[ABHI_1512]

INTRODUCTION

Durga Puja holidays usually bring out the travelers in almost every Bengali.As soon as the new year calendar comes up, we frantically start to look up for the holidays during the festive season. So it was during one such evening last year(2019) before Durga Pujas that we decided to spend our holidays in Silchar which is a prominent town in the Barak Valley of Assam. Durga Puja is celebrated in a major way in Silchar and you will be hard pressed to believe that you are out of Calcutta.You might not get the grandeur of Calcutta Pujas but the enthusiasm is no less than what it is in the City of Joy. And while we were in the midst of Astami anjali that we got to know that three of my friends in a major surprise would be landing up taking a flight from Calcutta to Silchar and voila - I have already made up my plan to visit Imphal taking all of them together. And thus started the journey to the land of the forgotten army - INA .

End is often the beginning




Day 1: Calcutta to Guwahati

So started on 1st October evening around 9 from Behala and immediately got sucked up in the mad traffic of Pujo revelry. It took me around two and a half hours to just reach Dankuni Toll Plaza. Dinner at Hindustan Dhaba has been a norm on this route and it was past midnight when we started after finishing the dinner. Entered Burdwan town and took the SH 7 which is the go to route to connect NH34 at Moregram since long. Surface has somewhat deteriorated over the years but still remains the preferred route over the dreaded NH 34 from Barasat till Bahrampur. The surface quality of the NH 34 towards Siliguri is kind of patchy at some places and you need to keep track of the diversions after crossing the Malda bypass and before entering Raigunj. Nevertheless after some not so spirited driving reached Siliguri around noon and took lunch at Khanna dhaba just before entering Siliguri. Now Khanna Dhaba serves food of decent quality and its location is bang opposite the runway of the Bagdogra Airport. It was kind of nice to see the landings and take offs of the flights while you are having your lunch. Leisure lunch took almost one hour and there was still around 560 kms to go still for Guwahati. Crossed Sevoke around 3 in the evening and the river bed of Teesta was overflowing with KAASH-PHOOL and I got lucky with a nice image as well. And then came one of my favourite places on this stretch- Tea Moments at Malbazaar. I always stop at this lovely joint which is one of a kind. A fuel pump and a tea joint is a rare combo and makes for a rejuvenating stop after more than a 12 hour drive- both for the driver as well as the vehicle ! Rest of the journey till Guwahati was uneventful and straight forward with no surprises and reached Guwahati at around 11 in the night and checked in directly to Hotel Landmark which is my go to place whenever I am in Guwahati. Took the pre ordered dinner at the hotel itself and crashed the bed like a dodo !

Teesta river bed


The sun setting beautifully



Day 3: Guwahati- Silchar

New morning after a really long drive and woke up late and leisurely took the breakfast at the hotel. Landmark hotel is just beside the old Nehru Stadium where international cricket matches were held once upon a time. It was wonderful to see budding cricketers and footballers practising their wares in the field directly from the hotel windows. Left the hotel at around 10 in the morning and started for Silchar. Now , this road was a nightmare earlier when there was no Shillong and Jowai bypass. Things have improved dramatically over some years and now this route after Jorabat is a toll road with around four tolls en route Silchar. Even the dreaded Sonapur has got a tunnel which was a gridlock zone a few years back due to frequent landslides. Stopped for some juices en route at Excelensia Dhaba which is also one of the few eating places which also serves non vegetarian fare

Progress was smooth and fast all along the fantastic surfaces of Guwahati - Shillong bypass - Jowai bypass till the time you cross the Assam border after Sonapur. After crossing over to Assam again and you can see and feel the difference instantly with broken patches and crater filled roads. There were some huge craters near Ratacherra which if unnoticed can turn into some nasty surprise. And now the worst part in the form of a flat tyre at a place called Kalain where the road surface almost disappears. And it was almost 6 in the evening with around 20kms of travelling left for the day till Silchar. Got down and got the hands dirty in a jiffy and after some 15 mins or so , we are again moving towards Silchar . That last 20 kms took 1.5 hours because of awful surface of the road. Entered Silchar at around 8 and crashed for the night.

