dipannitabhattacherya

DUMDUM TO DELPHI: A JOURNEY TO THE CENTER  OF THE EARTH Even though my journey was not similar to the one described by Jules Verne in his novel, ‘A Journey to the Center of the Earth’, written in 1864, where the protagonists plunged into the interior of the Earth, I did have to plunge into history to see the navel of the Earth, as per ancient Greek belief. Zeus, the Sky and Thunder God (From Greek Mythology), in his attempt to locate the center of the earth, launched two eagles simultaneously from two ends of the world. They flew at equal speed and crossed each other at the area above Delphi. From this point in the sky Zeus threw a stone which fell at Delphi, which since then was considered the center of the Earth. The stone was named, ‘The Omphalos, navel of the earth’. Bravery is cherished by Greek society. I thought I was brave enough and so decided to see Greece alone. I am from Kolkata and I flew a little more than 6300Kms from Dumdum’s Netaji Subhash ...

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD - A TRIP TO THE PRISTINE TINCHULEY Every time I feel the deep need to resolve the poverty of the mind amidst abundance of our materialistic civilization, I plan a trip – a trip that enriches my mind, body and soul. This time the chosen destination was Tinchuley, a Himalayan hamlet near Darjeeling, nestled in the lap of Mother Nature. It is called Tinchuley because it has ‘tin’ or 3 prominent hill tops which appear like ‘chullahs’ or ovens. It is 73kms from NJP Station (2.5-3 hrs drive) and 77kms from Bagdogra Airport (3-3.5 hrs drive). From my personal experience, it is preferable to request for a pick up facility by the homestay/guest house one has booked (especially if one is travelling from Bagdogra Airport). There are 3 most popular guest houses and/or homestays – Gurung’s Guest House  www.tinchuley.com  , Rai Resorts  http://www.tinchulayrairesort.com/   and Abiraj Homestay  https://ontrip.in/abiraj-homestay-tinchuley/ . R...