THE TRAVEL GUY FROM INDIA

While photography is my first love, traveling is something I enjoy the most and is my only passion. This is the reason I make sure that I take frequent breaks from work, and escape to some new destination. Its a long time I had been in the mountains, so I was pondering over the thoughts of taking a break. I and my three friends decided to explore a lesser known place - Paren. Well, the destination is a quiet hamlet situated in the Dooars, and during monsoon Dooars is just fascinating.

On the scheduled date, we boarded Kanchankanya Express from Sealdah. Next morning, we witnessed the beautiful Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary from the train. It is almost as if riding through a story - lush landscapes, dense forests, hills in the background and rivers. Every turn and bend holds a surprise for us, and it is a nature lover’s paradise. Through tea plantations and the green landscape, we discovered how enthralling nature can be!

We reached New Mal Junction at 9:30 and booked a small car for Paren Nature Resort. Car from Malbazar to Paren will cost around 2200.  I thought the road would be utterly boring but I was wrong.  The road from Malbazar to Paren goes through Chapramari forest. Deep in the forest, it is just nature. My friends uttered their journey as ‘heavenly’ and ‘breathtaking’. Cloudy sky marvelling at the glory of the jungle of Dooars had mesmerized us. We had a brief stop at a view point where we could really feel the view of the mountains. Jaldhaka river was flowing beneath and the view was enchanting. I can relate Dooars during monsoon as a newlywed bride - fresh, gorgeous and pleasant with full of aura. We had puri sabji and tea at a small shop.

We reached Paren resort at around 1 p.m. and oh my goodness what a place it is! Amidst the hills and forests only 4 log cabins are there along with a separate kitchen and a common dining room. Room tariff is 2000 plus 240 GST. You can book these cottages online through WBFDC website. No mobile network available other than BSNL plus no fan, although fan is not needed since the place is quite cold. This is a unique place close to the nature. If you want to enjoy solitude and serenity Paren is the perfect destination for you. We decided not to go anywhere these two days, just to stroll through the forest and explore the lazy life of this quiet village.

After our lunch we went for a walk through the village. There is a stream flowing just outside the gate of the forest resort. It burbles as it travels along its bed, bubbling over rocks. The village is almost 500 m down the road and in between the village and the resort there is only jungle. The wet earth odors felt enchanting here. The damp air kept my attention sharp and allowed my breath to become clouds. The leaves slipped like slick banana peels after the rains. I found the forest to be a temple of sensations that delighted the mind, body, and spirit. There is a football ground just before the village. As we walked further, we saw a group of 10-15 boys playing cricket on the ground with a bat carved out of a log of wood and a tennis ball. They were so passionate about playing cricket that not having a real bat didnot stop them from enjoying the game. Suddenly it started raining cats and dogs and we hurriedly went back to the resort. The rest of the day we took refuge in the gazebo of our cottage and enjoyed the rain from there. This is the first time I experienced rain inside a forest. Our resort is surrounded by lofty hills covered with alpine forest, and the continuous falling of raindrops in the midst of forest and the aroma of the moist soil with no electricity created a surreal sensation among us.

The next morning we woke up with the sunrise  to explore the village and interact with the villagers. For them, life begins even before the sun rise. In cities we do not react very warmly if we see a stranger wandering around our house, but in Paren it is different. The women have warm smiles, while the men are equally friendly. A young boy sat outside his house. I started interacting with him. He said he is pursuing his graduation from Kalimpong Government College. I asked him if he is eager to move out of this village. He laughed and said he is happy to be in Paren and do something worthwhile there. I looked at him enviously. People like us travel from cities to reach the mountains for stories, solitude and disconnectedness, and here they are, having everything we want. There is another stream just outside the village. The gushing of the water is the only sound that can be heard in the wilderness. We hiked through the forest till Paren Godak Khasmahal and the views at various points along the way are sensational, and the forest stretches are both gorgeous and relaxing. The chirping of exotic Himalayan birds accompanied us throughout our hike. While returning back, I could see something clinging on to my leg and I became another unsuspecting victim to the leeches.

Next day we had our train from New Mal Jn. The caretaker of the resort arranged a local cab for us and as we had ample time we visited Bindu and Jhalong River Camp as well while going to New Mal Jn.

From the refreshing greens of nature and moving clouds to the most humble and down to earth people, Paren was every bit of a heaven for us.

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How to reach: New Mal Junction is the nearest rail-head. Car from New Mal to Paren will cost 2000-2500.

Paren sightseeing: The famous Jaldhaka River is just 10 kms away and the Hydel Power Station at nearby Bindu is the first Hydel Power station in India bordering India and Bhutan. From here you can catch a glimpse of the picturesque Bhutan hills and its mesmerizing landscape and a rocky, river terrain marked by the confluence of River Bindu and Jaldhaka.

A small village Todey another 09 kms away is a remote destination and the last constituency of Darjeeling. It is also the check out point of Neora Valley National Park. Another similar village Tangta, just 35 kms away, is a hill station, with great views of the hills and jungle around.

The list of other nearby attractions of Paren includes a Cardamom Curing Centre, the Gairibas Diascorrea Plantation – a nursery of medicinal plants.

Where to stay: Paren Nature Resort. Tariff: 2240/- per night. Can be booked online from West Bengal Forest Development Corporation website.