Shillong bypass



OT: Silchar is also the place where my in laws stay

Next four days were spent in hopping of the Durga Puja pandals all across Silchar and the adjoining areas. Silchar is a vibrant town and is kind of a melting pot of people from the adjoining states of Mizoram and Manipur. In fact , there are Durga pujas which are celebrated in true Manipuri style and rituals. The Dashami is celebrated in a grand style in Silchar and the Durga idols are immersed in the Barak river with the immersion going on for two days. Such a spectacle this immersion procession is where everybody and anybody is part of the revelry.

Mirror image of the Haflong hills


This beautiful road leads to Haflong but is still incomplete at some sections


Dolu lake which is in the outskirts of Silchar town



Puja festivities over and done with and we were to start for Imphal after Vijayadashami and the date was October 10th. Had a talk with the Sumo operators of the Silchar- Imphal sector the previous evening and got to know that the road is good and should not take more than 8 hours to reach. One of them after looking at the vehicle even suggested that we should be able to cover the distance of around 180kms in less than 7 hours. My confidence soared after hearing the good words and little did I know what was in store for us the next day!

Day 10: Silchar-Imphal

In the excitement of going to Imphal , everybody got up early. But then one look at the sky and my confidence came crashing down. It was raining and the sky was overcast. Now the route form Silchar to Imphal was once a dreaded road because of militancy issues. Add to that the surface which was kind of patchy , I started to get worried. Nevertheless , started around 8 in the morning with five people on board and made steady progress till Jiribam. Jiribam is the first town after you enter Manipur. Fuel is cheaper in Manipur than the neighbouring Assam and I found an Indian Oil depot brimming with truckers lining up for fuel almost clogging the national highway. Some yards further and I was stopped by a policeman manning a check post and told to register my entry into the state. This registration of vehicles as well as occupants was done at three places en route. Usual questions answered and some entires after started again and then came the first blow. The entire road was clogged with vehicles lining up to cross the first suspension bridge at Makroh and since it was raining for the past few days , the road surface was non existent and there were deep rut marks of heavy trucks and tankers just before the suspension bridge. This massive jam took almost 3 hours of the schedule. Slush had made the surface slippery and with full load scrapped the car twice before getting onto the bridge. Now the bridge is so weak that the security personnel’s don’t allow more than one car at a time to cross . All this while there was no mobile network of any kind. Right after you cross Jiribam , there is hardly any network until you reach Noney ! As if to quantify the surprise of one suspension bridge , wham came the second surprise of the suspension bridge at Barak. The same story of Makroh repeated itself here as well and we were stuck for around 2 hours and to top it all , there were no eateries on this route till Noney

P.S: Whoever plans this route should keep this in mind that you need to carry food stuff and water in sufficient quantities.

Coming back again , two deadly gridlocked jams had made our schedule redundant and I stopped at Noney for some mobile network and to make a call to the hotel. It was already dark and Imphal was still a good three hours away. We had made the reservations at Sendra resorts at Loktak for two nights but the kind of schedule we were running ,it was almost impossible to reach Sendra by a decent time. I called up the hotel at Imphal and requested them to alter our bookings accordingly. It helped that the same Classic Group were running the Sendra resorts as well. Finally after some nerve wrecking driving through dense forests we finally managed to reach Imphal at around 10 in the night when almost all of Imphal had gone to sleep. Famished and tired after the gruelling journey , we ordered the dinner and retired for the night.

This is the first gridlock at Makroh


Someone was desperately trying to catch some network


This is how the suspension bridge looks from a distance


Day 11: Local sight seeing at Imphal

The Baahon was in a bad shape after yesterday’s drive and it needed a proper wash. Called up a friend who resides in Imphal and he recommended Khaden auto car wash which was not very far from our hotel. Now car wash in Imphal is a luxurious proposition and Baahon came out real good after the wash. Quickly went back to the hotel and after breakfast , made our first stop at the Imphal War Cemetery which is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Incidentally, the same CWGC also maintains a war cemetery in Calcutta and the lay out is also similar.Spent some time there and proceeded to see the new Govindjee temple. Now the new Govindjee temple is a pristine beauty in white marble and is place for the divine worship. It is also the largest Hindu and Vaishnavite temple in Imphal. Located just beside the palace of the former rulers of the Manipur kingdom. The palace though lies in shambles right now but there are plans to revive it to its past glory. The visit to the temple amidst the serene surroundings should be on the must visit list.

