

We woke up early in the morning to catch the train from Howrah station at 8:00 A.M. On a cold winter morning when the city was still trying to wake up, we were out on the roads of Kolkata. The cold air hitting our faces though the car window. There was not much traffic on the road and we reached the station just on time to catch the train. Our train no. was blinking on the board happily but Lo! Behold!!!!!!!  . It was cancelled!!! EARLY IN THE COLD MOIRNING WE WERE STANDING AT THE STATION LOOKING AT THE RED LETTERS ON THE ELECTRONIC BOARD TELLING US OUR TRAIN WAS CANCELLED??!! . NOW WHAT WOULD WE DO?!? We asked around to people, the station master, the ticket checker for any other way as to what could be done and so got an alternative. The famous LOCAL trains of West Bengal - to Bardhaman. So, there we went. we took the ticket for the local trains which cost us only Rs 20.00 per head compared to the Rs 400+ of the express train that was cancelled. (What a Difference!!) and boarded the Bardhaman local, which was standing (as if for us). Luckily it was a weekend and there was not much rush in the train, which is usually present on regular days, people clambering over each other jostling for space. Although we were four people sitting on a three seater, it was comfortable enough. We spent the 5 hours sitting like that (it hurts sitting so long like that) and ultimately we reached Bardhaman by 1:00 PM. The car was waiting for us outside the station. We packed our things in the car and there we go!!!!!. towards the Abode of peace. 

The scenery around from Bardhaman to Shantiniketan was fabulous in the winter sun. Fields and trees meet the eyes, with the winter sun trying to warm the earth as much as it could. The small rice mills stand like gaurds in the middle of the fields. Crossing the fields, meadows and small towns in between, we reached Shantiniketan after an hour and half. 

Chuti Resort in day time

We had booked our rooms at "Chuti Resort" at Jamboni area of Shantiniketan. The resort is built up like small cottages for rooms and each cottage has its own name, dedicated to the poems of Rabindranath Tagore. This area is on the outskirt of the town and therefore provides the ambience of a peaceful village. We freshened ourselves and went for lunch. Food at the resort is good and is a remix of Bengali and other Indian cuisine. 

After lunch we went to "Kankali tala" 9 km from Shantiniketan. The area has changed a bit from what I had visited previously. The temple has been barricaded now and the pond is being cleared of the mud and grime and is being dug out to remake it. It is believed that when the furious lord Shiva was dancing with goddess sati's charred body on his shoulder, lord Vishnu with his chakra had to piece goddess sati's body. The skeleton or the rib cage of goddess sati fell in this place.

Ma Kankali Debi

From there we went for a long ride through Prantik, looking for an old Neel bari, which is supposed to be haunted, but we couldn’t find it, so we returned back as it was getting dark and we were quite tired also. After reaching the resort, I remembered that we have missed the Khowai Haat, when we came by the Sonar Jhuri (golden basket) forest. The Khowai haat (market) is held every Saturday from 3:00 Pm till dusk and it was already 5:30 p.m nearing darkness, so we decided to take off for the day and rest at the resort. 

Sonar Jhuri forest

The cold night at the silent resort was a welcome change from the daily rush of the city and office life. I wandered in the garden of the resort at night. This was after a long long time that I could come in contact with such serene and calm environment. I was with nature. I felt free and serene .... to talk to myself, to think about things and to muse on life. The silence was beautiful. The sky was clear. The trees seemed to be singing their own song as the cold wind blew through them rustling their leaves. Even the insects seemed to have gone silent to listen to them. I spent a long time between nature, rejenuvating myself , drinking in the silence as much as I could. No doubt Guru Rabindranath Tagore could write such world acclaimed poetry. 

The night fell deeper and we had dinner at the resort restaurant. The good food made our moods better.

Chuti Resort at night

Ma Tara Debi

Next day morning we went out early for "Tarapeeth". Tarapeeth is 65 km from Shantiniketan. Lined with many shops for flowers, prasad and sweets we stopped at one of the shops and bought flowers, sweets, inscese sticks etc. and moved forward towards the temple. We paid our due respect to the goddess, prayed and conducted our puja as far as it could be conducted in that rush of people and then went on towards our next stop "Bakreshwar". The road towards Bakreshwar was sooooo pathetic and bumpy, it caused us to choke. We were not able to run the Ac of the car due to the pathetic dust on the road and the filthy smoke bellowing trucks and yet we were not able to sit with the windows closed and it was becoming stuffy. 

