Short tour of Kali-sthan, Henry, Frazergunj, Bakkhali, Patibunia (Mousuni Island)

19.11.2020 (Thursday) Kolkata - Diamond Harobour - Namkhana - 10 Mile - Kalistan -Henry's Island - Bakkhali (4 hrs)

20.11.2020  (Friday) Bakkhali - Frazergunj- 10 Mile- Patibunia- Mousuni Ferry Ghat- Kolkata

Mode of Transport  - Car - Maruti Alto

Tour map - https://www.google.com

19.11.2020 (Thursday) Kolkata - Diamond Harbour

   Namkhana (via Cable stayed bridge - no need for Barge ride) - 10 Mile

The local club through which Subrata distributed Amphan materials. We learnt people got many relief materials during Amphan - in fact there was over whelming response, they told us. But relief of Rs 20,000 per person was usurped by party workers. 

Kalistan 

The person in the left (standing ) is a student of Plastic technology, studying in Haldia. The person in the middle works in Kerala as construction worker - earns Rs 700 per day (gets it at the end of the day). A mistry gets Rs 1200 and a mistry with lower skill gets Rs 1000 per day in Kerala. He was in Kerala (stayed there for 5 months) before Covid . Now he is selling snacks to the tourists who come to Kalisthan. There is not even a single home stay here. We encouraged them to do it.

- Henry's Island (Closed due to Pandemic) - Bakkhali (4 hrs)

                                                      We had it for Rs 140 per piece

Yudisthir Mandal (and his wife Lajjabati Mandal) owns huge tract of land behind his house - he wear many hats: he is a mason cum carpenter cum fisherman cum agriculturist cum musician !

                                           Home stay @ Rs 500

 

This is the only place in Bakkhali from where the Rath yatra starts. He was greatly pained since this year it did not take place.

20.11.2020  (Friday) Bakkhali

The 16 bigha (= 320 Cottah = 230,400 sq ft) paddy field he owns after working 24 years as Sareng in a fishing trawler. Before cutting down the paddy Yudhisthir worship Basumata (Mother Earth). So the colors of his hands become red with Sindur before first cutting starts. Most of the people here use tractor (hires it from a person) for farming - but not Yudisthir, since cow drawn plough goes much below the soil than a tractor and resulting in more oxidation in the soil.

The paddy is harvested only once a year. Rest of the year nothing happens due to lack of irrigation water. Labourer gets Rs 400 per day from 8 am - 6 pm (?) for field work. Most of the people are fisherman here. During this time of the year (harvesting time) people do not go for fishing or go less than normal. They go for 3-4 days at a stretch and goes to sea 4 times a month generally. The helpers get Rs 3,000 per Lakh (Rs 100,000) of the catch. There are 11 helpers per boat.

 - Frazergunj

- 10 Mile - Patibunia- Mousuni Ferry Ghat- Diamond Harbour - Kolkata