Dynamic Day Trips : Andul Rajbari

It was an impulsive decision to visit the heritage building of Andul Rajbari. Santanu, Anirban and I boarded a local train from Santragachhi and got down after a couple of stations at Andul. From Howrah, it is a half an hour ride by train.

The Rajbari, spread over 10 bigha and comprising more than 100 rooms, can be reached in about 10 mins from the Andul station in a cycle rickshaw. The building is in dilapidated state now but the massive structure and lofty pillars speak of the affluence the royal family must have enjoyed in the past. It is heartbreaking to witness the neglect and ill-maintenance which is driving the grand heritage building into ruins. The large open ground in front of the Rajbari has now been converted into a football playing ground for the locals.

Interestingly, the building is still being used as residence by a handful of people although sections of it looked dangerously in need of immediate attention. A part of the building however has been renovated recently and newly painted adding a contrast to the remaining majority.

After taking some snaps from the outside we were a bit jittery about whether to enter the building or not. At the end, setting aside our apprehension of whether we were committing trespassing, we did take a small tour inside, and had we not entered we would have definitely repented afterwards. There is a small courtyard (may be the erstwhile naach mahal) inside which has withstood the test of times and still depicts the elegance and grandeur of the bygone era. The intricate decorations of the pillars have remained relatively unimpaired and transports oneself to an altogether different time and the presence of the pigeons flying around flapping their wings and making intense sound somewhat renders a haunted feeling to the mansion.

There is precious little history that can be found on the history of the palace. A signboard in front of the building acknowledges that the palace was built in 1834 by Raja Rajnarayan Roybahadur. However from a website (which is the sole reference that I came across on the internet) I could gather that the Andul Raj Family was founded by Ram Charan Roy even before the Battle of Plassey (1757) and the construction of the palace building was started by Kashinath Roy. However, I could not crosscheck the authenticity of the information. Interestingly, in a recent article in Times of India on heritage buildings, someone with a surname of Mitra was quoted as one of the descendants of the Andul Raj Family. Not sure if he belongs to the extended family or whether the palace changed hands (which seems less probable).

Just beside the palace building, there is an old Annapurna Temple surrounded by Shiva shrines. The temple complex also houses an old cannon (supposedly gifted by Lord Clive as per the same source mentioned earlier).

Kolkata Kaleidoscope : St. Teresa's Church

I first came to know of the existence of this church when I was invited to a wedding reception of one of my ex-colleagues. I was a bit surprised at first since he was a Hindu and it was a reception party and not the wedding itself but when I reached there I realized that the backyard of the church has been rented out for the wedding reception. The church building in itself looked interesting so I came back after a few days to visit the church along with Saibal, a friend of mine (who was also invited to that wedding reception party).

It is a catholic church, formally called St. Teresa of Avila Church, built in the late 19^th century and located on the AJC Bose Road near Moulali. There is very little information that I could gather on this particular church apart from the fact that it was founded between 1895-97 and was blessed by Monsignor Goethals. The church was renovated about a hundred years later and was blessed then by Mother Teresa. The church was named after St. Teresa of Avila, the prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint and Carmelite nun of the 16^th century.

The beautiful red building of the church has an imposing structure and the interesting fact is that many of the instructions were written in Bengali indicating that it must be a popular parish amongst the Bengali speaking Anglo-Indian society. The church also contains a statue of Mother Teresa.

Kolkata Kaleidoscope : Metcalfe Hall

During one of my walks in the Dalhousie area, the heart of the Kolkata's business centre, I came across the Metcalfe Hall at the juncture of Strand Road and Hare Street. It was built between 1840-44, was designed by the city magistrate C.K. Robinson and was named after Sir Charles Metcalfe, who officiated as the Governor General in 1835-36 during the interval of the departure of Lord Bentinck and arrival of Lord Auckland, in honour of his efforts towards a free press. The architectural showpiece is said to be inspired by the Tower of Winds in Athens. Thirty lofty Corinthian columns supporting the massive entablature gives it a classical Greek look.

The Imperial Library was inaugurated here by Lord Curzon in 1903 and later on it evolved to National Library and shifted to Belvedre. 

On the eastern side is a huge portico with wide stairs leading to the hall. The building has been renovated recently by the Archaeological Survey of India and is being prepared to use it as a museum, supplementing the Indian Museum at Chowringhee. When I visited some terracotta tablets and brick samples were exhibited but renovation was still going on in the interiors.

