MOICHHARA ---- The Curt Race

Moichhara is actually a village game in Westbengal , India. This is one kind of cart race. This is very much popular sports in Bengal.

Some Photographs of Moichhara

Click on any photo for  LARGER view

"Tunganath" -The Highest Temple of the world.

"Tunganath" -The Highest Temple of the world.

Chowkhamba from Tunganath

Tunganath is one of the 5 Shiva shrines, the Panchkedar. Panch – means 5 and pronounced as punch; Kedar – name of Hindu God Lord Shiva and pronounced as Kay-daar. The other 4 are Kedarnath, Madhmaheshwar, Rudranath, and Kalpanath.

At the Panchkedar the worshipped stone or image is considered a manifestation of Lord Shiva’s various body parts. At Kedarnath the rump is visible, at Madmaheshwar his navel or belly, the face at Rudranath, the hair (locks) at Kalpeshwar and his arms at Tunganath. All of these Temples were supposedly built at the behest of Adi Shankaracharya.  

 Tungnath (altitude of 3,886 meters) is the highest temple in the world. Legend has it that the arm of Shiva appeared here. Ravana, of the Ramayana, is said to have performed penance at this temple to propitiate Shiva. The high altitude temple is a Seat of Swyambhu Linga or the Lord Shiva Incarnate. The temple, one of the Panchakedars or one of the five Shiva temples, is situated in Chamoli district of the Uttarakhand region. The mythology has it that Lord Shiva was enraged at the act of homicide enacted by the Pandavas by killing their brethren in the grand battle of Mahabharata. Aware of Shiva's annoyance, the Pandavas built the temple to please Lord Shiva and for their own salvation. Others claim that the Adi Shankaracharya during his historic visit to the region had got it built. The cite the presence of Adi Shankaracharya's image in the garbha-griha or the sanctum of the temple. However, it also houses images of the Pandavas. Besides, the ashtadhatu images of Kaal Bhairava and Veda Vyasa are among the multitude of images there. A dark left-tilting one-foot high linga is the centre of attraction. The locals describe it as an arm of Lord Shiva. 

How To Reach

Chopta is the gate way of Tunganath. Rishikesh - Ukhimath 180 kms Drive. From Ukhimath to Chopta another 35 km. Nearly 4 Kms Trek to Tunganath starts from here.
Chandrashila peak is another 1 km trek from Tunganath. one can climb the chandrashila peak from Tungnath as it is in the same feature and can be reached in about an hour's time The peak provides a rare panoramic view of innumerable snow peak. The trek passes through forests of Rhododendron and alpine meadows. If heading towards Ukhimath one should not miss Deoriatal, now jeepable from Mastura. It is a small deep lake at an altitude of 2440m. In early morning, the snowy ranges including Chaukhamba and Kedarnath is clearly reflected on the water; an unforgettable sight.

Lolegaon -the ultimate travel destination for lovely nature of hill

Enchanting Mt. Kanchenjunga at early morning

If anybody want to spent some timeless time with nature - then Lolegaon is the ultimate destination for that. Lonely Himalayan hill at an altitude of 5500 ft , surrounded by the forest, which contains Dhupi, Deodar, pine trees. and obviously the world's 3rd highest peak  Mt. kanchenjunga with it's whole family. Lolegaon is a small village which is locally known as KAFER.

from the Bus stand of Lolegaon

The Lolegaon's market is near the  small bus stand , few little shop- mostly of them are tea shop where popular snacks is MOMO ( a Tibetan food). 

The heritage forest is situated nearly 500 mtr far from the bus stand . It is a lovely place surrounded by large trees. Here was a nice canopee but unfortunately only the ruins of that can found now a days there. Yet the forest along with the ruins of canopee is still a very charming place.

The Lonely path of forest at Lolegaon

Jhandidara is another great place which is 4 km from the bus stand. This is the sunrise point. Early morning one can go there by trek or by car to view the great show of Sunrise. The first Sun ray on the world 3rd highest Peak  Mt. kanchenjunga is spellbound all. Then after one by one light comes on the other peak like kabru dom, Shimvo Japuno, Tenjingkhan, mt. Pandim Siniolchu etc.

How to reach 

Nearest Air port :- Bagdogra

Nearest Railway station :- - New Mal or New Jalpaiguri

From Bagdogra or New Jolpaiguri lolegaon is  nearly 140 km away by Car.

Attractive Place near Lolegaon is  :-

• LAVA
• RISHOP

Black-rumped Flameback

The Black-rumped Flameback is a woodpecker. Its length is aprox 26-29 cm.

 

  Like other woodpeckers, this species has a straight pointed bill, a stiff tail to provide support against tree trunks. The long tongue can be darted forward to capture insects.

 

 

They forage from the ground to the canopy. They feed on insects mainly beetle larvae from under the bark.

 The breeding season varies with weather and is between February and July.

The Purple Sunbird

The Mother Sunbird at night in it's nest.

