50 2020 june long drivearitra sardar, aditya dasgupta traffic committee jayant basu (chairman),...

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Drive Out: ARABARI FOREST TRAIL

Hideout

SECTOR v naTuRE SpOTSECRET RENDEZVOUS

My Trip

ROaD TO TIMBuKTuSURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

Past Perfect

RaSIK nIYOGI GHaTLOST AND FOUND

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Long DriveEssEntials

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Explorethe delicious

bite of Kolkata

Dhaba Ajante will greet you with enchantingfood and mesmorising memories.

Delectable food with a view. That’s what we o�er. Come to Dhaba Ajante to experience fine dining with a sight… a very beautiful one. From in restaurant dining to drive ins, we have it all. Don’t miss out on the new sides to the city.

Size: 11”(H) X8.5”(W)

A unit of Cafe Ekante

9836269796Eco Park, Gate 1, near Ei�el Tower, New Town

All safety normsmaintained. Trust HIDCO

Kitchens sanitized daily, supervised by NKDA

All executives equippedwith masks & hygiene practices

STRICT ADHERENCE TO HEALTH NORMS

All no-contactdeliveries

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Souvik [email protected]

In alliance withAutomobile AssociAtionof eAstern indiA

KOLKATA ON WHEELS I 4

Vol. 12 I ISSUE: JUNE 2020

Editor Souvik GhoshExecutive Editor Trina Das GuptaAssociate Editor Jonaki Lahiri

Editorial Advisors P Thankappan Nair, Tarun Goswami, Pradeep Gooptu

Art Director Koushik ChatterjeeGraphic Designer Bappa DasPhotographer Subha Sengupta

Marketing Incharge Subhodeep RoyCirculation Incharge Santanu Chatterjee

Team WHEELSKunal Banerjee, Basudev Ghosh, Sandeep Sardar, Ashis Kr Bagchi, Subroto De, Uttam Bose, Partha Laha,

Debasish Bose, Debopam Banerjee, Arnab Bhowmick, Krishnendu Basu, Saradindu Sanyal, Alok Nag, Swarup Paul,Dipanjan Ganguly, Sandip Hunday, Aritra Sardar, Aditya Dasgupta

Traffic CommitteeJayant Basu (Chairman), Anubrata Gangoly, Rajib Majumdar, Elina Sengupta

Contact: 8961086998Email id: [email protected]

Parking CommitteeShivaji Sengupta (Chairman), Samirendra Nath Mukherjee,Debraj Dey, Anirvan Chaudhuri


Social Service CommitteeAbhijit Biswas (Chairman), Amit Kr Banerjee, Sudip Kr Ghosh,Siddhartha Majumdar, Saurav Nandy, Kamalendra Narayan Deb


Published by Aruna GhoshGuide India Publication19-B Allenby Road, Kolkata 700020Tel: +91-33-24559200

Helpline: +91-9830370371

Email: [email protected]: www.kolkataonwheels.com

Page: Kolkata On Wheels Group: Kolkata Wheelers

KolkataonWHEELS

Copyright: Guide India Publication

s ometime back in 2007, while travelling with my friend to Purulia in my Honda City, we were positive

about making it to Bagmundi by 10 pm. As luck would have it, the front left wheel started wobbling around 20 km short of our destination. I pulled the car aside only to find that it was badly deflated – unfit for driving. Confident about the spare tyre in the boot, as we proceeded to change, we were shocked to find that the tyre had turned soft, lying unchecked for a long time. To continue driving with the almost-flat tyre would mean losing it or heading for an inevitable mishap.

It was already 9 pm, and the village we crossed last had seemed to be in deep slumber. The last bus to Bagmundi had already left a few minutes ago. With our GPS signal going blank and not another soul around to ask for help, we were, in effect, stranded, in the middle of nowhere. We knew we were left with very few options – either we would have to park there and spend the night inside our car or walk down to the next village for the night stay or wait till eternity for another vehicle to offer us a lift.

Ruling out the other two options as impractical, we decided to sleep inside the car. This was the moment of truth. We realised the worth of a tyre inflator that I had simply forgotten to carry. I was even casual about carrying an emergency light, forget alone a tow chain. In such a situation, even cellphones are not of much use as informing anyone back home would only double the tension.

This was a lesson well learnt. We vouched to make a checklist of the much-needed items on long drives.

Accordingly, for the Headlights column of this issue, we have shared with you the most essential gadgets to be carried in your car if you are planning a long drive, irrespective of the age and condition of your car. If you can manage to stay equipped with these gadgets, you can easily bail yourself out before misfortune strikes.

ISSUE: JUNE 2020

DRIVE OUT ArAbAri FOrest trAil24

HideoutSector V Nature Spot

16Past PerfectRasik Niyogi Ghat

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18HeadlightsLong Drive Essentials

09 Kolkata CanvasReflecting Kolkata

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BewareLurking Gully Pits of Salt Lake

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My TripThe Road to Timbuktu

32

Calcutta ChroniclesYour Handy Guides to Calcutta & Environs

14

EventDrive in & Dine Out at Eco Park

20

Do You KnowTravellers Tales

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Rasik Niyogi GhatJonaki Lahiri

Owning neither an ornate railing on a daunting edifice nor exuberant architecture with extravagant colonnades, the ghat once saw a resurgence of its glory purely owing to its luxurious rooftop patio. Being spotted beneath the exquisitely designed canopy of the patio became akin to making a style statement for city denizens. Then this resplendent ghat fell prey to the urbanisation process. With its signature style relegated to memory, the ghat is now considered passé by even the hoi polloi. Let us dive into the depths of the legendary Rasik Niyogi Ghat and rediscover its glamorous past.

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the Port Trust.” He reminisced how the strong currents of the river washed away all traces of lethargy and filled them with an immense energy that finally led to a heartwarming performance.

The ghat had a huge impact on Noti Binodini, the prolific theatre artist of yesteryears, who reminisced about how she spent her childhood days running about the sprawling terrace which overlooked the warbly river. She would remember the excitement she felt descending the steps of the ghat to the large embankment and peeping into the retiring rooms for pedestrians. Interestingly, it is at this ghat that Binodini had first met the renowned theatre personality Girish Ghosh, who had remarked, “I first met her at Shri Bhuban Mohan Niyogi’s resplendent rooftop on the Ganges, Binodini was still a girl then.”

Adjoining ghAtsBichali Ghat: Towards the north of Rasik Niyogi Ghat, about 50 metres away, lies Bichali Ghat. This ghat regularly saw boats stacked with hay (bichali) that was used by cowboys (goalas or ahiris) as cow feed and by the artisans of Kumortuli for making the idols of Ma Durga and other Gods and Goddesses of the Hindus for the various festivals offloaded at its steps.

RouteRasik Niyogi Ghat is located in Rabindra Sarani in North Kolkata. To visit the ghat, proceed north-bound by Chittaranjan Avenue/ Jatindra Mohan Avenue/ Girish Avenue to go into Bagbazar Street. Meet Rabindra Sarani and proceed inside towards the Bagbazar Circular Railway Station through a narrow lane. Cross the railway tracks to find the Rasik Niyogi Ghat just behind the Bagbazar station. Cars may be parked in the riverside byway.

the ghAtAmidst a dozen other ghats of Bagbazar that dot the banks of the Ganga, the Rasik Niyogi Ghat was unique in that it provided a platform to the then-theatre-actor-directors to rehearse and even stage their productions. Today, a small resting place with a concrete shade, a raised platform and a signboard with its name written in bold letters indicates where the famed ghat of yore now stands.

histoRyNamed after the elite merchant Rasiklal Niyogi, this was the most beautiful among all the ghats lining the banks of the Ganges right from Chandpal Ghat to Kashipur. The most striking feature of Rasik Niyogi Ghat was the presence of a

highly decorative canopy on the rooftop. This huge patio or hallway served as a major attraction for the city’s flamboyant denizens. After the demise of Rasik Niyogi, first his son Rajendralal Niyogi and then his grandson, Bhuban Mohan Niyogi, the founder of the ‘Great National Theatre,’ became the natural heirs of the ghat.

It is said that the famous theatre artist Amritlal Basu used this patio for rehearsing the famous Bengali play ‘Neel Darpan’ with his troupe. According to Radharaman Mitra, the play was premiered on 7 December 1872 in the courtyard of Madhusudan Sanyal’s (the Malliks of today) house by paying a rent of Rs 40, marking the opening show of the ‘National Theatre.’

Three years later, in the year 1875, the Port Commissioners demolished several retiring rooms on the banks of the Ganges, including the property of Rasik Niyogi, to lay the tracks of the Circular Railway. The famous hallway of Rasiklal Niyogi, ‘with one fell blow’, thus, tragically, ceased to exist.

