The Journey to the Tribal HeartLand - Bastar
Saturday, July 04, 2009If you missed the introduction to the land of surprises, you can read it here. :) Else enjoy the ride!
The nearest town where you can put up for stay is Jagdalpur which also is the district headquarters of Bastar. All the places of visit are at a distance of 40-100 kms from this town and are well connected by road. It might be the only town for all i know. There are many decent hotels and if its luxury you are looking for then it's catered to as well in resorts like Naman Bastar and Bastar Palace which is being converted to a Luxury hotel or if it is the local flavor you are seeking then Royal Bastar Farm gives you a taste of the Bastar culture and traditions.
Also the nearest airport is Raipur which is 300 odd kms from Jagdalpur. A lot of luxury and deluxe buses run to and from Jagdalpur to many major cities around. Bottom line is Jagdalpur is well connected by road and there is no need to panic if you cannot manage to get resevations in train.
Now without further ado, I welcome you aboard the Kirandool express. It’s 11 O’clock in the morning as we wait at Arakku for this passenger train that runs between Vishakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh and Dantewara of Chhattisgarh, a strongly recommended journey which takes you to the cynosure of the tribal heartland, Bastar passing through absolutely beautiful rustic scenery.
You’d pass through children playing under trees, cattle grazing along the intermittent fields, small culverts or big bridges with streams running, village men lazing under huge trees, a lonely walker walking through the barren beauty, rivers running along with you, if nothing you’d still be amazed by the stark beauty of the countryside views. All along the journey, I couldn’t help but wonder how simple life used to be earlier and how it is still for all these people. But hey, that’s just me and my pondering musings. This being a day journey, initially I had my doubts about losing a day in transit. At the end of the day, totally worth it!
It is 4 in the evening and now you are at Jagdalpur. A sign board saying “please alight here for Chitrakote falls and Tirathgarh falls” would welcome you in the charming little station of Jagdalpur, the district headquarters of Bastar. The first thing that hits you once out of the station is the old world charm of the town. Living in Bangalore, the place comes as a welcome change from the buzzing city life. Horse carts, jeeps and rickshaws who would ask as low as Rs.5 for 2 kms! (Let's forget the humanitarian aspect of it for now.)
It's 5.30 PM and we are all settled in our room for today. Let's call it a day now! I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did. Come tomorrow, we shall take a tour of the magnificent Chitrakote falls and more. :)
20 comments
Amazing! I can't wait for the rest to follow...
ReplyDeleteMy mom is from MP, had been around this area a few times in childhood.. and then..few initial trips to n fro bangalore-delhi. and I have enjoyed 'em like anything.. love the lazy train ride crossing every notch n corner.. and touching lives through those tinted windows.
ReplyDeletenice one!!
pretty pictures ... keep them coming :)
ReplyDelete@ Roshmi , Sandeep - thanks, will post the rest soon .. :)
ReplyDelete@ Poonam! - Thanks and nice to see you here.. :)
yea..even i like sitting next to the window and staring into oblivion... Love Indian Railways for that.. :D
simply amazing... do post more pictures.. I am now hooked onto chattisgarh.
ReplyDeleteRich, golden colors. The stark beauty of the landscape is undeniable.
ReplyDeleteHi Neelima...You have such a wonderful blog. Looks great! Thanks for the visit and keep visiting..! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWonderful travel tales you have neelu... great going [:)]
ReplyDeleteHow soon? I am waiting... seems like forever :(
ReplyDeleteP.S. You have been tagged yet again!
Check out my latest post: "More tags... One down, 2 more to go!" for further info...
More wait?????
ReplyDeleteYeh 'soon' kab aayega...?!!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Nilima, thanks for your comments about Bastar tourism on my blog. There are a lot of misconceptions in outside world about this region. Your comment is published.
ReplyDeleteI would like to be in touch with you since we seem to share some common interests, like travelling and photography.
Beautiful!
ReplyDelete@ Greener Banglore - Welcome to my blog! And thank you.. :) Glad you liked my posts.
ReplyDelete@ Radha - WoW! Nice seeing you here.. :) Welcome and keep visiting.. :)
@ Roshmi - :((( Haven't been able to get myself to write anything of late.. this week i'll definitely try to finish it.. hopefully! :D
And thanks for waiting for the next post.. gives me one more reason to write it soon.. :)
@ Sandeep Parkhi - Welcome to my blog! :)
ReplyDeletethanks for commenting..and keep visiting! I'd love to visit your blog often too since we share similar interests.
@ SloganMurugan - Thank you.. :)
@ College Girl - Thank you so much for paying a visit! :)I will surely vote for your blog..
hey there.... after seeing this blog ..i cudnt help commentin... "wow'... keep the story coming... ppl are anxious out here..
ReplyDeletefinally comment chesesaanu malli inko month varaku adagaku :P
jokes apart ...good going neelu
Srihaa! Finally you visited my blog and commented! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you.. Thank you..
Will write the rest of the trip logs soon.. keep checking.. :)
Can you please give me your email? You can mail me on sandeepparkhi@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteWe can surely exchange information and I will send you more photos when I travelled bastar area. I can send you picasa link as well.
Your sense of photography is just amazing.
ReplyDeleteBastar in Chhattisgarh is known for its incredible natural beauty of dense forests, hilly mountains, streams, waterfalls, natural caves, natural parks and many more. For all the latest and up-to-date information on Bastar Tour log on to: http://easytouristguide.com/off-beat-tourist-places/bastar-land-of-tribes-and-natural-beauty.html