It starts from home!

We go on an annual pilgrimage every year - HOME, to Assam. Out of the lane-adhering, centrally cooled and glitzy comfort of Dubai, the chaos, the medley of all things unnerving, the disorder and the cacophony of the homeland welcome us with open arms and we feel at home, instantly!

This time we made a one-day stopover in Kolkata to say a courteous 'hello' to relatives who had heard six years ago that their dear nephew had married an Assamese girl. It was time to show up and take in the smothering of affections in platefuls of fish curries, luchis, shukto, kosha mangsho, roshogolla, misti doi, and the likes.

I had spent the formative years of my life in the City of Joy and any opportunity to see it again is lapped up with alacrity. The juicy double-egg double-chicken roll at Nizams, crowded New Market, bustling Park Street and a quick bite at Peter Cat, Victorial Memorial, jhaal-muri (spiced puff-rice) at Prinsep Ghaat, paan, Maidan...brings to life my childhood memories at any daylight hour. This time, we did it all together!

Here are a few photos to share a few more places to show you. CLICK ON ONE PHOTO TO ENLARGE AND EASILY SCROLL THROUGH THE REST.

A chana-wallah in front of the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata. These little packets of spiced nuts and condiments are a perfect snack as you leisurely stroll the gardens.

Like many other grand monuments of that era, the Victoria Memorial too, is a standing testament of the 

British glory and India's riches. On the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, Lord Curzon, who was then the Viceroy of India, struck the brilliant idea of building a stately memorial for her, at India's expense of course! The sycophant princes and the generous people of India responded graciously to his appeal for funds. The total cost of construction amounting to one crore, five lakh rupees  was entirely derived from their voluntary subscriptions.

         The race!

The Vidyasagar Setu is the second bridge over the river Hooghly, linking Kolkata to Howrah. The first is the iconic Howrah Bridge. The Setu is the longest cable-stayed bridge in India. The above is a sunset view as seen from Prinsep Ghaat.


An insider's list of must-dos in Kolkata - Eat the delectable bakes at Flurry's, gulp down a beer at Peter Cat, eat Jhaal-muri and puchka (gol gappa), hunt down Nizams in New Market and sample the no-frills Mughlai food, take a walk in the Victoria Memorial gardens, join a game of football at the Maidan, catch the sunset over the Hooghly, go on a roshogolla-eating spree, try one of each dish at Oh! Calcutta (believe me, they are so worth it!) 

Over to Assam. 


Finally the grace-saving first trip to Kaziranga National Park was going to be a reality for S, after having circumnavigated Masai Mara and the likes for all things wild. For me it was the 4th visit. So parents in tow, we set out into the wild!

The Park spans across the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is more famously known for its star resident - the one horned rhino. Two thirds of the world's single-horned rhinos have made Kaziranga their home and are found abundantly in the Park and even on the adjoining highway and paddy fields! Kaziranga was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 and boasts of the highest density of tiger population in the world. 

How to reach Kaziranga - You can fly into Guwahati and drive about 239 kms (5-6 hours). Alternatively you can also take a connecting flight from Guwahati to Jorhat and drive 97 kms (2-3 hours) to the Park. If you prefer chugging all the way, the nearest rail station is Furkating (80kms), connected by trains from Delhi and Kolkata.

Where to stay - Bonhabi Resort - homely comfort (http://bonhabiresort.com/), Iora, the Retreat - modern amenities with excellent food options (http://www.kazirangasafari.com/), Aranya Govt. Lodge - budget-friendly and convenient location (http://www.india-wildlife-tour.com/wildlife-resorts/kaziranga/aranya-lodge.html), Wild Grass Lodge (http://www.indiatravelite.com/northeastindia/wildgrassresortkaziranga.htm), Jupuri Ghar - Popular (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g858488-d1067334-r58484561-Jupuri_Ghar-Kaziranga_National_Park_Assam.html), in addition to others. 

When to go - The Park remains closed from 1st May and reopens in November. According to the local guides, Feb-March is the best time to spot wildlife when the tall elephant grass is control-burnt. 

What greets you - Rhinos, and lots of them! Elephants. Birds, local and migratory. Wild boars. Buffaloes. Reptiles. And if your celestial stars are in the perfect position - A TIGER!

Here's what we saw:

Guess what's this! Insects, lots and lots of them. On our way from Bogijaan to Jorhat.




@ Thengal Manor - a heritage bungalow in Jorhat. 

The bungalow, built in 1929, belongs to the illustrious Hem Barua family of Assam and is now a WelcomeHeritage property. The sprawling grounds have a fruit orchard, a naam-ghar (vaishnav place of worship), a pond, a vegetable patch and the well-preserved printing press which published the first Assamese daily newspaper - Dainik Batori - in 1935.

Being in  the habit of rummaging through 3 countries, 6 cities in a week's time, S and me were raring to go after Thengal Manor. So off we went to Nimati Ghat, from where we would take the ferry to Mou Chapori Resort in the middle of the Brahmaputra! Hopes were dashed and plans were dampened when we learnt that the resort was closed for public as it was hosting a conference on Tea. I ambled along aimlessly along the banks of the river and put my camera to work.

Burra Sahib's Bungalow in the middle of the Kaziranga Golf Course.
This is another heritage house for tourists set in a trance-inducing landscape of rolling greens and endless tree plantations. We stopped here for breakfast and were met with a very strange response. "Actually we serve breakfast to only in-house guests", said the Manager. NO, this is not the strange bit, what followed is. Below is the conversation between S and the Manager:


S - Can we take a look at the cottages.
Manager - Err...mmm...Sir, where are you from?
S - From Assam, but staying in Dubai
Manager (all perked up) - Sure Sir, while you take a look at the cottages, I'll lay out a hot continental breakfast for you all. Ma'am would you like your bacon to be grilled or fried?


I bet he thought we'll pay for the breakfast with gold biscuits! We enjoyed both the breakfast and the attention!

When you drive through miles and miles of tea plantations - what's the instinctive urge? Buy tea in bulk. While the clan was busy wrinkling noses and feeling every grain, a beautiful butterfly kept my lens amused.

Next stop Deka Sang Resort in Sonapur for authentic Assamese food made in hollow bamboo stems or sunga. The food is mixed with all spices, placed inside the bamboo stem (end sealed off with banana leaf) and slow-cooked over fire. A lot of references are found online if you want to know more about this unique way of cooking. 

We ordered chilly pork dry-fry, sunga-saul (bamboo rice), sunga-pork, sunga chicken, pura maas pitika (fish chargrilled and mashed with onion, green chillies and coriander) and maas patot-diya (fish steamed with spices in banana leaf). Here are the platefuls that had our selfless attention and devotion!

Tired from the sojourn, we spent the remaining days with family in Guwahati. And as I write this I am tired of typing and inserting so many photos into a single post. Thankfully the last set of photos are kind of abstract and need no introduction with the exception of our niece Babi, who surely deserves special mention! Till next time...