Scientific Name :-  

Nectarinia Asiatica

Found every where in India-in Gardens, groves, cultivated lands, scrub country side, forest, semi forests . Commonly found in compounds, wooded parks etc.

Feeding :-

Flower nectar, insects, spiders etc.

SIZE :-

Approximately 10 Cm.

Making Nest by Male Sunbird

Nesting :- 

Nesting by pendulous pouch of soft grass, cotton etc. Suspended from a bush. Nesting season is generally from march to may.

Female is brown or olive brown from above and pale dull yellow at below. Slender and curved bill for sucking the nectar from flowers. Tongue is tubular.

male is metallic dark blue and purple that looks like black. The pectoral tufts are bright yellow and scarlet.

Related Post

• The Common Indian Myna
• The Black-crowned Night Heron
• The Common Kingfisher

The Common Indian Myna

The common myna (Acridotheres tristis), also called the Indian myna, is a highly commensal Passerine that lives in close association with humans. It competes with small mammals and bird for nesting hollows and on some islands, such as Hawaii and Fiji .

Description

Indian mynas are 23 to 26 cm long, weigh 82 to 143 g and have a wing-span of 120 to 142 mm cocoa brown colour. The head, neck and upper breast of the adult is glossy black, while the under tail coverts, tail tip and the outer feathers are white. The white feathers can be seen most clearly when the bird is in flight. The bill, legs and feet are bright yellow, while the adult iris is reddish brown to brownish yellow in colour Male and female .

 Like most territorial birds they have a bout of intense calling in the early morning that lasts between 5 and 15 minutes. Males call more often than the females, and pairs sometimes duet. The territorial call is a rowdy medley of creaky notes, growls, rattles, raucous, gurgling, chattering and bell-like sounds in rapid sequence often strung together as a song.

Mynas in India are regarded as symbols of undying love, because they often pair for life. In India maina is used as a term of endearment for young girls . 



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• The Purple Sunbird
• The Black-crowned Night Heron
• The Common Kingfisher

RISHOP -the lonely hill with the 3rd Highest peak of the world

First Sunray on Mt. Kanchejungha

Rishop, where Mt. Kanchenjungha piping from window. No crowd - only hide and seek of cloud.  Risop, is a small village  near Kalimpong, westbengal, situated on 2951 meter above sea level. Rishop is popular to visitors for its scenic beauty, as wel as enjoyable to spend time in walking around the forest along with the village road. Rishop is famous for its mountains view. Moon night Kanchenjungha is just extraordinary for visitors.

Early Morning , Rishop

Altitute : 2,951 metres (9,682 ft)
Location : Kalimpong subdivision of Darjeeling District, West Bengal India
Nearest Town :Kalimpong
Nearest Airport : BAGDOGRA near Siliguri,

Road Distance: 109 km (via Kalimpong) or 125 km (via Gorubathan) from Shiliguri

Nearest Rail Station: New Mal, but better to catch train from New Jalpaiguri.
Best Season : October to April.

Night at Rishop

Climate  

Rishop is situated in the foot-hill of the Himalayas. In winter, some time temperature comes below 0°C where in summer maximum temperature cross 20°C. Snowfall is common between December January. Monsoon starts from June to September. 

Attractions

Have tea with Mt. Kanchejungha

It is just 9 Km road distance from Lava, but if you are adventures then you can start a 4 km pleasure trek from Lava to Rishop. enjoy picturesque views of snow-capped mountains From anywhere at Rishop. 

Another attraction is a small Trek to “Tiffin Dara”. This place is famous for excellent view of mount Kanchenjungha.Here, the sun, clouds, hills and forests, altogether gives a magical view to all. At night the sky seems to come closer. Under the sky the twinkling lights of  Pedong (situated at Sikkim) are similar to the twinkling stars above. Nathu La and Lalep La are also partially visible from Rishop.

Enchanting Mt. Kanchenjungha

Places around Rishyap: 

Lava is one of the beautiful & peaceful tourist spot. Altitude of this place is 2,138 meter. There also some interesting places for visit-Monastery, forest museum etc.

LoleGaon, another beautiful tourist spot is located just 34 kilometers away. Kalimpong , situated just 35 kilometers away from Rishop .

Related post  about attractive place- click  LOLEGAON

Black-Crowned Night Heron

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

The Black-crowned Night Heron (Aukuu in Hawaiian) is an attractive bird to watch.

This heron has a stocky, chunky body with short, strong legs and neck, and large red eyes. The body of the black-crowned night heron looks as if it is hunched over, or squat shaped with its head usually tucked down into its shoulder. When in flight, the heron tucks its neck in close to the body and rarely extends it. They have a short thick sharp pointed black bill. The body of an adult Heron is 58 72 cm (20 28 inches) long.The eye of the  black-crowned night heron is radish and their legs are a dull gray. 

