Let's Go : Visit India: Bike Ride to Falta, South 24 Pargana Dist. West Bengal

Travelling is not always a planned affair, and this is exactly why it is so exciting and refreshing. We at Visit India acknowledge this fact and bring to you a small little adventure which was spontaneous and stimulating…. So cheers to the spirit of travelling… by any means!!!

Bike ride to Falta.

Well, this account has to begin with a description of how this trip was conceived of. The date was the 25th of January, 2011 and time 11.30pm. Was on facebook chatting with Pinak, a friend of mine, when suddenly an idea chaged the course of the next morning to be. We decided to head out along Bakrahat road which begins at Thakurpukur and then decide where to go. Pinak, being as crazy as I am, was quick to accept this proposal and the next thing we knew.. It was 4.30am on Republic Day and Pinak , Pooja (his siter) and I were off to an unknown destination. Our rides.. the Hero Honda Hunk and the Bajaj Pulsar 200, dTSi.

Now, what we encountered was something we did not expect much, given that winter is well on its way of biding a nice goodbye to the city of joy, for this year atleast. Dense fog enveloped us moments after we took to Bakrahat Road. With visibility barely a few metres, it was very difficult to ride the bike at a high speed. But then just as God had said, “Seek and you shall find.”, we were seekin’ , and we found the right start to this small little adventure. So through the fog our bikes went, gingerly and skeptically… not knowing what was ahead of us… literally! A great feeling for a biker, makes you feel as if you are one with your surroundings, cutting through the clouds on your machine. Yes it does feel like God!!!

A little further the desire for some tea overtook us and we took our first little stopover at a roadside tea stall which had just opened shop. Nothing like a hot cuppa early in the morning to get your spirits going! It was all the more romantic because of the fog and the feel… cold but soft, like a woman’s touch. Feeling nostalgic? Well, we just cant help it…. Can we?

Well then, after this brief stopover, off we went further along the road, having no idea where we were going, seeing nothing but fog and the road before us, till we came to a place where the fog cleared up a bit. Finally we decided to check… where the hell were we? So out came the mobile phones with GPS and we began tracking the route we had taken. We were at Mullickpur, and we glimpsed Falta on the edge of the map. It was then we decided, Falta it was! Off we went down the road, marveling nature’s beauty and bounty, when we suddenly came across a beautiful section of the road, all covered with a beautiful canopy and receding fog. A perfect place for a few “cinematic” shots! It is hard to believe that you can see such scenes in India as well, not only in the European countries. It is just that we gotta be up for it (well cant express myself with a smiley here.. limitations of the blog, but well, you get it).

After the photoshoot it was directly to Falta, a small fishing harbour on the banks of the Ganges, which is being slowly converted into a SEZ (Special Economic Zone). We went as close to the river bank as possible with our bikes. A beautiful place with a lot of people already present there, getting ready for some great picnic fun. The air was filled with Munni and Sheila, and we didn’t mind. Well that’s the party spirit, the spirit of being free and dancing. We got in a few very good shots here and then proceeded to have some more tea and some breakfast. French toast at Falta… nice eh?

Breakfast done, we decided to head back home. Time : 9.30am. Along the treaded path the wheels turned once more. We felt truly independent. A very happy but belated Happy Republic Day to everyone! This was by far the best Republic Day morning for us.

Information & Writeup : Vivek Mukherjee

Photography : Pinak Biswas and Vivek Mukherjee

Joka at 5am