Quoting Amritlal Basu, “I left for Kashi in 1872 and then moved to Bankipur and returned to Kolkata after three years. When I went to visit Bhuban Mohan’s Hall on the bank of the Ganges, I was shocked to find the much admired rehearsal stage had been pulled down by

KOLKATA ON WHEELS I 6 7


Even today, you will see truck-loads of hay from this ghat being carried to Kumortuli. Post the recent restoration by the Kolkata Port Trust, immersion of idols during the Durga Pujas has become a common practice at this ghat. Immersion of the famous idols of North Kolkata such as College Square Sarbojanin and Shobhabajar Rajbari are generally done from this ghat.

Annapurna Ghat: Towards the south of Rasik Niyogi Ghat, less than 20 meters away, lies this ghat. Named after Goddess Annapurna, the ghat was constructed by Bishnuram Chakroborty, the land surveyor (amin) at the time of Warren Hastings, who obtained the land as a donation from Governor Hastings. It is fabled that in 1776, he founded four temples of Shiva adjoining the ghat and later consecrated the place by founding the temple of the Goddess Annapurna. This temple, however, cannot be seen on the ghat. According to Sukumar Sen, the first Election Commissioner of India (1950-58), the ghat was called Annapurna as paddy (anna) was being imported at this ghat.

Coming further down, another 50 meters, is the sprawling Shib Ghat, which is actually the Bagbazar Ghat, next to which lies the Bagbazar Launch Ghat (Jetty).

Life At ghAtGone are the days of Babugiri, when the

place resonated with the clipclop of beautifully decorated carriages holding aloft in equine splendour the snobbish elite out on their evening rides. The Babus would be in crisp white dhoti-punjabi, the scent from the jasmine garlands wrapped around their wrists filling the air. Often accompanied by their current luscious ‘muse’, the Babus took pride in showing off their wealth and the debauchery which formed the integral part of the famed Babu Culture of the bygone Calcutta.

Today, the place is an ordinary nondescript alley frequented by local ruffians. A half-naked sage in his dirty saffron robes, face covered in thick grizzled beard, puffing away smoke from a local hand-rolled cigarette, has replaced the glitzy zamindari babus. Young couples nonchalantly stroll along the same walkway that was once dominated by the romance of theatrical legends. Devotees and denizens also take their regular dips in the holy river. The stardust that encapsulated the lure of Rasik Niyogi Ghat is now a story of a distant past.

Standing on the banks we stood bewitched, imagining the life that once existed at this ghat. From a far off place a tune came floating faintly in the air. Somewhere, a courtesan’s anklets tinkle in response to the urgent beat of the tabla and sarengi; her voice rises to a full-throated embrace of the thumri, “Jochhona korechhe aari…”

d riving lifestyle is catching up fast. With more and more people venturing into drive tours for

convenience, fun and economic reasons, ensuring a car is equipped with the key gadgets is vital to prevent any unforeseen setbacks in the course of its journey.

Here’s a list of a few essential items suggested by Team WHEELS you must consider carrying on long drives.

Long dRiVe essentiALs

1. Hydraulic Jack2. Tyre Inflator3. Puncture Repair Kit4. Tow Chain5. Cellphone Holder6. Emergency Light7. USB Charger8. Bin Bag9. Glass Cleaner and Newspaper10. Jerrycan and Umbrella11. First Aid Box12. Warning Triangle

Team WHEELS

hydRAuLiC jACK1

Most cars are supplied with a simple mechanical scissor jack. You may wonder why you need an extra one!

Lifting a car for tyre change with the help of a common mechanical jack can be exhausting and strenuous. In these finger-tapping-get-all days, when obtaining quick results effortlessly is the key, ‘hydraulic jacks’ could save you from the physical stress that a mechanical jack demands.

A hydraulic jack is slightly bulkier and more powerful than a mechanical jack. It comes in compactly packed boxes. Acknowledged as the most versatile tool to lift a car, a hydraulic jack has just got to be rolled under a car, locked, and pumped by the lever to lift it simply.

Product descriptionHydraulic jacks of various sizes and lifting capacities are available in the market to suit the weight of a vehicle. The usual capacities for automotive use range between 2 - 5 tons. For the lighter

hatchbacks or sedans, a 2 ton is good, while SUVs would require 3-5 ton.

Hydraulic jacks are basically of two types – floor jack and bottle jack. We recommend floor jacks that have a hydraulic lever for providing the required mechanical leverage to lift a car. A long detachable lever or handle makes the raising and lowering of a vehicle a breeze. They are shorter than bottle jacks and are suitable for vehicles with low ground clearance.

Price:Hydraulic floor jack: `1800-5000

Long DriveEssentials

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the present rasik Niyogi Ghat behind bagbazar Circular railway station

the lane for rasik Niyogi Ghat entering from rabindra sarani

the ghat


JUNE 2020

A ‘tyre puncture repair kit’ happens to be a crucial item to be carried on long drives. A normal leakage or puncture on a highway can lead to a disaster.

All modern cars have tubeless tyres. Easy repairing of a puncture without having to remove the tyre from its rim is the biggest advantage of tubeless tyres. If a tyre gets deflated, first and foremost, refill it using an electric tyre inflator, if you are carrying one. If the tyre fails to hold the air for long even after pumping, or before reaching the next available tyre repair shop, you would have to fix the leakage on-road.

To fix a puncture, one needs a repair kit that includes puncture repair rubber strips to plug-in and a strip insertion tool. Along with the kit, you need a cutting plier and a knife/blade. We recommend you make a quick fix box with these items and keep it handy in your car to save yourself from a potential disaster. A small investment along with some preparedness from your end and you can prevent a major catastrophe!

Price: `150 – 350

This add-on is sometimes a real saviour! If your car breaks down on the highway, you may succeed in stopping a passing vehicle, but you won’t be able to pull your vehicle if you don’t have a connecting accessory, strong enough to do the job.

A metal tow-chain with hooks on both ends that can be easily attached to the towing points of a car is readily available in the market. It is very light, weighing about a kilo or two, comes compactly packed, and can be easily left inside the boot before going on long drives. Mind you, ordinary nylon ropes used to dry clothes would not serve the purpose as they are sure to break in trying to move the dead weight of a car.

Price: `500 – 1500

Not all cars are equipped with GPS navigation systems. Following online maps on cellphones for navigational guides on long drives has become a common practice. This calls for a cellphone holder to aid easy hands-free viewing.

A car mobile phone holder must help keep the device at eye level or a little lower so that you don’t lose your focus from the road while the front visibility of a driver remains unhindered.

The three types of car phone mounts available in the market are AC vent mountable, dashboard mountable and windshield mountable.

While choosing the cellphone holder for your car:▶ Double-check the dimensions of the holder to match the size of your phone. ▶ Ensure there is a tilt-swivel-rotate feature to allow you to position the device at an angle that best suits you.▶ Make sure that the passive mounts can connect your device to the 12V electrical system of the car for charging.

Although, accessing mobile phones while driving must be strictly avoided, choosing the best cellphone holder for your car can ensure safety, to some extent.

Price: `350 -1500

Following online maps and intermittent communications are deemed necessities on long drives nowadays. Thus, to keep it alive, a car cellphone charger is one of the most crucial accessories on drive outs.

USB charger: These are multi-port chargers that can connect multiple USB cables. It is always preferable to have at least one fast charging port. This can be determined from the ampere (Amp) mentioned on the ports. Normal charging ports are of 1-2 Amp, while the fast charging ones are of 3.1 Amp. We recommend you go for a branded charger as there is every possibility that a sub-standard or local charger may blow up the 12V power socket of your car and may even damage your device.

USB port: All new generation cars come with built-in USB ports. It is highly recommended to use an original USB cable of the same brand as the mobile device. Local USB cables may have compatibility issue with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

USB cable: USB cables are available in different shapes and forms for all mobiles with varying lengths and charging capacities. A fast-charging USB cable capable of carrying the extra current from the charger to the phone (found in all the branded cables) is recommended.

The length of a USB cable is generally about 1m (3 ft). This suffices, in many cases, where the device is placed in the mid-section of the car between the two front seats. However, there are cars where the power socket is in the mid-section of the dashboard or between the front seats and the device has to be plugged into a holder fixed in the right corner of the windscreen. For SUVs and compact SUVs having extra power ports for the 3rd row or behind the 2nd row in the boot, longer USB cables of lengths 2m (6 ft) and 3m (10 ft) would be useful.