Kolkata Kaleidoscope : Portuguese Church

Since this is Christmas time, I decided to share with you the experience of my visit to one of the old churches of Kolkata. The Portuguese Church located at the Portuguese Church Street near Dalhousie Square was set up as early as 1747. The best way to reach the church is to walk a few paces northwards along Brabourne Road behind St. Ardrew's Church (which is just on the right side of Writers' Building).

However, I came across the place from an altogether different side. Actually, I along with my friend Saibal went to visit the Armenian Church but could not locate it although we spent quite some time roaming around the Armenian Street. No body seemed to have any knowledge of the church, though I was sure it was somewhere in the vicinity. One shopkeeper showed me a narrow street to follow and while he gave us direction I was confident with his conviction that the street would lead us to the church. But alas it was an altogether different church that we landed up at. Having said that we were not disappointed with this church, formally known as the Cathedral of the Holy Rosary but commonly referred to as the Portuguese Church.

When we entered the premises we found a good many car parked in the compound which was something odd given the abandoned status of most of the churches in Kolkata. We were thinking of whether it was any special day but given the fact that it was a Saturday, it would not have been possibly the day of the weekly mass. Soon however we realized that the church compound was being used as a parking space and even there were a couple of hawkers. A homeless person was sound asleep at the main door of the church building and the door was closed to our dismay.

Thankfully one of the doors on the side was ajar and we could sneak into the church. There was no one inside and we had a brief tour of the church of our own. The striking feature of the church is its colourfulness. Most of the other churches that I have visited before are painted in dull white but not this one. The chapel at the centre hosts a wooden statue of Virgin Mary and on either side of it, round stained glass windows adorned the walls. There were many more colourful wooden statues all over the church and wooden panels depicting the various stages of the passion of the Christ decorate the walls. 

All in all it was a good experience. We were very much impressed with the church. Just hope it becomes more approachable to the public in general, not only the devout but also people who like to visit the place as a historical monument and pay a tribute to its elegance.

Killer Kinnaur - Chitkul

On the 26^th of May, we left Kalpa at 8:30 in the morning and took the same road back up to Karcham. From there we turned left towards Sangla. There was a tunnel just beyond the small bridge that we were crossing and initially we were all excited to drive through the tunnel. However, when we reached there we saw that it was still under construction and we took the road around the tunnel. As usual, the road was in pretty bad shape. Actually from a distance I could not see any road at all. So when our driver was telling us that we were not going to take the tunnel, I was confused since I did not notice any road after the bridge except the tunnel way. 

Our car stopped at a roadside temple for a couple of minutes which is probably considered auspicious by the local drivers. The priest came and offered us some prasada and prayed for our wellbeing and safety. We took our tea break in the market area of the town of Sangla. The town is quite a big one in the neighbourhood and most of the tourists stay at this place only and go for sightseeing elsewhere. However, on recommendation of some of my friends, I had booked our accommodation in Chitkul which is a small village with a few lodging options. 

We filled ourselves with pakoras and sweets along with desi chai in a small but clean tea shop. Whatever we had eaten in the breakfast had already been digested and we anticipated having a late lunch at Chitkul as there was still some distance to cover.  The view of the Baspa river and the mountain range was enchanting from Baspa. It lifted our spirits all the more thinking about what we would have in store at Chitkul. 

The view on the road from Sangla to Chitkul was awesome. And although the road was narrow, it was in a relatively good condition. And there was hardly any traffic on the route. I was sitting in the front beside the driver and tried hard to capture the surroundings with my lenses. The view was changing at some times ranging from lush green trees on the mountains to dry and barren places with boulders and stones lying all around. The temperature was also a pleasant one. In fact I kept my windows down and caught a little cold. On the way we noticed some nature camps which provide tourist accommodation. Our hotel was however further up. 

Initially, we had booked Hotel Shahenshah which is owned by the same person, Sandeep Karar, who runs the hotel Rakpa Regency at Kalpa. Since there was a large tourist group (whom we noticed at Kalpa itself), he requested us to stay at Panchali Resort, which is also owned by him. Panchali Resort is the last hotel at the end of the motorable road. However, what we heard over there is that the road would be extended a further 25 Kms. So, new hotels would crop up I guess closer to the mountain range. The hotel had an exquisite view of the mountains. Once we opened the windows of our room, there was nothing between the mountain and us. However, the cleanliness and service of the hotel was not good. Also, food options were limited and there was a huge delay between the time we ordered and we got our food. Perhaps they were also running short of staff. 

