Friday, December 24, 2010

The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world




In the southwestern part of Bangladesh, in the district of greater Khulna, lies the Sundarbans, means "the beautiful forest". It is a virgin forest, which until recently owed nothing to human endeavor and yet nature has laid it out with as much care as a planned pleasure ground. For miles and miles, the lofty treetops form an unbroken canopy, while nearer the ground, works of high and ebb tide marked on the soil and tree trunks and the many varieties of the natural mangrove forest have much to offer to an inquisitive visitor.

The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world's. And as it is the unusual forest, UNESCO listed it as World Heritage Site

Here land and water meet in many novel fashions. Wild life presents many a spectacle. No wonder, you may come across a Royal Bengal Tiger swimming across the streams or the crocodiles basking on the riverbanks. With the approach of the evening herds of deer make for the darkling glades where boisterous monkeys shower Keora leaves from above for sumptuous meal for the former. For the botanist, the lover of nature, the poet and the painter this land provides a variety of wonders for which they all crave.

The Sundarbans is a cluster of islands with an approximate area of 6000 sq. km. forming the largest block of littoral forests. It's beauty lies in its unique natural surrounding. Thousands of meandering streams, creeks, rivers and estuaries have enhanced its charm. Sundarbans meaning beautiful forest is the ritual habitat of the world famous Royal Bengal Tiger, spotted deer, crocodiles, jungle fowl, wild boar, lizards, rhesus monkey and an innumerable variety of beautiful birds. Migratory flock of Siberian ducks flying over thousands of sail boats loaded with timber, golpatta (round-leaf, fuel wood, honey, shell and fish further add to the serene natural beauty of the Sundarbans.

This is indeed a land for the sportsmen, the anglers and the photographers with its abundance of game, big and small, crocodile, wild boar, deer, pythons, wild birds and above all the Royal Bengal Tiger, cunning, ruthless and yet majestic and graceful. For the less adventurously inclined, there are ducks and snipes, herons and coots, yellow-lags and sandpipers. It is also the land for the ordinary holiday makers who desire to rest or wander around at will to refresh their mind and feast their eyes with the rich treasure that nature has so fondly bestowed.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS: Wild life photography including photography of the famous Royal Bengal Tiger, wild life viewing, boating inside the forest, wild call recordings, nature study, meeting fishermen, wood-cutters and honey-collectors. peace and tranquility in the wilderness, seeing the world's largest mangrove forest and the riverine beauty.

FAMOUS SPOTS: Hiron Point (Nilkamal) for tiger, deer, monkey, crocodiles, birds and natural beauty. Katka for deer, tiger, crocodiles, varieties of birds and monkey, morning and evening symphony of wild fowls. Vast expanse of grassy meadows running from Katka to Kachikhali (Tiger Point) provides opportunities for wild tracking. Tin Kona Island for tiger and deer. Dublar Char (Island) for fishermen. It is a beautiful island where herds of spotted deer are often seen to graze.

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