#Sundarbans Tour

  1. Our Tour Planning

 I visited the Sundarbans 34 years ago when I was single. We have decided to visit the Sundarbans with our two adult sons this time. We explored several options for the Sundarbans tour. Finally, we have decided to travel to the Sundarbans with Sagar Sangam Travels. We have booked a three-day and two-night tour for which they charged Rs. 3500.00 for each person, which is fair compared to other options. Four persons included myself, my wife, and our two adult sons. The package tour included breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and a two-night hotel stay. The package tour included a visit to certain tourist spots in the Sundarbans. Those tourist spots were Gosaba, Sajnekhali, Sudhanyakhali, Dobanki Watch Tower, and Loknath Temple. It also included a pick-up from Canning Railway Station and a drop-off at Sonakhali Ferry Ghat by auto. It is preferable to have a Sundarbans tour during the winter season. Thus, we scheduled our tour from December 6 to 8, 2024.

2. How to reach Sonakhlai Ferry Ghat?

One can take a local train from Sealdah to Canning. It takes about one hour and 20 minutes to reach Canning Railway Station. The nearest international airport is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata. It is about 14 km from Sealdah Railway Station. Our tour operator arranged for vehicles to pick us up at Canning Railway Station and take us to Sonakhali Ferry Ghat. Sonakhali Ferry Ghat is about 17 km from Canning Railway Station. One can reach Sonakhali Ferry Ghat by road. Paid parking is available near Ferry Ghat for Rs. 150.00 per day. We reached Sonakhali Ferry Ghat by 9:00 am on December 06, 2024, by our vehicle. We parked our vehicle at the parking place from where we walked about 600 meters to Sonakhali Ferry Ghat.

3. The first day of our tour.

After we boarded the boat at Sonakhali Ferry Ghat, the staff served us a welcome drink. Thereafter, they served us breakfast. The boat was big and could carry 40 passengers. At 11:30 am, they provided us with snacks and tea/coffee. They provided us with prawn pakora as snacks. After sailing through the Hogol River, Gumti River, and other rivers, they took us to Gosaba. We got down from the boat at Gosaba Ferry Ghat. We visited Hamilton’s Bungalow, Rabindranath Tagore’s Bungalow, and Beacon Bungalow.

3.1 Hamilton’s Bungalow

Hamilton's Bungalow is also called Gosaba Beacon Bungalow. Sir Daniel Mackinnon Hamilton, a Scottish businessman, built it in 1903. He contributed to the development of the Sundarbans region. He introduced the Co-operative System in Gosaba and in the Sundarbans region. He established the cooperative credit society with 15 members in Gosaba. He was also known for establishing the Zamindari System in Gosaba. He had a strong association with Rabindranath Tagore.

3.2 Rabindranath Tagore’s Bungalow

Rabindranath Tagore's father, Debendranath, built this bungalow in 1890. A beautiful garden surrounds it. This bungalow is a museum. It preserves Tagore's legacy and displays his personal items, manuscripts, and photos. Traditional Bengali furniture and artwork decorate the interior of the bungalow. Tagore spent many of his summers in this bungalow. He engaged himself in writing, composing music, and gardening.

3.3 Beacon Bungalow

The Beacon Bungalow, built in 1903 by Sir Daniel Hamilton, is in a quiet area of Sundarbans National Park. Sir Daniel Hamilton was a Scottish businessman and social worker. They named this bungalow after the beacon light that once stood nearby. This bungalow stands on stilts and has lush gardens surrounding it. The interior of the bungalow features antique furniture and paintings. This bungalow was a meeting place for key talks during the British colonial era.

After completing sightseeing at Gosaba, we reached Pakhiralaya by boat. At Pakhiralaya, they allotted us hotel rooms for a two-night stay. Many shops near Ferry Ghat at Pakhiralaya sell local crafts and various articles. Our stay in the hotel was fine. On the first day at the hotel, our tour operator entertained us. They organized the Jhumur dance and other folk dances by local artists, with snacks and tea. We enjoyed the folk dance. The tour operator provided dinner in the hotel. After dinner, we went to our hotel room to take a rest and refresh ourselves for the next day's tour.

