Travelling & riding have always been my liking. The fondness of late has multiplied, thanks to the new era of travel & moto vloggers, and their narrations in Youtube. These modern day explorers rather wanderers have obviously inspired commoners like me to seek some travel & adventure amidst the mundane routine.
Last year in July, 2021, with a heavy heart I finally bade adieu to my old cranky scooter, a Kinetic Zing Kine (bought back in 2007) and purchased a new Hero Maestro Edge 125. The old Zing Kine had been my companion since my first year in college. We shared a great bond in the sense that there have been times when I had to drag it and times when it did the same to me, but mostly, I admit, that the latter had been the case. The Kine was more of a stubborn and snobbish type because it allowed itself to be ridden just by me & its real financier, my dad, for I have often experienced its outright refusal to churn the engine when others have tried to self or kick start it. Jokes apart, I really do wish that the red scooter of mine gets well treated by its new owner for the rest of its dear miles, for my days with the Zing Kine will forever be etched in my memory.
However, thanks or may be not, to the ever increasing fancy of riding and travelling, I had to welcome my new scooter hoping it will take me to places near and far, to “Untrodden Boulevards”.
The new Maestro Edge with its better power, torque & sound, kept urging me to plunge into a short trip to some nearby place. Accordingly, with the scooter’s first servicing done, me & my husband decided to take a weekend vacay at “Mukutmanipur” & “Jhilimili”. Both the places fall under the jurisdiction of Bankura District in West Bengal. The location is about 165 – 175 kms from my native place Burdwan.
Mukumanipur is a village under Khatra subdivision of Bankura district. This quaint and picturesque village, also known as the Queen of Bankura, is situated at the conflux of Kangsabati and Kumari rivers. The place is famous for the earthen dam built across Kangsbati river, surrounded by dense forests and lush green hills.
We visited Mukutmanipur & Jhilimili in late September, 2021. September is the month which marks almost the end of the hot & humid rainy season and beckons the autumnal atmosphere thereby radiating an embalming, euphoric yet nostalgic vibe.
Day-1 – Ride to Mukutmanipur
As planned, we started our ride early in the morning and took the National Highway (also a part of the Asian Highway network) to reach Bankura district via Durgapur.
We rode past the breathtaking Durgapur Barrage built across the Damodar river and no sooner had we entered Bankura district, the traffic at and the barren surroundings of the wide National Highway gave way to the narrow but quiet State Highway guided by greener pastures and forest covers. The scenery grew soothing, the tire turned pleasing, morales kept soaring, while the forest cover continued expanding & temperatures started reducing with every passing mile hinting at a memorable trip ahead.
We took a short chai break, at a local road side shop and then resumed our journey towards Khatra Block. After a while we had our first view of the Kangsai river. The river, distant hills, surrounding environment and lifestyle, alongwith the sight of locals going about their daily chores like washing or bathing and the sandy banks and “kash” clusters imprints on the gazers mind the very image of “pally bangla” which is in stark contrast to the indifferent & chaotic city life.
We kept on riding for a few more kilometres via meandering roads amidst forests often forming arches for it’s travellers to pass through and sudden clearings giving way to either small villages or crop lands or kash fields. The white kash flowers spread across vast fields or croplands against the partially cloudy and at times sunny sky was particularly mesmerizing.
On reaching Mukutmanipur we were greeted by the river canal and beautiful hillocks, and before finally checking in at our hotel we took a short break to appreciate the surrounding. We had pre-booked our stay at a hotel named “Pink Rose”. It proved to be a lot better than what we had expected, for everything about the lodge right from it’s location to the decent facilities that it provided inclusive of the cleanliness, staff behaviour, eatery, spacious rooms and gardens were more than satisfactory.
We had booked our stay from the site www.bankuratourism.com and it charged us about Rs. 2000/- per night for a Standard Double Occupancy (AC) room. The location of the hotel, spacious clean rooms with attached balcony & neat washroom, well-maintained lawns and gardens is definitely commendable. Hotel Pink Rose is situated at about 10 minutes ride from the lock gates or bridge across the Kangsbati dam and offers a brilliant view of several of the Chota Nagpur hills both at its fore and backdrop. The hotel maintains a well-trimmed lawn and consists of a small poultry farm as well.