Queue to pay homage at Tarapeeth

In between the driver took us to a Mazar through a shortcut for Bakreshwar. I don’t remember the name of the Mazar. It seemed like a lonely planet, but the driver told us that during some festival hundreds and thousands of people visit the Mazar and there are fair and festivities around, and from there the road to Bakreshwar was far better.

"Bakreshwar" is devoted to Lord Shiva and also to Adi Shakti Sati. It is said that the forehead of the goddess fell here when her charred body was dismembered with Lord Vishnu's chakra. Bakreshwar is also famous for its hot water springs beside the temple area. People bath in these hot springs as they are known for their mineral water which is said to cure many skin aliments. 

Returning from Bakreshwar, we went for a search for the Kopai River. We went round and round in Shantiniketan asking directions from people, some of whom could direct us and some misdirected us till dusk, when ultimately an old man could tell us which way to go with a comment that reflected his surprise "Why you people want to go there at this time of the day?" 

Hmmm ... we mused on his comment on the way towards the rivers which was still 4 - 5 kms away (maybe more). And it was quite dark when we ultimately reached there. Thanks God!! But it was to see a stream but not a river any more now. The banks were full with people who were arranging their things to go back home from their winter picnic. Yups.. It is a picnic spot for the winters, with few trees and plain ground. Now that was why the old man was surprised. Maybe he thought we wanted to go for picnic in the dead of night, which we would never plan. It would be quite scary after all. 

Hot water pond at Bakreshwar

We returned back to the hotel to refresh and rest but I jumped up again to go to the "Pous Mela". That's what we have come here for. Isn't it ?!! 

Baul

We had released the car and so took a rickshaw from the gate of the resort. They ideally should take Rs 30 to take you to the fair grounds, though they may ask for more if you dont bargain well. It was biting cold outside at 8:00PM and the ground is at least 3 km from the resort, but its a ride worthwhile. The fair ground was full of people from so many places. It’s a BIG BIG fair and it reminded me of the "Ramlila Ground fair" of my childhood days. In that biting cold we took hot jalebis and filled them in our mouth. Mmmmmmm ....... We roamed around the grounds looking at wares and shops installed from different parts of India. On a stage few "Bauls" were singing local songs.We stayed there for nearly two hours going round and round and in the end losing out way out. We planned for second trip again .. in the morning the next day. 

We had to catch a train in the afternoon. We had to pack our bags. But I HAD to go to the fair grounds again. I became a pest till I was taken there. :-) So, in the cold and cloudy morning, at 8:00 AM after breakfast, we left for the grounds again. The ride towards the grounds was also very exciting. The rickshaw took us through lanes and short cuts, in between lanes of beautiful houses, through the university grounds and to the fair. Many stalls had opened, many were still arranging their wares, there was sound of songs of Guru Rabindranath Tagore and there were people idly roaming around enjoying the weather and the sound. We hopped and shopped for articles for family and friends in that cold weather enjoying our tea along with it. 

Alas !! We had to return. I didn’t want to go back. I wish we could have stayed one more day, but tickets were not available for the next many days. Ans So we had to leave....  but ..... 

this trip remains in my mind not only for the places we have visited, the resort and the Pous Mela but also because of the bone chilling weather we got to enjoy. 

Katha stitch shawl from Shantiniketan

Pous Mela

  

TOURS From KOLKATA - SHANTINIKETAN - Abode of Peace

A suddenly planned trip - not too far from the city-and lots of masti-was what recharged us for the time being.

Shantiniketan - The Abode of Peace for Maharshi Devendranath Tagore is quite true to words when you go there from the daily hum-drum of a city like Kolkata.

DAY 1 --

We started on the weekend, in fact before the weekend even strated - Friday afternoon , directly from office and rushed to the station. The train was already IN by the time we reached and so we clambered on it towards our seats. Sitting arrangement was 6+3 and two of our group members had to drop out cz of some work issues. Ahhh ....... They don't know what they missed!!

The train started and it was a small journey. We reached Bolpur station round about 8:30P.m and hopped on rickshaws, who promised to show us hotel accomodations along with the ride. So the seven of us, hopped on to four rickshaws and went hotel hopping.

Though we had already booked rooms at Hotel Chitrali (Phone No: 03463-252111, 255806), we found that it was quite far from the Vishwabharati University and so after searching at a few Hotels , we decided on at Hotel Sathi (Ph No: 03463-254630) which is at Bhubandanga. (It is said that Shantiniketan was earlier called Bhubandanga, named after Bhuban Dakat, a local dacoit).

