A daytrip from Kolkata: Exploring Belpahari

“Dulung river is just by the temple, take that path,” says our driver as we trudge along a dirt road lined by old growth trees on both sides. We are on an impromptu daytrip to Belpahari, an area in the Jhargram district of West Bengal in India. The region is endowed with acres of forests, gentle hills, lakes, and waterfalls. Belpahari was the nerve-centre of Maoist guerrilla fighters for a long time. Lately peace has been restored.

Ecologically, Belpahari is a part of Chotanagpur Plateau region. It is sparsely populated and agriculture is the mainstay here. Inhabitants here often face water crises. At one point, the people here, who are largely dependent on the forest produce, started exploiting the forest so much that it became unsustainable. Now as peace is restored, I hear villages are rewarded for protecting the forest.

We take the Ispat Express from Howrah Station at 6.55 AM and reach Jhargram station at around 9.30 AM. A few taxis stand there waiting for customers like us, people who are in Jhargram for a daytrip. After negotiation we hire one Bhajahari Mahato. Time and again he assures us that he is from the region and knows the place like the back of his hands. After a breakfast of petai parotta and alu torkari from an eatery near the station, we bundle into his car and the trip begins. During the tour, we learn that he indeed is very capable.

Things to do in Belpahari

Kanakdurga Temple

Half an hour drive later, Bhajahari drops us off at the entrance of the Kanakdurga temple. It is a temple founded by King Gopinath some 500 years ago. It is situated on a hillock by the Dulung river. According to legends, at some point in time, human sacrifice was in vogue here and sacrificial blood dripping into the river was celebrated. Horrifying and grisly.

We walk on the cemented road surrounded by bottle green foliage. The canopy of the forest makes the road dark. Beyond the boundary of the temple premise, it truly is wild. A few monkeys lounge on the branches of the trees near the temple. The current Kanakdurga temple is new. The semi dilapidated old temple stands in the same premise. The visible cracks in the temple makes it very photogenic.

We hike a little distance down the slope to reach the Dulung river. The river is calm with little water but it is a sight to behold. The shore is hemmed by vegetation. There are very few tourists here so that is the best part about the experience, I guess. Later we learn that the Dulung river becomes quite fierce in the monsoon. Some riverbanks are flashflood-prone.

Chilkigarh Rajbari

Seated in our car we roll into the large, green premise of Chilkigarh Rajbari. It is a palace that is still in use by the descendants of the king. Going inside the building is not allowed but tourists are allowed to saunter in its lawn. The palace is not in an impressive condition and Bhajahari adds, “the prince of this palace hangs out with me in the same tea shop, his financial condition is not good. There is a rumour his ancestors had wasted a lot of money in alcohol.”

The presence of a lone coconut tree and a well in the lawn enhances the optics of this palace. Near the entrance there is a temple but it is locked. It also seems to be the playground for troops of monkeys. To be on the safer side it is advisable not to carry food items in hand.

Kakrajhor

After a long drive of 52 kilometres through forests of sal and mahua, we reach Kakrajhor. This is the place where the cult Bengali movie “Charmurti” was shot. It is laced by deep forests and Adivasi(santhal) villages. There is an army outpost and a “Charmurti” guest house. It is silent most of the times, unless the inhabitants of the villages start playing the madol, a type of drum that is also called tumdak. The instrument is played during special occasions within the community. There are many trails around Kakrajhor for trekkers.

Ketki Lake

We set off from Kakrajhor Charmurti point and reach this lake in a few minutes. Ketki lake is a very beautiful lake and is quite large. The lake and the ecology around it look so Himalayan to me! Small rolling mounds with green grasses encircle the lake. Beyond the grassland is deep forest. We spot butterflies and ladybirds lounging on the grass. There is pin drop silence and hardly any visitors.

Dhangikusum Falls

Once done with Ketki lake, we cross santhal villages and forests yet again. Pink, white, yellow, and red bougainvillea beautify the yards of village homes. Most of the houses, slate-roofed and asbestos-roofed, are constructed of mud. The residents hang earthen pots from their exterior walls so that pigeons can stay there.

On a plateau, we get out of the car. Towards our right is a slope strewn with rocks and boulders that leads to a waterfall. The path has uphill and downhill trajectories through the deep forest, however, some parts of it are insanely beautiful and isolated. A few temporary shacks sell handicraft items—things made from stones hand-quarried from these rocks and boulders.

There are puja items like utensils for worship rituals. Also, there are baskets, mats, coasters, and several other home utility things made of cane and jute. If you have financial capability, please consider buying some items without bargaining. Belpahari has suffered long enough. The population here has faced violence, hunger, and abject poverty. The literacy rate is very low, your INR 100 will go a long way here. In this stretch you will come across groups of kids who might ask you for money.

The hike ends at a waterfall point. In winter the waterfall and the waterbody itself is not impressive but the route to the waterfall, the hike, is worth it.

Lunch break

Since Belpahari is not a mainstream tourist place rather a forested rural area, restaurants are almost non-existent. Eateries serve ‘thali’ or a full meal of rice, daal, vegetable, a fried item, a non-vegetarian item, and mango/tomato chutney (unlike in rest of India, in Bengal region chutneys are sweet and is considered a dessert). However, the system is that you must call and place your order in advance so that they can cook and keep aside your food.