4. The second day of our tour.

The next day, we left our hotel at 8:00 am after tea. We went to Ferry Ghat at Pakhiralaya for our boat tour of the Sundarbans. On the boat, they served us breakfast and tea. The boat departed from Pakhiralaya Ferry Ghat as scheduled. It was for sightseeing at Sajnekhali, Sudhanyakhali, Dobanki, and Jharkhali Watch Towers.

4.1 Sajnekhali Watch Tower

First, we got off the boat at Sajnekhali Ferry Ghat. Then, we entered Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary. Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary was set up as a sanctuary in 1976. On the way to Sajnekhali Watch Tower, there was high fencing. It protected visitors from wild animal attacks. On the way to the Watch Tower, we saw leopards, crocodiles, fiddler crabs, and monkeys. Those animals were outside the fencing area. 

From the watch tower, we had a bird's-eye view of Sundarbans National Park. After getting down from the watch tower, we walked to the ferry ghat. We enjoyed the scenery along the way. On the way, inside the wildlife sanctuary, there was a Mangrove Interpretation Centre. We boarded the boat. It took us to another tourist spot, Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower.

4.2 Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower

After getting down from the boat, we proceeded towards Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower. As we entered Iceland, we saw Bono Bibi Temple. All locals, regardless of religion, worship Bono Bibi. They do this before venturing into the deep forest for honey. We also found an old, abandoned ship lying on the bank of the river. On the way to Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower, we found a mini forest of mangroves. Their names were on the tree trunks. From the watchtower, we saw a sweet water pond where the wild animals come to drink water. But we could not see any animals near the pond. We also saw a dry river or waterway near the pond. This river is full of water during high tide.

4.3 Dobanki Camp

After getting off the boat at Dobanki Camp Ferry Ghat, we went to Dobanki Watch Tower. The path to the Watch Tower was 20 feet above the ground. It had a grill and a strong net as a canopy to keep tourists safe from wild animals. One has to walk more than half a kilometer through this canopy to reach the Tower. On both sides of the pathway, we had beautiful views of mangrove forests. We saw many migratory birds swimming in the water bodies. We climbed up to the top of the watch tower with the hope of seeing the royal Bengal tiger. But we could not see any royal Bengal tiger. It’s a matter of chance to see the royal Bengal tiger from the watch tower.

4.4 Jharkhali Island

After our visit to Dobanki Tower, we went by boat to Jharkhali Island. In the meantime, they served us lunch. We could buy the ticket to visit the Tiger Rehabilitation Centre until 4 pm. The entry fee is Rs. 30.00 per person. Jharkhali is very close to the forest area. One can hire a boat to venture into the island deep inside the forests. This island is famous for the Forest Department's Tiger Rehabilitation Centre. They treat wounded tigers here and release them afterward. We saw tigers moving in an enclosed area. It had high metallic fencing. We also saw crocodiles and birds. While returning to Jharkhali Jetty Ghat, we found many shops on both sides of the road. After our visit to Jharkhali Island, we boarded a boat to return to Pakhiralaya for a night stay at the hotel.

 

  

     👈 Crocodile at Tiger Rehabilitation Centre

5. The third and last day of our tour.

After waking up, we packed and got ready to check out of the hotel at Pakhiralaya. Our tour operator arranged the hotel rooms within the package. After checking out from the hotel, we headed to Pakhiralaya Jetty Ghat. We would take a boat to visit Lokenath Temple. Then, we would return to Sonakhali Ghat, where our journey began on day one of our tour. Before boarding the boat, we bought a key holder. It had the words "Sundarban Pakhiralaya" and a picture of a Royal Bengal Tiger. We wanted to keep it as a memento at home. After we boarded the boat, they served breakfast. At 11:30 am, they served snacks, and we got down at Jetty Ghat to visit Lokenath Temple. We walked on the road surrounded by a golden paddy field to reach Lokenath Temple. In between, we found villagers selling vegetables and local honey on the roadside. We also bought vegetables from that place. It was cheaper than those at the local market. Paddy fields surround Lokenath Temple. You will have the feeling of rural Bengal. The temple features a design based on rural architecture and includes a roof made from straw. After our visit, we boarded the boat. It took us to Sonakhali Ferry Ghat, where we began our Sundarban trip. The entire boat journey was enjoyable. We loved the scenic beauty of the mangrove forests and waterbodies. 