After having lunch and a little rest, we went to the riverbed in the late evening. The clear blue water of the Baspa river surrounded by the mountains and the snow covered peaks at stone throwing distance formed a breathtaking view. In fact back at the hotel, people told us that the place was not far from the Tibet border, Chitkul being the last village. The river water was very cold and it had a good current too. The riverbed was studded with small pebbles and large stones and we rested for a while on those stones taking in the superlative beauty of the place. There was a school nearby. We envied the location but at the same time pitied for the students who have to come so far away every day. 

When it was time to return, I proposed to take a different route which I noticed further up. Only Bappa agreed to accompany me in this adventurous detour. Now the only question was how to go up and be on that path. We started to follow the way what seemed to go up and meet our target path but after some time we were kind of lost and doubted whether it was the right way. After some time we met a local man with a cow. He assured us that we were on the right track and when we enquired whether the path was tough, he commented that even his cow could use that comfortably. Our confidence was restored and we continued our walk but the path was becoming all the more difficult with little waterfalls in between and it was tough to breathe as well. Anyway I have a breathing problem and the high altitude was taking its toll. I was feeling sorry for Bappa. Though he has healthier than me, but he was also feeling exhausted and he had only agreed to come with me so that I am not alone. We stopped for a while and contemplated whether we should go back. When we looked back we did not find any one of the team so they must have returned to the hotel already. Just then we noticed two young girls coming down. They were not locals but tourists. They were confused whether they could go down to the river following that route. We told them we have followed that route from the riverbed itself so they could continue walking down. And they assured us that we would find the way back to the hotel if we continue moving up. We were encouraged that if they could do it so could we and started walking upwards. But after some more time we were again confused as we could not find any way further. We stopped for a while to catch some air as we were breathing heavily by then. Ultimately we found our way back to the hotel amidst the cultivation land which was being prepared for step farming. On our way back we met some military personnel from Indo-Tibet Border Force, who were returning to their check posts at the Tibet border. 

When we finally reached the hotel we found the other members of our group worried and anxious as a long time had passed and the fact that they could not contact us over our cell phones (there was no mobile tower) made them more tensed. They were a little bit comforted they were told by those two girls that they had met us some time before. We found Mukherjeekaku had returned to his room much earlier as he was not feeling well. Even Chhotomasi was having some breathing problems. I on my part did not disclose that I experienced some spasms myself and went to my room to take rest. During night I was running a mild temperature and Chhotomasi rebuked me for my bravado. I was disheartened and agonized by the fact that my body did not respond positively to the small trek and was worried about how would I go to places which involve fair bit of walking in hilly terrain. 

The next day was the last of our sojourn in the Himalayas. We took our way back to Kalpa from where we boarded the return train, halting at Narkanda in between for the night. It was time to bid goodbye to the picturesque Kinnaur and return the routine chores of city life. 

Killer Kinnaur - Kalpa

We left for Kalpa on the 24^th of May after having an early lunch at Sarahan.  The road looked dangerously appealing being curved out of the mountain walls, at times with hanging cliffs over head. The beautiful Baspa river was flowing beside the road on the other side but the water was still muddy. After some time however, the road condition deteriorated considerably and our bodies became stiff and pained absorbing the shocks. I have read before, in trip reports of some travel forums that the road between Wangtoo and Karcham was particularly bad. However, the road after Karcham did not provide us any relief either. In fact it was worse; the road was broken at many places due to landslides and too narrow for comfort. 

Major construction was going on at Karcham where a major dam is located and probably the cement and the dust made the water of river Baspa muddy, since after Karcham the water was blue and clear. The road for Sangla took off on the right and we continued straight ahead towards Kalpa. At places, the road was so narrow to commute that long queues of cars resulted. A few times our car came so tantalizing close to the edge of the road that some of us cried aloud cautioning the driver. Although our driver had a rock steady hand, he too became tensed a couple of times and requested us not to panic. In fact, afterwards, he admitted that on those occasions he was a bit nervous as well. 

When we reached Reckong Peo, the district head quarters of Kinnaur district, we knew we were not too far from our destination. After driving further up for some more time when we finally reached Kalpa, it was 5 o’clock in the evening.  We had booked Hotel Rakpa Regency in advance and were delighted with the view it offered. A friend who had earlier stayed at the hotel mentioned that Room 406 has the best view and Runa and Abhishek had the good opportunity to occupy that room. However, I think the corner room that I stayed at had an even better view of Kinnaur Kailash. Surprisingly, the owner of the hotel, Sandeep Karar, is a Bengali from Howrah. Most of the staff, except the manager, was Bengali as well.

Kalpa is known for its golden apple orchards and beside our hotel itself there were a whole lot of apple trees but unfortunately it was not the time for apple harvesting.