The plumage is gray with a distinctive black cap with a fallen crest of two to three narrow white plumes at the back of the head. The heron has a black back and the face, throat, fore neck and belly are white. 

During the breeding season, the black feathers from the head and back emit a bluish-green gloss and the legs become red. Wings and tails are blue-gray and legs and feet are usually yellow. .

DIET

The diet of the Black-crowned Night Heron depends on what is available, and may include algae, fishes, leeches, earthworms, insects, crayfish, mussels, squid, amphibians, small rodents, plant materials.

DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT

Black-crowned night herons are found by marshes at night and by day they roost communally. Besides marshes, they inhabit wetlands, like ponds, swamps, tropical mangroves, streams, rivers, mud flats, and edges of lakes. They have even been found in rice fields and other agricultural habitats near water.

Night herons are distributed almost worldwide including North America, South America, South Europe, Africa, South Asia, Falkland Islands, and Hawaii.

BEHAVIOR

Black-crowned night herons associate with other species of herons frequently and are socially active all year. These herons have a deep croaking call sounding like quark. Adult herons will defend their feeding and nesting area. he black-crowned night heron is usually a nocturnal feeder but it will feed during the daytime during the breeding season or when there is a food shortage. The black-crowned night heron is an expert at still fishing". It can stand motionless for long periods in shallow water, on pilings, or on floating docks watching and waiting for its prey. A thrust of its bill into the water catches small fish.

Related Post:-

• The Common Indian Myna
• The Purple Sunbird
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Sandakphu-Phalut Trek way to paradise

Sandakphu-Phalut Trek way to paradise

The Sandakphu is the culminating point of many trekking routes in the Darjeeling-Sikkim region.

At an altitude of 3,636 m, it is located at a distance of 58 km. from Darjeeling. Maneybhanjan, at an altitude of 2134 m., is the gateway to the Sandakphu-Phalut region. Trek to Sandakphu starts from Maneybhanjan, a small town. - can be reached from Siliguri via Ghoom or via Mirik.

Sandakphu is resplendent with the ethereal beauty of magnolias, rhododendrons, primulas and other sub-alpine flowers. It also contains more than 600 varieties of orchids. Sandakphu may be visited at any time of the year. The monsoon months of July-August is not suggested. Phalut may be avoided in winter.

Description of the trek to Sandakphu

The first lap till Chitre passes quite steeply uphill on a good stoned path through lush greenery of pine, fir, birch forests and bamboo glades. It takes about an hour and half to reach Chitre (2530 m). Crossing the Buddhist settlement of Chitre reach Meghma. The trail bifurcates at Meghma. The right uphill route leads to the trekkers hut at Tonglu (3070m) in India. The trail in the left passes through Nepal. The roads meet again at Tumling (in Nepal).

Tonglu is famous for the view of the snow-capped peaks of the Singalila range and the Kanchenjunga range. Tumling on the other hand is a salubrious night halt with assorted lodges dotting its sedate green environs. The lights of the towns of Darjeeling, Kurseong, Pasupati, Siliguri and other settlements can be viewed in a clear night.

The next day's trek from Tonglu or Tumling is rewarded with a wide variety of flora, fauna and avifauna as you enter the Singalila National Park. The trek route passes through the Indo-Nepal border. The area is also the house of wide varieties of Rhododendron and the playing ground of Red Pandas. Reach Goiribans (9 km. 2621 m) through Joubari (in Nepal). After some break move on to second nights halt at Kalepokhri (4 km from Goiribans, 3108 m, in Nepal). The trek from Tumling to Kalepokhri takes about 5 hours. At Kalepokhri there is a small crystal lake surrounded by pine trees and prayer flags. The dark color of the water in the lake leads to the name of Kalepokhri (Kale = Black & Pokhri = Lake).

As the third day of trek unfolds, you realise that Sandakphu is within a short striking distance now (9 km app) leaving behind Bikevanjan(5 Km from Kalepokhri). But hold your breath. You will be negotiating with an uphill climb today. After a tough trek will leave you panting and gasping, you will reach Sandakphu (3636m), the highest point in West Bengal. As soon as you reach Sandakphu, you will realise why it is called the paradise of trekkers. The views of four of the five highest peaks in the world.... Everest, Kanchendzonga, Makalu and Lhotse along with numerous other snow capped peaks great us in the morning. A day's halt at Sandakphu allows trekkers to view the surroundings.

From Sandakphu there are several trekking options available to the tourists. You can go down to Rimbik directly by a shortcut route through dense forests via gurdum & Sreeekhola.

Phalut (3600m) 27Km from Sandakphu leaving behind Sabargram. From Phalut you can go Three ways. One is going down to Rimbik via Sabargram & Molley, another is Going down to Rimbik via Gorkey & Rammam. Rimbik is the road head on the other side of the trek. From here you will be taken to your next destination. With the Third way you can reach utture at Sikkim by crossing the Singalila Pass.

Trek path of Sandakphu - Phalut