Chupir Char : Kasthashali - Home Of Water Birds

     

Whistling Teal

       Introduction of Chupir Char : Khasthashali      

        If you are enthused about the winged species, Purbasthali is heaven for you. A little place in Kalna subdivision of Burdwan locale where on the banks of river Bhagirathi (Ganga) an Oxbow lake have been formed as the stream changed course always over the years.Purbasthali water-body an area basically includes two towns, Chupi and Kasthashali. The oxbow lake is generally called 'Chupir Char' which is named after the town. The typical lake spreads over pretty much three and half square kilometers and the redirect of water connects in a close hover shape for practically 11 kms. The lake is as yet energized by conduit water through a limited opening. At any rate in light of quick sedimentation and the conduit changing course further, it is directly under hazard to get cut off from the standard stream in not all that inaccessible future. In the midst of rainstorm when the water level risings the whole locale gets overpowered yet in the winter when the water subsides, heaps of little islands climb. This has influenced a stand-out organic network where tall grasses and scours to create in riches on these islands making it the place of shelter ludicrous, both occupant similarly as passing. Feathered animals fly in from to the degree Siberia. Come winter, birding sweethearts hurried to Purbashali.

Red headed Pochard

        It was arround 9 a.m when we got down at Purbasthali station. We started making an inquiry   for transport to reach "Chupir Char". Nearby individuals uncovered to us it's around five odd kms from the stations and 'Totos' or the battery worked rickshaws are available. So we traded on the confirmation, settled at Rs.20/ - per head. The driver was a very pleasant reasonably matured individual. He was talking about the feathered animals and how neighborhood individuals were locked in with ensuring that Purbashali remains a secured safe house outright senseless. People come here out and out senseless and he comprehends that this drives the area economy to an immense degree.

       We talked to a boatman to hire a boat for four hours to see the bird. Only four persons are allowed on a boat. Our boatman was by then keeping it together for us and we started off for the lake. It's a walk around about a kilometer from the 'Parijayee Abas", the road wining through the town and a while later through a superb mango ranch. The place looked mesmerizing toward the start of the day, with sharp light emissions sunlight puncturing through the thick foliage of the out of date trees. It was a very fine sunny morning with an illusory effect.

       We accomplished the lakeside, it was gigantic, calm, spreading miles before our eyes. We could starting at now watch crowds of winged creatures flying on the water, the quietness of the winter morning every now and again broken by their stunning calls.

      The accompanying four hours were unadulterated bliss. The barge unobtrusively skimmed over the length and broadness of the lake, cutting through the hyacinths and going close to the marshlands. The water looked diminish yet when I looked down it was inconceivably clear. I could see the base of lake and the carefully impacting water plants and weeds. As the barge continuously continued forward, the gigantic combination of feathered animals, both transient and occupant spread out before our eyes. The upside of being on a barge is that we could normally get close to the winged animals without chafing them. Our cameras went on overdrive, the fundamental sound isolated from the winged creature calls were the clicking of our cameras.

Bronzed winged Jacana

Common Coot

             Birds available at Chupir Char

         Chupir Char is really a paradise of water birds. We saw Lesser Whistling Teals, Red Crested Pochards, Marsh Sandpiper, Little swallow, Little Grebe, Black Drongo, Common coot, Bronze winged Jacana, Pheasant tailed Jacana, Black headed Ibis, purple moorhens, Kingfishers, Cormorants and several other birds species. The Purple Moorhens were superb yet they are reserved flying animals, oftentimes popping their splendid heads over the thick improvement of hyacinths, giving only a passing moment for us to photograph them. There were groups of Gadwalls, mixed gatherings of Common Coots and Eurasian Wigeons, Northern Pintails and Garganeys. The Lesser Whistling blue-greens were in groups, crating a critical chaos. Oftentimes they would take off and streak over the outside of water, leaving a wake on it's trail.All of them were in groups beside the herons and the egrets. They stood tall on the hyacinth patches, looking enthusiastically in the water for its next prey. Asian Openbills, Purple Heron, Little Egrets, Intermediate Egrets and Great Egrets flew beginning with one place then onto the following consistently. The waders, being bothered by some extraordinary vessels were on a steady move. So I believed that minutes will get. I found an Intermediate Egret standing like a statue, chasing down fish. I asked the boatman to stop the barge at a partition, and I kept an eye out for the view pioneer. In addition, after, what had all the earmarks of being a long interruption, the egret got a fish in a squint of an eye, and my finger was pushed on the shade get, till the screen catapulted. The enormous dull headed Ibis with their long legs, trundling through mud and consistently diving their since quite a while prior twisted bills into water to look for sustenance, Blue kingfishers sitting determinedly on bamboo shafts, Cormorants spreading their wings, the sublime Red Crested Pochards languidly floating through' the water, the marsh sandpipers walking around the little islands, everything was a visionary overdose.