Price: `500 – 1500

When do you need an emergency light while travelling in a car? There are a variety of reasons you will want to use an

emergency light such as when there is a flat tyre at night, in bad weather conditions, in case of a mechanical problem or even to find something that got lost. These portable rechargeable battery-powered lights with blinkers also serve as warning lights with a flasher for other motorists, if there’s a problem on the road.

Product descriptionVarious models are available ranging from basic to high-end – high powered flashlight, multifunction flashlight with strobe, LED searchlight with remote control and so on. There may be additional features such as dimmable outputs with USB phone charging points or power bank connectors. Also available are high-intensity torches or flashlights with multiple functions.

Among the most popular ones are the advanced camping hurricane lights which can be set for various outputs. The prices vary, based on features and battery pack specifications.

Price: `300 – 1500

On long drives, the condition of the tyres of your car is of utmost importance. Since tyres are the only contacts of a car with the continuously varying road surfaces and spin at extremely high speed, it is crucial to ensure that the tyres are of sustainable standard, failing which they may burst.

The condition of the tyres including the spare one must be thoroughly inspected before you begin your journey. If required, they should be changed.

Just before setting out, check for the manufacturer’s recommended air pressure in all the tyres. Remember, that the tyres

tyRe infLAtoR2

toW ChAinPunCtuRe RePAiR Kit3

CeLLPhone hoLdeR5

eMeRgenCy Light6

usB ChARgeR7

4

must be filled to achieve the recommended air pressures, which is on display on the driver’s door panel. Since tyres are manufactured to sustain the natural increase during long runs, make sure not to decrease the air pressure, apprehending fluctuations on highways.

Despite best efforts, if a particular wheel behaves abnormally on a drive, immediately bring the car to a halt and check the tyres.

In case one of the tyres is found to be partly or fully deflated, make it a point to inflate it before continuing with the drive. As most of the present day car tyres are tubeless, a temporary air refilling of the tyre, even without checking for the leakage, would generally sustain it for the next 30-40 kilometres of run.

An ‘electric tyre inflator’ (also known as ‘electric air compressor’) comes in very handy in case of such an emergency. It is basically a mini electric pump that can be connected to a car’s 12V power slot to produce air at high pressure. It occupies less space and can be called upon to get you back on the road in a matter of minutes. Just connect the tyre inflator to the deflated tyre,

plug into the power socket (of the cellphone charger) keeping your car ignition on, and you are ready to pump in air.

An inflator is of immense help on long drives also to mitigate the risks of running a vehicle with low air pressure which can cause major damage to the deflated tyre or pose serious threat to the passengers.

Product descriptionDepending on the capacity of the electric tyre inflator or compressor, it can take around 3-10 minutes to fill a tyre.

Its fully adjustable pressure level can be pre-set before inflating a tyre. The fairly long cord can easily reach out to all corners of your car to do the job. Most of these machines come with a digital or analog gauge which gives an almost accurate reading of the pressure while it is on. Some also have an inbuilt light. The compressors are compact and light, weighing between 1.5 – 3 kg. This makes for easy handling and storage in the boot of a car.

Price: `1000 – 2500 (Note: Do not forget to check the warranty / replacement clause before buying)

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Very often on long drives, we are faced with a peculiar problem – the windscreen gets smeared with an oily-dusty coat. Sprinkling water and cleaning it with a normal car mop would not be of any help. This nagging problem normally happens due to the oil or grease that gets sprayed on your windscreen by the vehicle tyres ahead of you.

For this, you would require an effective glass cleaner and some newspapers. Spray the glass cleaner on the windshield from outside and wipe it clean with the newspaper – one swipe at a time – in one direction only – using each piece once.

The problem gets aggravated at night when vision gets blocked badly. Under the circumstances, a specialised glass cleaner and wads of clean newspaper would be your saviour.

Price: `60 - 90

Car trash may range from toll tickets to pet bottles, food wrappers, empty cans, used tissues and even cigarette butts. In absence of any provision inside the car, these are thrown out of the car windows in an indiscriminate manner not only causing pollution but also flouting ideal societal norms. Such thoughtless actions on the part of an aware urban motorist is simply unacceptable and poses a serious threat to the environment. As a conscious motorist, carry a bin bag in your car and keep the roads clean.

A car bin bag is washable and can be hung inside the car (at the back of the co-driver’s seat) and can be used to bin litter on the move, instead of throwing them on the road. The litter can later be disposed of at a suitable place.

Note: Kolkata on WHEELS has come up with one such washable bin bag, which is available online.

Price: `100 – 350

Imagine you are on a highway and you suddenly discover that you are running out of fuel. What would you do?

In some of the highways and interior roads, you won’t find a single fuel pump for over a stretch of 30-40 km. Never take a chance if your fuel tank is filled below the reserve level for you may get stuck enroute. Also while ascending an inclination, your car may consume fuel heavily – much above the normal level. Such a condition may turn out to be disastrous!

For such an emergency, it is a good idea to keep an empty plastic jerrycan or a container in your car so that you can at least fetch some bootleg fuel from the nearest fuel outlet. Mind


Bin BAg gLAss CLeAneR & PAPeR

jeRRyCAn & uMBReLLA

8 9Having a well-stocked and ready-to-use first aid kit in your car is one of the best ways you can prepare for a medical emergency. Pre-packaged first aid kits are available in the market. However we recommend you pack one yourself. This way, you can customise it to meet your family’s specific needs and would also turn out to be cost effective.

Price: `250 - 300

Recommended First Aid Box Items

1. Alcohol Prep 5 nos.

2. band Aid (spot, square, standard) 5 strips each

3. roller bandage (10 cm) 1 no

4. roller bandage (5 cm) 1 no

5. surgical Gauze (sterile) 2 packets

6. Cotton Wool (25 g) 1 no

7. Antiseptic lotion (50 ml) 1 bottle

8. Micropore (1”) 1 no.

9. Antiseptic Cream 1 tube

10. Ors 5 packets

fiRst Aid BoX11

10you, this is not a standard procedure.

As a piece of advice, on long drives, never drive with less than 10 litres of fuel in the tank. In case you do, get it refilled at the earliest. Sometimes, the heat metre may indicate a shortage or a leakage of the radiator for which you need to fill it with water. During such emergencies, a jerrycan comes handy.

Often forgotten and ignored, but a very essential item is a big umbrella. Whether you inflate or mend a tyre or simply run to fetch bootleg petrol or get stranded in the mid way – and all of these could be in the scorching sunlight or in lashing rains. Under these conditions the umbrella would be your best friend!

Price: Jerrycan: `30 – 90Umbrella: `200 – 900

On a highway where vehicles move at high speeds, a warning triangle is useful to avert accidents from behind. If your vehicle gets stalled, on the shoulder or in the middle of moving traffic, it is best to alert other drivers from a safe distance to enable them to be cautious.▶ The warning triangle has to be put on the side of the road to warn approaching cars of your breakdown or crash. ▶ Always put the warning triangle on the same side of the road at least 50 metres behind your vehicle. ▶ Additionally, do not forget to put on your blinkers for safety, to avoid an imminent crash from behind.

However take care to place and retrieve the triangle after use. Never put it on the main carriageway for it may block other vehicles.

Product descriptionA warning triangle is a foldable equilateral triangle of around 2 feet in size, with bright red reflective material. These are generally made out of plastic with a metal frame. Nowadays, a warning triangle comes as an integral accessory with all new cars.

Price: `300 - 500

WARning tRiAngLe12

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Forewarned is forearmed! Practical common sense, a little bit of planning and careful stocking up on things to make not just the passenger but the vehicle itself comfortable, and you are good to go! So get this list today – and start foraging and gathering. Your next drive is guaranteed to be less hazardous.

11. eye Drop 1 phial

12. Analgesic / Antipyretic tablet 4 tabs.

13. Antidiarrheal tablet 4 tabs

14. Antacid tablet 4 tabs

15. Antiemetic tablet 4 tabs

16. Analgesic Gel 1 tube

17. safety Match box 1 no.

18. safety Pin 6 large

19. razor blade 1 no.

20. A Pair of scissors 1 no.

21. tweezers 1 no.


o ne of the benefits of voluntary sequestration is that it’s a good opportunity to browse through some of the old books, whether online or in-hand. To actually have time

to thoroughly peruse these resources, specifically those pertaining to guiding us through Calcutta’s offerings, is pure pleasure.

