The vast mangrove forests of Sundarbans have an awe inspiring appeal to them. I somehow like to use the words mystic, mythical and mysterious to describe these forests.
While ambling along the backwaters in a boat, one can hardly ignore that strange, lingering feeling which seems to remind us of the fact that these forests probably hold much more than they actually show. The thick and the dense growth give very little chances of sighting much of the wildlife there. However, the less one sees, the more enhanced the feeling that something is watching us from behind those thickets.
A quick snippet about Sundarbans from the Wiki.
Sundarbans (pronounced /sʌnˈdɑːrbənz/) is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. Sundarbans is home to the world’s largest area of mangrove forests and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
-WikipediaSundarbans is an amazing landscape defined by the mesmerising mangrove jungle, interconnected by the huge array of water channels, wide and narrow. Boats are the sole means of commute in Sundarbans.
Landscapes
Sunrise and sunsets are brilliant to say the least. The wonderful landscape, the people, soothing view of the glowing watery expanse and the sheer bliss of the breeze that hits your face, they all work together to create a magical experience.
Night skies are amazing and clear too (in the right season). However, I haven’t been able to explore much on foot at night as it is completely ill-advised due to this being tiger territory and all. The kings and the queens of the mangroves are known to move around the villages quite often in the dead of the night.
Wildlife
The mangrove forests of Sundarbans harbour a rich diversity of wildlife.
Mammals
How can one not mention the tiger, the all encompassing, legendary and mystical creature of the Sundarbans.
Birds
Sundarbans is home to a wide variety of avian life and also serves as a destination for many migratory species.
Others
The landscape caters well to a wide variety of reptilian life as well.
The mudflats are home to wide variety of crabs and the highly animated mudskippers among many others.
Sundarbans has that enticing charm that pulls me every-time. I never can get enough of that place 🙂 This post was my attempt at giving you a quick peek at what the place has on offer.
Here’s a quick time-lapse of exploring the myriad of channels in the Sundarbans
A few more posts of mine on my experiences from Sundarbans here - Sundarbans on FramesOfNature
Hope you enjoyed the post. Please do let me know your thoughts by dropping a comment below. Ciao, until next time.
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