Next up was the Shahid Minar at Bir Tikendrajit Singh Park. After the defeat of Manipur by the British in 1891, Bir Tikendrajit Singh and Thangal general were hanged at the very site in front of around 8000 white clothed women in order to subjugate Manipuri pride . But the plan failed because Thangal general laughed aloud in a defiance of the oppression. The government of Manipur has dedicated the Shahid Minar in the memory of the martyrs who showed courage and sacrificed their lives for the independence of Manipur. Such a proud history of valour and courage. Moved on to EMA market which is actually the largest market in the world which is solely run by women. The women in the group started doing what they like best and that is shopping.The men, as is the norm, sat in a corner watching the evening pass by.
Oh and in between , had a fantastic lunch at one of the innumerable food joints ,forgot the name though ! Shopping sorted and we kind of were hunting for a nice coffee shop. Since we stayed at Classic Grande , the hotel itself had a lovely coffee courtyard along with some western music to hum along. We spent listening to the country songs and coffee in the evening and what an evening it was. And the folks who are thinking why coffee then just for the information - Manipur is a dry state!

The beautiful Govindjee temple - pristine in white


Baahon in front of the entry gate of Govindjee temple


This is the sanctum sanctorum of the Govindjee temple


Erstwhile palace gate of the ruler of Manipur


Shahid Minar at Bir Tikendrajit Singh Park



Perks of being retired-enjoying a good read under the afternoon sun


The mighty EMA market



Notice the eco friendly battery operated lights



Day 12: Visit to Kangla Fort- the seat of Manipur

Well , day 12 started with a surprise again when we ended up having the breakfast staring at eminent lawyer Salman Khurshid sitting beside our table with his team of lawyers.He was there for an assignment and was readily acknowledging anybody who greeted him. Surprise over and we started for Kangla Fort. Kangla is the seat of Manipur and often regarded as the political and religious capital of Manipur. It’s grand and spread over acres of land. It was under Assam Rifles for as recent as 2004 but keeping the religious, cultural and political aspirations of the people of Manipur , it was handed over to the government of Manipur in the year 2004. I will let the pictures do the talking here . There is an old Govindjee temple inside the Kangla Fort as well . Distinctive colour makes the temple unique in many ways . The Kangla fort also holds a very unique get together and which we were very lucky to see is Mera Hou Chongba which is practically a tool of brotherhood among all the indigenous tribes of Manipur. The camaraderie that we noticed through the ceremony will be etched in our memories forever.


Kangla Fort- the seat of Manipur


The temple inside the compound of Kangla Fort



The different tribes entering the Kangla Fort in unison


The old Govindjee temple inside the Kangla Fort


The old Govindjee temple is an architectural delight



Day 13: Onwards to Moirang and Loktak

Due to the perils of the first day , we had to alter our plans and we ended up staying at Imphal for 3 nights and which resulted in cutting short our Loktak plans. Started early from Imphal and headed for Moirang first . On the way , I went to meet my school friend with whom I was meeting after almost 23 years . Spent some time at his barracks and headed back to Moirang . Now Moirang has a special place in the history of India. It was here that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose set up his Indian National Army base and it is here that the Indian tricolour was hoisted for the first time on the Indian Soil by the INA on 14th April 1944. There is a INA memorial in Moirang and a museum as well which depicts the bravery of the soldiers. It was here that Netaji also put a memorial stone for the martyrs of INA and which still adorned the place.

