Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Shankarpur: The Heavenly Abode.

Come anytime of the year, a seaside destination is always welcomed especially when you want to give a slip to your official day to day routine, at least for two days. The same motif was responsible, for this truly amazing discovery of serenity, so close to the City of Kolkata. Atleast its closer than the Himalayas or Puri or some other places. If you want serenity as well as a degree of silence, Shankarpur is a well deserved destination.


Copyright: Somnath Paul. Jan 2010. Shankarpur.


This trip buzzed in the mind from last year's November, but with time the urge to run behind the urge for fulfilment grew stronger... In December, the plan was almost nullified but once it rejuvenated, seldom losing a moment, I tried to figure out the exact place for enjoyment with mom... who deserved the break more than me, the last one for her was KanyaKumari ; Kerala in Jan-Feb 2007...

A number of places were shortlisted:
1) Hijuli Forest.
2) Mandarmoni
3) Gopalpur
4) ShankarPur
5) Maithon
6) Talsari
7) Deulti.


Extensive search over the internet and calls to the concerned persons returned with the following results, all rooms are book for 23-24 Jan 2010. At last, I caught hold of Mainak Da, from IICB contacts, who has a friend . This resulted in coming in touch with Ashyamedh, a Tours and Travel Agents. The office located at Hazra, Kolkata. (Click on the name and you get the link). They arranged us two rooms, our requisite in 2 hours notice in Shankarpur. Hotel Blue Sea was destined to host us, in our stay from 23rd to 24th January, 2010. The hotel is good, only the service deserved a better set-up given the price tag.


Copyright: Somnath Paul. Jan 2010. Shankarpur.


The ROUTE:
There are many alternatives.
* Take a Digha destined Bus from Esplanade / Jadavpur [Kolkata]. There are many CSTC buses, but in rush hours make advance bookings. We faced the problem and payed almost double in a Private Bus. It takes 4-5 hrs, given the road and driver conditions. The landmark is where you have to board down from the bus is ChoddoMile which is a Km from RamNagar and is placed exactly 14 miles from Digha. From there, you take the motor-tricycles, for a fifteen minutes ride to Shankarpur Hotel Clusters.
* The shortest and easiest, economical way is Train. From Howrah take the Dawn train @ 6:45AM / Tamralipta @ 10:25AM / Kandari @ 2:45PM. It costs Rs. 51/head to Digha. From Digha, have a 30 mins ride to Shankarpur Hotel Clusters either in a Sumo / Mahindra Trekker. It costs Rs. 350/- for a 8 seater.
The availability of trains and seasonal special trains are available at the Indian Railways Website [www.indianrailways.gov]

 
Copyright: Somnath Paul. Jan 2010. Shankarpur.


The STAY:
Since the place is at par with developing as a sea side destination, the hotels are not at all with a sea view. Out of the handful few, that I came across, only Hotel Sandy Bay was beach facing as almost 80% of the beach is within the Plot owned by the West Bengal Government Fisheries department as under the tag head of MatsyaGandha. They have some very good guest house though, but for private hotels, you have Hotel NEST [to me its the Taj of Shankarpur] and the Hotel Blue Sea, where we stayed. For details please have look into Wikitravels. Click here for the Link. But if you take my opinion, plan the trip well in advance, say 5 weeks ahead and book in NEST / MatsyaGandha.


Copyright: Somnath Paul. Jan 2010. Shankarpur.

The BEACH:
Perfect from the Word GO!


Copyright: Somnath Paul. Jan 2010. Shankarpur.

Unlike Digha or Puri, the nearby Sea destination, this place has a HUGE beach, where you can enjoy the serenity and calmness. The Sunset is perfect with a galore of colours. Have a look in the pics that I have had snapped for all.

Take family, Take friends... have a bath. Yes its difficult since the hotels are far off, but hotels like NEST has personalized changing rooms on the beach while Snady Bay is on the beach. [But that side is pretty lonely. Recommended for a large group] MatsyaGandha has tourist lodges, 200 meters from the beach. Thats OK.

On a personal note. Shankarpur is a place where you can enjoy the dip in the sea as well as serenity. If you are going for a trip after a couple of years, and have short time, then GO for this place. A sweet escape from the hustle and bustle of the crowd!

We stayed in the peak time. For a two days stay, with everything from Kolkata - Shankarpur - Kolkata, Rs. 2500/head will suffice. Its a tight stuff, as the fooding and lodging is EXPENSIVE.


Copyright: Somnath Paul. Jan 2010. Shankarpur.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Silent Beats of a Common Man's Heart....