  

6.  What is special about Sundarbans?

Sundarbans is the largest delta. It has the world's largest mangrove forest, across parts of India and Bangladesh. The Sundarbans Forest lies in the vast delta of the Bay of Bengal. It is in the delta at the confluence of the Hooghly, Padma, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal. The Sundarbans has the Royal Bengal Tiger and Estuarine Crocodiles. It also has other endangered species. The name 'Sundarbans' likely comes from the local name for the abundant mangrove species, Heritiera fomes: the Sundari trees. In the past 200 years, the 'Sundarbans' shrank to one-third of its original size. This was due to cyclones and rising sea levels from climate change. The mangrove forest provides a biological shield against cyclones. High tide raises water levels in the rivers and their branches in the Sundarbans. The mangroves are submerged in water to some extent during high tide. The 'Sundarbans' is unique in its plants and animals. It is home to many endangered species, like the Royal Bengal Tiger, estuarine crocodile, Ganges and Irawadi dolphins, and sea turtles.  

#Sundarbans

#Mangroves

Senior Citizens – Issue of Socialization

 

Senior Citizens – Issue of Socialization

We all know regarding the various challenges that a senior citizen faces of which the most serious challenge is lack of socialization. After the completion of working life, a senior citizen faces the challenges of lack of engagement and socialization. Challenge of engagement can be mitigated by pursuing hobbies, reading books, helping spouse in domestic work, etc., for which one may not need another person’s help. But to mitigate the challenge of socialization one need other persons for interaction. Without interactions with other persons, one cannot mitigate the challenge of socialization. Therefore, there is a necessity to have regular chit chat with a group of senior citizens.

2. With the increase in age, a senior citizen faces a gradual reduction in the number of persons for interaction within home as well as in social circle. After retirement, there is a sudden reduction in number of persons for interactions due to cease of working relationship with colleagues. Most of the senior citizens have adult children busy with their profession and family life and may not be staying with them. Therefore, they hardly get a scope for interacting with people including family members. Therefore, there is a necessity to form a group of senior citizens residing in the same locality to have frequent chit chat with each other. 

3. Every senior citizen is having a stock of experiences and knowledge acquired during the course of journey of their life which they want to share with someone. A group of 10 to 15 persons is an ideal size for having a chit chat. In a large size group, all the senior citizens may not get a scope to share his or her thoughts and opinions. If a group is too small then the participants may not get enriched with the diversified views on the subject matter. It is better to have a group size of 10-15 persons staying in the same or nearby locality having diversified backgrounds i.e. having experiences in various fields and from different professions. It is better to have a group having persons from diversified cultural backgrounds. The purpose is to have divergent views on the subject matter which helps in widening our horizon of thoughts.

4.  The chit chat may be informal or formal. Informal chit chats are more frequently held in common places like club house of housing society, garden, etc. Generally informal chit chats are on daily basis in which everyone shares their problems, day-to-day experiences, important information helpful to all, etc. There may not be any fixed topic for such informal chit chat. Sometimes chit chat starts spontaneously by the persons on certain occasions like marriage ceremony, birthday party, etc.

In a formal chit chat, there is a fixed topic for discussion. Formal chit chats are generally preplanned and topics for discussion are decided well in advance. Date and timing are also decided well in advance and informed to all the participants. Such formal chit chat requires strong initiative by at least one interested person.

5. Organizing meeting for chit chat: The success of any meeting whether formal or informal depends on the way the meeting has been conducted. The meeting should be conducted in such a manner that every participant gets a chance to share his or her viewpoints or opinions on the subject and meeting should end within a reasonable time with important takeaways. If a meeting is informal then everyone should take care to allow others to speak and wait for their turn to speak. Depending on the number of persons and the expected duration of a meeting, one should decide the timing for each participant to speak. Successful meeting ends within a reasonable time with logical conclusion. Successful meeting helps in enriching the participants with important takeaway. 

6. Subject matters during chit chat: Generally informal chit chat does not have any pre decided subject matters for discussion. Subject matters evolved during the course of discussion during chit chat. If the same set up of senior citizens are meeting on daily basis, then care should be taken to have discussion on variety of subjects and not to repeat the same subject on every occasion otherwise persons may lose interest in chit chat. Please take care to avoid discussion on any controversial topic which may heart the sentiment of any other person. The topic should be interesting and of general interest to all. Discussion on serious topics of technical in nature may be discussed in formal meetings of senior citizens. Formal meeting should be organized after informing timing, venue and subject matter to the participants well in advance so that participants interested to deliberate on the subject matter may have sufficient time for preparation. It is better to have discussions on the subject matters related to general health and hygiene, finance, peace of mind, managing relationships, philosophy of life, etc. There are lot of subject matters in addition to these on which one may have discussion.

