A rendezvous with the Fortunate Man
As the weekend approached, my partner decided to go for a small trip with his office mates and I decided to go on a small expedition. This time it was Chintamoni Bird Sanctuary which is located near Narendrapur, neighborhood within 24 Parganas(South) district, West Bengal
Brief About the Place
The Chintamoni Bird Sanctuary also known as ‘Kayaler Bagan’(The garden of Koel) was founded in the year 1982. The Sanctuary is named after the eminent sculptor Chintamoni Kar who made significant contribution towards the Sanctuary. In 2005, Government took the complete ownership and was opened to public. Spread across 17 Acres it houses a wide range species of birds, butterflies, spiders, ferns and Orchid.
Getting Started for the expedition
It was a Saturday morning , rather a gloomy one. I got dressed, packed the essentials (cyclometer, water, Frame bag and a small carry bag) and set off on our journey. The Sanctuary is roughly 7km away from my stay.
The Chanced Encounter
It took almost 45 minutes to reach the place. Got the bike parked and took the entry ticket(costs 50 bucks).
As I entered the sanctuary, there was an elderly gentleman sitting on a chair in-front of mud house and reading the newspaper. I went ahead and asked if he is the tour guide for the place. He replied, “ I am the care-taker of the place and you don’t need a guide. Just go around and have a look.” He added that there’s a less chance of spotting the birds as the weather was gloomy. I asked his name and thanked for the details he shared.
He kept quiet for a while and said “ You know many people visit the place throughout the year and most of them tell me that I am so fortunate to be living here”.
He explained from his childhood days he lived amidst nature and enjoyed observing various species of birds and reading about plants. Since 2015 he has been keeping a watch over the sanctuary at night and he loves every bit of it. His family stays at a nearby place which is easily commutable.
The enthusiasm with which he explained about the joy he gets every single day by listening to the chirping of the birds, the hooting of the owl and yes the sound of the cricket was something to look for.
His eyes gleamed when he said that he enjoys the stillness(devoid of external chaos) the place offers.
He looks forward to every single night where he would come to his abode and take up the role of guardian of this nature land. Like he says “A piece of Paradise”.
He also shared how much he values his family which gives him a sense of belonging.
After the conversation, I set off on my journey of exploration and enjoyed every bit of it.
At times all we have to do is listen and we will be amazed by the story one has to offer.
