Area : 2608 sq.
kms.
Altitude : Sea level
Location : 131 kms. from Kolkata
Extending across the entire northern shore of the Bay of Bengal, the
Sunderbans is the largest estuarine forest in the world. This marshy
mangrove jungle dominating the delta of the Ganga and the
Brahmaputra is the home of the legendary Royal Bengal Tiger. Ever
thought of spending a whole day in the midst of mudclad crocodiles,
hopping Chitals and majestic Royal Bengal Tigers. If not, then come
to Sunderbans.
A world Heritage Site (awarded by UNESCO in 1997) it evokes the
feeling of an animal lover in you. Where after a close encounter
with the wild you can spend the adventurous night in the launch
under the shooting stars. It has the one of the largest tiger
populations of any of the parks on the plant.
Situated on the lower end of the Gangetic West Bengal, is this
world’s largest delta covered by mangrove forest and vast saline mud
flats. A land of 54 tiny islands, crisscrossed by innumerable
tributaries of Ganga, it was once infested by Arakanese and
Portuguese pirates. It is now the abode of varied flora and fauna
population. An area of 9630 sq. kms, 70% is under saline water. It
makes the life of commoners, mostly honey-catchers, prawn-catches
and fishermen, very difficult. This is Sunderbans, the world’s
largest estuarine forest.
Sunderbans owes its name to Sundari trees. The place consists of a
large flora population like Genwa, Dhundal, Passur, Gajran and
Kankra. Apart from these trees, impenetrable Goran trees between 1.8
mts. and 3.6 mts. high cover almost the entire region. One of the
most remarkable features of this place is the bayone like roots of
mangroves forests that stick out above the water level.Nature
apart, if you want to feel the essence of spirituality then this is
the place to be. A place of Ma Bonobibi (the goddess of the forest)
to Shiber Kumir ( Lord Shiva’s crocodile) or from Dakshinaroy ( an
ogre, the ancester of all tigers) to Kepi muni ( an incarnation of
Vishnu).
The land that is inhabited by royal Bengal tigers is not far from
Calcutta. You can explore unknown wildlife of sunderbans that
harbour Jungle Cats, Fishing Cats, Axis Deer, Wild Boar, Rhesus
Monkeys, Mongooses and the largest estuarine Crocodiles in the
world.
Sunderbans is the breeding ground of immense variety of birds like
heron, egret, cormorant, fishing eagle, white bellied sea eagle,
seagull, tern, kingfisher as well as migratory birds like whimprel,
black-tailed godwit, little stint, eastern knot, curlew, sandpiper,
golden plover, pintail, white-eyed pochard and also whistling teal.
Come and discover a wide variety of aquatic and reptile life forms
that include olive ridley sea turtles, hardshelled batgur terrapin,
pythons, king cobras, chequered killback, monitor and lizards in and
the salvator lizards.
Places of attraction :-
The Heritage Trail :
The heritage trail travels across 350 kms and several centuries of
Bengali history. The law of the land speaks about the golden era of
trade and commerce, of a rich culture and a land torn by betrayal,
partition, poverty and famine. The tour begins with the historical
remains of the ancient capital Gaur and Pandua, off Malda , and goes
on to Vishnupur and Bankura-a land of exquisite terracotta
sculptures and silk.
The tour moves on to Murshidabad, seat of the Nawabs of Bengal and
the romantic Nadia district, steeped in culture and scholasticism,
“mad in their love for God”. Experience the world vision of poet and
philosopher Rabindranath Tagore at Shantiniketan and the
crystallization of a universal religious testimony at Dakshineswar
and Belur Math.
The tour winds into Hooghly district, witness to Dutch, French,
English and Portuguese forays into Bengal and leads to Kolkata, a
city that has witnessed three centuries of cultural mingling and is
a rare beauty. Where the past stands hand-in-hand with the present. |
