[itsMridul]

The Grand Canyon, one of the most famous natural landscapes in the whole world. A dream place of almost every tourist who had come across photos of this marvel of nature. I too have this dream, may be one day, will be able to fulfil. Until then …

The ever-present hunger to explore new places, leads me to a place popularly known as the Grand Canyon of West Bengal for its resemblance with the Great Grand Canyon. Located on the banks of Shilabati (also known as Shilai) river near Garhbeta, in the state of West Bengal, Gangani has become a popular tourist attraction.

To be honest, naming this place as the Grand Canyon is an insult to the original as well as to this place also. It neither has the grandeur nor the vastness of the original, but it is beautiful in its own way. Comparing them is not going to do any justice. But the name attracts a lot of tourists, so it may not be totally bad either.

The Journey

On a fine morning, I woke up with an urge to ride out somewhere. The bike was still in run-in period. So, had to choose a place which was not far, also it should be a place where my family would not like to visit. And I had to return before lunchtime. Keeping all these points in mind, I decided to give Gangani a visit.

Like always, I preferred the roads less travelled. I first reached Kamarpukur, through Uchalan, Eklakhi and Bengali. Then took a road which pass through some forests and villages.

On my way found a couple of roadside places interesting enough to take pit stops.

Just after Kamarpukur, on the way to Dhadika found this Ashram on the right side of the road. The Satsang Ashrams are kind of branches of Satsang at Deoghar which are engaged in wellbeings of the followers of Anukul Thakur-ji. However, I was taken aback by the presence of this Satsang Ashram as Kamarpukur and the surrounding areas are heavily influenced by Shri Ramkrishna, Mata Sarada Devi and Vivekananda.

Satsang Vihar in the outskirts of Kamarpukur

After going a little far, a small roadside temple caught my attention. It too was on the right side of the road.

Taking rest

The road from here was pretty straightforward. It meets the Bankura Kharagpur Road at Dhadika and Garhbeta was a few km towards Kharagpur. The road was butter smooth. From Garhbeta the road towards Gangani is through a small forest. The road was empty, but there were signboards directing tourists to the Gangani entrance.

Empty roads through forest

Then I reached the Gangani Danga also locally called as Gangani Khola. The first thing you see is this gateway to the Government property which also houses a resort. As I was not inclined to visit any resort, I did not venture it. However, interested persons can book at this link: https://tourism.paschimmedinipur.net/booking

The gate of the resort

There is ample parking space for the tourists in front of the property. There are a few food stalls selling snacks, refreshments etc. Traditional Bengali lunch (rice etc.) are available if ordered beforehand. If you are interested to have your lunch here, it is advised to order before going out to venture the Canyon. Food will be ready when you arrive back.

After parking the bike, I proceeded towards the Canyon. The view from the parking is good. It hints what awaits down there.

Shilabati River from the parking lot

Gangani: the myth, the history and the geography

Although Gangani has become popular lately due to its geographical features, it has some mythological and historical backgrounds also. According to local folklore, the Pandavas, (Kunti and her five children) arrived here while they were running away after Duryodhan tried to burn them alive. This land was inhabited by Bakasur, a demon who had agreement with the people that a person would volunteer to carry food for him every day. He used to kill and eat that person along with the meal. The Pandavas in their disguise were staying with a Brahmin family. When it was the turn of the family to carry the food for the demon, Kunti requested Bhim, her second and strongest son, to go. Bhim and Bakasura engaged in a battle which continued for several days. The battle was so fierce that land below was broken and crumpled. And that is how the landscape of Gangani was formed.

Gangani played an important role in the 18th Century when the British East India Company imposed tax upon the locals and threatened the kings and landlords. A rebellion of locals, commonly known as Chuar Bidroho was broke out. Gangani with dense forest and uneven landscape provided a perfect hiding place. It was a stronghold of the rebel leaders. This rebellion predated even the great Indian Mutiny but eventually was suppressed by the British.

Gangani is situated at the fringe of the Chotonagpur plateau with the plains of Bengal. The adjacent Shilabati river through millions of years has sculpted the land through erosion. Unlike the original Grand Canyon which has a rocky wall, the soil here is mostly lateritic with hard crust layers.

Exploring the Canyon

There is a concrete staircase which leads to the bottom of the Canyon. Although it may help to reach the bottom but the vast majority of the Canyon is unpaved. With uneven surface and gravels all the way, it requires a fitter person to explore the landscape.

Stairs at the left

From the top of the Staircase the view of the river and the canyon imprints an unforgettable image. Green trees on top of red soils with deep trench below, the view is beautiful.

Once at the bottom, various forms of geomorphosites reveal themselves. It is fun to find various forms and use your imagination to capture as you like. Below are some which I managed to capture through my camera.

Pinnacle


Gully


Table top


Saw-tooth ridges


Saw-tooth ridges with cave inside


Another cave


Hanging terrace


Earthen pillar


Narrow passage


Valley

Gangani is filled with such sculptures waiting to be explored. The landscape is such that a few metres here and there change the perspective and the limit of imagination is boundless.

Can you spot the bear?


Jaw of a prehistoric monster

But the time was short, and I had promises to keep 😝. Although it was miles before I could sleep but I had my bike with me to keep my promise.

While returning, I found this interesting place. A broken bridge on the Shilabati river.

the broken bridge

The bridge was washed away during a flood and a new bridge is constructed just beside.

To leap or not to leap

The return journey was uneventful as I took the highways. The roads were smooth with occasional patches here and there. And I reached safely well within lunchtime. A morning well spent doing what I like doing.

And the bike

As the run-in period was not over, and it had run only about 200 km by then, I did not push the bike. Last time when I was bringing the bike from dealership it was not going upwards of 90 kmph, I felt some kind of rev limiter was set. But this time while quick overtaking I noticed the bike reached about 120 kmph. I again pushed it for a moment and 120 is reached in a wink. Although I felt some buzz creeping at such speeds. I did not face any heating issues in the journey. And no stalling issue as reported by some fellow owners either.

The bike performed wonderfully. The stance, the engine and most importantly the suspension all work in a tandem to make the journey an effortless one. She allows to enjoy the journey as much as possible without any drama or need for attention. And I am very happy about it.

[shaheenazk]

Actually there is a grand canyon in India called Gandikota which is a village and historical fort on the right bank of the Penna river, 15 km from Jammalamadugu in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

[itsMridul]

Yes I am aware of that, but I am against such naming. We Indians have a tendency of naming after our attractions which even slightly resembles anything of the western countries. Sometimes these naming disappointments the people coming with higher expectations.

[ani1501]

Good read brother, I’ll try to visit this place too after reading your log. Keep visiting places and please keep writing your travelogues because people like me want to ride but don’t know where to go near kolkata