Every few days the body and soul wants to escape from the routine drudgery and we venture out for a destination that would take us away from the incessant struggle for survival. There are plenty of obstacles – education of son, official compulsions, health of family members and limitation of financial resources – but so far we have been able to negotiate them fairly successfully and somehow could manage to travel 3-4 times in a year.
It is almost like an addiction – this habit of travelling. Sunrise and sunset looks beautiful even from our rooftop, monsoon drenched trees emanates delectable green smell even in Botanical Gardens of Kolkata, the bank of Ganges or the temple of Dakshineswar too have the capacity to provide peace of mind but it seems our senses need to be far away from familiar surroundings to be in receptive mood. In our ordinary living beauty often escapes our attention.
So we travel! Sometimes we travel long distances in railways, overlooking changing cultures, dresses, languages and landscapes, making new acquaintances and eating variety of foods and at other times we just travel a few hours by car or bus to reach a destination that is tucked in the corner of a nearby place. To our surprise, the most enjoyable ones are not always the most expensive ones and the most lasting memories also do not often belong to the most famous destinations. Playing with a crab on the pristine beach of Lakswadeep or an elephant ride amidst the towering trees of Radhanagar beach, Andamans remains as memorable as overlooking moonlit river of neighbouring Taki or posing romantically amidst the rugged but tree filled landscape in Shantiniketan.
Normally we try to avoid the crowd – as can be expected from someone living in a crowded city like Kolkata. Often we would found a place which took our breath away with something unexpected(like green Narmada water washing majestic marble rocks in Jabbalpur) or leave us overwhelmed with its grandeur(Dilwara temples of Mount Abu – so much beauty in such a small place!). Sometimes the journey would provide more entertainment than the destination(a five kilometres long trek from Hilley to Varsey, Sikkim amidst trees, birds and flowers) and at others we are confronted with raw beauty of nature with all its glory(watching wild rhinos and buffaloes munching grass from meters away while the peacocks, kingfishers and parakeets flew from one tree to another, covering the sky with a spectrum of colour, at Jaldapara, West Bengal). Then there are places whose spiritual and historical significance would force our heads down with reverence(Raj Ghat in New Delhi and Vivekananda Rocks at Kanyakumari). These are some of the glimpses and not even highlights of the wondrous country we call our motherland – India. To explore fully her is a mission of a lifetime of the most ardent traveller and I have no illusion that I will be able to complete it. And to think that we have been discussing one of her lesser virtues – physical beauty; she occupies a much higher place in terms of spirituality, culture and history.
However, in spite of provocation, I try to avoid leaving Kolkata during‘The’ annual event – Durga Puja. During these days, lakhs will swarm the roads round the clock in their most colourful attire, equipped with their springing spirit and compare notes about their favourite idol and pandal. There will be cultural events, sumptuous eat outs and lazy gossip sessions(the typical Bengali adda). And when it will be all over, there will be vacant looks and moist eyes. A thundering chorus would scream, ‘Aschhe Bochhor Abar Hobe’.(It will again happen next year) . and then smiles will return, however faintly, on our lips.
Thus, we try to maintain the balance. But it is not always an option due to various other factors. And then, for rest of the time, there are Books!