At night there was nothing much to do, so we freshend up and roamed the streets and local handicraft shops.... ate Momos (which was not that good .. but good enuf to appetise our hungry tummies), ice creams, tea, biscuits, (made friends with a stray cat :D). Then we hopped back to the hotel tired from the journey. "Sweetened" dinner - we had that at the hotel .. and went off to sleep early for a start for next day mroning.

Day 2 -- Supposed to get up in the morning at 6, we got up at nearly 7. Maybe it was the weather or may be it was the environment, we were not even hurrying out. Hmm.. lazy mornings ... Sometimes in life , there is a feeling to go slow with everything and work on leisurely around. We were enjoying the feeling as long as it lasts. The weather was as good as our moods, cool, calm, cloudy, rainly and slightly windy. We went out by 10 and were on the road towards "Vishwabharati University", the institution started by Rabindranath Tagore, it's symbolic meaning being defined by Tagore as "where the world makes a home in a nest"..

Reaching there took us around 15 minutes. We seven on three rickshaws. One over the other ... We pranced about in the gardens of the campus after we were there.. and saw all that could be seen and understood. The "Ghari Ghar", The "Black House", Ramkinkar Baige's creations, and many more.

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Afternoon, we hired a Tata Sumo to go to "Konkali tola Mandir", "Kopai Nadi" and "Khowaii Haat". "Konkalitola mandir" is a small temple, with serene and calm surroundings a few kilometers from Shantiniketan. The Kopai Nadi~river flows by, near the temple. With green fields surrounding the temple and "baul" playing music in the background gives a peaceful atmosphere.

There is a small Shiv Mandir, which remains closed this time of the year. It has five "shiva lingas" which remains immersed in the Kopai Nadi for most of the year, and is brought out from the water for seven days before "Poila Boisakh"~ 15th April, Bengali New Year, for puja and celebrations.

We went back towards the town and had our lunch at Mansi Lodge. Better food than the night before made us quite happy. Sitting together pulling legs and having lunch has a different ambience.

3:00 P.M - We started for "Khowaii Haat".

"Khowaii Haat" is a small local handicrafts market which sits every Saturday, far from the town... in middle of nowhere, surrounded by farms and eucalyptus forests. With no artificial lighting, the aura transports you to the time when such haats were as normal as day and night. The haat starts from 3 p.m and ends with dusk creeping on the horizon.

The locals bring thier handicrafts and sell. Different kinds of jewellery made from beads and seeds, hand crafted clothes, slate paintings, woodworks, and many more. (The prices are at par with the prices sold in the city ... so it needs bargaining skills to reduce the prices).

At first it felt as if it was just a small haat, with very few people, but as the evning wore on people started coming from different places. Even tourists from other countries were there for a buy.

We also picked up a few articles and spent the evening roaming around and looking at the crafts.

Returned before dusk, rested at the hotel , and went out again at night for a little more shopping from the local shops. And thats where the fun began. After shopping (and we girls gave whole credit to the boys for bearing with us :D ) we went into the university area and sat on the steps of a university building. Singing, launging, joking, dancing ... drama, nautanki ... everything .... until it was time for dinner.

Dinner started late at Manasi Lodge with Rabindra sangeet, both as appetizer and spoil sport. And the situation at that time was stupid as well as hilarous.

Back at hotel late at night, we were not ready to go to sleep. Na! Na!

Hey! Its the last night!! Lets have some fun !! .... and so we sat chatting and pulling out our shopping spoils, showing them to the boys .. who were no doubt bored to death with it until one of them started adorning himself with it .. He he he .... and the Fun continued till late...... The caretakers of the Hotel must have been cussing at us whole night .. He he he

Day 3 -- We had to return back to our homes. We woke up late ...really late.

Who wont after sleeping as late as 4 A.M ?? :-) But still we managed to go out and visit the Museum at "Uttarayan" .. It has the five houses of the Tagore Family. No cameras allowed. And there ended our tour in Shantiniketan.

The Train was at 1:10 P.M .. and like every other tours......................................,
journey towards home ended earlier than of starting it.
We reached Howrah station by 3:30 Pm.

And after that ..... Hey Friends!!! Any comments on what we did after that ??? ;)

P.S : Please comment on the blogMuri at train