After evening tea, I went for a leisurely stroll along the deserted road. Suddenly I heard a strange hymning sound followed by some drum beats. It was near the Hotel Kinnaur Villa. I was trying to figure out the origin of the sound and after some time realized that it is coming from a small hut up in the hills. It was quite far away and hidden behind the trees, so at first I could not locate it. Actually, it seemed some people were dancing to the mystic tune in some ethnic dress. Probably it was some sort of ceremony. I noticed some stone steps going upwards from the road and an idea crossed my mind that I might try to go nearer to the place to comprehend what it was all about. But the steepness of the steps was disturbing me and I found no one in the vicinity to ask how far the path leads up to. Meanwhile, it started drizzling and suddenly the temperature dropped considerably. I decided it would be wise to return to the hotel and not get wet since I am susceptive to cold. Back in the hotel, I found my folks were getting apprehensive about my delay and the fact that they could not reach me over my cell phone (there was no tower) made them tensed. 

The next day, we woke up early but there was no spectacle of sunrise to speak about. It was cloudy to begin with and the sun abruptly came out from behind the mountain range. However, as the day progressed, the sun shone brightly and apart from Kinnaur Kailas, Parvati and Shivling peaks were clearly visible. The Kinnaur Kailash peak appeared so close that it seemed as if we could just reach out our hands and touch it. Chhotomasi mentioned that its shape is similar to Mt. Kailash near Manas Sarovar and hence the name. While we were zooming in our lenses to take closer snaps, we observed a black spot in the white snow that covered the mountain range and it changed position a few times. It seemed larger than to be possibly any bird and the hotel staff told us it was still not the time of the year when trekkers go around. So, it remained a mystery to us. Chhotomasi jokingly declared that it must be some Yeti then. 

At breakfast we noticed a really large tourist group coming all the way from Bengal and there was pandemonium all around. The manager of the group was shouting all kinds of directives to his own staff who were running around doing all sorts of errands. After breakfast, we went to visit the nearby Rodhi village. From a local shop there we bought some walnuts at really cheap price. The view of the other peaks (which were out of sight from our hotel) from that place was also fascinating. So, we were dumbfounded when some tourists were complaining about the place arguing that there is nothing to see. Now, what else does one need; one can behold the majestic Himalayas all around and still people grumble! 

A short cut path from the village led us to the monastery we noticed from the balcony back at our hotel. The actual village of Kalpa is probably located around here. We noticed many local small huts but surprisingly most of them were under lock and key. Not sure if that was because the people had gone to work or they had moved to some other place. The monastery was small and nice and comes with the traditional Buddhist prayer rollers. 

In close proximity to the monastery, resides a Durga temple. It had some intricate woodwork and it was queer to see those wooden dragons decorating a Hindu temple. The temple was unfortunately closed and we could not see the deity. However, back at the hotel, I noticed a picture, which was some amateurish replica of an old and celebrated picture, illustrating the temple and the original painting was done more that hundred years ago. 

The weather changed drastically in the afternoon and there was a heavy downpour restricting us to the interiors of our respective rooms. Even in the evening, when the rain stopped, it was still very cloudy and the wind was chilly. Since we could not go out for a walk, I spent some time in the terrace but soon it became so cold that I had to return to the warmth of my room. From the balcony, I could see a thick layer of cloud down below where the monastery was located and soon the cloud engulfed the entire hamlet. 

The rest of the night was uneventful except for the drop in the temperature. I was literally shivering when we went to take dinner in the ground floor. The fact that I was not carrying any heavy woollens was upsetting as my jacket was not giving me much comfort. One of the Bengali staff who is from the Burdwan district told us that the hotel is entirely covered with snow in the winters and remains closed from the end of November until March, and when they come back in March they have to clean the thick layers of snow and how painstaking a job that is. Luckily the next morning the sun was shining bright and after having breakfast we started our journey to Chitkul.

Killer Kinnaur - Sarahan

After the initial stopover at Shimla, our real tour started on 23^rd May as we got ready to drive to Sarahan. We had booked a tempo-traveller with 12 seats from Shimla for the rest of the journey back in Kolkata itself via Diamond Tours and Travels. However, the one that reported to us had its back seats facing sideways and the worn out tyres looked ominous for the dreadful roads which awaited us. After an animated argument, it was finally changed but only after intervention of the original tour operator. Since this furore continued for almost an hour, our journey also started late. The newer tempo-traveller was in excellent state and the driver was also a good one.  The credit goes to Runa and Chhotomasi for doing all the hard talk and ensuring us a comfortable journey. 

