[soumiksett]

It was a fine morning last week, and I got a call from one of my big brother, asking to find out a suitable weekend spot on 4th and 5th Sep 2021. I wondered to hear the dates, because I am also planning for a weekend drive on the same date. 2 + 2 became 4, and we started the planning together.

This time our team became big, 14 head including children. We decided to take 3 cars, which can accommodate 5 families. We decided to visit Susunia Hill in Bankura District. The staying options are limited there, moreover being the weekend all known options were booked on the dates. After a lot of searching we found a small home stay type accommodation at a distance of 4 km from the main spot, the view of the hill is small but nice from this hotel, lot of open space and plantations are there, fishing pond is there. Though the standard of accommodation is of medium type but the service staffs are very nice and the food quality is very good. The hotel is situated in a large valley type area and being at a distance of 4 km from the main point the crowd of tourists are almost nil here. Everybody liked the hotel and we immediately booked the full property.

According to plan we reached at Dankuni toll on 4th Sep morning at 6:15 am. Rest 2 cars met here, and we started our journey. This time our breakfast plan was to take the hot puri and sabji at Hotel Hindustan, Gurap. After breakfast we again started to run. We reached late at Durgapur due to repeated photography break. Anyway, we again met at Banskopa toll gate and took the route towards Gangajolghoti. Then we visited Bisinda Hill first. Marvelous view from far, full green surroundings, bloom of kaas flower everywhere. We spent some good time here though the Nachon Chodi Temple was closed as it was noon. Then we continue to the village roads with the help of gps, and reached Susunia Road, road surface was broken. The first glimpse of Susunia Hill was very attractive, took again a photography and tea break. We reached hotel around 1 pm.

The food price is slightly high in this hotel but quality is very nice. Lunch menu was fine dehradun rice, boiled potato,, brinjal fry, veg curry mixed with rohu fish, mug dal with green vegetables and kaju kismis, katla jhal ( 2 piece per head), papad, chatney, rosogolla. We spent afternoon by roaming outside, taking photographs, and idle walking on the beautiful village roads. Got a nice view of sunset over the valley. We had a great adda session in the evening. After dinner we again went to roam outside. Total dark outside, no sign of any light anywhere, cannot even see the persons just beside if the torch are switched off. I witnessed this type of darkness after a long while. No sound, pin drop silence, we started walking along with the road switching off all our torches. Thousands of stars are blinking in the clear sky, sound of frog from side ponds, continuous sound of jhijhee insects, n numbers of blinking firefly insects sprawling over the valley, marvelous view that was. We enjoyed this environment for a long.

Next morning we decided to start the trek at 6 am, but as usual we were late started at 7:30 am. We parked our cars at the base of the hill and started the trek. There was no road actually, only big big boulders with rough surface, a small casualness may cause danger. We started to climb very carefully, my son was also climbing with keen interest. The boulders are of waist height of my son, but he beautifully managed the total process, sometimes by the pressure of hand, sometimes by leg, sometimes by sitting, sometime by lying he maintained pace with us. We got tired very soon, weather was very hot and humid, but we were determined to reach the top of Susunia Hill. After 1 hour and 15 minute of strenuous climb we reached the top. The view was superlike from the top. We took some photographs and took rest for some time. We descended within 40 minutes.

We checked out from our hotel around 1 pm. On the way we took some interior village road and with the help of gps we reached Gangdua Dam. The road surface was very bad with big big gadda. The dam is big, very nice view, an Eco Park is there and an staying option is there on the side. Winter season may be very beautiful here. Then we reached Panagarh at around 4:30. After lunch we bid each other and started our return journey. We reached home around 9 pm.

We took the route Dankuni – Shaktigarh – Panagarh – Durgapur barrage – Gongajolghoti – Bisinda Hill – Susunia Hill – Gangdua Dam – Gongajolghoti – Durgapur barrage – Panagarh – Shaktigarh – Dankuni. Total distance came around 440 km. Road surface is all along good except the interior village roads, Durgapur – Shaktigarh stretch is very danger at night, because there are lots of potholes all along, few are really big, some patch work is done but the surface is not in same level.

Approaching Bisinda Hill


Bisinda Hill


Base of Bisinda Hill


My son


In front of our hotel


Left Susunia hill, right Bisinda Hill


Susunia Hill


View from our hotel


Valley in front of our hotel


Kaas flower


Magnificent sunset over the valley


My son giving the pose


Kaas flower captured by my little son


We together


Gangdua Dam


Gangdua Dam


My son as a photographer


Gangdua Dam staying option


Gangdua Dam


Gangdua Dam


Susunia - Gangdua stretch


Birds eye view from susunia hilltop


Birds eye view from susunia hilltop


Starting point of hill trek


Holi water


We together


Just a photoshoot

Children


Open dinning


Children


View from my room

[gmhossain]

Originally Posted by soumiksett

Total dark outside, no sign of any light anywhere, cannot even see the persons just beside if the torch are switched off. I witnessed this type of darkness after a long while.

Soumik, that's one of a unique experience , to say the least. I enjoyed reading this travelogue of yours. The beautiful greenery all around and the hillock in the background makes your photographs soothing for the eyes. Keep traveling and keep posting.

Best wishes,

[haisaikat]

Beautiful travelogue Soumik, you seem to have mastered keeping both a biker gang and a 4 wheeler gang while you continue to gift us hidden gems in Bengal with a nice family of like minded tourers.

The sight of kashful marks the advent of Autumn and Durga Puja so already starting to feel the nostalgia. 1 hour 15 min trek I may not be able to attempt with my level of fitness but the final photo from the hill top sums up the award.

Wish you continue to entice us with more of these in days to come. Darun Dada Chaliya Jaan !!!

[sayakc]

Dear Soumik,

I had thought of replying to your thread, long back. However, I am a staunch believer of the philosophy , better late than never

This thread of yours, done during the pre-pujo months when the kash flowers have started to bloom, but skies remain pregnant with dark, heavy clouds is an awesome time for photography - as evident from yours.

We had visited this place, but that was in winter. We had stayed at Murut Baha Eco Park for a night and the rural scenes of bullock carts, foggy mornings and the Susunia hill rising just beside us are things that I remember vividly even today.

Did you get a chance to visit Biharinath?

Please keep on sharing the beauties of Bengal! Attaching a few photos which we had taken in winter. Hope you wouldn't mind.











Best Regards,
Sayak

Originally Posted by soumiksett

We decided to visit Susunia Hill in Bankura District.

[soumiksett]

Lovely pictures Sayak da.

Winter is my all time favourite season but I cannot restrict my travel only in winter, ha ha ha, jokes apart this is my first visit to Susunia hill and i liked the place very much. Being the prepuja month we got sufficient beauty of kaas flower. I first enquired to Murutbaha Eco Park but on our scheduled date no AC room were available so I decided to book at Red Rock Resort. It is a very basic hotel but being at 4 km far from the main point of Susunia this resort is very calm and quiet and free from all crowds, we all liked this feature very much.

I visited Biharinath long back, in Sep 2013, only one hotel was there that time Biharinath Tourist Point. Hotel was nice. The place was also free from all type of crowd, I can remember the dense dark outside during evening time and sound of Dhamsa and Madol coming from far villages, an awesome feel that was.

Some of my pictures of Biharinath Hill