Indian Roadie Saikat Bishnu (resident of Sodepur in the northern fringes of Kolkata) is a devotee of Tarama and Bamdev. He drives to the temple town of #Tarapith (Birbhum district, West Bengal) with his dear ones for rituals at least twice every month.
On 2017-07-15 morning, he drove with wife and infant daughter to Tarapith in his Tata Manza.
After a night halt at the temple town, he started his drive back home from Tarapith on 2017-07-16 as early as 5am.
The couple decided to have their morning cup of tea by the Mayurakshi River at Massanjor. They were there at Massanjor at 6.30am to spend about half an hour. With the overhead dark monsoon cloud and the freshly laid black tarmac on the straight road ahead, Saikat could not resist himself to drive to Deoghar via Dumka ‘clock tower’. He reached Trikut Hills by 9am, with #Deoghar another 15 kms away.
Saikat claims that the Massanjor – Dumka – Deoghar road is one of his favourites due to the scenic beauty (especially during the monsoons). However, he did not drive upto Deoghar town. He clicked a couple of photos at Trikut Hills (on the outskirts of Deoghar town) and took an about turn for the return journey. Trikut Hills (Trikut Parvat) to Deoghar is around 15 kms.
The nil to moderate drizzle, with the sun playing hide and seek behind the monsoon clouds turned into a downpour. For the family, it was a marvellous experience.
They were back to Massanjor by 11am, had tea and proceed towards Kolkata.
For the return drive from Trikut Hills (Trikut Parvat), it was Dumka – Massanjor - Saharakuri More – Suri – Bolpur – Guskara – Burdwan – Kolkata.
Saikat Bishnu and family reached home at Sodepur, Kolkata around 4.30pm on 2017-07-16.
Tarapith to Deoghar is 140 km. After driving about 33 kms from Tarapith to Mohammad Bazar and a very short distance of 2 – 3 kms prior to reaching Tilpara Barrage and Suri, one needs to take a right turn from #SaharakuriMore on NH60 (popularly known as the Panagarh - Morgram Highway). Massanjor is barely 23 km from Saharakuri More. Proceeding straight takes one to Dumka, Trikut Hills, Deoghar.
For the uninitiated, those travelling from Kolkata towards Dumka, Bhagalpur or Tarapith, Rampurhat or Malda, Siliguri, the Seorakhuri More is only 2 – 3 kms from Tilpara Barrage. It is the first left turn after Tilpara Barrage enroute to Mohammad Bazar, Tarapith.
If heading towards Burdwan, Howrah, Kolkata then after Saharakuri and another 3 kms from Tilpara Barrage and Birbhum Institute of Technology one can exit NH60 (Panagarh Morgram National Hghway), turn left, enter Suri town, cross the railway level crossing, and via Purandarpur reach Bolpur, and onwards to Guskara, Burdwan.
The condition of #Suri – Dubrajpur stretch of NH60 is simply pathetic. After reaching NH2 at Panagarh, one can get held up in the road jam for anything between 5 minutes to 2 hours.
For those travelling from Kolkata, to avoid Panagarh and Dubrajpur, from NH2 , take a right turn to #Nababhat Shivmandir (also known as 108 Shiv Mandir) and proceed through Guskara, Bhedia and onwards to Bolpur. The road is reasonably good. Then via Sriniketan More, Amar Kutir, Devagram, Parui, Purandarpur, reach Suri. Drive through Suri town, cross level crossing and then meet NH60 (Panagarh – Morgram National Highway).
From this point of Suri (where the road from Sriniketan meets NH60), Tarapith is only 45 kms. After Mollarpur flyover the first crossing is Munsuba More. Leave that. Take right turn from Amba More. Then village road start. Go through Mahula, Valian, Atlagram . Tarapith is only 7 km from Ambassador More.
However, from the same point if one drives straight on NH60 upto Rampurhat to reach Tarapith, the distance would be 60 kms.
* Road Trip
