Sunderbans, located at the Southern fringe of West Bengal, India is an enchanting land of rich bio-diversity, natural flora and fauna and dense mangrove forests. The Sunderbans embedded with 102 islands amidst the emerald estuarine waters of the tributaries of the Bhagirathi and the Bay of Bengal is the largest delta, the largest Mangrove Swamp and the largest Estuarine National Park in the World.
Sunderbans as the name suggest means beautiful forest in Bengali. It is called so because of the long stretch of mangrove (sundari) trees and a perfect example of how beautiful nature can be when left alone by the ever growing human occupation.
Sunderbans mystic beauty is augmented by the majestic ‘Royal Bengal Tiger’. This is the only tiger inhabited mangrove forest in the whole world. It is an enigma catching a rare glimpse of this majestic species. The mangrove forests of Sunderbans see a dazzling display of scores of mysterious and unique life forms with an amazing diversity.
A great variety of wildlife includes Estuarine Crocodiles, Olive Ridley Turtles, Gangetic Dolphins, Wild Boars, Chitals, Otters, Monitor Lizards, monkeys various kinds of fish, mollusks and snakes. An immense variety of birds like Kingfishers, Storks, Herons, Brahmini Ducks, Ibises, Water Fowls, Egrets, Seagulls, Pintails, Whistling Teals, Little Stints, Black tailed Godwits breed here.
Cruising in a boat to the Sunderban mangrove is a pleasure and a breath taking journey. As you move deeper into sunderbans it kept getting better. Thousands of meandering streams, creeks, rivers and estuaries have enhanced its charm. As the villages disappear you enter the home of the famous royal Bengal tiger.
It is the largest deltaic region in the world which is changing constantly in a series of stages. Sunderban is the product of tidal estuary. Here, in the hundreds of creeks & channels the sea water gets diluted with the inflow of fresh water from the rivers, thereby causing tidal fluctuations everyday. The mouth of the tidal creeks and drivers, where salt and fresh water is mixed in ideal proportion, show the greatest concentration of mangroves in Sunderbans.
The mangrove swamp provides an ambience of food and shelter to a wide range of both land & water organisms. Sunderban is full of scattered islands, the only link being boat. In truth; it is the land of the greenery. Nature apart, if you want to feel the essence of spirituality then this is the place to be.
The people have adapted themselves in sync with nature here. Their firm conviction in their destiny keeps them hale and hearty. They know that life is uncertain; they have the zeal to accept the challenge of life and are ever ready to combat and face any encumbrances. Their innocent spirit is not polluted by he sophisticated education. Their teacher is the nature. It is the natures which give them the impetus to face life and its problems.
A trip to Sunderbans is all about traveling all through the day through large and small rivulets, waiting for the low tide when the animal sighting chances are higher and admiring high tide when trees and land get covered with water. Criss-crossed by hundreds of creeks and tributaries and manifested by a dazzling display of vegetation like red leaves of Genwa, flowers of the Kankara and the Khalsi, Sunderbans is a land of natural wonders that unfolds its magic to allure and entice all.
In this dull and drab world you can have a scope to release the pangs of life by floating in the Bay of Bengal on the coast of Sunderban. Here is the nature’s bounty to make your mind spacious and broad enough to accommodate the seamy side of life.
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