My visit to Mandarmani

Masti @ Mandarmani

Homeward Bound

This is one of the very rare times when me and my friends have planned out something and actually worked out. All the time we have seen any plans went in vain due to our tight schedule. We always plan to go here there and end up going no where. But this time everything worked out with perfection and We went to MANDARMANI.

Mandarmani is a beautiful virgin beach in West Bengal, India, just 20 kms from Chaulkhola on the Kolkata-Digha route.

So we enquired about the place from one of my friend who has already visited the place and from internet also. Then we planned to go on 7th of March, Friday.

Finally the day came and I set out from my home at 7:00 am met up with Prasun, and two Souravs at Howrah and without wasting any time we started the Journey, A journey that would never end. After traveling for approx 1.5 hour, We stopped at Mecheda and had a very good breakfast (kochuri+alur torkari+jilipi) .


Then we traveled, traveled, traveled and it was around 11:30 am that we finally reached Chaulkhola . This is on the Kolkata-Digha route. From here we went left for Mandarmani . We took a motor van(tri-wheeled van with a motor attached to it) and finally reached there at 12:30 pm.

As the place haven't got that much popularity as Digha or Shankarpur, and the people there are very poor, mainly fishermen and farmers, everything is bit costly here. We checked in a hotel named "LIV-SEA VALLEY". We got the sea faced room for only 400 bucks a day. but the meal was costly too. They said an egg-meal is of 80 bucks, chicken-meal of 120 bucks. So we went to a nearby house and they aggreed to give egg-meal at 30 bucks only.

The sea was calling us. We went to the room, just stuffed our bag and baggages, changed and went straight into the sea. We spent there 2 hours and at 5pm took our lunch. The behavior was also very good. It was so homely feeling, as if our aunt is taking care of our meal. Then we returned to the beach to enjoy the breeze. The sunset was marvelous. The experience was great. We spent there till 8:30 pm. Had our evening tea and took snaps. The place doesn't have electricity. The hotels use generators to give light from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm. So we had our dinner at 9:00 pm and took some rest. Then at 11:00 pm we again went to the beach. It was tide and the sea came to almost near our hotel. There was a deserted boat. We sat on there and enjoyed the gorgeous sea and the beauty of night. We enjoyed a lot till 3:30 pm. We were shouting too much that the boarders of the next hotel also complained but WHO CAREZZ???

Next morning we went out to see the sunrise and walked on the beach for long. Then we returned and slept till 8:30 am. We woke up then, freshen ourselves, took egg-toast and went to the sea. We had lots of fun. And finally we came out because we had to return that day. We checked out from the hotel, took a trekker and went to Mohona, spent sometime there and returned to KaNthi at 5:00 pm. Eventually we missed the last bus for Howrah which was at 4:45 pm. Then we took a local bus and came to mecheda and avail Midnapur Local at 8:05 pm.

So friends, next time when you think of a day's outing, whether with friendss or family...consider this place as a good choice.


PHOTO COURTESY: ABHISHEK DEY.

RESERVATION

Have faith in us: PM to striking docs
Last Updated: May 20, 2006 23:59 IST

Assuring all sections of an 'amicable' settlement in the reservation issue, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed, on Saturday night, to the striking medicos on to call off their agitation and have faith in government's 'sincerity'.

The prime minister's first direct public comments on the raging controversy came at the end of a hectic day of developments on the reservation front when the Group of Ministers headed by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee submitted its report to him.

The report is understood to have recommended an increase in the number of seats in the elite educational institutions like IITs and IIMs without affecting the general category seats and its implementation in a phased manner.

A PMO spokesman said the prime minister has received the report of the GoM on the reservation issue and he would examine it and take a view on the matter keeping in view the interests of all sections of society.

Dr Singh has assured all sections of the student community that he would resolve the matter in an amicable manner taking into account the interests of all sections of students.

The spokesman added that the prime minister has appealed to the student community to desist from resorting to agitations on the matter. He has also appealed to them to enable the government to resolve the matter in an amicable manner and has asked the student community to have faith in the government's sincerity for taking a fair view of the interests of all sections of students.

Dr Singh is to start talks with political parties from Monday, the day his government would be completing two years in office.

The world's biggest plane takes off!

It's taking off!

rediff Business features desk | May 19, 2006

The new double-decker Airbus 380, the world's largest commercial aircraft, hit European skies on May 18, when it did a test run out of London's Heathrow airport.

The plane has a maximum cruising speed of 660 mph and is considerably more fuel-efficient than all its predecessors.