7. No doubt that the subject matter for discussion is very important but the more important is the way of conducting meeting for making the discussion healthy and enriching. It was observed that despite having interesting subject matter the participants are not getting interest and could not enrich themselves from the meeting. Thumb rule for making the meeting successful is that every person during the chit chat should be allowed to speak and all other should listen to the person speaking. It was observed that all the persons are eager to speak and many times all start speaking simultaneously without listening to anyone. Such meetings end in chaos making everyone unhappy. There should be one person taking leading role in conducting meeting. That person should give brief introduction of the subject matter for discussion and should fix time for each person to speak. The person speaking should focus on the subject matter. No other person should talk or interrupt in between when a person is speaking. The other person should listen to that person attentively and if there is any point of disagreement then it should be raised after that person finishes his talk. While raising point of disagreement care should be taken not to hurt the sentiment of the speaker. It should be raised in a polite manner without hurting anyone. Everyone should try to finish within allotted time so as to give chance to others to speak.  

8. Socialization is very important during every phase of our life but a person faces the challenge of socialization during the second innings of life. During this phase, a person requires someone to interact with. Since every senior citizen is facing this problem, it is therefore essential to form a group of senior citizens for frequent interactions with each which will serve the purpose of socialization. Let us come together to socialize with each other and enrich ourselves with various information and thoughts shared by everyone during chit-chat. Let us together make our journey of life meaningful and joyful. 

#Socialization

 

Ability to Interpret

R

eading is very important for providing food to our thought. But mere reading is useless without having the ability to interpret correctly. Wrong interpretation of the written content may convey wrong message to the readers which the author did not intend to convey.

2. Different readers interpret the content differently. Different interpretation by different readers may be due to the following reasons.

(i) Lack of concentration while reading is one of the main reasons for wrong interpretation of the written content. Lack of concentration is due to some thoughts coming in the back of the mind while reading. Most of the time thoughts in the back of the mind interfere with the content while reading which leads to different interpretation of the written content. Lack of concentration may be due to various other reasons i.e., doing something else while reading, unnecessary worries, etc.

 (ii) Preconceived thought about the content or its writer is also one of the reasons for wrong interpretation. Preconceived thought closes our mind and makes us to view the content through the lenses of preconceived mindset or ideas. This leads to wrong interpretation even after repeated reading of the content.

(iii) Not reading between the lines may lead to different interpretation of the written content by the reader which the author did not intend. Reading between the lines means reading with understanding of the underlying meaning in proper context.

(iv) Intermittent reading is also one the reason for wrong interpretation of the written content. Intermittent reading means reading part of the content on one day and remaining parts on other days. Intermittent reading cannot establish proper connectivity between the contents read during various time intervals which may lead to incomplete understanding of the subject matter. With incomplete understanding of the subject matter, one cannot make proper interpretation.

(v) Reading without understanding the central idea of the content may lead to wrong interpretation of the subject matter.

3. For interpretating the contents correctly, the following measures are suggested. One need to develop certain habits based on the measures suggested hereunder to increase the ability of correct interpretation of the written content.

(i) For proper interpretation of the written content, one should develop the habit of reading the content with the understanding of writer’s perspective. One should read the content by understanding the underlying meanings of each and every sentence of the content i.e. reading between the lines.

(ii) One should read the content with full concentration for which one should free his or her mind from all other thoughts before reading. Never do any other work while reading as our mind cannot concentrate on two different things at the same time. Never think on any other matter while reading. Many times, phone calls also divert our attention from reading. It’s better to keep our mobile on silent mode while reading unless you expect some emergency or important calls from someone.

(iii) To increase the concentration, one should develop the habit of fast reading. Slow reading diverts the attention of the reader from the content. By slow reading one fail to establish the link between the contents in various lines and paragraphs. One cannot read fast during the first reading. Spead of reading increases during second and subsequent readings.