The road until Narkanda was in an appalling state but the view outside alleviated all discomforts. After Kufri we first noticed the snow capped mountain peaks. And there after the pine and fir trees were keeping us company. We had a meagre lunch at a roadside eatery after Narkanda and in the afternoon reached Rampur. The stretch of road between Narkanda and Rampur was first-rate.

Rampur (135 Km from Shimla on NH 22) was once the capital city of the princely state of Bushahr and is now one of the biggest commercial towns of Himachal Pradesh. We stopped for a while to visit the Padam Palace which was located amidst the hustle-bustle of a busy market area. Only Bappa, Abhishek, Chhotomasi and I ventured out to visit the palace and the rest preferred to wait in the car but we were not disappointed. The near century old palace was built by Padam Singh and the large edifice made of stone and wood with a sprawling lawn is a place worth visiting. The second floor of the two storied building has intricate woodwork with floral designs and the front door is beautifully designed with glass fittings. Unfortunately one cannot go inside the palace as it remains locked. Later we came to know that since the palace is still a private residence of Virbhadra Singh, the erstwhile King and presently a cabinet minister of the central government, entry is subject to permission only. And a normal tourist cannot obtain permission I guess since there was no office in the vicinity. 

After Rampur, we had the Sutlej flowing by our side for the rest of the journey but we were puzzled that unlike rivers in the mountain, it was muddy. Probably it was due to the work going on for a hydel power project that was coming up. When we reached Sarahan finally, it was around six in the evening. After checking into the hotel, we made a brief visit to the Bhimakali Temple which just beside the hotel. However, I had to wait in the courtyard and could not enter the abode of the deity as I was carrying many leather items and camera and did not have a headgear. On the way back to the hotel I bought a Kullu cap and Chhotomasi bought some designer jackets as gift items. 

The HPTDC hotel, Hotel Shrikhand, was located in an excellent position with exquisite view. At first we thought staying at the guest house inside the Bhimakali Temple itself. I had read in some fellow traveller’s trip report that they have the best view in Sarahan and comes at a cheap price as well. But it was already booked when we inquired by calling a Rampur number. While waiting in the courtyard I made a sneak peek into what seemed to be the temple guest house. The arrangements looked basic and our hotel did not seem to provide any less view of the mountain peaks, but I am not absolutely sure on that. Trehan Guest House was our next choice and we even booked rooms in that hotel. But then Runa’s friend who visited the place last year and stayed at Trehan’s gave us some very negative feedback of the place and hence we cancelled that booking and booked the tourism hotel. Luckily the tour operator forgot to charge us any cancellation cost. 

The next day the alarm went off at five o’clock in the morning. Although we could not behold sun rise as such but the golden orange rays of the morning sun burning down the snow capped peaks and watching the mountain ranges changing their colour from mystery blue to milky white was mesmerising.  Shrikhand and Kartikeya are the eminent peaks that are visible from here.

When the sun was out properly we visited the Bhimakali Temple again. This time round I was only carrying the camera which I deposited before entering the main temple building. The newly bought Kullu cap served as a perfect headgear. The goddess Bhimakali is consecrated at the top floor of the three storied building and one has to watch one’s head while moving up and down the narrow stair cases. 

The temple is dedicated to the presiding mother goddess Bhimakali of the former princely state of Bushahr and the town of Sarahan which was earlier named as Shonitpur was the capital city of this former princely state before it was moved to Rampur. According to a legend the temple is associated with the Daksha-Yagna incident when the ear of Sati fell at this place and became a place of worship. It is accordingly considered as one of the 51 Hindu peeths.

The temple built with stone and wood manifests conspicuous woodwork with carved designs. That apart the mere location the temple itself amidst the mountains is fascinatingly magnificent and perhaps has no parallel. 

After breakfast, we went to a view point and while others returned after some rampant photo sessions, I stayed back to take some snaps of the temple from this side. The temple looks all the more beautiful from here as the mountain ranges form the backdrop and one can have the full view of the temple. To have a better view, I took off the road and entered a private property which looked dilapidated and abandoned. Though there was a main gate locked down, one could easily sneak through by a side gate which was open. I was getting curious to explore more but then it was getting late and I was also worried that I might be charged of trespassing.

After an early lunch it was time to say good bye to Sarahan and start for Kalpa. The food was wonderful which adds to the terrific location of Hotel Shrikhand. 

According to a legend, it was believed that the country of Kinnaur was the Kailash mentioned in Puranas, the abode of Shiva. In fact Lord Shiva disguised himself as Kirata for some time at this place. The town of Sarahan, once the capital city Shonitpur, is considered the gateway of Kinnaur and we were delighted to be on our way to behold the Kinnar Kailash.