Our stay at Loktak lake was at Sendra Park and resorts run by Classic group of hotels. The property is situated on a hillock and overlooks the Loktak lake from every side. They have some beautiful cottages overlooking the Loktak lake and you can enjoy mesmerising views sipping tea from the upper balcony . Food is the highlight here and they have a restaurant as well which doubles up as a food joint for people coming over for day tripping to Loktak. After lunch , we took a boat ride across Loktak where the boat will take you to see the Phubdis ( the giant floating vegetation’s spread all across the Loktak lake . The ride was great and we got to see some mesmerising views . From there we went to Keibul Lemjao National Park which is also the only floating national park in India. Keibul Lemjao Park is also home to the endangered deers named Sangai and which are only found here. You can drive your vehicle inside through the park to the view point. We did get to see the sangai’s but couldn’t get to capture them on camera in the fading light. Although seeing the moon rise kind of made up for the disappointment. Sight seeing over and we got back to the cottage for some nice chit chat over fresh shrimp delicacy served hot by the nice people at Sendra Park. One day spent in absolute bliss and talks on how beautiful Manipur is . We didn’t kind of attempted to go to Moreh since everybody was convinced that there is not much left to shop.


Baahon standing outside the INA Memorial


This memorial stone was first put by the great Netaji in remembrance of the martyrs of the INA



Locals fishing on the Loktak lake for their daily fill



Day 14: Solo Return journey

Now this day was going to be little different since all my friends will be flying off from Imphal including my better half and I would be driving back to Calcutta all alone. So I started very early in the morning from Loktak since I had to take into account the massive jams that we encountered while coming down to Imphal. The rest of gang decided to hire a Bolero from the hotel for a drop to the airport. To my surprise , I reached Silchar in precisely 7 hours with absolutely no traffic mess. Continuos sunshine had made the treacherous road manageable near the two suspension bridges.

So I ended up reaching Silchar by 2 in the afternoon ,just in time for the lunch.Took rest the entire evening and night and then started for Calcutta the next day. The same drill of Silchar -Guwahati and Guwahati - Calcutta followed and this entire journey came to an end. Hope you all enjoy reading and seeing the pictures as much as I enjoyed clicking the pictures.

Till next time ,cheers.

[ABHI_1512]

In continuation of the thread, attaching some pictures for all to see. All the north eastern states hold immense potential as a proper tourist destination, its about time that the North East in general get its fair share of prominence among the discerning travellers. Host of facilities still need to be in place, decent hotels and home stays are the order of the day and most importantly, the tourists need to understand that people from the north east are just like any other people from around the country and are friendly enough to make friends for a lifetime.

Some pictures in no particular order :

Dolu lake in front of the Dolu tea estate Silchar



Baahon inside the Dolu tea estate,it has to be one of the most beautiful tea estates in the country


That’s a unique looking fruit which I couldn’t recognise


Baahon in front of the cottage at Sendra Park


Lush paddy fields were in full glory, clicked near Nungba


This rock cuts reminded me of Unakoti ,Tripura


Entrance to Kangla Fort


View of Loktak lake from inside the cottages at Sendra Park


The unique Phubdis or the floating mass of vegetation seen from the boats at Loktak lake


Cottages where we stayed at Sendra Park and resorts


Spectacular Moonrise at Keibul Lemjao National Park


Baahon at the view point of Keibul Lemjao National Park


March to the Kangla fort


Unique headgears which are part of the tradition across the tribes of Manipur


Waterbody surrounding the Kangla Fort


Loktak lake with its mirror image



Hotels stayed :
1. Landmark Hotel Guwahati , decently priced and at the heart of the city with ample parking spaces and good service.

2. Classic Grande Imphal , fantastic property with ample parking spaces and brilliant service. The location is near the heart of the city.

3. Sendra park and resorts Loktak ,part of the Classic group of hotels and having ample parking places with double rooms and cottages overlooking the Loktak lake .

[vb-saan]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues Section. Thank you for sharing!

[MSMILES]

Nice write up. Very Nostalgic to learn about the Indian National Army and the history about this. Thank you for taking us down the memory lane.

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by MSMILES

Nice write up. Very Nostalgic to learn about the Indian National Army and the history about this. Thank you for taking us down the memory lane.

Thanks MSMILES , it kind of gave me goosebumps when we visited the INA Memorial at Moirang. Interesting memorabilia are kept at the museum as well and should be visited just to know the history and sacrifice of the brave soldiers of INA .

