One Night at Durgadih Eco Resort

 One Night at Durgadih Eco Resort

It all started with Debanu's suggestion—a simple plan to escape to a nearby resort for a weekend getaway with all our friends. The essentials were clear: good food, drinks for the big boys, and a scenic backdrop to relax in.

Since it was a nearby location and just a weekend trip, we expected most of our friends to join. We quickly shortlisted a few places, some only a few tens of kilometers away. However, when I contacted them, the prices turned out to be heavily inflated, and none of the options could accommodate our group size.

A quick search revealed that most of the nearby spots cater primarily to weekend family and friend groups from Kolkata, who typically visit for day trips or short week end stays. Their group sizes tend to be smaller than ours, which limited our accommodation options. It became clear that if we were willing to travel a bit farther, we’d find more choices at more reasonable rates.

Expanding our search to properties beyond Kharagpur, within a 250-kilometer radius, we discovered Durgadih Eco Tourist Resort. 270 km away and nestled between a eucalyptus forest on one side and the vast Mukutmanipur Lake on the other, the resort offers stunning views. With about 10 kilometers of the lake visible on both sides, it seemed like the perfect spot for the right price.

Debanu had warned us all to leave by 6 AM on the 7th from Mandirtala, or we’d miss a delicious lunch at the resort. We were all ready to go, but the ever-lazy Sumit threw off our schedule when he finally emerged from his house at exactly 6:45 AM. As soon as we saw his face, Debanu and Falguni showered him with colorful language, but he remained completely unfazed by the choice of adjectives. With that, we all set off on our journey!

On the way, we stopped for breakfast near Kolaghat. On a sunny morning, post-retirement, enjoying delicious street food at a roadside restaurant with school friends felt like the perfect blend of life’s simple pleasures. We all relished the moment immensely! It felt as though time had rewound 50 years, back to when we were carefree kids, unconcerned with life’s trials or tribulations, only focused on fun and happiness. The complexities of life, like someone’s daughter’s marriage, son’s career, or worries about stability, seemed to fade into the background, if only for a while. This is a pure blissful moment.

After breakfast the taskmaster in me urged the driver to blast the bus’s air horn, jolting the free-spirited boys back into the cab so we could finally set off. As we journeyed, the roadside views of Jhargram were a feast for the eyes. The lush greenery set against a cloudy monsoon sky created the perfect backdrop for a holiday escape. Since it was Sunday, the usually busy roads of the Jungle Mahal were almost deserted, allowing us to pause and admire the scenery without worrying about traffic. 

To keep the spirits high, we had some chilled beer served on the bus. Making good progress on the road, we finally reached the property around 1:30 PM. The sun was blazing, and the scorching heat was unmistakable! We quickly checked in and rushed to the much-anticipated lunch, featuring a delectable desi chicken curry. Initially, there were some hiccups with the air conditioning, but after a while, all the units worked perfectly, cooling the rooms down. With our stomachs full and the afternoon heat pressing down, few of us settled into a much-needed siesta, perfectly content after the beer and hearty lunch. 

However, soon across the lake on the southern horizon , a storm was brewing, and within the next 15 minutes, it transformed into a full-blown rainstorm, creating quite a spectacle by the vast lakeside. Gradually, everyone except Debanu stepped out to admire the storm’s beauty against the backdrop of the setting sun over the lake. The whole place was bathed in the golden light of the sun’s last rays. As if to top it off, a massive rainbow appeared in the eastern sky. Someone yelled, “How is Debanu, who hasn’t even had beer, still sleeping through all this light and sound show?” Tulu decided to wake him up to witness the scene but came back dejected, drenched in a shower of some very colorful language that Debanu hurled at him from inside — something Tulu will likely remember for quite a while!

Gradually, dusk descended upon the area. The resort’s pathways filled with insects of various shapes and sizes, while the chirping of birds returning home broke the otherwise silent evening with an eerie symphony. Each step I took, crunching the dry leaves beneath my feet, felt disturbingly loud, as if I were intruding in this untouched world. A watchtower, still under construction, stood nearby. I climbed its unfinished stairs to take a view, and the sight was breathtaking — an endless forest at my back, the vast lake stretching out in front of me, both bathed in twilight’s fading light. After the rain, an even deeper silence enveloped the place, making the entire scene both hauntingly peaceful and incredibly beautiful.

The evening adda with snacks and tea began around 7 PM. A gentle breeze started blowing from the lake, and the rhythmic sound of small waves breaking on the shore created a mesmerising atmosphere that was hard to ignore. Our adda continued, lively and relaxed, until about 10 PM the guard called us for dinner. Reluctantly, we all left for the dining place. 

The path to the dining complex ran alongside the forest, well within the resort campus. Naturally, our brave leader Debanu took charge, waving a huge flashlight like an explorer venturing into the wild, fearing snakes might pop out at any moment! We followed close behind, half-expecting a surprise encounter, but thankfully— there were no snakes in sight. The journey to the dining area, the hearty dinner, and our trek back to the cottages all passed uneventfully, though Debanu’s flashlight antics provided some solid entertainment!

Post-dinner, the adda carried on well past midnight. No one really wanted to call it a night, despite the looming early morning walk through the backyard jungle that we had all ambitiously planned. However, the inevitable pull of cozy beds eventually won over a few of us. One by one, the party reluctantly trickled out, each muttering about how they’d definitely need their sleep to survive the grand jungle trek the next morning!

As expected, the grand morning walk plan didn’t quite pan out. I woke up first at 5:30 AM, with Sudipta following at 6 AM. But as for the rest of the group, none of them managed to catch a glimpse of daylight before 7:30 AM! Determined to make the most of the morning, Pijush and I ventured into the jungle for a brief stroll, soaking in the serenity and the depth of the wilderness. The sun, already high at 8 AM, was unforgiving, beating down on us with full force. If it was this hot so early, we could only imagine what the day ahead had in store!

Finally, at 10 AM, after a delicious breakfast of paratha or puri with sabji, boiled egg or omelet, and tea or coffee, we set out on our return journey. Along the way, we stopped for lunch at Banalata Resort in Jaipur, which was fantastic. After a smooth trip, we finally arrived at Mandirtala by 7 PM.

Somnath Bera