Three Gems in the Heartland of Jhargram

We moved on to the Ghagra Falls. A natural waterfall over the Tarafeni River, the area around it is well known for its rich flora and fauna. It is also famous for being the site of historical findings (of ancient settlements). Elephants are often seen in the neighbouring forests and whenever an elephant is spotted, tourists are asked to stay away or turn back. Of late the local government has been working hard to make the roads better and wider. Do not expect very good amenities nearby, rather be apprised that there are hardly any.

Gadrasini Hill

A decade or so ago, my husband's hometown of Jhargram, Midnapore, was always in the news for the wrong reasons. The pristine jungles around the town were all war ravaged with Maoist activities. Although nothing happened in the main town, it became infamous due to its association with the neighbouring areas. This disrupted not only the daily lifestyle of the people to a large extent but also reduced the flow of tourists in and around Jhargram. The once popular hotspot was forced to shutdown its hotels, restaurants, tourist lodges and travel agencies due to inactivity and losses in business.

However, things have changed for the better now. Peace has again been restored in the beautiful red soil region and the local government is trying hard and fast to get back tourists. Tourism is a good source of income for any beautiful place. Therefore, new resorts have opened and the old are being given a fresh coat of paint. Moreover, new food joints are mushrooming and now the supermarket chain Vishal Megamart has opened an outlet there.

About 40 kms from Jhargram is the beautiful Ghagra Falls on the Tarafeni River. For a long time we had been planning a trip there. My in-laws and husband have of course visited it; but re-visiting any beautiful place with family is always a memorable event. We wanted to leave early and return only after sunset (as my husband wanted to take pictures of sunset). But then we realised that it would be too hectic for our toddler and our parents. So we started late at around 10 a.m. I will urge everyone who is contemplating a visit to this destination to take along lots of water, umbrellas, caps and of course food. There are small villages on the way where you can get food and water but a backup supply especially with a toddler is always a good idea.

Our driver suggested that we visit the Gadrasini Hill and Khandarani Lake on the way. So off we went to the hill first. He dropped us off at a designated point. There is a small ashram there. The main attraction, however, entails a half an hour trek to the top of the hill. It is the Hanuman Mandir from where one can get a bird's eye view of the whole area. The way up is very precarious and steep, full of pebbles and stones, so take precautions when you trek. We heard an incident of a child and mother who slipped and rolled down and injured themselves. Since it had already become so hot we decided not to go up the full stretch. We climbed for a while, clicked some pictures for memory and returned back.

Khandarani Dam

From there we went on to the Khandarani Dam that is built over the lake which has the same name. This is a quiet and pristine spot and a cool breeze was blowing when we reached. People were sitting around under the trees with picnic baskets. We concluded that during winter this place must be a haven for picnickers. We roamed around, took in the clean air, ate potato chops and puffed rice and created some happy memories.

From there we moved on to the Ghagra Falls. A natural waterfall over the Tarafeni River, the area around it is also well known for its rich flora and fauna. It is also famous for being the site of historical findings (of ancient settlements). Elephants are often seen in the neighbouring forests and whenever an elephant is spotted, tourists are asked to stay away or turn back. Of late the local government has been working hard to make the roads better and wider. Do not expect very good amenities nearby, rather there are hardly any. Things can get dirty when lots of people visit but that is because people litter even if there are dustbins nearby.

Because of the dry season we could not see the falls in their full glory. The gushing of the water was audible but not visible among the huge rock formations. We hopped around on them but with caution. My husband took pictures and we rested on the river bank. It was a busy place with villagers bringing their animals to bathe, children diving from the high banks, a continuous flow of tourists, birds chirping noisily, trees rustling in the breeze and dogs strolling around looking for discarded food chunks. We sat there and took in all these lovely sights. It was past 2 then and we had our paranthas, aloo dum and some mouth-watering kalakands. My brother-in-law took a short nap as the breeze under the trees was so invigorating.

Sitting there we all discussed how these beautiful places in our country sides go unnoticed because of less exposure from the media. Life in and around the villages near the river must be ridden with so many challenges given the dearth of civic amenities- less access to electricity, no medical facility, not even a proper school. Yet, life goes on at a steady pace and people are content with what they have. We wondered how this beautiful place must have felt during the unrest- so unsure and insecure. However, things are changing and the mobile phone have already spearheaded a change. But inspite of this I am sure that the simple lifestyle of the rural people of India will hardly ever change.

Closer to sunset we got up to leave because after that there would be no lights. Our baby boy was also becoming restless. We had a lovely outing indeed and prayed and hoped that this peaceful place remained so forever from now on.

By: Gargi Bandyopadhyay

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