Sonajhuri
The Sonajhuri 'haat' Shantiniketan is one of the most unique cultural gathering that one can witness in their lifetime. The location where this 'haat' or weekly fair is arranged is about 3 hours away from the capital city of West Bengal, Kolkata. There is no hard-and-fast Sonajhuri haat timings but it takes place in the afternoon of Saturdays and continues till sunset. People from the city of Kolkata and the nearby suburbs are regular visitors of the fair. Sonajhuri also serves as an excellent weekend destination from Kolkata for a 1 or 2 day break. Shonajhuri can be reached by car or train from Kolkata.
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Sonajhuri — Part 3: When I Had The Entire Place To Myself
The crowd which had gathered for the ‘Shanibarer Haat’ had completely vanished the next day, i.e, a Sunday. My last night in Sonajhuri was already a history and currently I was spending the ‘last day’. I always tend to suffer from incredible bouts of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). The previous night before falling asleep I had promised to myself that next day I would wake up early in the morning at 6AM and go for a long walk to the nearby village and meet the villagers. The medicines I took to cure my painful shingles definitely worked against my plan. At 8 AM I found myself sleepily shouting at…
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Sonajhuri — Part 2 : The Musical ‘Bauls’ And The Weekly Fair
The train reached Bolpur station in West Bengal, India just in time for breakfast. Our Sonajhuri trip officially started. The weather was comfortably cold. The entire gang pounced on the first tea seller we came across. As for me — nothing wrong with tea — just that I feel irritated holding anything hot in my hand. Tea is generally served in minuscule cups in the roadside shacks of India. I am constantly weary the liquid may just spill over and burn my hands. Well then again, I am also one of those who feel scared of putting a switch on or off. In my mind I have gotten electrocuted a…
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Sonajhuri — Part 1: The Shingles, The Plan and The Mad Drive To The Station
Generally people cringe and cry when they suffer from a painful disease, particularly diseases which may leave a scar. My case was different. Before consulting the doctor I had googled my symptoms and the Almighty Internet had made me believe I would die within a month. So, when I was diagnosed with the Herpes Zoster (Shingles) – a curable disease, it didn’t bother me much. I was extremely happy to know it wasn’t life threatening and I would be alive. Suddenly I was a minor ‘celebrity’ and each single member of my extended family either visited me multiple times or called on the phone to know my health condition. Though…