The morning sky was gloomy. Over cast, wet and chilling. The wind was blowing and the Googz wind-o meter recorded the gush at 10Km/h. The Sunday morning started with the normal pace. The usual break fast, a test cricket in Bangladesh, where the host was facing India. Sehwag captains after a heated word exchange over the issue that Bangladesh is not a side to be taken seriously. [At Tea, on Day 1, India was 160/6] I took the warm sips, ate the bread and butter with hot jalebis and then came my Honors students and the usual Physiology Hons class commenced. It was 12:15PM, the class was in its normal paced, trying to explain the Ephatic Synaptic transmission and the next topic of discussion to be Properties of the Synapse, when my mom announced: "Jyoti Basu is dead...." That drew a silence, after breaks of exclaimation amongst the students and the few customers in our Xerox booth. The Era has ultimately ended.


Coming 2010, I have had mentioned twice about this man. He has had been a great politician with a great mindset, many folds better than the present CM, of the same political clan. He was the last, who could properly express the Communism, in a Democratic nation. Often regarded as the Stalwart figure in the Rights of the Working Class and the Poor, Mr. Basu was never summoned as Jyoti Da. He was always called Mr. Jyoti Basu or with love and respect out of the awe of his achievements, he was called Jyoti Babu, I might not believe in the present work of his party and have faced and got involved in the Protest of The Party's and Party Goons' atrocities, many a times, but I respected the man. He was a thinker, a man, whom I can certify  with my "less acclaimed certificate", he was a man whom I say, apart from Late Mr. Subhash Chakraborty, who spoke out of the Party...




He might have done some blunders, like the Average state of Education in the State, too much Union goonism.... but his bout with the oppression in the post independence era, bringing about land reform gifted him with 5 consecutive sessions of CM-ship, the longest and a record. He was the eldest of the Statesman in India and is recognized by all from Bengal to India to the World.


Heard names of Che? Castro? Mr. Basu has created a history of surviving and strengthening the feel of Communism in the Largest Democratic Nation in the World, a feat that even Mao Tse Tung have failed to achieve. Marx thought, Lenin and Stalin strengtened, but the Bengal Brave optimized it.


Mr. Jyoti Basu, 1914 - 2010, breathes his last breathe at 11:47AM, at AMRI-SaltLake, Kolkata on 17th Jan, 2010.




Red Salute.... Lal Selam....

 

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Sensible? Is it...?

For the past fortnight, even more, the condition of Mr. Jyoti Basu has been into the trough and the crest of events, with the former condition being prevalent. Queries from the top notch politicians have ended and the new crops and categories are pouring into... with the Guest being concluded by Mr. Amitabh Bacchan, today. But this article is not on the fact of the celeb visits, its something called the matter of the "Cycle" of Life and Death. In a common belief among the Hindu religion and may be many more, we have believed in a cycle of life and death and what ever wrong a man does, he gets his due punishment on this planet, in that same life time. In Hindi it can be said जब कोई बहुत पाप या पूर्ण करता हैं, उश्का भोग या लाभ वोह इस्सी जन्म में कर जातें हैं | Augmentation to a native belief. Many people who doesnt love the Red nor the Basu, have been uttered to say that the excessive "Gunie pig" status of the 96 year old body is experiencing is the result of the curses that he has had recieved in his 20 years of Political career as the CM of West Bengal. I feel pity on the pity state no doubt, but the question is:

How true and Sensible is the Theory of Curse - Painful Clinical Experience go with in this Case?

We need to ask our souls.... for to many, Mr. Basu is still Demi God!!! Beware before you spit out these verses... This is a Blog, its justified...after all I am saving some paper and letting the tree grow... another IDEA.... Right SirJEE...?


Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Books, Books and More E-Books!!!

Have look, take a chill dive into the days of youth, when the maple still grew reddish yellow on time and more so you had time to check them and chase around behind the butterflies in the good old garden.

I am not talking about the aged and the seasoned, nor am I talking about the working lads... I am talking about the old days, when you enjoyed a sip of tea / coffee, baking in the winter sun...now a days, winter come and go, spring stays less and summer is warmer... Global Warming. But thanks to a good friend of mine, I tumbled across my childhood, the Enid Blyton and Arthur Conan Doyle days... A site with galore of e-books, just for you to enjoy and be merry....

Take a click... and move into the aegis of past and enjoy your childhood once again....

http://www.goanwap.com/ebook-0-0-0.html

You have Enid Blyton Series.... Sherlock Holmes, the less investigated [my] Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and The Three Investigators....

