My rural homestay!
The experience of riding in a classic Ambassador car and travelling in the famed local trains of Bengal, appear in the to-do list for anyone travelling here. The picture perfect sights of the various fishing boats and people swimming in the sacred Ganga shall remain etched in my mind. Several of my co-passengers paid their reverences by touching their foreheads with their fingers and closing their eyes. I did not forget to buy some of my favorite sweet-spicy lozenges.
Stepping onto the Bishnupriya -halt station which instantly transports one into another time period. The small little shops preparing hot tea and serving in mud/clay pots which have been used from times long gone. The only way to reach my relatively remote destination was by hopping onto a motor van ,misleading as it was basically a bike attached with a cart .All safety measures were forgotten. I felt like a bird wheezing past the paddy farms. Breathing in the cleanest air I just felt elated. The drizzle did not dampen our moods. Of course my mother yelled quite a few times in fear, it was an amusing sight.
Finally we reached the village our destination. The quaint little homes were made of mud, bamboo and had thatched roofs. The materials were indigenous and easily available. There were no gas stoves but the traditional “chulhas” were used to make amazingly crisp puris and potato sabji. The hospitality of relatives I had never met earlier overwhelmed me.
After exploring the rice granary circular in shape with a beautiful conical top and playing some gully cricket with a homemade bat. I cycled away to the farms with little Arijit my cousin. I was a little nervous about the roads but eventually got used to the terrain. We stopped at the mustard fields and having grown up watching Bollywood movies I felt like I was a part of some film. Later I picked some cucumbers and wandered about the sesame, gourd, and green leafy fields. The visual field was a pretty shade of green. A sense of peace and calm reigned. We got back.
For lunch we picked the plantain leaves on which we were to eat. The next morning was extremely entertaining as I woke up to the rustling of the mango trees. Before I could realize catapults were being used to chase the gibbons/langurs away. A sudden adrenaline rush filled my body as I started running behind them as they tried to camouflage amongst the bamboo thicket.
Later in the day I sat down with my new companions beside the pond situated next door admiring the ducks, chicken and cattle. Pebble throwing (frog leaps) was fun to learn and I realized I was doing not so bad after all. Some firsts included petting a pair of 5-day old baby goats and preparing maggi on a kerosene stove. I observed the hard work that the inhabitants put in with a smile every day, their political affiliations and the innocence of an 11 year old compatriot who embodied the philosophy of ‘sharing’, which is forgotten by most of us city bred individuals. As I left; the idea of it as a sustainable village and more remains.
I shall return when the mangoes have ripened and explore again