Because there are so many fine mappings and descriptions of the city available now (and I’m not even referring to any GPS-cum-satellite systems everyone relies on today) it’s the ancient and semi-ancient works I’m taking in here. For me, they aren’t sources for the quaint and quirky, or mere entertainment, as they take the city seriously and are highly intriguing in every respect. Calcutta has always been an extraordinarily complex and sophisticated metropolis. While its reputation suffered during the Moribund

CalCutta & EnvironsYour HandY Guides To

one of the best verandahs in Old Court House Street. ‘Newman’s Comprehensive Calcutta City Guide & Directory’ tackles all the essentials, with ward maps (by the author) and a particularly lavish Streets of the City section. The importance of the book is cheerily proclaimed by the ebullient Raman: ‘I dare say such a comprehensive Directory has not so far been attempted for this Second Largest City of the late British Empire... though well over a dozen guide books and Directories for the city appear to have been published in the past... Don’t you think it would be a thousand pities if you remained an ignoramus regarding the secrecies of this city? Do please get a copy of it...’ I did just that, so I hope the ignoramus factor is no longer an issue...

In 1965, Anindya Chandra Roy came out with his excellent ‘Calcutta Atlas & Guide’, later to be titled ‘Calcutta & Environs’. Price was Rs 10. Each of the city’s 80 wards are impeccably depicted in hand-drawn and lettered maps of great detail and clarity. In the next edition, the maps are still done by hand, but most lettering is in type script, and the results are a bit awkward. Nevertheless, A.C. Roy’s productions are exhaustive and authoritative, and hold up well today. In fact, they are a perfect complement to P.T. Nair’s ‘A History Of Calcutta’s Streets’.

There are a few (very few) other works from those 20th-century years that provide valuable background and perspectives on the city as it was. But because they are covering the city as it is at the moment of their appearance, there is no weighty nostalgia or melancholy or longing for any ‘good old days’. They are businesslike, factual tools, to make the best use of the city, and in turn, to make the city the best it can be. Which is rather good advice for these, our own Interesting Times.

Stay curious, have fun, and be sure to come when Calcutta calls!

Years, the several handbooks and guides at my disposal are certainly proof of its gigantic significance beforehand.

As far as I can tell, Walter Firminger, whose dad Thomas wrote the epic ‘Manual For Gardening In India’, compiled the first ‘modern’ handbook, ‘Thacker’s Guide To Calcutta’. It was issued in 1906 by that admirable institution of Calcuttan publishing, Thacker, Spink & Co. (2, Esplanade East, Est. 1819). It is somewhat curiously organised – the first chapter asks, ‘Was Calcutta at one time a ‘Hill Station’?’ (a reference to mountainous geology below the silt). But it has a vice regal endorsement.

Lord Curzon, whatever his faults politically (the Partition of Bengal, 1905, for one), and his achievements (including protection of historical monuments), happened to be a major fan of Calcutta. He called it ‘one of the most interesting cities in the world’. Firminger writes of Curzon, ‘In the midst of almost overwhelming duties, he found time to read through the bulk of my proofs... and made suggestions which cannot but increase the value of my little book’.

His account is straightforward and without any tiresome opinions. Very practical, too: ‘If the reader has not gone to Kalighât by tram, but has a carriage in readiness, he will perhaps drive on to the Tollygunge Club, or regaining the Russa Road, turn to the right, and crossing the bridge, return to Calcutta through Alipore. To his left in the Shahpore Road he will pass the house of Tipoo Sultan’s descendants.’

When several scholarly associations met in town, Dr. P.C. Bagchi of Calcutta University prepared very substantial ‘souvenirs’ that profiled the city, such as ‘Calcutta & Suburbs’ 1935, ‘The Second City Of Empire’ 1938, and ‘Calcutta Past And Present’ 1939. The books are elegantly written, and the information has freshness and sincerity.

John Barry’s ‘Calcutta 1940’, and ‘Calcutta Illustrated’ from 1953 are absolute classics. Several copies of the latter were still available on the shelf at Oxford Books in 1991!

In 1959, V.R.S. Raman compiled a really big production, presented by that other stalwart of the book trade, W. Newman & Co. (Est. 1854) whose shop, though now occupied with sarees instead of books, is still marked with its magnificent signage, hanging under

JUNE 2020

the one and only - 1954

the foremost publisher in india, esplanade east - 1909

Calcuttan Whimsy, east indian railways

For all your needs, thacker & spink's shop - 1909

P.C. bagchi's elegant book, showing senate House - 1935

What a delightful ad! - 1959

the first guidebook so-named, by Hassan suhrawardy - 1921

the essential guide by John barry - 1953

One of V.r.s. raman's 75 maps - 1959

From Firminger's Guide - 1906

A bit forbidding, but always impressive - 1920s

Brian Paul Bach

17

JUNE 2020


Team WHEELS

Sector VNATURE SPOT

A plush office in a posh business district is probably for every professional his ideal dream setting. But the steel and chrome, beiges and greys can become mind-numbingly dull after a while and an occasional break at a close by natural setting can provide much-needed relief. In the heart of Salt Lake Sector V, adjoining the Ring Road, lies a quiet discreet little cranny – a nature spot. The canny executive in need of escape can while away a lunch hour, soothing frayed nerves in the comfort of the secret bower. Secret rendezvous with himself.

routeMoving south-bound by the Ring Road reach the traffic signal at the crossing of Street No.13 opposite Godrej Waterside Building. At this traffic junction, look for an insignificant narrow lane on your left. Follow this lane for a few metres and you will discover that the tarmac abruptly ends, giving way to an unmetalled narrow track proceeding towards the water bodies of Nalban.

HideoutDiscover a rough, untended ridge of land with vast lakes on either side. There are no well-curated sitting areas or benches on the ridge where you need to pretend to be busy on the inevitable cell phone. Instead there is an overwhelming sense of calm. The vast expanse of water bodies on either side of the ridges stand in sharp contrast to the lowering grim concrete of the high-tech establishments of Sector V.

While the hideout takes you away from the urban cacophony, the water bodies cool and soothe. A kind of paradise for adventure lovers who revel as the wanton wind runs shivery fingers through ruffling hair. One can even trek along the rough pathway leading towards villages dotting the horizon over the lakes, long miles away.

A word of caution: Do not drive deep inside the narrow unsealed track or

ridge. There is every possibility that a vehicle might approach all of a sudden from the other end making it difficult to negotiate. Park your car instead at the earliest available spot on the track where it can be reversed.

A fantastic natural hotspot accessible by a surprisingly short drive. For a true sense of escape, this place is an absolute revelation. It epitomises finding nature amidst large concrete jungles.

Location: ring road, sector V, salt lake - opposite Godrej

Waterside building

Car Parking: in the narrow unmetalled track or anywhere around

Godrej Waterside buildingRefreshment: eateries of sector V

19

Pradeep Gooptu


JUNE 2020

Travellers taless itting locked down at home, unable

to travel, is a terrible punishment for a highway lover like me, and for

many of you too, I am sure. I used these last few weeks to look up old stories and accounts of road travel, which I want to share with you.

I have earlier written on the great tradition of road travel. This was notwithstanding the fact that there were neither service stations, nor petrol pumps or repair shops. Instead, we had large books filled with advice, both pious (‘do not race and drive fast unnecessarily’) and hilarious (‘carry a record player, you can play music when you stop to have lunch under a tree’).

down Uttar Pradesh in our car, and meeting more than once, another city based family in their Austin Cambridge saloon. Both were navigating tongas and cycles in Varanasi and Kanpur (with our car often leading or following). The locals must have shaken their heads at the madness of Bengali families, a thousand kilometres from home, claiming to enjoy the driving conditions!

good funHowever, road trips rarely meant one car. Almost always, a largish family car would carry the senior members and

the children (terrible discipline, I can tell you!). Alongside, there would be a smaller but speedy car carrying the younger set (siblings, cousins, friends) on the highway.

On reaching, the roles could be reversed – the small one could be used by the seniors for temple visits and other boring stuff, or sometimes picnics for small groups. We have two pictures of children and elders here gathered around a mid-size Morris.

good CoMPAnyA drive out from the city was expected to follow a pattern. You left just after dawn, had breakfast at Bardhaman, lunch somewhere in the coal country (Asansol, in yesteryears) and rested for a chat and refuelling on the Grand Trunk Road.

The famous Vyas petrol pump in Asansol was a meeting place, and information exchange, for many travellers. As many well-heeled families had homes at Simultala, or Deoghar or Hazaribagh, this pump was on the road anyway! If anything, you could invite your fellow traveller heading to Jasidih to drop in for lunch at Hazaribagh, where the host would be staying, and vice versa!

The friends you made on the highway were interesting. There could be English families, possibly from a Service background, travelling to join their families in army cantonments like Gaya.

Europeans in trade (as those working in companies were dismissively called) also travelled, usually with a greater sense of adventure, to places like Gomoh (a famous factory site). More casually dressed than ‘official’ families, they were good people and always helpful to fellow motorists. We have one family pictured here tanking up on the G.T. Road.

