Trip to Mukutmonipur

IT was a spur of the moment decision. Otherwise nobody could think of making a trip to Mukutmonipur in Bankura in the month of April.
Actually due to a depression, there has been heavy rain the day before that brought in a change in weather .My friend from Kolkata  was on a visit to my place in Durgapur  and this time he was not with his family.
Mukutmanipur is about 105 km from Durgapur via barrage and Bankura town.It is a straight route till Khatra. There is another route via Ranigunj that passes by the Susunia hills and goes to Bankura. Amarkanan also comes in this route.  We started around 9.30 am. Direct buses are available or one may take bus for Midnapore or purulia and break journey. If on a bus get down at Khatra and take an auto or hired  cab. Just  after crossing the canal at Khatra the road turns right. This part of the road is very beautiful. One  can see the hills far away and there are palash trees all over . The road passes beside small villages. Needless  to mention that this will be a treat to the eyes during spring.

Mukutmonipur

Mukutmonipur is just 6/7km from Khatra. At zero point the road takes a turn towards the barrage on Kangsavati river. Before that you shall find a road on right that takes you to Peerless resorts. There is also a mid budget hotel midway in which we put up. You can find many eateries near the zero point that offer snacks and simple meal. Most of these were closed due to off seaon. Some stalls selling handicrafts were open however. This place seemed to me to be getting some customers year round due to proximity of colleges and budding film enthusiasts.

Place for stay

A tourist resort run by wbfdc is located very near the zero point. It is built on a small hill and offers the best location .Though  ideal for most tourists the place could be bit difficult if your group consists of elderly people  . It also  requires prior booking.There are some other hotels nearby that  offer ac, non ac rooms. Most people come here on day trips and picnics but staying gives a time to spend late evening and  morning  in a serene place.
The main attraction of the place is the barrage with a wide road on top. You can go deep inside but a formal permission need to  be taken from the local office. The road atop the barrage offers breathtaking view of the lake with hills jutting out from the water on one side and small villages on the other . You can get a splendid view of sunset. There is a confluence of three rivers about 8km ahead which we could not make. Visit the local temple also .
Medium budget hotels and lodges are available like Green View, Monalisa, Anupama.




Place is ideal for a short trip and draws crowd on weekends. Another time to visit could be during the rainy season. I asked the hotel manager and he said rainy season would be just as fine because you don't have much to see here except the lake which will be full at that time.

QUIZ : How to become a quiz master

The prerequisite to participate in a quiz is knowledge- uncontrolled, unrelated stack of information in ones brain . People who render themselves to be quizzed necessarily soak up information all along their daily activities and are able keep it in their brain bringing it to the RAM area when required. That is not at all an easy job.

    Personally I have been able to talk to some people who have taken it as a favorite pastime and as a passion . They form part of clubs with the sole mission of participating in quiz contests. To do excellent in quiz one has to follow certain things:

To read and read more!  Newspapers, Magazines, GK books everything. What happened in the present , what relation does it bear with the past and what could happen in future.

Nowadays the internet provides practically unlimited information. Whenever they come across information they do a extrapolated search and whoever is related in whatever way to that name or place becomes known and remembered.

They do some brain exercises , like concentrating on a point or staying blank for few minutes.

Some even take brain strengthening tonics. Now I do not know if such tonics belong to steroid groups and entail doping charges.

But despite such valiant efforts many are still susceptible to failure.

    The idea that caught me was to become a quiz master. It is a lot easy once one has attended a few quizzes. All it requires is presentation skills and some knowledge of the rules and how quiz is conducted. One only requires a thorough control of one language. If it is English one can be sure of the promise it holds. A quiz master needs to remember nothing because one is at liberty to have the answers. Nobody has ever quizzed a quiz master so one can rest assure that the Quiz master's knowledge will never be put to test. Without the enormous burden of information on ones brain, the quiz master will still be the centre of attraction in a quiz. While the winners get prize while losers get a consolation dialogue of their best efforts, the quiz master would most likely get a big or small packet for appearance.

So next time one prepares for a quiz be sure to check the other option ahead. Looking forward to hear from budding Quiz Masters

HomeMade Haldi(Turmeric)

 Paste:

So often we come across newspaper reports of food adulteration. There are reports that haldi powder  available in the market is mixed with lead chromate and saw dust . Lead chromate is a harmful chemical and carcinogen. It's daily intake even in small quantities may lead to cancer. 

Making Haldi dust at home may not be easy but haldi paste can be made with little effort and it keeps well in a refrigerator for about a week.

Haldi sticks

Buy dried haldi sticks from the market.

 In a mortar break the sticks into smaller size.  About 50 gms is enough for a small family for a week. The paste takes up water and swells. So be careful first time. I buy larger quantity of sticks and keep it crushed . 

Ground haldi

Soak the smaller pieces in water overnight or at least 8-10 hrs. It will make them soft.The haldi pieces will swell somehow. Put it in a mixer grinder with very little water. Start the mixer.After sometime remove the lid and little more water. Grind it further. Repeat this process adding very little water each time till a consistent paste is obtained.

This paste can be used for skin care as well as cooking.

For cleaning the grinder jar, use lukewarm water along with dishwasher and a worn out scrubber. Drop the scrubber into the jar and turn it with a spoon to avoid staining fingers. When the water turns deep yellow, discard it and repeat the process. You may also consider buying a separate jar and keeping it for making home ground spices like cumin, coriander etc.