(iv) Never read any line or paragraph of the whole content in isolation. Many times, reading a line or paragraph in isolation may convey meaning which may be different from that when you read it in the context of the whole content. Therefore, develop the habit of reading the whole content before reading any line or paragraph of the content.

(v) Always read the content in a serial order. Reading the content in a haphazard manner may lead to wrong interpretation of the whole content.

(vi) For proper interpretation of the whole content one has to read the content more than two times. One may not draw any conclusion of the whole content by a single reading as it may not be possible to develop understanding in a single reading. Read at least three to four times to develop the understanding of the whole content which will help in its proper interpretation.

4. Proper interpretation of content convey the appropriate message which the author intends to convey through his writing. Wrong interpretation may convey different message to the reader which frustrate the very purpose of writing the content by the author. Initially one can practice interpretating small content of few pages. If you can build your expertise in interpretating small content, then you can move towards building expertise in interpretating big contents and even books. Reading ‘acknowledgements by the author’ before starting reading a book will help you in understanding the perspective and context in which the author wrote the book. This will help you in proper interpretation of a book.

5. Let us hone our skill of proper interpretation of the written content whether it’s an article, a story or a book. This skill will make our reading meaningful and interesting.  

 

Promises to Self

In one of my articles ‘How to make post-retirement life happy and fruitful?’ I mentioned that the foremost reason for happiness during post-retirement life is not having any boss and all the 24 hours in a day are at our disposal. But the question is how many persons during their post- retirement life are utilizing their time in a fruitful manner to pursue their hobbies and to achieve their goals set during their post-retirement life. You will find that very few persons are utilizing their time in a fruitful manner.

2. The question is why many persons are not able to utilize their time in a fruitful manner? The answer lies in the second paragraph of my article ‘How to make post-retirement life happy and fruitful?’ in which there is a mention about the absence of boss during post-retirement life. Since we have spent 30-35 years of our life in working under the direction of boss, we could not develop the habit of working on our own. You will not be surprised to know that many persons could not set their goals during their post-retirement life. They do not have any objective for the rest of their life.

3. To make the post-retirement life purposeful and fruitful one need to find out the purpose and objectives for their rest of the life. In addition, one is required to set their goals with definite timeframe for its achievement. You know whenever we make promise to someone, we try to fulfil it. If one is making promise to spouse, then definitely all the efforts are made to fulfil that promise. It is therefore advisable to make a promise to spouse regarding achievement of your goal within the targeted date. You may also make a promise to yourself regarding achievement of your goal. Develop the habit of making promises to self for the achievement of your goals. After making a promise to self, ask yourself about the progress made in fulfilling your promise. Constant reminder to self about the promise made will help you in achieving your goal. Mere promise will not help in achieving your goal. It needs continuous follow up with the self.

4. Promise to self is important not only during the second innings of life but also during all the stages of our life. In paragraph 4 of my article ‘Talking to Self’, I have mentioned that the self-talk can be effectively used for the achievement of goals. Whenever you are making promises to self you are talking to self. During your working life you were accountable to your boss regarding your performance. Absence of boss during post-retirement life makes us unaccountable. Therefore, it is very much essential to make ourselves boss for our own performances i.e. to make ourselves our own boss. Therefore, it is advisable to be your own boss and make accountable to yourself by making promises to self.  

5. How to make your self-promises effective in achieving your goals? The success rate of fulfilment of your self-promise depends on the degree of emotional attachment to it. Therefore, after making promise to self, develop emotional attachment to it. More you make emotional attachment the chances of its fulfilment increases. Have a picture or rough sketch of your promise to make it concrete and place it in your bedroom or any other convenient place in your home to make it easily visible to you. If you are not able to picturize your promise, then you can write it in bold and big letters on a sheet of paper. See the picture or writing at least once in the morning and once before going to bed for sleep every day. Daily visualization of it day and night will make your subconscious mind to work for its fulfilment and automatically all your thoughts and actions will be channelized in the direction of achieving your goal. In addition, it is very much essential to formulate your action points for the fulfilment of your promise made to self. Initiate action and frequently monitor its progress. In this way you can make your self-promises effective in achieving your goals.

6. We are in this material world for a very limited time period. There should be some purpose in our life. Find out some purpose in your life which will drive and motivate you to lead the life happily. Make a promise to self to create happiness and positivity in your mind. Make a promise to spread positivity and happiness to your near and dear as well as to your neighborhoods and society. Make a promise to self to be helpful, caring and kind to others. Make a promise to self to make yourself a good human being and to have positive contribution to the society and mankind. Let us hope that by making the above promises to self we can make our society as well as this planet a better place to live.

