Purulia Punches In A Surprise

By Moumita Kundu

“I travelled miles for many year / spent a lot in lands afar... But I haven't seen with these eyes What two steps from my home lies”... Following Tagore’s maxim,I had decided to weekend in Purulia,a place very near to my current city (Medinipur); 4 hours of travel and voila! I arrived to the place which is undoubtedly Bengal’s best kept secret.

Purulia is a place where you can soothe your eyes with multi-hued greens of the Ayodhya hills and quench your soul with the huge number of lakes and waterfalls that stud the landscape. The planning was sudden but I still managed to book a lake facing deluxe room in Hotel Akash Sarovar,.

Purulia is most famous for the Ayodhya hills, Pakhi pahar, Mayur pahar etc :all of which offer you a great viewpoint without much effort. But Bamni falls will take a real test of your physical fitness. Climbing down around 600 steep and winding stairs is not an easy feat but the view down there is sure to take your breath away if the effort already hasn't.

There are several lakes: Lohori, Lower dam, Upper dam Baranti, Panchet :all of which are similar yet unique in their majesty. The dense forests which fringe the roads create an enchanting mileu in the dwindling sunlight.

Joychandi pahar,the shooting location of the very famous film Hirak Rajar Deshe by Satyajit Ray , offers yet another panoramic view of the picturesque landscape.

The surprises that Purulia has to offer end not here. The historical Garh Panchkot stands in ruins to remind us of the Bargi attack of the 18th century.

And last but not the least ,it is the very famous Chorida village or mask village which had me mesmerised to no extent. The intricate craftsmanship of the artisans there and the gamut of design they offered in their handmade masks is sure to inspire awe. But what struck me by surprise is that despite their huge commercial potential ,the artisans are hardly eager to sell their handiworks ,so immersed are they in their creative pursuit. As a result the masks (mostly for the Chhou dance) are imbued with an uniqueness of craftsmanship.

In that idyllic setting, I had an epiphany: the importance of masks in our lives; how we need to don different masks for different times, how our success in life and relationships depend on our ability or inability to choose an appropriate one. Yes, it's absolutely worth your time and effort to procure some of them as souvenirs. Purulia has a lot more to offer and for that my advise would be to have a more organized itinerary. Looking forward to my next vacation. Till then, happy reminiscing.

By Moumita Kundu