Purulia unveiled a new face of Bengal before me. I've been to the hilly parts of Bankura district. But Purulia is different. It's rough & enigmatic. And believe me, this harshness is the beauty of Purulia.
There is a large forest cover. Still the area looks nude. There are rivers & falls. But the area is arid.
We got off at Barabhum station from where trekker takes approx.40 minutes to reach Baghmundi, the nearest town to Ayodhya hills. When we left the station area behind we entered a whole new world of undulating land, red soil, forest, rocks & hills.
AYODHYA HILLS
Ayodhya & other hills in the western parts of West Bengal are parts of the Eastern Ghats. Ayodhya,situated in Purulia district near the border with Jharkhand is under thick forest cover & houses many wild animals. In the parts where human activities are high, density of forest & animal species is low. Other parts or peaks are out of reach the tourists.
In 2008 was inaugurated Purulia Pumped Storage Project, a hydroelectric power plant generating 900 MW of energy. When the water rushes down from the upper to lower reservoir, its kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy.
The upper & lower reservoirs, popularly known as upper & lower dam are breathtakingly beautiful. Large water bodies on the lap of the hills provide our body, soul & mind with much needed relief in this land of hard,solid rocks! Rigidity & fluidity here lie together & create beauty.
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LOWER DAM
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| UPPER DAM |
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| DAM TOP ROAD ( UPPER DAM) |
Mayur pahar (peacock hill) is a peak of Ayodhya hills. Getting to its top is no difficult job. Mayur pahar allows the panoramic view of Ayodhya range.
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| FROM TOP OF MAYUR PAHAR |
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| PART OF THE PANORAMIC VIEW OF AYODHYA |
Bamni is a beautiful river flowing on the hills. Rocks of various shapes & sizes try to hinder har path. But Bamni is undomitable. She makes her way through the rocks & ultimately falls off the cliff making an enigmatic falls & a lake below. Adventurous souls climb down to catch a glimpse of the falls.
Though rattling sound of the water, huge rocks, thick foliage & solitude give an eerie sensation, Bamni falls is a must-visit place.
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| BAMNI FIGHTING WITH THE ROCKS |
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| BAMNI |
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| BAMNI |
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| YOUNGSTERS BEFRIENDED BAMNI |
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| BAMNI FALLS |
Matha buru ( 'buru' means hill) is the training ground for the rock climbers. The hill is quite high & almost nude. Hats off to the people who climb up this formidable mass of rock !
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| MATHA BURU |
Popro kocha was suggested by the locals. According to them, this is the best spot in Ayodhya. We drove past the tribal villages. Their houses are fine examples of artistry!
The tribal people don't have any formal training in painting. But that doesn't deter them from embellishing their humble mud houses with beautiful designs. The sketch, colour combination, everything is impeccable.
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| A TRIBAL HOUSE |
When we reached
Popro kocha, we all went 'WOW!' In front of our eyes was a huge lake surrounded by hills. On the backdrop was a hill with two peaks standing like two bodyguards in 'alert' position. Near the lake was a plain field. Maybe Nature was tired of making plateaus & hills & for a change crafted this small piece of plain land!
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| POPRO KOCHA |
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| THE PLAIN LAND |
CHORIDA
Chorida is 3 km. away from Baghmundi. This can be called 'village of masks' because Chorida produces masks used by the chhau dancers. Also,the smaller masks used as showpiece are made here.
People of all age groups in the village are engaged in the business. The village looks like a workshop. You'll find masks being dried out roadside, little boys preparing the headgears, seniors doing eyes,lips etc. of MAA DURGA. The masks are made without using mould.
Chhau dance depends heavily on MAA DURGA. This power packed dance form depicts the tale of GODDESS DURGA killing the dreadful demon MAHISHASUR. So, the masks of MAA DURGA, GANESHA, ASURA dominate the market.
Bengalis love simplicity. They have the ability to create extraordinary with the help of ordinary. To believe this you have to see how the masks are made using paper mash, soil,plastic beads, iron wire etc.
