For a true blue Calcuttan and especially the Bengali milieu of the City of Joy, there is no occasion more joyous than Durga Pujo which is when the universal Mother comes home. It is the time of the year when one reunites with family & friends and the aim is to make merry – in plenty! However, with the passage of time and increasing number of vehicles, the terrible traffic snarls, huge queues outside our favourite dining joints and the chaos & congestion of an ocean of people and vehicles, things do tend to get the better of even the best of us. Therefore, after enjoying the festive fervour till Nabami night, Team WHEELS decided to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city on the morning of Bijoya Dashami.

 
There is nothing quite like the beauty of nature to soothe our soul. And therefore we decided to surrender ourselves to nature's soothing touch. This time, we thought of looking beyond the usual lists of offbeat destinations, in an attempt to unearth a hidden gem. One such charming little fishing hamlet – an abode of tranquility and peace - is Kotrakhali, tucked away on the banks of the Hana River, in the South 24 Parganas. Join us as we take you on a tour of this unexplored destination.

Route
With a paltry 83 kilometres to cover, Team WHEELS decided to schedule just a day trip. With cameras in hand and the wind in our hair, we set off to explore the hitherto unseen. After reaching Paroma Island near Science City, in front of Pragati Maidan Thana around 10 am and setting the trip meter to 0.0 km, we set off on our journey along the Basanti Highway - which later joins the State Highway 3A.

We drove on the Basanti Highway, crossing the Bantala Leather Complex on the right and continuing straight through Bojerhat market and Ghatakpukur. After crossing Minakhan, we decided to take a short tea break opposite a desolate Krishna temple. We saw a canal which runs parallel to Basanti Highway. This canal is well-maintained, has clear water and follows throughout this stretch of the tarmac. Then slowly, as the canal meanders away from the road, the surrounding changes. Now you find saltwater fisheries on both the sides intersected by occasional markets sprawling at irregular intervals like unruly children spilling onto the road.

 
Coasting along you will come across Malancha Bazar on Basanti Highway - a wholesale fish market offering a myriad of choices. We are tempted by the bargains on offer and plan to stop by to pick up some fish on our way back home.  We continued to drive straight on to State Highway 3A from Sarberia Natun Bazar and took a left turn from Panikhali crossing, towards Canara Bank and Chunakhali Panchayat office. [Please ensure you do not drive straight towards Canning as the road condition is precarious on the road ahead. Be careful of the tricky left turn.] Once  reach the auto stand, we made a left turn to arrive at our destination - Kotrakhali Riverside. The last leg of the road has village on the one side and vast stretches of saltwater harvesting farm on the other.

Village
In the Basanti Block of South 24 Parganas lies the flood-hit village of Kotrakhali. The sight of thatched roof on mud huts, green ponds with farm animals playing in their natural habitat and ducks waddling about in the fisheries is guaranteed to arouse the poet in you. The saltwater swamps make agriculture difficult in this region thus making pisciculture the main occupation for the locals. The fisheries or bheris produce export quality saltwater fish. Tiger prawns top the export list. If you love fish, then Kotrakhali could satisfy your gastronomic desires.

Kotrakhali Riverside
At noon we drove through the gates of Kotrakhali Riverside. The vast 12 bigha property houses a miniature village with organic gardens, two ponds, a paddy field, guava plantation and a small hut for weary travelers. The eco-friendly property has very basic and humble provision for night stay that can accommodate up to eight people in two rooms. The huts, dining area along with the two beautiful alfresco open-airs sporting chairs and tables are made of bamboo. In the heart of the property lies a big pond with a big hardy machan plonked right beside it. The team hopped quite excitedly onto the machan where we enjoyed fresh coconut water served as a welcome drink. The pond is surrounded by coconut, date and betel nut trees and local foliage.  We thought of trying our hand at fishing as Debashish, the caretaker, offered us some fishing rods. He also offered to fry our catch and serve it hot at the machan at just Rs 200 per kilo. 

Soon after, the lunch was served in the cozy dining room situated beside the smaller pond with paved ghat. This was a delicious lunch cooked on a primitive firewood oven. The rice, dal, fresh fried fish, a variety of vegetable curries, chicken curry and sweet meal was served on banana leaves. At Kotrakhali, there are two packages available - Rs 1,250 per head per day which includes  breakfast, lunch, evening tea & snacks and dinner and Rs 1,000 per head for a day trip inclusive of lunch and evening tea.

River
After lunch we strolled to the Hana River just outside the boundary of the Kotrakhali Riverside. Hana is a tributary of the Matla and Bidyadhari Rivers. We stood on the bank of the wide river. Someone hummed 'By the Rivers of Babylon' and that set the tone for the evening. On the right the tributary met with the Malta River, while on the left it bent towards Chunakhali. A high grey silt embankment surrounded the river on all the sides. We proceeded towards the Kotrakhali village on the right along the narrow banks. The thin pathway was lined with Babla shrubs on both the sides providing a kind of makeshift fencing for the clay huts along the road. After walking for about ten minutes, we reached the ghat. There is a ferry boat service available to transport the locals from one bank of the river to the other. In front of us stood a small island. One of the locals who was sitting at the ghat told us that on the other side of the river was Gosaba district and pointing to the trees on the right indicated the mangrove forest.  Boat rides on the river can also be arranged with prior notice to the Kotrakhali Riverside authorities at a charge of Rs 600. Evenings are astounding at this place. The seclusion brings in a marvellous silence that is healing and allows you to instantly reconnect with the nature around you. Neatly carved grass ways illuminate the road by the river while narrow steps seem made for you to sit on for hours dipping your feet in passive blissful quietude.

Chunakhali
The village of Chunakhali lies adjacent to Kotrakhali. Team WHEELS had planned a visit to Chunakhali Farm Hotel, but unfortunately, it was closed for maintenance. The dusk dawned upon the river with the sun gliding down the Hana. The chirping birds returned to the trees on the opposite bank and we too bid adieu to this virgin hamlet. We boarded the car and hit the road without further adieu anticipating a huge congestion on Dashami evening due to protima bisharjan. The Basanti Highway loomed in ahead in the darkness without streetlights. The simplicity and rustic beauty of Kotrakhali is an ideal destination for a day drive, especially during the winter and a paradise for fish lovers. This is a clarion call to the spirit of the 'ever-soulful' Calcuttan. There are these wonderful homegrown destinations close by. Wake up! Support the local. Seek, and ye shall find!

Kotrakhali Riverside
For booking contact: Get Lost Eco Travels
Tel - 9836830342 / 9831309512
Email - [email protected]
Website - getlost.net.in