[lejhoom]

Thanks for this lovely write-up. Do you have more photos of Silchar? It's true that people of North East are friendly and the place itself is beautiful and there are so many unexplored destinations there, lack of good roads there, I believe, is the prime reason for the stunted growth in tourism. People there should unitedly fight to change that.

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by lejhoom

Thanks for this lovely write-up. Do you have more photos of Silchar? It's true that people of North East are friendly and the place itself is beautiful and there are so many unexplored destinations there, lack of good roads there, I believe, is the prime reason for the stunted growth in tourism. People there should unitedly fight to change that.

Thanks Lejhoom for the kind words ,since I was in Silchar during the Pujas only, I don’t have much pictures except of the Puja Pandals! If there is anything particular that you want to know about Silchar then I can surely help you with that . Lack of good roads in NE used to be an impediment but not anymore. Road infrastructure has improved over the years and plus work is going on in certain inaccessible sectors as well. I am sure tourism will see some growth in NE but then also skeptical about the over tourism part as well!

[Anduril]

Nicely penned down and lovely travelogue, thanks for sharing. Loved the pics, specially the one showing locals fishing on Loktak lake.
This is even more nostalgic after watching Amazon Prime's "The Forgotten Army".

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by Anduril

Nicely penned down and lovely travelogue, thanks for sharing. Loved the pics, specially the one showing locals fishing on Loktak lake.
This is even more nostalgic after watching Amazon Prime's "The Forgotten Army".

Thanks for the kind words Anduril .The locals fishing on the Loktak lake is a spectacle in itself , using indigenous methods of fishing is what the community does and is really interesting.

[dhanushmenon]

Very beautifully written. Special mention and kudos to the wonderful snaps. The kind that makes you yearn to visit those lovely places.

Wishing you many more happy miles.

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

Very beautifully written. Special mention and kudos to the wonderful snaps. The kind that makes you yearn to visit those lovely places.

Wishing you many more happy miles.

Thanks for the good words dhanushmenon, coming from you it feels real good.Yes, the north east in its entirety is beautiful and Manipur has a special part to play for its place in the history. I am sure you will love the place as much as your PB registered 500, regards.

[gmhossain]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

They have some beautiful cottages overlooking the Loktak lake and you can enjoy mesmerising views sipping tea from the upper balcony . Food is the highlight here ...

Thank you ABHI_1512 for putting up such a beautiful travelogue on the most exotic parts of our country. Your travelogue, I am sure, would strike chords within some of us to plan a visit to the north eastern states.

Best,

[ABHI_1512]

Originally Posted by gmhossain

Thank you ABHI_1512 for putting up such a beautiful travelogue on the most exotic parts of our country. Your travelogue, I am sure, would strike chords within some of us to plan a visit to the north eastern states.

Best,

Thanks much for the kind words gmhossain Da, yes that part of the North East is wonderful, I am sure you will love the place as much as you will enjoy the drive, regards

[ABHI_1512]

While going through clutter, found the camera SD card that had the Manipur pictures and which was misplaced at the time of posting this thread which mainly consisted of mobile pictures. So, just to refresh some memories, adding some pictures here from Imphal and Loktak lake.

Pictures from in and around Kangla Fort


















Imphal War Memorial which is still managed by the commonwealth nations.One such cemetery is in Calcutta as well in Bhowanipur area.


Pictures from the yearly event of Mera Hou Chongba where major tribes of Manipur celebrate the spirit of brotherhood.

[ABHI_1512]

Loktak lake is a beauty that has to be seen and felt. That a lake can be a source of earning as well as a living place of so many souls is just fantastic. The PHUBDIS or the small circle like vegetation all across the lake is very unique to the place itself. Some pictures of Loktak lake :






















Pictures of Baahon inside the Keibul Lemjau National Park, by the time we finished, it was dark and it was some adventure for sure driving inside a National Park that is part of the floating mass of Loktak Lake.




Manipur is a treasure trove of beautiful landscape and should be visited for the sheer feeling to be at a place where our Great Subash Chandra Bose unfurled the national flag of our country even before independence. I certainly can't wait to be in Manipur again.