The sounds of the waves crashing on the banks of the Ichhamati river are so pleasant during late night. I watch this scene from the fourth floor balcony of a hotel at Taki.
The peaceful ambience of the late night hours is too enchanting. The only sound that I can hear is the sound of the waves and crickets beyond the territory of the resort. The darkness surrounds the resort. All that is visible is the endless and vast river.
Far from the hustle and bustle of Kolkata lies the sleepy hamlet of Taki, close to the India- Bangladesh border and 80 km from Kolkata. Tourists flock here during Durga Puja. According to the local people, all the hotels are pre-booked six months ahead. Hundreds of tourists crowd here to watch the immersion of Durga idols from both countries brought on boats at the immersion banks of the river.
We visited this hamlet during the summer vacation of 2023. Its picturesque ambience was indeed refreshing even during the summer. Coconut, betelnut and date palms are lined up around the bank of this river.
The visitors can go on boat rides. We took the last boat at 4.30 p.m. to escape the excessive heat and humidity in the afternoon. Our motor boat was controlled by Jugol Mondol. He showed us the Indian picnic spots, the remains of an old brick palace and the immersion ghats of both India and Bangladesh. Later, he steered the boat towards the confluence of the Kalindi, Ichhamati and Vidyadhari rivers, rowing over the Bangladesh border-based Island called Sathkhira. It was full of tall pine trees as we watched it from a distance. Finally, Jugal Mondol brought us back to our destination but not before showing us the spot where the Machranga Dweep, or the Kingfisher’s island, used to be before the Amphan storm hit the island in 2020 and swallowed it forever.
However, the ambience turned a little windy as dark clouds hovered below the sky. It was soon accompanied by strong winds blowing over the lawn and heading towards the vast river. This was followed by rain and a sudden storm. Jugol Mondol told us about the popular fishes found in this region. Taki is also famous for its original jaggery or Patali Gud found in winters and Gamchas. Many prefer to visit it during winters as there are some pleasant picnic spots including the Baganbaris.
The next morning, the places we visited include the Kuleshwari Kali Temple which is around 400 years old, the Joda Shiv Mandir or Twin Shiv Temple and the ancestral house of Shankar Roy Chowdhury, where we got to pick some ripe fallen mangoes which fell down after the last evening’s storm. We even found a unique flower called Shiv Phool or Nag Champa, growing abundantly on a creeper. The house where the famous Bengali movie Goynar Baksho was shot is also a part of the sightseeing here.
Overall, a trip to witness the splashing water of the Ichhamati will refresh anyone who wishes to take a break from the hectic city life of Kolkata.
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