[Fordlover88]

Short Weekend Trip To Shantiniketan

So i happened to Visit Shantiniketan on the extended weekend of 23rd Dec to 25th December. We left kolkata on 23rd and took the usual route Kolkata- Dankuni- Burdwan - Guskara- Bhedia- Bolpur. We stopped for breakfast at Azad Hind Dhaba ,Gurap and had delicious puri sabji to fill up our tummies. Since it was an extended weekend and poush mela was scheduled to happen this year after a gap of few years, there was a mad rush of tourists towards shantiniketan and we felt the same on our way. We lost half n hour due to congestion at Shaktigarh and then proceeded towards our destination at Shantiniketan. Road conditions were mostly good except for few parts of NH2 which is filled with diversions. We reached our hotel in shantiniketan at about 2 p.m. Saturday's are quite chaotic in Shantiniketan owing to the famous Sonajhuri Haat. We decided to freshen up and head directly towards sonajhuri and have our lunch there. Upon reaching the haat, we saw a huge queue infront of all restaurants. With no other option left, we joined the queue and had our lunch after 1 hour approx. After that , we explored the haat and did some shopping. The sun was about to set and most to stalls were wrapping up when we decided to call it a day and head back towards our Hotel. We waited for a toto but there was a huge jam with standstill traffic and hardly a place to walk. Somehow we managed to negotiate the traffic and walked all the way to our hotel. After having chai and delicious pakora, we left our hotel again and started walking towards Viswabharati University campus. It was closed for visitors so we decided to go to poush mela ground. The mela had not started officially but most of the stalls were already setup & there was a decent crowd of shoppers. We roamed a bit, had our dinner of Mughlai Paratha and returned to our hotel.

[Fordlover88]

We woke up leisurely the next morning, had our breakfast of Puri Sabji and decided to visit Viswabharati Campus. Upon reaching there we came to know that it has been closed for visitor’s after covid which is thoroughly disheartening to us since this was the primary reason of our visiting shantiniketan. With a heavy heart we roamed around the campus for sometime doing casual photography. After that we visited Srijani Shilpagram which is short 10 mins toto ride from Viswabharati university. Srijani Shilpgramis the cultural village of Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre. The complex is spread over 26 bighas of land and comprises of nine museums in the shape of nine traditional huts of the member states of EZCC namely Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The huts incorporate traditional, architectural features and designs. We explored the huts and returned to hotel for lunch after that. At evening, we again went to Viswabharati ground for Poush Mela which beaming with tourists . Have heard a lot about poush mela and its charm and essence but honestly I found it like any other traditional mela which is held in Kolkata the only difference being it’s huge in size. We roamed about casually , had our dinner and returned to our hotel after that.

[Fordlover88]

Today was our final day in Shantiniketan and though it was a short trip we thoroughly enjoyed it. We tried our luck once again today for entering Viswa Bharati university but to no avail. With a heavy heart, we returned to hotel& had our breakfast. I had to refill my ecosport hence we checked out early and headed towards nearest BP Outlet which was 2 kms away from our hotel. That short ride turned out to be quite adventurous since all the roads were closed due to mela and I have to make my way through narrow alleys which just had enough space for one car to pass through. Those 2 kms took 30 mins to cover. After that we headed towards Amar Kutir, a famous art & handicraft store which is located in the outskirts of Shantiniketan. We did some shopping there and had our lunch at the famous Hansel Char which is just beside Amar Kutir and is renowned for Fish and Veg Thali. After sumptuous lunch, we headed towards Kolkata and thought of returning via ilambazar ,panagarh . The road till panagarh via ilambazar is vey good and we crossed it in a jiffy but NH2 after Panagarh is pathetic with diversions after every km. The return journey was uneventful but I regretted taking the longer route via panagarh. Sharing a few pictures of this trip.

