Coastal Trekking In India - A Traveler's Diary

By Indrajit Bandyopadhyay

Trekking is adventure and the very metaphor for life. Though trekking in mountainous region is most popular, there are various avatars of trekking to add spice to life - like desert trekking, nature trekking etc. In this book, the author, an avid traveler, photographer and nature lover, narrates his two experiences of coastal trekking - Chandipur to New Digha, and Paradeep to Konark. India offers a vast coastal line which thrives with rich bio-diversity and cultural diversity. Therefore, coastal trekking offers one the unique opportunity to know True India. Reading this book, one would feel one is actually trekking along the Indian coast. The author's excellent capture of flora, fauna and human culture along the coast, gives one a firsthand glimpse of the unknown India.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365497384

Book preview

Coastal Trekking In India - A Traveler's Diary

Coastal Trekking In India - A Traveler's Diary

Indrajit Bandyopadhyay

Copyright © 2016 Indrajit Bandyopadhyay

All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-365-49738-4

Dedication

I dedicate this Book to the spirit of Adventure in all, and to all Nature Lovers.

Content

1. Chandipur-on-Sea to New-Digha Coastal Trek

2. Coastal Trek- Paradip to Konark

3. About the Author

Coastal Trekking In India - A Traveler's Diary

Adventure for Bold and Beautiful Minds

Chandipur-on-Sea to New-New-Digha Coastal Trek

I love to trek alone, or with one or two friends. However, when Arjun, my occasional trekking partner, said that Adventure Sporting Club, Chandannagore (of which he is a member), is organizing a coastal trek from Chandipur to New-Digha, I agreed to join them for two reasons.

First, I had no previous experience in coastal trekking. Secondly, coastal trekking is a team game, and the better the team the better the experience.

Adventure Sporting Club, Chandannagore, has many successful expeditions under its belt. Recently they have returned from Everest Base Camp expedition. I had previous acquaintance with some members, so, I did not hesitate to accept Arjun’s offer.

Our team members were – Sushil Mohan Talukdar alias Bara-da (73), Subodh Acharya (64), Rarendra Dutta (64), Sekhar De (59), Subrata Chatterjee (58), Alok Dutta, alias Babu-da (54), Jayanta Kundu, alias Kundu-da (50), Prasanta Biswas (47), Arjun Nandi (40), Shantanu Das, alias Hari (40), Sanjiv Sarkar (40), Srikanta Pal, alias Patol (38), Prasanta Manna, alias Shanko (35), and Prantik Roy (24), and of course, I.

In short, the senior-most member is Bara-da of 73 years, and the youngest is Prantik of 24 years.

Kundu-da was the team leader.

White T-Shirts and saffron cap (no! no agenda implied) with the club’s logo were distributed to the participants at a pre-tour meeting held at the secretary Tarun-da’s house. Kundu-da also gave each a ‘must-carry’ check-list.

Our tickets for Balashore were booked in East Coast express scheduled to depart Howrah at 11.45 am on 09-11-11.

The regions we would trek will be much important in the coming years in Orissa’s economy and development.

14 locations have been identified on Orissa coast to be developed as port. These locations include Chandipur (Balasore), Bahabalpur (Balasore), Subarnarekha mouth (Kirtania) in Balasore district and Talsara (Balasore) – the places we would touch. Most of the locations among them have already been developing as port in the public private partnership (PPP). [http://wapedia.mobi/en/Orissa?t=4.)

Day-1 – Reaching Chandipur

Reaching Howrah at 10.30 am we get the first bad news that East Coast has been re-scheduled to depart at 1.15 pm. We spend the time chatting, and sipping coffee. Our rucksacks and common luggage consisting of two gigantic stoves, kerosene, and snacks and ration etc. (which is referred to by the team as ‘company-mal’), as also our dress often became a matter of curiosity to other passengers.

As the train starts, our food exploration began.

Adventure Sporting Club’s philosophy is simple: ‘Have an adventurous spirit, walk hard, and never forget to satisfy the Appetite-God.’

The menu for our lunch is bread, ‘palang-panir’ prepared by Kundu-Boudi (Kundu-da’s wife), and of course chicken curry. Before we finish, the second innings with choicest sweets from Kolkata and Chandannagore take over.

The train, already delayed, delays more. Sometimes, our train perches peacefully at unknown stations, while known trains whoosh by.

We reach Balashore at 6.35 pm. Some members get busy for marketing – the cereal and vegetable ration for next two days. Some members book a matador that would take us to hotel in Chandipur. We reach Chandipur – 16 km from Balashore - at 9 pm.

We book a dormitory of 16 beds at Hotel Anandamayee. This time of