After checking in at the hotel and gulping down the wonderful view that the surrounding had to offer, we freshened up and had a sumptuous Bengali lunch with rice, dal, aloo-posto and deshi chicken curry served hot. A salubrious siesta followed suit and in the late afternoon we took a ride to the Kangsabati dam and the embankment area.
We passed by an elephant corridor as well. At the bridge or lock gates we were greeted by the deafening roar of the massive, freely-flowing, powerful river and were overpowered by awe. We then visited the road across the dam or embankment. This area is the most popular tourist spot in Mukutmanipur. However, since it was already late in the evening with slight drizzles we headed back to the hotel for hot cups of chai and pakora. The day’s riding had worn us out a bit and after dinner we sat back and relaxed till late night in the lawn. There was a slight chill in the wind and the silent night made us ponder and ramble about life and stuff.
Day-2 – Exploring Mukutmanipur & Jhilimili (Boat ride to Bonpukuria, short walk to the deer park & Musafirana view point, and ride to Laljal Devi Pahar)
We woke up early morning at around six and without wasting any time, kick-started the bike rather the day with a ride through the road over the dam. We must admit here, that the view that it offered is indescribable since mere adjectives won’t suffice. The road offers on one side the view of two most scenic rivers that I have known till date i.e the Kangsbati & Kumari rivers, while on the other side it offers unhindered view of the majestic lush green hills and forests.
The crystal clear azure waters of the Kangsabati river felt hypnotic and out of the world. This ride through the embankment itself was worth a million for us. The embankment road is about 11 kms long. At the other end we parked our two-wheeler and after visiting a local temple, signed up for a boat ride to a tiny village known as Bonpukuria situated on the other side of the river, to visit a deer park that it houses and some small islands in the middle of the river.
The boat ride through the confluence of the pristine & clean rivers Kumari and Kangsabati felt enchanting and exotic. After alighting at the other side, we gathered that the deer park is located about 2 kms inside and preferred walking towards the same.
Luck was at our side that day I guess, since our arrival coincided with breakfast time for the bevy. We enjoyed watching the herd huddle together and munch on. A little village girl accompanied us and provided bunch of certain leaves which according to her served as fodder for those four-legged creatures. She called at the herd and some of the younger lot befriended us for the food. While returning from Bonpukuria the boatman took us to an island where we were amazed at the huge canopy formed by trees encompassing & covering the entire small island.
On our way back to the hotel we stopped for a brief photo shoot right at the middle of the empty road facing the rivers.
On reaching the hotel we straight away mounted our backpack on the scooter and after enjoying the Bengali breakfast of luchi and aloo-dum, bade good-bye to the hotel staff and rode towards Jhilimili.
Jhilimili is a tourist spot in Ranibandh block under Khatra Sub-Division of Bankura. This quiet place is loacted at a distance of about 26 – 30 kilometers from Mukutmanipur and is mainly a forest area. It is adjacent to Sutan forest and both Jhilimili & Sutan are often referred to as “Baro Mile-er Jungle”.
Some of the spots that are worth visiting at this getaway are – Talberia Dam, Sutan Lake, Watch Tower and a place called Laljal Pahar and Mandir. Laljal Devi Pahar is located at the neighbouring Jhargram distirct of West Bengal.
One may either take the State Highway to travel to Jhilimili from Mukutmanipur or may travel through the embankment path itself and through the interior roads cutting across beautiful villages and Sutan forest. Both the routes are scenic, however the latter is of course less trodden but of greater thrill and beauty and eventually we opted for the same.
On our way we stopped at Musafirana View Point situated at a little tilla overlooking the confluence of the Kumari & Kangsabati rivers. The place offered a magnificent, spectacular and panoramic view of the entire region.
Riders are bound to fall in love with the undulating roads winding through forests, croplands & villages while travelling from Mukutmanipur to Jhilimili.