I remember one merry jaunt up and

But even two cars were never enough. Before departure, invitations would be sent out to many others inviting them to drop in for a ‘two or three days’ short break from the city. For them, extra bedding, camp cots and provisions (like condensed milk or exotic jams) would be packed.

I remember a Dodge van and a Ford tender converted into station wagons serving us as transport for the full bedding, furniture and utensils that a proper Bengali Hindu joint family needed for a comfortable holiday. From my memory, I can tell you some of the stuff came back without being used!

These vans could be hired from garages in the city or you could put the stuff on the train to a nearby railhead (Dhanbad), unload it there, and carry on to your specific destination (say Hazaribagh, three hours away).

Why?When I look back, I appreciate two sound reasons for such trips. One, it was considered proper to travel within

our own country to know it better, to appreciate locations with natural beauty or historical significance or religious importance. Book learning about India was not enough – you had to see the places. Today we visit other countries but not travel our own, and in the bargain, Indians have gathered the reputation of being the cheapest and most ill-behaved of all international tourists.

Secondly, a road journey was considered an end in itself, dealing with the issues and challenges of long drives, solving problems and learning courtesy to others. It was considered part of education and a good upbringing. To share the burden of young and old, to assist others and enjoy as a group, was an end in itself. These values will never fade.

tHe fAmous VyAs petrol pump in AsAnsol wAs A meeting plAce,

And informAtion excHAnge, for mAny

trAVellers

it wAs considered proper to trAVel witHin

our own country to know it better, to

AppreciAte locAtions witH nAturAl beAuty or HistoricAl significAnce

or religious importAnce

Ford van with gas unit used to transport goods

Holidaying in official style Vacation on a small car, Hazaribagh

small car on holiday, Hazaribagh travel in UP

travelling in casuals

Negotiating traffic in UP

21

Team WHEELS

Drive in & Dine out at Eco Park

o n 8 June 2020, catering to the food fanatics of the city while taking care of public safety, HIDCO started

a drive-in restaurant at Eco Park in New Town. Café Ajante by the Eiffel Tower has been revamped as Dhaba Ajante. Explore the coolest dhaba in town for a unique drive in and dine out experience.

“One can relish mouth-watering dhaba food in the open-air sitting on a khatiya for that typical dhaba feel or in the comfort of one’s car parked before the enchanting lake. Dhaba Ajante is an ideal joint to enjoy

great family time while maintaining social distancing,” said an emphatic Debashis Sen, Chairman – WBHIDCO Ltd. “Sip into a cooler from our myriad options and relax while your order gets processed!” he added.

Fish Ajwaini Tikka, Chicken Takatak, Mutton Rampuri Korma and Andey ka Halwa are a must-try. From kebab to tandoor, malai chai to dessert they are ready to bowl patrons over with their authentic Punjabi spread marked at competitive rates (`150 – 350). Dhaba Ajante also has provision for takeaway.

One can relish

mouth-watering

dhaba food in the

open-air sitting on

a khatiya for that

typical dhaba feel

or in the comfort

of one’s car

parked before the

enchanting lake.

Must-try items:▶ Fish Ajwaini tikka ▶ Chicken takatak ▶ Mutton rampuri Korma ▶ Andey ka Halwa


LuRkInG GuLLy PITS OF SALT LAkE

Beware: When you drive around Salt Lake, be careful of the gully pits lying open on both sides of the road. The covers of most of the pits have been damaged or stolen over time and eventually disappeared leaving the pits wide open with gaping holes in the ground, inviting inevitable disasters.

The covers of the gully pits are generally made of concrete or iron which are prone to damage or pilferage. Additionally, the re-laying of the tarmac raised the road surface and has compounded the problem by making the cavities deeper.

Sadly, the administration has not paid much heed to the problem, rendering the cavities into open maws ready to engulf prey. Unmindful pedestrians or vehicles plying at night regularly encounter the pitfalls or face the consequences of the lackadaisical attitude of the administration.

Appeal: We request the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation to take necessary action to solve the long impending problem of the craters spread practically all over the town – before the disaster takes on epic proportions. Let us not play down the spirit of ‘Safe drive – save life!’

Location: The open gully pits are found to be almost all over Salt Lake (Bidhannagar) – the thoroughfares and the interior lanes and by-lanes, in both residential and commercial areas.

21KOLKATA ON WHEELS I 20 21

Team WHEELS

JUNE 2020

Announcement

All events and activities of Kolkata on WHEELS will be confirmed once the COVID-19 situation normalises.

event calendar

drive tour: BakkhaliaugustFor Wheelers & Guests(To be confirmed)

WheelerS Bi-monthly meetingFor Wheelers

(Thur) July 9


Don't be a tossErBin your littEr

Stop throwing cigarette butts, plastic bottles, chips packets, toffee wrappers and cans out of your car window – Bin your Litter.

Birthday Greetings to WHEELERS

15 June : SUBHAS CHANDRA SARKAR15 June : BISWAJIT LAHIRI15 June : SHAIK MOHAMMED HABIB16 June : SANDIP KR. BHATTACHARYA17 June : JOYANTA CHATTERJEE18 June : DEBASISH BOSE18 June : SAJAL ROY19 June : BIDYUT GHOSH20 June : BHASKAR GHOSH20 June : SAPNA SINGH21 June : SUJITKUMAR DAS SARMA23 June : ANJAN DAS29 June : DIPALI PODDAR30 June : TAPAN DUTTA30 June : KAMAL DUTTA01 July : MANAS KUMAR CHAKRABARTI01 July : RITESWAR SIKDAR02 July : KAUSHIK GUHA03 July : VINAYAK PRAKASH SHAH03 July : SUBHANU PAL05 July : SARBANI BHATTACHARYYA06 July : AJAY KUMAR TANTIA07 July : ABHRADIP JHA07 July : ARINDAM BHANJA08 July : JOYDEEP MALLA DEB10 July : GAURAB MITRA10 July : SUDIPTO DAS10 July : SIDDHARTHA CHAKRABORTY11 July : SUNIL AGARWAL12 July : DR ANUPAM BHATTACHARYYA13 July : SANDIP AGARWAL14 July : RUDRA PRASAD BISWAS

get your

Car Litter Pouch today!Call: 7044073734 / 8888003400email id: [email protected]


Webinar: 8 pmJoin with Google Meet

23

MAY 2020

Team WHEELS

156 km

1-2 daysTrip Duration

Distance from Kolkata

3 hoursDriving Time

25

t he monotony of a home quarantine bound in by concrete walls kindled the seeds of rebellious adventure

within our reckless souls. We set off on a forest trail. Team WHEELS drove to discover the nearest forests from Kolkata which would not just be beautiful but also equipped with the amenities, would provide the basic comforts. And we found it – this gem! Merely 156 km from Kolkata, in West Midnapore, right on NH-14 (NH-60) lies a series of forest ranges perfectly suited for just such a day-long outing.

The Arabari Range is an exceptionally beautiful forest within easy reach of the city. The weather was pleasant and spirits high. We packed food and drink and started off at around 9 am. It was to be the first time that we had embarked on a journey where we would consciously avoid eating out.

RouteBy the time we entered the Kona Expressway through Vidyasagar Setu, it was 9:45 am. At the end of Kona Expressway we took a left into NH-16 (NH-6) and continued straight crossing Dhulaghori Toll Tax, Uluberia and Kolaghat. The traffic on the highway was reasonably heavy considering the current scenario. However, it was a pleasure driving through the highway, with Arabari

Forest Trail



0.0

4.3

7.7

8.2

13.5

17.2

47.1

35.7

55.2

57.1

VIDYASAGAR SETU

(Toll Tax Point)

NH - 16(NH - 6)

58.3

60.8

Cross Santragachi Railway Station on left

Set car’s trip meter to "0".Pay toll tax and enter Kona Expressway

Follow the road on your left connecting NH-16 (NH-6)Do not take the fly-over onright to NH-19 (NH-2)

Take soft left and meet NH-16 (NH-6 )

Proceed forward by the NH-16 (NH-6 )

Pay toll tax of at Dhulagori toll plaza and proceed forward

Azad Hind Dhaba inside BPC petrol pump on left. Proceed forward

Bagnan crossing.Proceed forward

Go over Kolaghat Bridge

Sher-e-Punjab Dhaba on right. Proceed forward

Proceed forward underthe flyover across NH-6 (Left goes to Nandakumar/Digha)

Deulia Bazar. Proceed forward

KONA EXPRESSWAY

77.1 Take right fork onto flyoverroad left towards Panskura

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

ROAD NAME

ROUTE MAPKOLKATA - ARABARI FOREST

96.3

113.0

Toll gate Debra

Take left fork towards Kharagpur

NH - 16(NH - 6)

NH - 16(NH - 6)

NH - 16(NH - 6)

NH - 16(NH - 6)

NH - 16(NH - 6)

NH - 16(NH - 6)

NH - 16(NH - 6)

NH - 16(NH - 6)

NH - 16

NH - 16(NH - 6)

NH - 16(NH - 6)

KONA EXPRESSWAY

JUNE 2020

occasional halts at the toll plazas and of course the inevitable coffee breaks.