[ultimatechamp]

How is the underpass at Bhedia ? There was a flyover being constructed at the site and the road condition wasn't very good the last time I went. Also did you have to wait long at the Guskara rail gate ? Usually there is a long queue at the rail gate and the local two wheelers and totos obstruct the road and create a jam there.
By the way, great weekend you had spent there and nice write up

[Fordlover88]

Originally Posted by ultimatechamp

How is the underpass at Bhedia ? There was a flyover being constructed at the site and the road condition wasn't very good the last time I went. Also did you have to wait long at the Guskara rail gate ? Usually there is a long queue at the rail gate and the local two wheelers and totos obstruct the road and create a jam there.
By the way, great weekend you had spent there and nice write up

Bhedia Underpass is decent. The road condition was same as you mentioned but the traffic was sparse hence it was quite manageable. Yes i had to wait for 15 20 mins at the rail gate just after burdwan 108 shiv mandir.

[ABHI_1512]

AMLASOLE

Drone shot courtesy BHPian dip27in


A sleepy hamlet near the Jharkhand- Bengal border and which was once in news for hunger deaths, is now the new hot bed of the homestay revolution. But in doing so, pristine forest places are in the danger of turning grey very soon. Already plastic menace has started to rear its ugly head and it’s anybody guess when this place will turn into another dump yard !!


Amlasole can be reached inside 5 hours from Calcutta and has now many homestays opened already. We friends stayed at Kurchi homestay and just beside another homestay named Dhitang. The homestays are basic and expecting fancy facilities will disappoint people. Usually food prices are bundled with lodging prices and they provide wholesome meals. Good place to spend a day or two on a lazy weekend. We spent the time lazing and walking around the forests. Some pictures :

[BlackBeard]

Nice write up & beautiful photographs to all gents who have contributed.

Has anybody visited the "Denmark Tavern" in Serampore? Its an old colonial trading house restored and converted to a hotel & restaurant. Run by Park hotels.

[Samba]

Originally Posted by BlackBeard

Nice write up & beautiful photographs to all gents who have contributed.

Has anybody visited the "Denmark Tavern" in Serampore? Its an old colonial trading house restored and converted to a hotel & restaurant. Run by Park hotels.

Thanks. I have been there.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ml#post4373580 (West Bengal - A treasure for tourists)

It is just 9 km from my place. If you ask me about my current opinion then-

The food is average with less quantity and high price. Please do not expect the food quality and management of Park Hotel, Park Street.
For food, there are better places.
On the days when the footfall is higher, their crowd management is pretty poor.

For ambiance & history, you can give it a visit. That will be worth it.

[BlackBeard]

Originally Posted by Samba

The food is average with less quantity and high price. Please do not expect the food quality and management of Park Hotel, Park Street.
For food, there are better places.
On the days when the footfall is higher, their crowd management is pretty poor.
For ambiance & history, you can give it a visit. That will be worth it.

Thanks, we went there on a weekday, so the place was empty, literally.
As is the norm in India, the right "connections" in right places did give us a pleasant experience in terms of service....

Park hotel is doing what it does best, rip customers off...

[vikramvicky1984]

Dear all,

Please suggest a place/resort to visit around 15th Jun for family with infants & small kids
Given the weather is so hot, any place that is cool would be preferred.
need to spend few days to relax , kids can chill in the pool not too much sightseeing.
Places closer to jamshedpur shall be preferable

[Samba]

Originally Posted by vikramvicky1984

Dear all,

Please suggest a place/resort to visit around 15th Jun for family with infants & small kids
Given the weather is so hot, any place that is cool would be preferred.
need to spend few days to relax , kids can chill in the pool not too much sightseeing.
Places closer to jamshedpur shall be preferable

Finding a place that will have cool weather near Jamsedhpur is very difficult.

The only nearby place where you can expect comparatively cooler weather near Jamshedpur is at Netarhat. But this place lacks luxury resorts. Hotel Prabhat Vihar is a good option, but I can't remember seeing a swimming pool over there.
Your other option can be at Kushalpalli Resort at Ayodha Pahar. It’s a good resort with acres of space and a swimming pool that the kids can enjoy. But do not expect a lower temperature at this place.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by vikramvicky1984

Dear all,

Please suggest a place/resort to visit around 15th Jun for family with infants & small kids
Given the weather is so hot, any place that is cool would be preferred.
need to spend few days to relax , kids can chill in the pool not too much sightseeing.
Places closer to jamshedpur shall be preferable

Hi!