This super jumbo airliner can carry as many as 840 economy class passengers, that is about one-third more than a Boeing 747 can. It has a wingspan of 50 feet, a little shorter than a cricket pitch, a length equivalent to eight elephants, but looks much squatter and more unsightly than an elephant.

It can also house duty-free shops, hair salons, jacuzzis, lounges, bowling alleys in its galleys -– like a mini flying airport -– depending on how much its future passengers are willing to pay for tickets.

Singapore Airlines plans to be the first commercial airline to use this plane, priced today at $295 million, when it incorporates 10 of them in its fleet later this year.

According to the Airbus site: orders for 159 Airbus 380s have been booked worldwide; the only order from an Indian airline is for five planes from Kingfisher Airlines.

Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty

Da Vinci or Fanaa???????

Now that the censorship controversy appears to have quietened down somewhat, the verdict seems clear.

The Da Vinci Code will release without cuts, but with an 'A' certificate and disclaimer saying it is a work of fiction.

But, because of all the last-minute fuss, the film hasn't released today. Which means Ron Howard's blockbuster will compete with the Aamir-Kajol starrer Fanaa next week.

This makes it a tense time for distributors and theatre owners, but also a difficult choice for audiences.

Which film will you watch -- Fanaa or The Da Vinci Code?

No cuts, but Da Vinci to carry disclaimer

After watching the controversial film Da Vinci Code at a special show in New Delhi on Thursday, the Censor Board has cleared the film with an 'Adult' certificate.
The film has been cleared without cuts, but it will carry a disclaimer at the beginning and at the end.
Leaders of the Christian community in India had asked for a disclaimer, an 'Adult' certificate and some cuts before the film is released in theatres in India on Friday.
The religious leaders watched director Ron Howard's latest film in New Delhi on Wednesday and met in the capital on Thursday to give their joint response to Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Das Munsi.

Da Vinci Code released

ALTIMATELY THE EAGERLY AWAITED MOVIE "THE DA VINCI CODE" RELEASED IN INDIA TOO, BUT WITH AN "A" SIGN AND A STATUATARY WARNING THAT "THIS FILM IS BASED ON FICTION". WHERE THE CATHOLIC MAJOR COUNTRIES HAV NO OBJECTION IN RELEASING THE UNCUT MOVIE, THERE THE ROLE OF INDIAN GOVT. TO MAKE IT "A" RATED IS JUST LIKE THE ACT OF A 'BUNCH OF JOCKERS'. WAT DO U SAY...COMMENTS AWAITED :)

Ban on The Da Vinci Code

THE GOVT IS JUST OVER REACTING IN THIS ISSUE.THOUGH THE POPE HAS OBJECTION ABOUT SOME FACTS MENTIONED IN THE BOOK, BUT HASN'T ASKED FOR STOPPING THE MOVIE. THE CATHOLIC MAJOR COUNTRIES LIKE ITALY, FRANCE AND OTHERS HAVE NO OBJECTION REGARDING THE MOVIE. ONLY THE INDIAN GOVT. IS FEELING SOME ITCHING IN THEIR ASS AND THEY HAVE ASKED TO BAN THE MOVIE. I AM NOT A CHRISTIAN AND DON 'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE RELIGION. I WAS TAUGHT A LITTLE BIBLE IN SCHOOL. AND AS FAR AS I CAN REMEBER, JESUS HIMSELF TOLD THAT HE HAS COME ON THIS EARTH AS AN ORDINARY PERSON. THEN CAN'T HE ENJOY SEX? CAN'T HE HAS WIFE AND CHILDREN..LIKE OTHER ORDINARY PEOPLE?...JUST BECAUSE HE IS JESUS, ALL THOSE POINTS ARE "TALKING TRASH"? THE FILM SHOULD NOT BE BANNED. AND WHAT THE INDIAN GOVT. DOING IS MINORITY ASS KISSING. AND THERE MAY ANOTHER REASON. AS SONIA GANDHI IS A CATHOLIC CHIRISTIAN, PRYORANJAN DASMUNSI MAY BE TRYING TO MAKE HER HAPY TO ACHIEVE A BETTER POSITION IN THE PARTY. WHATEVER BE THE REASON IS, THE MAIN THING IS, EVEN IF THE GOVT. BAN THE MOVIE, THEN ALSO NO ONE CAN STOP THE MOVIE TO REACH TO THE COMMON MASS. BECAUSE SOON PIRATED CD WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET.....