At Kolaghat, we pulled the car to a side under a tree and dug into our breakfast. Sumptuous noodles from one of our kitchens, traditional homemade sweets and cups of piping hot coffee out of flasks did wonders to boost our spirits and added that zing to the sense of pleasurable anticipation.

As we approached Kharagpur, we took the flyover on left towards Kharagpur Chowranghee Morh at trip 113 km. (Caution: Do not proceed straight on NH-16 towards the underpass as that would lead to Odisha).

along the super-smooth tarmac shaded by the lofty sal and eucalyptus trees on either side was delightful. The verdant green of the trees set against the bright red laterite made for some startling viewing. We pulled the car to a halt and dived into the woods. It was easy to imagine how eerie the forests could turn as night fell. We continued on our forest trail. Enroute, we noticed numerous piles of log at the Bhadutala Timber Depot.

godAiPiAsAL BeAtDriving for another 6 km we reached Godaipiasal Beat, another thicket in the Bhadutala Range. Covered with

the towering trees, the beat was at least as beautiful as Bhadutala, if not more so. A strange calm descended on us as we gulped in that rarity – volumes of fresh air, while driving through the rich greenery. We met a few local women busy driving their goats to the grasslands. They pointed out the direction of our destination, and also gave us a few mangoes for good measure as we rolled on. How generous is the unspoilt soul of the people of our heartland.

Proceeding straight on NH-14 (NH-60), we crossed the sprawling Roy’s Dhaba where we took a short restroom break. Further down we saw the Arabari Resort (Dhaba), a restaurant cum bar which also has lodging facilities. The huge parking lots of both the recently

developed eateries on the highway seem well organised. Finally, we observed a signboard on the right indicating the Arabari Range Office.

ARABARi foRest RAngeArabari Central Nursery: Driving ahead a few yards on the highway, we came across another signboard on the right which read ‘Arabari Central Nursery’. Leaving the highway we turned right. At the entrance was the office. The Arabari nursery is famous for its cultivation of sal besides other species of plants such as bamboo, date palm, akashmoni and babla. Hundreds of saplings of sal could be seen in its vast

compound. We passed the nursery and followed the red laterite pathway that led inside the Arabari Forest.

Arabari Forest: We entered the red laterite road thick with trees on either side leading to the Arabari Forest Range Office followed by the Forest Rest House. With the chirping of birds from the tall trees that made a widespread canopy over our heads and the small squirrels and garden lizards crossing our paths every now and then, it was an absolute paradise on earth.

May being the hottest month and the weather being overtly sultry, moving around in the forest was rather uncomfortable, though. Our clocks read 2:00 pm as we parked our car in a clearing and refuelled ourselves with instant

On reaching the huge traffic roundabout at Chowranghee Morh at Kharagpur, we took the third exit to enter NH-14 (old NH-60) on the extreme right and proceeded towards Chandrakona and Bankura. At trip 119.9 km, we took the left at the Y-fork following the highway and headed towards Birendra Sasmal Setu on River Kangsabati. Continuing straight we crossed Dharma Morh followed by Karani Choti on NH-14 (NH-60). The fabulous road surface of the highway made our journey, a driver’s delight.

BhAdutALA RAngeDriving about 10 km from Kharagpur Chowranghee Morh, we arrived at the lush green Bhadutala Range on NH-14 (NH-60) around 12:30 pm. The drive

bhadutala timber Depot – a contrite depiction of forests

the striking red of the forest trail set against the verdant greenery Godaipiasal beat with stacks of timber

the resplendent NH-14 (NH-60) with lush green trees – a perfect avenue

the towering sal guarding the trail

29

JUNE 2020

soups, homemade sandwiches, boiled eggs and some fruits – a very satisfying meal indeed.

We spoke to locals and learnt that the Arabari range is surrounded by a villages such as Nepura, Kuer Khal and Chandamura on its outskirts. We also drove through the rough laterite roads to visit the nearby hamlets for that typical rustic experience. Most of the villages in the vicinity of the forest area have limited infrastructure, low income, mud houses (some double storeyed), there are few concrete structures. Poor availability of modern commercial energy sources like kerosene, LPG and electricity has forced the villagers to collect timber and dry leaves from the nearby forest area. In these forests, you will most commonly come across

trees such as sal, eucalyptus, akashmoni, bamboo and cashew. We discovered several cashew plants and plucked a few ripe cashew fruits. They were a plump bright red so that was another intriguing quite thrilling find.

joint foRest MAnAgeMent (jfM) Joint Forest Management originated in West Bengal

in the 1980's. The spirit of JFM has been to promote active participation of fringe communities to arrest fast depletion of forests and regenerate the already degraded forests by empowering the local

communities. The Arabari range has demonstrated that with

open communication and cooperation of

the local people it is possible to dismantle the tradition of conflict between the forest

authorities and communities.

the foRest PRoteCtion

CoMMittee (fPC)After the foundation of the Forest Protection Committee (FPC), the number of jungle cats, baboons, pythons, wild

boars and different avifauna are reported to have increased. The forest is home to several wild elephants. The elephants from the Dalma Sanctuary are regular visitors to these forests. Avifauna such as ducks, storks, snips, and teals are common here. Venomous snakes such as the cobras, kraits, banded kraits and Russell vipers also proliferate.

Most of the FPC villages are surrounded by infringing areas where the people are very poor. Cattle rearing is the main source of livelihood. The primary non-timber forest products collected from the forest area have always been thatching grasses, mahua seeds, sal seeds, sal leaves, honey, medicinal herb and bamboos. The collection of these too is now being restricted.

ARABARi foRest Rest houseThe model forest Arabari Jungle was formed with dense forest spreading over a hundred sq km. The Forest Rest House with its picturesque bungalow and a lovely garden with varieties of flowering plants is set in the middle of the forest. A huge concrete circular platform behind the bungalow is a perfect place for hosting a barbeque party before a bonfire. We regretted not staying back for the night for more adventure.

Having spent a lot of time in the forest it was time we retraced our steps. Enroute, on NH-14 (NH-60), we took a small detour to take a look at the Salboni Mint – about 10 km inside the highway.

Driving to the gate of the mint through the roads of


Arabari Forest – epitome of beauty

Arabari Forest range Office

Arabari Forest rest House backyard – ready to host a bonefire

Arabari Central Nursery – sowing solely sal

relaxing under the widespread green canopy Arabari Forest rest House – picture perfect arrangement

116.6

At the Chowranghee roundabout in Kharagpur, take the 3rd exit into NH-14 (NH-60) on extreme right

120.4

123.5

Go onto the Desapran Birendra Setu and proceed forward

At Dharma Morh - proceed forward (Midnapore town on left)

119.9 At the 'Y' fork – take left to proceed towards Arabari Forest

Karani Choti (junction) - proceed forward

Proceed forward through the Bhadutola Forest Range

Godapiasal Forest Beat on left – proceed forward

Roy's Dhaba on left (veg) – proceed forward towards Arabari Forest

127.4

130.4

136.6

144.1

152.0Arabari Resort (restaurant) – proceed forward towards Arabari Forest

156.1

Find Arabari Central Nursery on right of the highway. Drive inside the unmetalled track to reach Arabari Forest Range Office and Arabari Forest Rest House

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

ROAD NAME

ROUTE MAPKOLKATA - ARABARI FOREST

NH - 14(NH - 60)

NH - 14(NH - 60)

NH - 14(NH - 60)

NH - 14(NH - 60)

NH - 14(NH - 60)

NH - 14(NH - 60)

NH - 14(NH - 60)

NH - 14(NH - 60)

NH - 14(NH - 60)

NH - 14(NH - 60)


summer-soft butter with bright green verdure on either side forming an arch was almost surreal in experience.

Back on the highway NH-14 (NH-60) we drove fast through scanty traffic, crossing Kharagpur. We now craved tea and halted for a cup on reaching Kolaghat at around 5:00 pm. By the time we made it to the city outskirts, the sky was overcast. No sooner had we moved

onto the Vidyasagar Setu than the rains came lashing down on us. The city appeared pitch dark from the top of the Vidyasagar Setu. Luckily, the rains had subsided by the time we reached home, at about 7:00 pm.