Bad news: No respite from scorching heat (read: no cool places around).
Somewhat better news: Water park at Galudih- some 40 kms from Jamshedpur. Or book a resort with a swimming pool and travel to mandarmani. This is what we did last month. Kids had a nice time in the pool at the evening and we enjoyed the delicacies at the resort and the beach in the evening.

[Samba]

A fun trip to Mandermani with 30 people, 1 dog & 9 cars!

It has been a long time since our Car Photography group has gone for a drive together. The plan was to go for a short weekend drive and enjoy the rest of the day in the pool and on the beach, followed by a gala party in the evening, and call it a day.
The next day will be a lazy drive back home. Choosing the destination was fairly easy. We zeroed in on Mandermani. It is a nice sea beach where the adults can have fun, the kids can run around and our dog a 6.5-year-old Lab (Nemo) can play as well.
The only challenge was to find a good pet-friendly hotel & we found Sher E Bengal to be perfect for our needs. The double bedrooms with complimentary breakfast cost us Rs 5,500 per night per double bedroom and it was worth the money.

The route was pretty straightforward- Kolkata- Dhulagarh- Kolaghat- Nandakumar- Kathi Bypass- Tajpur- Mandermani.
Gmaps showed us less time through Tajpur rather than taking the left from Chaulkhola.
On the return leg, we tried the coastal road to Kathi.
The road condition throughout is now fairly good.
Kolkata to Mandermani will roughly take around 3.5 to 4 hours.

The team-

Team Polo- Yours truly with wife Bhpian DogNDamsel12 & Nemo!

Team Hexa - Bhpian arindamxeta with his Family

Team Jimny- Dr.Divendu Mukherjee with his wife Dr.Debarati Mukherjee

Team Jimny- Bhpian arghyaheart with his wife

Team Grand Vitara - Bhpian AviC93 with his wife

Team Grand Vitara - Bhpian SouraC with Family & Friends

Team Etios- Dr.Saumyadeep Chaudhury with Family

Team Ecosport- Bhpian Sayata with Family

Team Duster AWD- Bhpian Burnout with his wife

Day 1, 170 km, 4 hours

Our meeting point was at 8 am at Azadhind Dhaba, Uluberia. We had our breakfast and started from there by 9-30 in the morning and we reached our resort by 12 noon.

As soon as we reached, it was time to dive into the pool!





Had a late yet tasty lunch!











Post lunch it was already 4 pm and it was time to hit the beach.

Nemo had a great time in the water so did the humans!







The sunset was beautiful.















On this trip I was driven by my wife in her Polo, so decided to get my hands on this bug and have some fun on the beach. Driving this EV cost me 500 bucks for around 500 meters! Who told EVS are economical? But it was fun pushing this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF3VgHsJ9TE

The evening gossip!





The Hotel.



Day 2, 175, km 4.5 hours

On the next day, we woke up late, had breakfast, and spent some time in the pool.

By the time we checked out, it was already 12!

The mandatory Car photography!



Us, the whole team!



Bhpian DogNDamsel with Nemo and Polo!



Us!



On the return journey, we had a late lunch at Hotel Abhijeet and reached our respective homes by sundown.

Special thanks to Bhpian AVIC93 for arranging everything.

[Samba]

800+ km of Durga Puja celebration!

Durga Puja is the most popular festival amongst Bengalis across the world.

We Bengalis celebrate the entire five days (the last 4 days of Navratray and Dussehra). The streets are all congested and crowded even past midnight. The madness runs 24x7!

During these 5 days, I drove 800+ km! That includes a visit to Santiniketan, a late-night highway run, and city driving.