After this memorable ride we reached “Rimil Lodge” at Jhilimili for our stay there. This lodge is easy to spot and is located at the very lap of nature. The lodge is an ideal getaway for weekenders. It offers multiple options for stay, and one may opt for cottage or tents or tree houses (built on artificial trees of course) or simple standard rooms depending on the budget at disposal. We opted for the economical Standard AC rooms and it is worth mentioning that the room was indeed large with two nice balconies (one each at the front & back) and a sizeable wash-room.
The expansive gardens, poultry farm and tall trees lend a natural green hood to the lodge and one can enjoy lunch, snacks and dinner right under these trees in the garden area. A peacock roaming freely in the eco-tourism centre is worth mentioning.
After checking in, we had a hearty, delicious & typical Bengali bhuribhoj and then took a short nap. It was a rainy afternoon and the forecast warned of cyclonic weather accompanied with thunderstorms. However, late in the afternoon the stormy weather subsided and as it left space for soft drizzles, our wandering spirits compelled us to visit Laljal Devi Pahar and Durga Mandir located at a distance of about 11-15 kms from Jhilimili. Laljal Devi Pahar falls under Jhargram District of West Bengal.
The ride to Laljal was through little unknown hamlets and to reach the actual place one has to leave the State Highway at some point and off-road till the destination. Since it had rained in the afternoon so we had to negotiate with muddy and rocky tracks to reach the temple site. This part was a bit thrilling. There was no mobile phone network & since it was already dusk and the track was a forlorn one running through forests, my mind was full with inhibitions and apprehensions. However, it is due to this that we kind of enjoyed the overall experience. While returning we stopped at the road side just to inhale & capture the diminishing reddish-golden hue of the setting Sun, overpowered by the onset of darkness brought forward by the cloudy yet cyanic sky.
Back to the hotel and after dinner we had a lazy night stroll and finally signed off.
[A word of caution – the chow mein that we had at dinner was unpalatable, so incase you are visiting this place, opt for the authentic Bengali dishes which they serve best.]
Day – 3 – Early morning ride to Talberia Lake & Dam, and journey back to Burdwan
We woke up early and quickly rode off to explore the nearby Talberia Dam, another spot worth visiting. The place is about 6 – 7 kms from the Rimil Lodge. The trail leading to the spot passes through tribal villages and dense forests. The lake is located in a secluded area and offers an absolutely lung-friendly air and freshness. The leisurely or unhurried admirers may enjoy a quiet contemplation for a couple of hours by the lake, while the exuberant & adventurous ones may prefer to be lost while exploring the jungles, hillocks and adjacent water bodies. The view was just picture perfect.
Jhilimili to Burdwan is about 188 – 190 kms if one travels via Durgapur along the National Highway and since stormy weather & heavy downpour was predicted, we checked out early from the lodge. As has been praised all throughout this piece, the State Highway especially from Jhilimili to Khatra was splendid. It was as if the entire road cutting through deep jungles, hillocks & hamlets was just made for our ride. It felt as if we were passing through some beautiful hill station. Here, one must specially appreciate the government and local bodies for the well-constructed and properly maintained roads. The other praiseworthy feature is the extraordinary cleanliness exhibited by the roads, villages, water bodies and overall surroundings of these places. The simple & rustic lifestyle, the traditional Bengali and tribal cultures upheld by the natives or residents can be experienced at its best here.
On our way back we took breaks for chai and lunch, and though we were able to outpace the heavy rains and tempestuous climate for the most part, but it finally did overtake us in the open highway at some place between Durgapur and Panagarh. We parked the vehicle and wore raincoats and continued riding for some more distance lest the storm grows wilder. However, we had to wait eventually at a highway-side bus stop hoping for the rains to subside a bit. Subsequently, it did get sobered up to some extent and we resumed our ride towards Burdwan.
The overall experience had been great and undoubtedly Mukutmanipur is a great weekend destination for people staying in adjacent and nearby districts/cities/towns of West Bengal & Jharkhand.
check out our vlog series documenting this weekend trip – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S08_bS6xJD8&list=PLZ7h26c_EJUxRYzDY13wUdIjjudzTL852
Untrodden Boulevards 