Mandarmani – A Cool Respite

If you are tired of the scorching sun and the absence of rain in your surroundings, all you have to do is stop cribbing and set out on an adventurous weekend trip to a seaside where you can relax and enjoy. Though there are many such destinations near Kolkata like Puri and Digha which happens to be everyone’s favorite and traditional summer holiday destinations ; you can also, for a change explore Mandarmani , which is a very new seaside resort compared to the other two but is no less than the others. Mandarmani lies at a distance of around two hundred kilometers from Kolkata and can be reached in seven hours by car. Alternatively you can  take a train to the nearest station , Contai and then travel the next half of the journey by rickshaws or buses which ply regularly from the Contai station. Personally, I have always preferred long drives as you get to see and experience a lot of situations when you are travelling via road. However you must remember that Mandarmani is a sea beach and is under the influence of high and low tides. Thus the timings should be carefully planned as no one wants to get stuck on the beach due to high tides.

MANDARMANI BEACH

Mandarmani itself is a seaside resort which stretches up to a distance of fifteen to eighteen kilometers. All along this stretch are numerous hotels and resorts which are almost full and quite busy during the tourist season. If you think that going to Mandarmani means only to sit and bask in the sun and take a nice bath in the water you are mistaken. There are a number of things to do. 

ONSET OF HIGH TIDES IN THE EVENING

• Taking a walk out on the beach and watch the sunrise or the sunset is an amazing experience and you cannot afford to miss it. In fact strolling along the beach you can also reach the Mohana or the confluence of two rivers. However with the possibilities of Quick Sand you need to be careful around that place.
• There is  a small village nearby where the tribals live. You can take a quick tour of the place and feel humbled by the humility of the people there. 
• Tea stalls and Food stalls mark the coastline . Probably after each hotel there is one such stall. Here people can order tea, coffee, and occasional food and sit and relax and spend hours after hours watching the sea.
  

  SUNSET FROM A FOOD STALL

• There is a fish market along the coastline. Interestingly, the vendors in this market have contracts with the hotel . Every morning they supply fresh fish to the hotel. The tourists can also pick and buy their fish and get it cooked from the numerous tea and food stalls on the beach and relish them for lunch or dinner. 
• Certain resorts offer a lot of  water sports like surfing and boating but these are only possible if they are compatible with the weather condition. Alternatively, you can play volleyball or other such outdoor games in the beach.All resorts have benches outside the gates where you can simply sit and read a book or observe the people on the beach. 
  

  BENCHES OUTSIDE HOTELS

• In the evenings there are many curio shops where you can buy small local items for yourself or for gifting purposes. Local kids also roam around selling shells of different sizes, shapes and colors. Or you can collect some of the beautiful shells from the sea beach itself.
• You can ride the local scooters which have a capacity of accommodating around twenty people at the same time and ply regularly for the tourists taking them for a ride along the full stretch of the coast at early mornings or in the evenings.
  

  CARS AND LOCAL RIDES IN THE BEACH

• Local photographers are always on the prowl to attract customers . They click photographs in various ways and instantly print them for you in just 20 rupees per photograph. This rate is the same throughout the beach.
• Red crabs are found all along the beach and are a beauty to look at . Crab holes can be found at every corner of the land and you must be careful of teasing such holes lest it might invite the anger and bites of the crab.

Some very interesting facts about Mandarmani is that the whole resort thrives on generators. Thus two hours in the morning (6 am -8 am)and two hours in the evening (4 pm – 6 pm) , there is no electricity in any of the resorts. This is the best time when all the tourists flood the beach. Also, the curio shops can only be seen on the coast from 3 pm to 6 pm after which as the tide starts rising; the vendors pack up and no sign of the shops can be seen. The fish market too sits only early in the morning when business flourishes the most and no trace of it can be seen as the sun rises. Again they sit in the evenings and disappear by 6 pm. Such unique timings have been made so that the entire situation can be adapted as per the tidal timings of the place.  

Off late certain tricky and dangerous situations have been reported but it has not dampened the spirit of the tourists visiting this place. Since the entire resort is built on a sandy beach, the probability of the wheels of your car getting seeped in by a quick sand is quite high. In fact my own car was stuck. Once such a situation arises you have no way out but to take the help of the locals. The locals have made it a business and charge anywhere between three thousand to five thousand rupees to help bring out the car.  Often many daredevils have made the sea beach their own platform of showing stunts with their cars and have taken their cars out too much into the sea. At such times the car and many of the people inside have even drowned under the influence of the tides. Thus, it is important to remember that one must follow the rules and drive along the beach and enjoy it in a safe manner. 

Nevertheless such accidents are common is every sea beaches and is the responsibility of the tourists too to take care and follow the rules of the place. Apart from such accidents which demand a bit of safety measures you can freely enjoy your stay at such a beautiful place . It relaxes your senses and re-energizes you from within to face the hustle and bustle of the city life with a smile on your face.

RIPPLES ON THE BEACH DURING SUNSET