I visited Ghum and Darjeeling with my family. It was a wonderful trip. We enjoyed the scenic views of the Himalayas, the tea gardens, and the toy train ride. Ghum is the highest railway station in India and has a famous monastery. Darjeeling is a charming hill station with a rich cultural heritage. We had a memorable time there.
Tinchuley is a small hamlet located about 28 km from Darjeeling and around 3 km from Takdah. The name means “three ovens” in Tibetan, because of the three prominent hilltops that resemble ovens. The confluence of Teesta and Rangeet is also known as Triveni. Some call it Lover’s point. It is considered to be a holy place where two great Rivers meet. Rangeet is considered to be a male river who meets his beloved Teesta at this point, hence the name ‘Lover’s Point’. Lamahatta stands for Lama for Buddhist monk and Hatta for hut: a monk’s heritage. Lamahatta Eco park is a famous spot with its vibrant bright flowers.
Takdah is a small hill station in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India. It is surrounded by lush green tea gardens, pine forests and orchids. The place was once a British cantonment area and thus has a number of old British bungalows. You can enjoy the scenic views of the Himalayas, breathe in the fresh mountain air and experience the local culture and cuisine. A homestay at Takdah will give you a chance to live with a host family and learn about their traditions and lifestyle. We fell in love with the place Takdah and the Rose Villa heritage homestay. I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to the Lama family, who owns the Rose Villa for making our stay so memorable. We would love to visit again.
A Bahurupi is a street performer, dressed up in various characters in different times and it is considered one of the ancient professions. For most performances, there is a story structured into the persona of the performer himself within his make-up, costume and role. Historically, these bohurupis would dress up as Hindu gods, goddesses, or mythical characters like Ram, Shiva, Kali, and so on and perform in front of Kings and zamindars. My first encounter with a bahurupi happened through one such immensely popular literary work titled Srikanta by ‘Katha shilpi’ Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.
Nobody is quite sure how Chowringhee, one of Kolkata’s most iconic roads, got its name. Chowringhee, not quite an arterial road but one of the city’s longest thoroughfares today, connects two parts of the city — Kalighat and Dharmatolla — to each other. Chowringhee is one of the best addresses in Kolkata. It still oozes of the imperial heritage. The building nearby are majestic and imposing and reminds of the British raj.
The Nalateshwari Temple is situated in the Nalhati town of Birbhum district in West Bengal. The town Nalhati is named after Nalateshwari temple, one of the 51 Sakti Peethas. It is around 25 km from Tarapith. The Shakti Pitha (Sanskrit: शक्ति पीठ) are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the goddess-focused Hindu tradition. This temple is believed to be erected at the spot where the ‘Nala’, (Vocal chord with part of the tracheae), the throat of Goddess Sati (Sakti) had fallen. In Bengali, the larynx is known as 'Nala'. This is the source from which the deity is known as Maa Nalateswari and the place is also named Nalhati, for the shrine.
Tarapith is a small temple located on the banks of the Dwarka River that flows in the Birbhum district. The temple is ancient and is considered to be extremely auspicious by the Hindu community. The regal temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peeths in India, is one of the most important places where tantric rituals are followed even today.
On December 16, 1971, the Pakistani Army surrendered to the Indian Army and Mukti Vahini at around 5 p.m. at the Race Course ground in Dhaka, resulting into creation of Bangladesh. India and Bangladesh are celebrating the 50th victory day this year. It's a proud day for both the nations. I was recollecting my closest sight of Bangladesh from India.
What connects Bengal and the Indus Valley Civilisation? A 2,500-year-old archaeological site, suffering from neglect might have the answer. A thriving settlement between the 4th century BCE and 12th century CE, Chandraketugarh is often thought to be the kingdom of Gangaridai as referred to by ancient Greek and Roman writers. Apart from its historical significance, Chandraketugarh is of great cultural importance, associated with Bengali poet and astrologer Khana, the daughter-in-law of Varahamihira, the famed astronomer and mathematician who was part of Chandragupta Vikramaditya’s court.
If any one place mirrors the heyday of Kolkata, its subsequent decline and recent rise, it is Flurys. Kolkata trip is incomplete without a visit to the Flurys, a famous breakfast place at the Park Street.
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