commoners, mostly honey-catchers, prawn-catchers and fishermen, very difficult. This is Sunderbans, the world’s largest estuarine forest.

The undiscovered greenery
Sunderbans, the place that owes its name to Sundari trees, consist of a large flora population like Genwa, Dhundal, Passur, Garjan and Kankra. Apart from these trees, impenetrable Goran trees between 1.8 mtrs & 3.6 mtrs high cover almost the entire region. One of the most remarkable features of this place is the bayonet like roots of mangrove forests that stick out above the water level.

Nature apart, if you want to feel the essence of spirituality then this is the place to be. A place of Ma Bonobibi (the goddess of the forest) to Shiber Kumir (Lord Shiva’s Crocodile) or from Dakshinaroy (an ogre, the ancestor of all tigers) to Kapil Muni (an incarnation of Vishnu).

A land ruled by 269 Royals
The land that is inhabited by Royal Bengal Tigers is not far from Kolkata. You can explore unknown wildlife of Sunderbans that harbour jungle cats, fishing cats, Axis deer, wild boar, Rhesus monkeys, mongooses and the largest estuarine crocodiles in the world.

Sunderbans is the breeding ground of immense variety of birds like Heron, Egret, Cormorant, Fishing Eagle, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Seagul, Tern, Kingfisher as well as migratory birds like Whimprel, Black-tailed

Godwit, Little Stint, Eastern Knot, Curlew, Sandpiper, Golden Plover, Pintail, White-eyed Pochard and also Whistling teal. Come and discover wide variety of aquatic and reptile life forms that include Olive Ridley sea turtle, hard shelled Batgur Terrapin, Pythons, King cobra, Chequered killback, Monitor and lizards including the Salvator lizards.

Best Season
The best time to be in wildlife belts of the region is September-March. Although the luxury tours to the Sunderbans carry on the year round and the monsoon holds its own magic over tourists on the expanse of the Sunderbans, September-March is the most likely time for tiger-sighting.

How to get there
Come to Sajnekhali by motorboat departing from Canning which is accessible by train and bus services from Kolkata. Cruise along in M.V. Chitrarekha (weekly journey from October to March) for a life time experience. One can also get private boats from Canning, Gosaba and Basanti, Raidighi, Basanti, Namkhana and Najatare are all connected by roadways from Kolkata.

Permissions

Where to stay
M.V. Chitrarekha has excellent arrangements for on-board stay. One can also avail the facilities of tourist lodges at Sajnekhali, Bakkhali and Piyali for overnight stay. At Dayapur, Sundarbans Tiger Camp provides both A/C and N/AC accommodation and also organises package tours from Kolkata.

Whom to contact