Reference Links:

1. https://post-retirementlife.blogspot.com/2023/09/how-to-make-post-retirement-life-happy.html

2. https://post-retirementlife.blogspot.com/2023/12/talking-to-self.html

 Setting Goals in Life

Goal setting is very important not only for an organization but also for an individual. Setting goals in life helps in developing a roadmap to fulfil dreams during various stages of life. You may wonder why I am discussing about goal settings in life during various stages of life when we senior citizens are in the last phase of life. What is its utility to senior citizens? If any senior citizen is thinking like that, he is not wrong since at this stage we cannot set our goals retrospectively. During this phase of life, we have a lot of old memories related to both achievements and failures in life. No doubt, one feels pleasure in cherishing old memories of pleasant moments and experiences of successes in life, but it is very difficult to cherish memories of failures in life. Many senior citizens repent for their failures in past. But instead of repenting, it is better to learn lessons from past failures which will be helpful in giving proper guidance to the upcoming generation for achieving their goals and fulfilment of their dreams. 

2.  For achieving dream, one need to do the followings.

(i)             Setting Goals

(ii)           Developing Strategies to achieve Goals

(iii)         Taking initiatives and actions based on strategies

(iv)          Review of actions taken

2.1 Setting Goals: Setting Goal is the first and foremost step for the achievement of dream. Goals in life differ during various phases of life.  During student life a person is mostly having academic goal and near the end of student life one may have professional goal in addition to academic goal. During working life, a person is mostly having professional and financial goals. During initial stage of working life, one may have a goal to settle in life and to have a family. After the completion of working life when a person enters into post-retirement life, goals are totally different due to drastic change in lifestyle and priorities after retirement. During post-retirement life focus is more on stability and therefore a person’s financial goal is mostly to have consistent flow of passive income so as to take care of one’s daily needs, medical expenditure and leisure travels by making proper placement of retirement corpus in various financial instruments. Peace of mind with sound health become priority at this stage. I am not going into the details of goal settings for which I may have to write a separate article.  Goals should be SMART i.e., specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound.

2.2 Developing Strategies to achieve Goals: Once a goal is set there is a need to develop strategies to achieve the goal. Before developing strategies, one should set the timeline for the achievement of goal, and it should be achievable within the timeline. While developing strategies one should take the stock of available resources which includes available information, tools and other material resources required for the achievement of goal. Once you know the resources required for the achievement of goal, you can ascertain the resources gap to be fulfilled. Strategy includes the following steps.

(i) Identification of resources required for the achievement of goal.

(ii) Ascertaining the resources gap to be fulfilled.

(iii) Developing action points to fill the resources gap.

(iv) Developing various milestones in a chronological order for the achievement of goal.

(v) Creating action points for the achievement of each and every milestone with deadlines.

2.3 Taking initiatives and actions based on strategies

This is the most important steps without which the first two steps will become useless. Even after having a noble goal with robust strategies, one may not achieve any success if there is a lack of initiatives and actions. It is very important to take initiative i.e., the first step and subsequent actions based on strategies. Action should be appropriate for achieving each and every milestone within the deadline. After achieving the first milestone one need to initiate action for moving towards the next milestone.

2.4 Review of actions taken

It is very important to review the actions after reaching every milestone. If you are not able to reach the milestone before targeted date or sure that your action is not taking you near the targeted date, then you should review your actions and find out the most appropriate way to reach the targeted date. Even after reaching the first milestone within the targeted date, one should review the actions taken for reaching the first milestone. On similar way review of actions should be made for each and every milestone. Review of your actions helps in finding out the most appropriate way to reach the milestone and in achieving your goal. It also helps in identifying irrelevant steps which can be removed for facilitating achievement of goal in a smooth manner within the targeted date.

3. Types of Goals

Goals are of various types based on its importance and tenure of achievement. Strategies for achieving goals may not be the same for every goal and may differ for each goal based on its type and nature. One need to prioritize the goals to be achieved as it may not be possible to work on the strategies for all the goals simultaneously.

3.1 Types of Goals based on importance

Based on its importance, goals are of three types.

