Sundarban
also spelled as Sunderbans is the largest mangrove in the world where the
tigers are feared and worshipped.
There are some places that
resist a definite definition. They don’t easily reveal their secrets. They
rarely, if at all, turn on a charming photo or a pithy phrase. To say something
about such places feels like an impudence, especially as a traveler. And Sundarban
is one of such places. The dense mangrove forest is a huge and extended tract
of forest and salty water spread across the lower delta of the river Ganges. For
a tourist from Kolkata, the place is both near and far. Book a Sundarban tour package from Kolkata and
enjoy your vacation. While it is hard to believe that the sight of the majestic
Royal Bengal Tiger is just a 100 km away, it is the reality that it takes just
a few hours to reach the river from Kolkata – either by road or by train and
then by boat. And the jolt waits within 30 minutes from the beginning of your
river journey. The stunning green delta landscape with the skyline touching the
water is simply mesmerizing. The most interesting thing is that the sights
alter so dramatically even before you realize. The human faces from the passing
by boats are familiar, still they would seem to be from another world.
Everything you’ll see there, as if, is touched up by a light of a different
sun.
Understanding
the forest
Sundarban is one of the largest
mangrove forests in the world. The mangrove is a combination of trees and
shrubs growing in the salty coastal habitat. The forest encompasses about 4,000
sq. km. in India while the rest 6,000 sq. km. lies in Bangladesh. From the river,
you can see knotty and clenched types of trees like sundari, garjan and hetal.
There is a multitude of pneumatophore – trees with special type of roots that grow
out of out of the water surface so the trees can breathe.
An unbelievable amount of busyness starts from
the very beginning of your waterway journey. Let’s start with Sajnekhali
Wildlife Sanctuary for real-time biology lesson. Here you will find a plethora
of birds like whimbrels, sandpipers, plovers and even Fiddler crabs (might not
be seen with naked eyes) that you can hardly see in your city. You can also see
a special species of amphibian namely mudskippers to share waterfront with the
birds. Tarkel, the water monitor is anther occupant that keeps looking for its
prey. The next level of the dense mangrove is occupied by the alligators, wild
boars and deer. Irrawady dolphins may also be seen if you are lucky enough. And
finally it comes to the Royal Bengal Tigers. There are roughly 250 tigers in
the core area though distributed over an extensive expanse of 1,500 sq.km. The tigers
of Sundarban are a kind of resilient to survive in the hostile territory of
Sundanban.
Declared to be a Heritage Site by UNESCO in
1987, Sundarban is not all about its incredible treasure of flora and fauna.
It’s also about the desperately underprivileged folks of the place who make
their living of the forest mostly by hunting or collecting honey and wax.
Nevertheless, Durga Puja is imminent- so plan the holiday in an out-of-the-box way
in Sundarban. You can contact a travel agency that offers Sundarban Tour Package at an affordable rate.