Everybody takes something different back from wilderness experiences – though this was not wilderness at its wildest. But the fact that we could still execute a drive tour on a forest trail so close to our homes was amazing. The monotony of quarantine had been relieved. It all seemed so much more bearable now that we knew there was emerald freedom at such close proximity. Just a mere day’s drive away. It was a delicious secret, one which today we are happy to share – but only with you…

REFRESHmENTS ON NH-14 (NH-60)

▶ ROy’S DHABAPure VegetarianDakhin shole, salboniPh: 8436279008 / 9735614471

▶ ARABARI RESORTrestaurant cum bar and lodge Ph: 7585889937 / 9851842983

ACCOmmOdATION

▶ ARABARI FOREST REST HOuSEOffice of the Divisional Forest Officer,Midnapur Division, Michel Madhusudan Nagar,PO & Dist. Paschim Midnapur,Pin: 721 101, Ph: 03222-275869email: [email protected]: www.medinipurforest.com

Tourism Centre (kolkata)3/2, b.b.D. bag (east), Kolkata - 700 001Phone: 033-2243 6440

Regional Tourist/ Booking Office(033) 2243 6440 / 90733 8680390733 86804 / 90733 27315

Federation of IndiaAutomobile Associations (FIAA)

Federation of Internationale De Automobile (FIA)

Automobile Association of Eastern India

From the desk ofArindam kumar SahaHony. Secretary GeneralAutomobile Association of Eastern India

Message to all Members:

As per Govt. of West Bengal notification, all sections of AAEI except

the Club Section i.e. Membership, Tax and Registration, Kitchen, PA

& Security, Road Breakdown and Auto Emission Testing Sections shall

remain open with 50% capacity. All employees would be wearing masks,

maintaining social distancing, ensuring proper sanitisation and following

all other rules laid down by the Central and State Govt. for protection

against COVID-19 w.e.f 01.06.2020. The AAEI Restaurant would be

opened from 10.06.2020.

The Automobile Association of Eastern India has also started home

delivery service of cooked food through its Club section on requisition

of members on and from 1st June 2020 with staff wearing masks,

maintaining social distancing and strictly following all other rules laid

down by the Central and State Govt. for protection against COVID-19.

31

Going over the field to reach the nearby village

Arabari resort – alternative stopover on NH-14 (NH-60)

salboni Mint Gate – security at its highest

road connecting NH-14 (NH-60) to the salboni Mint

sprawling parking lot – roy’s Dhaba

rustic beauty – Chandamura village

JUNE 2020

JUNE 2020


The Road to

Ejji umamahesh

How many people know where Timbuktu is? Or even believe it exists?

The recall-value of the city places it as mysterious or imaginary. A survey among 150 young Britons in 2006 found 33% did not believe the town existed, while the other 66% considered it ‘a mythical place’. Only 1% knew where it was.

My teacher in school once caught me when I left a pin sitting vertically on the seat of her chair. It deflated unmentionable parts of her anatomy and inflated her justifiable indignation. She threw me out of class condemning me to virtual harakiri in Timbuktu, from where she hoped I would never return. That was the start of my obsession, and I decided to visit Timbuktu, wherever that

might be, one day! My teachers in school and college continued to dispatch me to ‘hell’ or ‘Timbuktu’ at regular intervals. I have since visited Timbuktu, and look forward to a hearty reunion in hell, with sundry departed friends. My name, I am convinced, features prominently in the ‘Persona non grata’ list in Heaven. Anyway, I would miss my friends in Heaven.

‘The Road to Timbuktu’ started with my participating in the Budapest Bamako Rally in January 2007. This is a one of a kind event.

BUdAPEST BAmAKO RALLY 2007The Budapest – Bamako Rally is meant for those who embrace adventure and adrenaline highs. It sends the participants on a 16-day chase through 9 countries of

extreme pressure and intense conditions. This ride is not for the faint hearted or the weak of character! Driving nearly 8000 kilometres on uncertain African roads, locked up with another person in a car, through four seasons, is no small accomplishment. After the rally finished at Bamako, a few of us headed across the Sahara to Timbuktu and a dream of mine was fulfilled.

Here are some highlights of my experience on the ‘Budapest Bamako Rally’ or ‘The Road to Timbuktu’.

On 13 January 2007, 105 teams lined up in Heroes’ Square, Budapest, for the second run of the rally. Inspired by the Paris Dakar Rally, this Great African Run is organised by a group of Hungarians. The rally passes through Hungary, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania and ends in the capital of Mali, Bamako.

I purchased a 3.2 litre Nissan Patrol 2000 model 4WD Turbo Diesel LHD a/c in Budapest and spent more than a month altering it to international rally specifications. The vehicle was fitted with all mandatory equipment like CB radio, GPS, firefighting systems, emergency lamps, etc.

Strange vehicles that joined the rally included a motorbike with a side car, an old army truck modified as a room on wheels with 3 diesel tanks carrying a total of 600 plus litres of diesel, a Hummer, a vehicle called the Bulibusz that carried the rally organizer’s materials like dune buggies, cycles, mopeds, food, soft drinks, medicines, music systems, refrigerators and all that you needed for the rocking night parties.

BUdAPEST TO VENICEThe rally started off in Budapest early one morning. It was very cold with the mercury dropping to as low as 50 C. The advertisements enticed us with the slogan, ‘Come Wish Us

Timbuktuunpredictable temperature, unexpected variables and the volatile temperament of nature! It is a test of endurance, will power, agility, tolerance, adaptation, and navigational skill while under

On a european highway Desert lunch tents on the sands

invitation of the strangest kind

Fully rally-equipped

ejji, Aravind & Nissan

Atlantic beach Drive

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Goodbye, Maybe Forever!’ A car with a sextant also joined in, to guide us in case we lost our way in the Sahara! There are no prizes, rewards or awards on completion. One just needs to survive all odds – and conquer!

VENICE TO mEYREUILAmong the challenges on the rally was to find the door number of Tina Turner’s house in Monte Carlo and to visit a casino at Monaco near the F1 track. One of the rather enterprising participants not only located Tina Turner’s house but also opened her mail box and brought away a letter addressed to her as a proof!!

Meyreuil to Murcia: This was along the Mediterranean Coast. We paid tolls of nearly 300 Euros between Budapest and Meyreuil! A return flight from Budapest to Murcia costs hardly 100 Euros.

mURCIA TO ALmERIAAlmeria is a port town with huge Moorish Forts on the hills. We took a ferry across the Mediterranean. The ferry is actually a luxury ship with cargo. Ticketing was fast though expensive; 275 Euros for a car with two passengers.

ALmERIA TO NAdORWe docked at Nador in 5 hours and reset our watches forward by 1 hour for Moroccan time. This is where we experienced corruption and inefficiency for the first time. Walking around the town we discovered lovely eating-

now lurked in the form of huge desert scorpions!

mERzOUGA TO TATA The drive from Merzouga to Tata was on wonderful roads till Zagora. Though there is a good road from Zagora to Tata, we took the off-road through the desert from Zagora to Tata via Foum Zguid. This is the only time our car gave us a problem. The rear right wheel blew into

shreds in the middle of the desert at around 11 pm.

It was surreal replacing the tyre in the desert using emergency lights and headlamps. It is only here that we discovered the hydraulic jacks we were using are no more of use in the desert sand as it gets buried in the sand. With a bit of luck and some improvisation we managed to ultimately change the tyre. Mobile phones do not work in the middle of the desert! The CB radio is practically of no use as cars do not travel in bunches. Moreover, since there are innumerable routes to reach our day’s destination, there is no way we could have known who was travelling within radio reachable distance in such a vast stretch of nothingness.

At night it is very difficult to make out the tracks. One may drive for hours off-track and then all of a sudden might have to re-orient his car to get to the right track. We reached Tata around 4 am. There are only 2 hotels and a few camping sites in Tata. The temperature was around 40 C. We had driven from Merzouga to Tata in an incredible non-stop drive of 17 hours through the desert, covering most of it in the night!

TATA TO LAAYONNE The drive from Morocco to Western Sahara has been wonderful and on excellent roads. Western Sahara has been on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories since the 1960s when it was a Spanish colony.

The Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front independence movement (and government of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic or SADR) dispute control of the territory. The disputed

territory is something like the Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka – too risky to enter. The entire country is filled with landmines and political buccaneers who nonchalantly kidnap the few gullible adventure travellers who venture in.

