THE SUNDERBANS

The vast Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta stretching into Bangladesh, covers 9,630 sq km (3,718 sq miles) and has the world’s largest tropical mangrove forest. The Sundarbans Reserve, which spreads across 2,585 sq km (998 sq miles), created within the delta was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1973 to protect the endangered Royal Bengal tiger. A part of the reserve houses the Sundarbans National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 1,330 sq km (513 sq miles). The intricate network of waterways, creeks and alluvial islands abounds in a variety of marine life, including crustaceans and dolphins, as well as reptiles such as Olive Ridley turtles and estuarine crocodiles. Birds such as the waterfowl can be seen here. Guided boats are available.

  • 24 Parganas district. 168 km (104 miles) SE of Kolkata.

  • Canning, 45 km (28 miles) NW of Sajnakhali, the entry point to the Tiger Reserve.

  • Basanti, 30 km (19 miles) NW of Sajnakhali.

  • from Canning or Basanti via Gosaba to Sajnakhali.

  • For bookings contact the Field Director, Tel: (03218) 255 280 . Permits are available at the Tourist Dept, Kolkata, Tel: (033) 2248 7302 .

  • Nov–Mar.

  • compulsory.

  • Rowboats with boatmen are available from Sajnakhali.



Fishermen casting net from a small boat on River Ganges

MORE TO SEE

The western boundary of the Sunderbans boasts a number of popular beaches and reserves, all of which can be reached by road or boat. Ganga Sagar  on Sagar Island, is the spot where millions of pilgrims gather for the annual Ganga Sagar Mela during Makar Sankranti in January. Diamond Harbour  is a popular picnic spot, while Bakkhali  and Digha  have beautiful beaches and are popular resorts. Bakkhali is also a haven for birdlife.

TALE OF THE TIGER

The tiger plays a major role in India’s cultural history as a symbol of power and kingship. In Hindu iconography, Shiva wears a tiger skin, while the fearsome Goddess Durga rides a tiger. Tiger images can also be seen in vibrant murals in Buddhist monasteries in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh. In the Sunderbans, ritual offerings are made to the forest deity, Banbibi, to seek protection from the tiger. Yet statistics belie the tiger’s mythic status. In 1900, India’s tiger population was about 40,000; by 1972 it had fallen to 1,800. Alarmed, the Indian government launched Project Tiger. Ever since, numbers have grown substantially and India now has between 2,750 and 3,500 tigers (about 60 per cent of the world’s tiger population), protected in 28 Project Tiger Reserves across the country.