Osprey

           How to reach Chupir Char 

           By Train
     The least requesting way to deal with reach Purbasthali is to board the Katwa adjacent from Howrah. It will takes around three hours to reach Purbashali Station. From Station zone one will get ToTos (Battery Operated Rickshaws) which will take you to 'Khasthasali Bazar' generally called 'Pakhiralay' . The journey takes around 15 minutes. Bellow is some train which day visitors can availl

    Howrah - Katwa Jn.Local         From  Howrah at     5.38        Reach Purbasthali at     8.16 .              Sealdah -Jangipur Road Demu  From Sealdah at   5.35      Reach Purbasthali     8.40.          Howrah - Katwa Jn.Local          From Howrah at     7.53        Reach Purbasthali        10.21.              Sealdah -  Katwa Jn.Local          From Sealdah at       8.12       Reach Purbasthali        10.53.       
   
         By Road
    Some of you need to drive and slope toward going by road. You love the open door rather than be bound by the train timings. In any case I should alert you that road conditions won't bolster you for the most part and you ought to be set up for an uneven ride. There are three ways by which one can go to Purbasthali

        First way: (133 KMs approx.)

   Kolkata- Barrackpore- Kalyani -Balagarh- Kalna- Nabadwip-Parulia-  Purbasthali

   From Kolkata take BT Road, drive to Barrackpur, by then towards Kalyani by methods for Barrackpore Kalyani Expressway. After Kalyani cross the Ganges by methods for Iswar Gupta Setu and drive through Balagarh, Kalna, Nabadwip,  to Purbasthali.

         Second way: (141 KMs approx.)

   Kolkata -Barasat- Ranaghat -Krishnanagar- Parulia- Purbasthali

    From Kolkata take Jessore Road, cross Barasat and keep driving specifically to Krishnanagar by methods for NH-34. From Krishnanagar you need to leave NH-34 take left and drive towards Nabadwip by methods for Nabadwip Katwa Road. On this road from Parulia you need to take a right and go towards Purbasthali station.

       Third way: (142 KMs approx.)

   Kolkata- NH2- Memari- Maldanga -Satgachia -Parulia- Purbasthali

   Take BT road and at Dunlop take left and cross  Bali Bridge or Nivedite Setu. Proceed by NH-2 till Memery. From Memary take right, drive specifically to cross old Delhi Road by then cross Memary town, cross the railway level crossing and take the road to Dainhat. Go past Maldanga and once you come to Satgachia crossing you need to take straightforwardly towards Nabadwip. Again you need to drive till Parulia crossing and from here you need to take left and go towards Purbasthali station.

         Staying at Khasthashali (Chupi)

Accomadition at Chupir Char

        'Parijayee Abas' constrained by the affiliation Kasthashali Banabithi is the fundamental option here. This has three two beded rooms. The rooms are gigantic and each room has two beds which can oblige four adults. Each room has joined far reaching western style bathrooms. The designs are Spartan anyway reasonably perfect. Endeavor to get the room on the left. The room on the benefit has an occupant rodent and you need to grant the space to him. There is no cooling and in the winter months you needn't waste time with them as well. Winter sees package of birding fans so it will fit call and book early. There is no genuine method to transmit money so you can't buy that certifiable sentiments of peacefulness yet I didn't go up against any issue and the room was kept for us. You need to instruct them concerning your ordinary time of section nonetheless. The room rents are Rs.400 - (Rupees Four Hundred) per Day. Boating charge is Rs.150/hour. Guide : 100/hour.

    Before Going, one can contact with

    Nabi Baux Seikh
    Secretary: Kasthashali Banabithi Organisation
    Ph. No- ( +91)9732142362

    Next : Dr Salim Ali Bird sanctuary-Goa