The sight where the Sahara Desert meets the Atlantic Ocean, is incredible. Shipwrecks in all states of disintegration line the coast. One cannot get off the vehicle as the entire stretch barring the tarred road is filled with landmines. Sand walls called Berms have been built for miles on end in the desert sands. These are built by the Polisario, the rebels who control Western Sahara. This was truly an amazing, out of body, experience of a lifetime.

LAAYONNE TO dAKHLAWe had to exhaust all the alcohol in the

vehicles at the all-night party before crossing into Mauritania as per the laws of the land where you cannot carry liquor into the country. In my travels I had not come across a place in the whole wide world, where carrying a bottle of booze was out of bounds. But in our desperation to quench our thirsty souls, we did manage to smuggle in some amount of the forbidden spirit.

An eerie experience – Driving on this road in the dark with the headlights on, a vast expanse of water on our right and unmitigated desert sand on our left, no structures or vegetation on either side, we had the strangest of hallucinations. We began to see trees when there were actually none on either side of the road. This does not happen on desert sands.

places but unfortunately no beer! First taste of life under prohibition!

NAdOR TO mERzOUGAHere ended the expressways, tolled drives, major GPS satellite links and most of civilization’s pleasures. We changed the winter tyres to summer ones. Crossing the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert was through the Nador to Merzouga route. It is incredible that such world-class roads have been built across the entire expanse, though they pale before the expressways in Europe.

Merzouga is a touristy oasis in the Sahara. We spent the night in a Bedouin tent at freezing temperatures while during the day we had driven in 450 C. Danger

Authorised mechanics for all vehicles!

sea bathing in the sahara

Desert meets the ocean

Desert beach

result of showing off!

Desert sunset

the sahara meets the Atlantic

tropic of Cancer in Mauritania Freezing desert night Pooof! burst & sunk tyre

Desert throne room



I believe, while driving on desert sands, we are generally conscious of the movement of the vehicle, the ‘feeling’ of the steering wheel, and most importantly our body’s response to the unusual motions – it is not the driving we experience regularly. So our mind is alert as we have to tackle something we are not used to.

These are new vistas, with no memories to refer back to. However, when we drive on smoothly laid roads, invariably running endlessly straight through the emptiness, our subconscious mind perhaps retrieves embedded images from our cache of memories. As we are used to driving at night on roads lined with trees on the sides, the mind possibly substitutes the present image of the existing road with the mental image of the tree-lined roads. This

is my explanation but I hope to solve this puzzle one day.

dAKHLA TO NOUAdHOUBOUDakhla was the last stop before we entered Mauritania. Alleged to be a ‘no alcohol’ Muslim country, we had to purchase black market alcohol in Mauritania. Wrapping them with packing tape, we hid the bottles under the spare tyres and seats, and inside the engine compartment! (No calamities. All bottles arrived safe.) As we crossed the Tropic of Cancer there was a lunch party in the desert.

The road from Dakhla is a paved road for most of the drive. The border control on the Western Sahara side is well-designed with ‘efficient’ control rooms. The entire border is fenced. The control staff was

absolutely corrupt. Even if everything was in order for the border crossing, we had to pay a ‘fee’.

We filled many forms in English, half of the entries illegible or wrongly written. All they wanted to see on the form was some hand writing though they could not read English. Having paid the ‘fees’ and interacted with the arrogant, ignorant and corrupt border guards, who spoke only French or Moroccan, we crossed the gate of no man’s land.

The time was 6.20 pm, a few minutes after sunset. It gets dark in these areas by the second. We entered the biggest garbage dump. Garbage everywhere, blown in by the desert winds from the Western Sahara border control outpost.

This was the scariest part of the rally, scarier than driving through the Sahara at night. The border from Western Sahara to Mauritania, the no-man’s land, is around 20 km wide on an average. The entire area is filled with landmines. There are no markers, pathways or roads. We were supposed to follow the tracks of the earlier vehicles on the desert sands, but this idea was really stupid, as the marks on the tracks do not stay for long in the ever-changing ‘sandscape’.

We did not get down from the car, else we would be easily blown dead by a land mine. Just a couple of weeks earlier, a British team in a Land Rover (not from our rally), lost their bearings, veered from the safe track, and within 5 feet were blown to pieces by a

landmine. The rally road book gives the GPS co-ordinates which one has to follow strictly to reach the Mauritania border check post. Herein lies another fallacy. The GPS co-ordinates are not precise. We could follow the co-ordinates and still be off track considering this error.

There was an unorganised group of ‘guides’ waiting in the dark. They know the place inside out and thus led us safely to the Mauritania border check post by the correct route. We asked one of these ‘guides’ to get into the car and negotiated a fee. Just then we heard a horn from a car in the stillness of the desert in front of us. We asked the ‘guide’ to guide us to this car. We found it to be the Lada team whose car had stalled.

Luckily they were on the safe track. We stopped in front of them and tried to help start their car. No luck. We took the tow-ropes from our car and towed the Lada to the Mauritania border check post. That was one hell of an experience.

The Mauritania border control again is to be seen to be believed. Standing in the middle of nowhere on the sands of the Sahara at near zero temperatures; we had the first experience of seeing border check points in the desert where the personnel work with candle-light!

The border control itself is a tent and the staff live and work in these tents. Most of them are high on alcohol or hashish! Again a customary ‘fee’ is demanded

which we had to pay. The guards made illegible entries that in all probability were blown away, in a torn notebook. Then they demanded cadeau (French for gifts).

We agreed to stuff them with cadeaus provided they finished the formalities smoothly. Finally we gave them a few pens, notebooks and biscuits. They were eager to get alcohol as gifts and so asked if we had any. We declared we had none. Moreover, as Mauritania is a Muslim country we had due respect for their traditions and therefore, we had not carried any booze or drink with us.

The guards had a mighty laugh. We could make out they took our arguments with a pinch of salt. On the contrary they conveyed that people going to the border were allowed to carry bottles provided they gifted the guards a bottle or two of the same.

In fact, one of the guards was so drunk, that he took our papers too near a candle, and in no time the papers were reduced to ashes! We pleaded with them to stamp our passports. They jerked their thumbs to indicate a dark corner of the tent. We went into the darkness, took the rubber stamp, inked it and stamped our passports ourselves. When we asked for their signature, a guard just threw a pen at us and asked us to sign the passport ourselves! We were relieved, finally, without further misadventure, we could pass out of the border control and the harrowing no man’s land. We were safe. At least for the time being.

To be continued…

JUNE 2020

bamako to timbuktu route

On to the Ferry Pull back help the imposing russian Zil

luxurious dinner setting

Camels crossing

skeleton Coast – Western sahara

Cooking in the desert


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Kolkata is truly a magical city. Its mysticism, beauty, diversity, people and landscape have charmed its denizens as well as visitors. Being the standalone magazine on Kolkata, an annual photography contest is organised by Kolkata on WHEELS magazine to glimpse the magical city through the eyes of shutterbugs.

We are pleased with the overwhelming response and thank all our participants for sending their entries for the competition.

RESULTS1st: SIbASIS DHAR

3rd: DEbRAj DAS

2nd: SIRSEnDU GAyEn 6th: SIRSEnDU GAyEn

5th: MonIDIPA SAHA

4th: AnGSHUMAn PAUL 8th: RITWIk DEy 11th: PRAnAb bASAk

10th: SATyAM RoyCHoWDHURy

12th: PooSHAn DEb MALLICk9th: RATHIn DEy

7th: SoUMyAbRATA boSE

lCash prizes of `3000, `2000 and `1000 will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions respectively.lPosition 1st to 5th will be awarded trophies.lPosition 6th to 12th will be awarded plaques. lAll entrants will be awarded a participation certificate which will be sent to their mailing address by July 31, 2020.lThe award-winning photographs (1st to 12th) will be published in the 'Kolkata Canvas' column of 'Kolkata on WHEELS' magazine every month starting from this issue along with the byline of the photographer.l For queries call 9830370371 or email: [email protected]

PH TOGRAPHYCOMPETITION 2020-21

Awards:

WINNERS

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If undelivered please return to Guide India Publication 19-B Allenby Road Kolkata 700 020

Printed, published & owned by Aruna Ghosh. Printed at Albatross Graphic Solution Pvt. Ltd., 311A/6, B. B. Chatterjee Road, Kolkata 700 042. Published at 19-B, Allenby Road, Kolkata 700 020. Editor’s Name: Souvik Ghosh, Motilal Nehru Road, Kolkata 700 029.

POSTAL REGISTRATION NO. KOL RMS/442/2018-2020RNI REGN. No. WBENG/2009/30068 DATED 15.12.2009VOL. 12 ISSuE 09 PuBLIShED: 15 MAY 2020

50 2020 june long drivearitra sardar, aditya dasgupta traffic committee jayant basu (chairman),...

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