Subhasis Banerjee

MAHABALESHWAR At an altitude of 1372 metres, it is the largest hill station of Maharashtra and is frequented by the Bollywood film industry for their outdoor shootings. The place abounds in natural beauty and houses the historic Pratapgarh Fort built by the legendary Maratha emperor, Chatrapati Shivaji. Mahabaleshwar may be called the ‘land of view points’. Echo, Hunting, Babington, Malcolm, Monkey, Elphinstone, Kate’s, Wilson and Ladwick points along with Arthur Seat provide mesmerizing views of the surrounding hills, forested slopes and the verdant valley below. The huge tabletop plateau of Panchgani is an important excursion from here. Accessibility : 120kms north, Pune is the nearest air and railhead from Mahabaleshwar and is well connected by roads. Accommodation : There are many good Hotels and Resorts apart from a Tourist Lodge in Mahabaleshwar. Season : Throughout the year.

NAGGAR At an altitude of 1,790metres overlooking the brilliant Kullu Valley, the heavenly hamlet of Naggar is a fortified location. It was the capital of the Kullu kings before 1660 AD. A beautiful castle overlooks a huge meadow with a spectacular view of the valley below. The Fort also houses a museum depicting the history of the place and the Kullu kings. Accessibility : 5kms from Katrein, the place is approached by road from both Kullu and Manali. Accommodation : There is a Tourist Lodge inside the Castle. There are a few Government Rest Houses as well. Season : October to June.

KATREIN Situated on the banks of the River Beas at an altitude of 1,460metres and very near to the famous hill station of Manali, it is a splendid haven against the scenic backdrop of apple orchards and perennially snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. This is also an excellent retreat for Trout fishing. Accessibility : 18kms south of Manali and 21kms north of Kullu, this place can be reached from both these places by road. During the months of March to June and September to October, flights are available from Delhi . Major railway stations nearby are Kalka and Chandigarh . It is best to arrive directly by road from these railway junctions or from Shimla. Shimla is 240kms, Chandigarh is 291kms and Kalka is 330kms south of Katrein. Accommodation : A Tourist Lodge run by the state tourism department, standard and deluxe Hotels and Resorts are available in Katrein. Season : October to June.

  DANDELION Dandelion is a species of flowering plants that grow in many parts of the world. They are also known as Taraxacum officinale . They may in general appear to be a very stubborn weed but in reality they are of tremendous health benefits to humans. For ages, they have been traditionally used to treat a number of human physical ailments and disorders. The species of Taraxacum are tap-rooted, perennial, herbaceous plants native to temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The genus contains many species which usually reproduce by apomixis, resulting in many local populations and endemism. In the British Isles alone, 234 microspecies are recognised in 9 loosely defined sections of which 40 are probably endemic. The flower head is surrounded by bracts in two series. The inner bracts are erect until the seeds mature and then flex downward to allow the seeds to disperse. The outer bracts are often reflexed downward but remain pressed in plants of the sections Palustria ...

MADHAV NATIONAL PARK With a varied terrain of dry hills, deciduous forests and flat grasslands around a huge lake, the Madhav National Park of 158 sq km offers abundant opportunity for sighting wildlife. Rich in avifauna, it is also a birdwatchers’ paradise with the huge lake acting as a good venue. The rich birdlife includes Grey Lay Goose, Pochard, Pintail, Lesser Whistling Teal, Mallard, Gadwall, Red Wattle Lapwing, Red Whisk-cared Bulbul, Large Pied Wagtail, Pond Heron, White Breasted Kingfisher, Cormorant, Painted Stork, White Ibis, Paradise Flycatcher and Golden Oriole. This erstwhile royal hunting ground is also replete with animal life, which includes Leopard, Sloth Bear, Nilgai, Chital, Chinkara, Chowsingha, Black Buck, Indian Gazelle and Common Langoor. Accessibility : From Shivpuri, a drive of only 12kms takes one to the sanctuary. Accommodation : The state Tourism Department’s (Madhya Pradesh) Tourist Lodge and the Tourist Village at Shivpuri along with a number ...

BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK This 450 sq km National Park and Tiger Reserve of rocky terrain and dense forests of Sal, Bamboo and mixed deciduous forests support an abundant population of Tiger, Leopard, Panther, Dhole, Asiatic Jackal, Bengal Fox, Stripped Hyena, Jungle Cat, Sloth Bear, Hard Ground Barsingha, Grey Mongoose and Small Indian Civet. This is the only place in the world where the rare White Tiger is found. Inside the Park, there lies the 2000-year-old ruin of the Bandhavgarh Fort containing numerous caves, shrines and ancient Sanskrit inscriptions. Another attraction of the Park is its teeming birdlife. Blossom Headed Parakeet, Purple Moorhen, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Honey Buzzard, Rudy Shelduck, Hornbill, Heron, Comb Duck, Red Jungle Fowl and Kingfisher along with a number of other birds are important members of the avian population of the Park. The state Tourism Department in collaboration with the Forest Department organizes jeep and elephant safaris inside the Park that p...

KANHA NATIONAL PARK This is the original Kipling country, so vividly described in his Jungle Book. The same abundance of natural splendour remains largely unaffected even today. The Sal and Bamboo forests, the rolling grassland and the meandering streams of 968 sq km construct this brilliant Tiger Reserve of the country. Home to the endangered Hard Ground Barsingha, the Park also houses a large variety of mammals collaged with a rich variety of avian species. The game includes Tiger, Leopard, Panther, Dhole (Wild Dog), Striped Hyena, Sloth Bear, Jackal, Three Striped Palm Squirrel, Wild Boar, Black Buck, Swamp Deer and Mouse Deer. The avian population includes Bulbul, Magpie Robin, Wagtail, Drongo, Tree Pie, Rose Finch, Thrush, Minivet and Teal. The highest point of the Park, Bamni Dadar, also called the Sunset Point, offers a spectacular view of the Park. Accessibility : 165kms from Jabalpur on the Kolkata-Mumbai railway line via Allahabad and 163kms from Bilaspur on the Kolkata-...

COVID-19 & WE HUMANS Since my very childhood, I have been hearing a very common phrase from my parents, grandparents, teachers & all elders, whenever times were testing, personally or in general, that “Life Is Not A Bed Of Roses”, as you all have probably heard. But today, in a matured age, I can very well understand its implication amidst the bleak pandemic that has engulfed us. We are all marooned in our own homes, closeted by the nefarious Corona Virus, anxiously trying to fathom our future, although there is not even a glimmer of light in the horizon till date. Uncertainty is looming large on our lives – physical, mental & economical. We are suffocating under a diabolic challenge. Our vulnerability is palpable & our existence is at stake. Visuals of streaming dead bodies globally are making us more fearful. We are awed to the hilt. But amidst all this, Life is teaching us oracular lessons. COVID-19 is not sparing anybody irrespective of class, colour, ...

CORONA VIRUS IN THE CONTEXT OF NATURE For over a century, we humans, the self-proclaimed ‘Superiors’ of the animal kingdom, have fingered Mother Nature relentlessly in spite of living in its womb & now it’s the Nature’s turn to finger us. It warned us for the last few years with missiles like SAARS, EBOLA & NIPA along with high-speed #climatechange, but no one seemed to bother. Now, under the lethal attack of #coronavirus we are suffocating to survive. We humans are responsible for this humongous blunder & there is no one else to blame. See, no other member of the animal kingdom has been affected by this virus. What did we learn from this? That Mother Nature has its own ‘auto-clean’ system that it uses to flush out malwares as & when they try to subvert its system. For easier understanding, when we cleanse our computer’s hard disk with whatever antivirus software of cache, registry & traces & restart our computers, they automatically start functionin...