An Autumn Sojourn In Mukutmanipur

 On 28th September, a week after getting the car delivered, we rolled out on a sunny, bright, morning from our home to test and stretch the legs of the car to Mukutmanipur. Durga Puja was barely 10 days away and with the cotton like clouds rising in the skies and kash flowers swaying along the highways - the was clear that the Durga Puja was near.

The Mukutmanipur Dam as viewed from the cottages of Peerless Resort

We took a longer route via the Durgapur expressway - Durgapur Barrage and on towards Mukutmanipur. Standstill traffic at Dankuni and numerous diversions on the highway slowed down progress. We reached the Peerless resort in the evening. I had been to Mukutmanipur once and that was back in 2015. In these 9 years all I saw was there was hardly any change. Even as I recollected the faces of some of the attendants. We were allotted a cottage with interconnected rooms overlooking the Kangabati dam. It was hot and so we watched the sun set over the dam from the large glass windows of the room.

The cottages

While having a dinner of Rice, dal, chicken curry, I realized that the food was pathetic and its quality has degraded over the years.

Of the things to do at Mukutmanipur - is to take a boat ride to the Deer park, drive to the forests in Jhilimili and the Sutan watch tower. The road from Mukutmanipur to Jhilimili is singularly beautiful with deep forests, winding roads, interspaced with Elephant corridors. After a typical Bengali lunch at Rimil Lodge, we visited the Talberia dam through interior village roads. The placid waters of the lake in a forested setting looked like a wallpaper.

The Talberia Dam

The lunch "thali" at Rimil Eco-Tourism Resort

While returning we took a narrow village road that cut through paddy fields and hillocks and saw returning groups of cattle herders and farmers as the sun turned into an orange ball of fire, slowly setting into the horizon.

During return, we took the road via Bishnupur - Arambag. The road condition till Bishnupur was not only smooth but also beautiful, lined with several stretches of forests. We had lunch at the Banalata resort and then its was a rough drive - with potholes, heavy traffic - and finally reached home in the evening.

Testing the throw of the head lights :)

Kash flowers in bloom

Paddy fields on the way to Burraghutu Hills

Indulging in some car photography in the rustic landscapes

The advent of autumn

The setting sun amidst the paddy fields is a sight to behold

Sights captured during the return to Calcutta

Forested stretches along the Mukutmanipur - Bishnupur route