P.S: The Website has the following Disclaimer as well: The following list of books are available to be downloaded directly from this site at no charge. To the best of our knowledge they are all in the public domain and no rights are infringed by their inclusion here. If this is not the case, please notify us and we will immediately remove any offending title.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Just another Post...

A few days ago, the chill was unbearable, here in Kolkata. I had my normal precaution gear on, clad in the woolen strip from head to toe. Looking like a multi coloured sheep, I roamed across the streets of Kolkata, from central portion of the city to the southern fringes where rests my working place. A regular day's work was about to start, when a thought came across my mind. Why are slum people always black? It seems that the constant exposure to the Genomics, Proteomics and the intermittent Transcriptomics, I just fail to accept the granted norms of the society.

The Question bears an impact in my mind, till date and its over a week ago that it came around in my consideration!

I get into another week, not knowing what more can I expect my wandering mind to come up with, but one thing I can mention is that, the boon of performing work in a research intensive environment has brought back the portions of my gray mater used to Blogitize my thoughts! I came across another thought.....

In the present time, Mr. Jyoti Basu have been gravely ill and thanks to some irresponsible websites, he was nearly declared dead! But I ask one question. Knocking his door at 96th years of age, is it valid for people to ask and cling onto the worn out body of this great politician? he cant take the banes any more, as it seems, still we have medical panels and medical boards that are constantly reviewing on the present status of that person... I have one more question to ask... with all the Political colour into it.....

If the West Bengal govt claim that they have the best health hospitals in the state, then why is a state- representative treated in a private nursing home... I guess I have asked this question...but most people would shun this to answer as they would say I am a spokesperson for the opposition, but over here I am a spokesperson of the masses.... because, six years back, I lost my father in such a "state run hospital"....



The sky becomes gloom again.....................

Thursday, January 07, 2010

God is Kind...

After a lapse of over two years...well, almost, I have in hand certain get aways that I least expected at the end of 2009. After a short, notable trip to Gadiara, its time for another snip into the Southern most borders of Bengal, with a trip for the Shankarpur coming up. Noted as "virgin" beach, this place is known for it's serenity.... Search for certai images, and you have certain breath- taking galore of the Sea and its ballet with the Sun and the Sky....

A small family outing, towards the end of this month, it would be a welcomed break for many of us...

But the Chill in Kolkata continues to slaughter the bare skin...turning them cracked without moisture! It requires some picturesque rescue and Shankarpur is just the place for it....

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

"Jyoti Basu Dead!!"

Search with this terminology, and Google hits back with 46,800 hits. I am talking this of 7th Jan, 2010, when the "Rumor" spread across Calcutta, West Bengal >> India>> International arena about the life status of the great political leader of the nation. How much I might differ or agree with the idealogies, Mr. Basu will always remember as the All -in- One in the State, since my birth. Holding a record of being the longest spanned chief minister of a State in India, the post which he held for over 30 years since 1970s, the new of his death was a shocker to me. Back then I was performing a RNA gel electrophoresis. With a peculiar excitement to break the news, I went across a few adjacent labs in my institution, only to learn that the news was a Hoax! Want to see some sites that have hosted such a hoax! See here:


The website proudly publishes this news

Internet is a means, where we can express our ideas and thoughts as well as gain knowledge, but there should be certain ethics to every approach! The Chill Wave in Kolkata, with temperatures running at around 10-9'C each day, since the last week of 2009, this news have had put back some shivers away, but the cold feel, especially to people like us who love to blog around, certain aspects of freedom of speech makes us gulp! Be Sensible... use your pixels well....!

Saturday, January 02, 2010

Decade...

Sounds like a boring diary of the memorable events of the "naughties", then I must beg your pardon, as this excuse wouldn't be true to snob pass my blog... The Panorama spans through certain defining moments of my life, that today, when I did pay a visit to those architectures and a few of those architects, pulled me back...some a decade, some a half of dozen of years... All were reminiscence of the beautiful life that I had and look forward for some more, with more vibrant and mosaic appearance...

With strands of white appearing and like every normal mom, mine too is beating the drum for my marraige, citing examples of some of my friends who have dived or will be diving into the ocean of adventure, awaiting my survival to the fittest and managing a place in the "Society", to converge into the holy Rights of letting the two hands come together, keeping Fire the Witness for such Nuptial Rights...

What more, with Sourav starting the procession last year, in January, Suman [from a different canvas of my life] will be drawing a boundary between "Single" and "Married" this Feb. I am fighting all odds to defend my position, but need something fast so that I can draw some line some where... :-P

Anyways...looking for the Year ahead....