The drive to Santiniketan was smooth as trucks were not allowed to ply on the highways during the five days of Durga Puja. But on a normal day, this drive can be tiring. Highway expansion work is going on on the Durgapur expressway and in a few parts between Burdwan and Panagarh. Those stretches are narrow, so do expect some congestion on those stretches. Rest the road from Palsit to Panagarh is majorly 6 lane. Panagarh to Santiniketan through Illambazar is also fine.

It took around 3.5 hours to reach Santiniketan with a 30-minute break.

A pic from our local club's (Unit) Durga Puja at Uttarpara.



Surul Rajbari DurgaPuja at Santiniketan.





A decorative idol at the Creek Resort at Santiniketan



The very old and famous Badhon Das's Durga Puja at Santiniketan



A rural Durga Puja at Santiniketan.



Family time



Catching up with friends



It was a day trip to Santiniketan. The rest of the days were spent driving around the city & a late-night highway drive for dinner.

Family time



Newtown Sarbojanin Durgotsav









Mahindra displaced the Roxx and their ScorpioN in this Puja Pandal premises!



Somewhere!



At Maddox Square



The vibes of Kolkata and Durga Puja are incomplete without the iconic yellow taxis!







From a driver's POV!



It was my wife Bhpian DogNDamsel12's birthday, so we decided to celebrate it on the highway! The Jimny's boot and the bonnet were put to some good use!



Late night highway drive and catching up with some old friends.



On my wife's birthday, I ordered the cake from Bhpian Debarghya, and trust me the cake was yummy! Kolkata Bhpians must not miss this!



The birthday celebration with the cake prepared by Bhpian Debarghya!



The festival lights on the Jimny!



DogNDamsel!



Sindoor khela from Dasami









Asche bochor abar hobe! (We will celebrate again next year).

[Samba]

Visited Purulia twice in the last 10 days- The Palash bloom is at its peak!

The first visit was to an Off-road event at Purulia with our Jimny, and the second was a family trip in our Etios.

Details of the trips-

Stay options-

On the first visit, we stayed at the Palash Dungri resort in Sonkupi. Although the stay (room) was basic, the location and food were excellent, with ample parking space.

On the second visit, we stayed at Akash HillTop atop Ajodhya Pahar. This was a nice stay with comfortable rooms & proper parking with security. After Kushal-Palli, now this is among the best stays atop Ajodhya Pahar. The only flip side of the resort is that the service is a bit delayed. Otherwise, it was a good stay with friendly staff.

Route -

We tried three different routes.

We purposefully avoided the route via Durgapur or Asansol, as driving through the innumerable diversions of the Durgapur expressway would spoil the entire fun.
And I am never a fan of the other route, which goes via Arambagh. That route has a hell of a lot of city traffic.

Route 1-

Kolkata- Ghatshila - Jamshedpur - Chandil - Purulia.
Do avoid this route as road construction work is going on at Chandil, and there are long traffic jams.

Route 2-

Kolkata- Ghatshila - Galudi - Manbazar -Purulia.

This route is highly recommended; the road from Galudi to Manbazar is super scenic and enjoyable.

Route 3-

Kolkata- Ghatshila - Jamshedpur - Dimna -Patamda - Balarampur - Purulia.

This route is also good; the road from Dimna to Patamda goes through the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary and is scenic.

My personal favorite will be route 2.

Distance-wise, all three routes are similar. It will be roughly between 360 - 380 km each way.

The road conditions on all three routes are excellent.

The latest menace while driving from Jhargram to Kolaghat during the evening is that one will find a herd of cows walking on the highway, blocking the mid and the left lane. This results in frequent bottlenecks. This nuisance has started since last one year.

The Palash Bloom- This year, due to the early onslaught of the summer, the Palash bloom is at its peak now. Those who plan to visit, do plan before 15th March.

At Palash Dungri resort













Famous Indian writer Mr.Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's house at Ghatshila





At Ghatshila



















Sunset from our hotel, Akash Hilltop.



Our cottage at Akash HillTop, Ajodhya Pahar.



Marble Lake, at Ajodhya Pahar





















Dimna lake



Some fun inside the small jungle trails of Purulia in our Etios. Why should Jimny have all the fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69FF5xItPYc