Our driver had already placed our order in the morning at an eatery he knows. We arrive there very late almost at 3 PM. The waiter serves the food on a sal leaf. I am overjoyed. It brings back childhood memories. Before plastic, thermocol and paper plates came into the market, sal leaves were a staple on which food was served in gatherings and occasions in Bengal. The taste of the food here is not that great but given the remoteness of the region it is best not to keep high expectations.

For some odd reason the ‘dishi murgi’(country chicken) looks like mutton, it is reddish in colour instead of white! The chicken might be GI tagged kadaknath chicken, but alas I do not ask.

Gadrasini Hills

It is almost 4PM and dusk has started to descend in the valley. The awning of branches and leaves blocking the sky only makes it darker. Our car rolls on the dirt road here. Visitors need to hike up to reach the hill top. From there the view of the jungle is mesmerizing. It is also a bird lover’s paradise.

It is already sunset time and we do not have time for a hike. Keeping this in mind, we drop the hiking plan and take a detour towards our next destination.

Khandarani Lake

“I am taking a shortcut,” Bhajahari announces. We see the woods have thickened around us. We are rolling on the red laterite soil, going in a zigzag motion while navigating the trees. Darkness has increased and the driver has put on his headlights. At this point I can almost hear my heartbeat. I imagine elephants coming out of the jungle and attacking us. I am keeping a sharp eye on my surrounding.

I give a sigh of relief at the first sign of the waterbody—Khandarani Lake.

Khandarani lake is a dam lake. The dam was constructed sometimes around 1996. The water helps in irrigating croplands and to provide potable water to the residents of at least 13 villages. This lake is also surrounded by forests, but unlike Ketki, there is a connecting road bridge that goes over the lake. Hence it is less remote.

The sunset strikes up silhouettes of the forest and the hills. A Traveller(the vehicle) crosses the bridge triggering a dustcloud. A local seated on a coracle boat is fishing—getting the last catch of the day. This is a place for peace. Not for tourist boating and adventure activities. If you seek calm and nature you will love this place to bits.

Tarafeni Dam

This is another dam lake, very pretty and serene. It is situated on the Tarafeni river. It is a hit with picnic-goers I hear. Unfortunately, as the day has ended, we drop this place and head directly towards Kharagpur railway station with just one pitstop.

Buying date palm jaggery

Date palm jaggery is a seasonal delicacy in the Bengal region. It is revered for its distinctive woody sweetness and aroma. In winters the sap of wild date palms is tapped by professionals called “shuli”. The sap is then boiled until the desired consistency is reached. The shulis usually migrate from different regions, construct temporary huts near the trees and does the job.

Many such shulis are doing their job here. They have put up boards announcing the availability of the jaggery in front of their huts. We walk into one such place in search of “jhola gur”(liquid jaggery) and “patali gur”(solid jaggery). Surrounding his hut are date palm trees with pots hanging from them—the sap collection method. There is a furnace with steel and aluminium pots and pans on it, a place where the sap is boiled.

We walk into his sal-leaves roofed hut, taste his samples, and buy many blocks of patali and some jhola gur. I have previously worked on a date palm jaggery article for Eater and have done some research. With whatever knowledge I have gathered, I opine the patali to be of good quality. I brought many of these to Mumbai and made nolen gurer payesh.

With notes of jaggery on our tongue, we bid adieu to Belpahari.

Some tips to sensitise people

“Give me some money I will eat biscuit,” the kids on the way to Dhangikusum waterfall spoke like parrots. Obviously, someone has taught them this sentence. I saw one privileged visitor from the city ask them in a judgemental tone “why haven’t you gone to school?” I am sure she doesn’t realise the answer isn’t so simple and I’m sure she doesn’t understand the true meaning of “privilege and the lack of it”. Do not be like this woman.

If you really want to engage with the inhabitants then please be aware of their troubled past. Understand their social, cultural, and economic stand. Sensitise yourself and speak with empathy and compassion. Unfortunately, I have heard the word santhal and adivasi often being used as derogatory terms among the “middle class” people in India. Please do not do any such thing. Their food habits can be different to yours, again respect that. They are the people of the jungle. They produce minimum pollution and their way of life is the most sustainable for the planet. It is plain impressive.

Also please do not litter the forest, particularly plastic waste. Half-lit cigarette butts can cause forest fires so please be mindful. These are peaceful places, do not bring your thumping bass here. It will disturb the forest fauna and might land you in jail.

Details:

Howrah to Jhargram– Ispat Express (2S). The seats were comfortable and there was no standing crowd in the coach.

Belpahari car– Bhajahari Mahato (+91 9609020751). 4 seater, non-AC car.

Route– Jhargram railway station – Belpahari local sightseeing – Kharagpur railway station.

Kharagpur to Howrah– Rupashi Bangla Express (2S). The seats were comfortable and no standing crowd in the coach. We booked the tickets just about three hours before the boarding the train. There are local trains that ply on this route, our initial plan was to catch one of them.

*****

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