The aquatic life
Hridita Anisha
For a metropolitan, one of the earliest impressions of living on a boat or trawler is the sudden lack of gravity. There is a different sort of gravity at work, somewhat ethereal. And life on the Tanguar Haor is just so - ethereal.
With monsoon at its peak even nature decided to gift us with a climatic panorama with its diverse palette of mute downpours and chaotic storms. For someone who loves to be in touch with water along with the view of the majestic Meghalayan hills, Tanguar Haor is the place!
The haor flows along the Dharmapasha and Tahirpur upazilas of Sunamganj district. The best way to get there is a bus ride to Sunamganj town, where you can find legunas and autorickshaws to take you to Tahirpur. You can also take bike rides for a faster journey which is a bit more expensive. It takes around 40 minutes to reach Tahirpur bazar. The journey was pretty hectic even last year, but the roads have been fixed now and thus, you will find it pretty comfortable.
Once the enormous statue of a hand comes to view, you will know you are in Tahirpur. A short walk takes you inside the bazar where you can find locals to guide you to the waterside. Boats of various shapes and colours are available to accommodate any number of people. A medium sized boat can accommodate around 6-8 people and costs around Tk4,000 for two days and one night in the middle of the haor.
To optimise your stay on a budget and yet experience the complete pleasure package, it is best to take the boat within the morning and hire it till the next day. It is important to buy enough groceries, like rice, lentils, vegetables, proteins and spices for the three or more meals in the boat. Enough dry foods and bottled water should also be stored. The boatmen usually stop at nearby villages before meals to get the food cooked in time. Imagine having khichuri and chicken curry on the roof of the boat with cool monsoon breeze and the Meghalayan horizon as your view. You will not miss the city life anymore.
It is also recommended to bring your own bedsheet, soap and other basic necessities. A torch and a power bank will come to great use.
The best part about living a boat life in the monsoon is the variety of rains a person can enjoy. A sudden sound of rainfall halts a game of cards _ it is raining, but you are dry. How that is possible you do not know till you see the oncoming rain rushing towards your boat at maximum speed. Rain on the haor can be like that, mobile and indefinite, they can start at one place then spread according to their own design. Another exciting experience is to wake up to a delicate rocking of the boat and look out the tiny window to find a storm charging up the horizon. The water is usually calmer though, and the boat regains its balance every time on its own.
Over the two days, the boat takes you to many places, like Tekerghat. It is a port where you can rest your boat and walk around the nearby village. The hills are way closer, as if a few minutes of walking will take you to them. The Jadukata River is there, too. Workers collect stones from the riverside, which is also very close to the hills. Unfortunately, the hills are out of bounds. The Barika Tila, too, is visited quite often. There is a miniature sized tila, that is a very small hilly area, which gives one an overview of the haor. But such an experience is even better from the watchtower where the boatmen will take you. You can climb a few steps and immediately be a few feet above the waterbody.
Everything is blue in the haor _ the sky, the hills and the water. A tinge of the melancholic blue brings back a longing for the life we must have lived a long, long time ago.
Tanguar Haor is one of those fragments of heaven on earth where you could visit time after time.
