picture-1.jpg

Jharkhand

A tribal village tour in Jharkhand

By: Florina Soren

picture-1.jpg
map


A tribal village tour in Jharkhand

Kolkata was home till my college days, and two decades hence I still miss my days in the ‘City of Joy’. My parents worked there and the city was our home for many years. However, post-retirement my father did not want to continue his life amid the city’s hurly-burly. So, in 2014 he moved to Dumka - near Rabindranath Tagore’s Shantiniketan. And, thus began my affair with the tribal hinterland. I had already moved to another city, and started visiting my parents in Jharkhand. For beginners, Jharkhand is pristine and purely magical. Added to this is the superb air quality which is most rejuvenating. Jharkhand with its fabulous road condition is also a great driving destination, much visited by Calcuttans and by people from neighboring states.

Jharkhand amazes you with its unending beauty. From the colorfully painted mud houses and clean village roads to the bright red Palash flowers; it is beautiful all around. Mostly a plain countryside with endless paddy fields, there are a couple of rocky hillocks that add to the beauty of this mesmerizing state. Primarily a tribal land with Santhals inhabiting most of the state along with people from other communities, the tribal villages are an amazing sight to behold. Whenever I visit Dumka, it has become a ritual to drive down to the nearby villages and enjoy a lovely stroll in the evenings or the early morning. In Delhi, where I stay, one has to drive a long distance to escape the concrete jungle and find some open space. However, in Jharkhand every turn opens up to a breathtaking view.


a-tribal-village-1-body

More information

Jharkhand

You may enjoy

a-tribal-village-1-body

On my recent visit to Dumka, I along with my friends headed for a morning walk to a small village on the outskirts of Dumka. A 30-minute walk brought us to a quaint little tribal village. We were surprised to see people in action at 6 a.m. Villagers here start their day very early in the morning.


a-tribal-village-2-body

While little children were seen playing on the narrow unpaved roads with marbles, the older ones were brushing their teeth at the village tube well and getting ready for school. The hens and goats running around added to the morning hustle. The women were fetching drinking water from the tube well while a few others were cleaning the area in front of their houses with brooms. What amazed us most was the cleanliness of the village. Each house was spick and span with walls nicely painted and decorated with floral designs. The villagers use bright organic colors to decorate their houses making them look fabulous. After a long and leisurely walk with the chirping of birds following us, we all returned home deeply satisfied. The cool breeze and swaying of lush green trees all around and people carrying on their day’s business offered a sneak peek into village life. Hungry after the long way, we jumped in to savor the delicious breakfast made by my mother. The same afternoon we were driving back to Kolkata via Shantiniketan. Jharkhand has the most amazing roads in eastern India and we were all looking forward to it. As expected, the drive was most amazing.


a-tribal-village-3-body

While the roads were wide and smooth, the sight around was mesmerizing. The ethereal beauty of endless paddy and mustard fields on both sides and tall leafless Palash trees dressed in beautiful red flowers was a sight that would stay etched in our memories for a long long time. We also crossed the latest marvel in Jharkhand - the longest bridge on the Mayurakshi River. I could feel the goosebump as we crossed the 2.34 km long bridge near Kumrabad, a few kilometers before entering West Bengal. Recently inaugurated, this state-of-the-art bridge is the pride of Jharkhand. As we left Jharkhand and entered the roads of West Bengal, the topography completely changed - paddy fields gave way to much more concrete buildings, and our hearts and souls were already missing Jharkhand, one of the most beautiful states in India.