(i) The Most Important Goal

(ii) Important Goal

(iii) Least Important Goal

Based on the degree of importance one need to prioritize the goals. The most important goal should always be on one’s top priority. But it does not mean that one should not focus on the least important goal. One need to develop the strategies for the achievement of each and every goal, but action should be first initiated for the most important goal and more efforts should be made for its achievement. Not necessarily your lifetime goal may be the most important goal during each and every phase of your life. For example, at the age of 25 years one may have a dream to have a farmhouse and accordingly a goal has been set to have it within the next 15 years. But to have a job for livelihood is also a goal that gains importance over long term goal of having farmhouse because without livelihood it may not be possible to have a dream farmhouse. Accordingly, one need to prioritize one’s goal. Many times, achievement of one’s long- term goal depends on the achievement of short-term goal.  

3.2 Types of Goals based on tenure

Based on time required for the achievement of goals, we may categorize the goals into three types.

(i) Short Term Goals

(ii) Medium Term Goals

(iii) Long Term Goals

A short-term goal requires a time span of one to two years for its achievement. A medium-term goal requires three to five years whereas a long-term goal takes at least 10 years for its achievement. These time periods are flexible. Persons of young and middle age groups can have the scope for short term, medium term and long-term goals. Whereas persons in old age group have very little scope for long term goals.

4. Goal Setting during post-retirement life

Setting of goals in life is not only important during earlier phases of life but is also important during post-retirement life though there is a very little scope for setting long-term goals during this phase of life. One can have mostly short-term goals and rarely mid-term goals during this phase of life. Pursuing hobbies, planning for travel, having celebrations, planning events, etc., maybe one’s goal during this phase of life. Still there are possibilities of achieving unfulfilled dream during this phase of life.  

5. Evaluating reasons for failures in achieving goals during past

On recapitulation of old memories, one may have complete picture of both achievement and non-achievement of goals set during earlier phases of life. No doubt one will have pleasure in cherishing the memories related to goals successfully achieved in life but is equally important to analyze the reasons for failure in achieving certain goals in life.  On introspection, one may come to know the reasons for non-achievement of goals. Instead of blaming others it is better to own the responsibility for failures in past. In most cases the main reason for failure is lack of commitment and focus. Due to lack of commitment, a person fails to develop the strategies for achieving goal and many times lose focus on goal. In case of particularly long-term goal, tendency to lose focus is more due to intermittent distractions which may be due to events and incidents happening in between. Most of the events and incidents are not in our control, but the only thing that is in our control is our response and reactions towards such events and incidents. Incidents and events are momentary in our life, but our response and reaction are not momentary and carried for longer duration which leads to distraction from our main goal. It is our responsibility to have control over our reactions and not allowing it to be carried for longer period. Giving undue importance to the opinions of other persons regarding our goal also lead to distractions.

6. Conclusion

Senior Citizens have experiences of both successes and failures in life which may help them to prepare learning points which will be helpful in providing guidance to the upcoming generations for achievement of their goals successfully without repeating the mistakes already done in the pasts. 

Our Shillong Tour

Our Shillong Tour

In my earlier post “Our Planning for Meghalaya Tour” [https://post-retirementlife.blogspot.com/2024/05/our-planning-for-meghalaya-tour.html] I mentioned about my detail plan of Meghalaya Tour in advance taking into consideration the information on tourist spots, availability of transport facilities and whether conditions. In that post, I not only explained our tour plan but also its implementation. In this post, I would like to share my experience on my travel to Shillong from Guwahati Airport and the places visited in Shillong.

2.  

After arrival at Guwahati Airport, we enquired from the counter of Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) regarding availability of Cab to Shillong and its reasonable fare. From the counter of MTDC we came to know that cab generally charges Rs.3000.00 for hiring full cab to Shillong. I also came to know that we can hire cab on sharing basis. Inside Guwahati Airport there is a counter of MTDC. After getting out of Airport, we hired a cab on sharing basis for which we had to wait for another passenger to share the cab.

3.  It was a very pleasant journey from Guwahati to Shillong. There was a stretch of few kilometers where the road is on the border of two states i.e. Assam and Meghalaya. Kamrup District of Assam is on the left side of the road whereas Ri-Bhoi District of Meghalaya is on the right side of the road. We enjoyed watching beautiful sceneries of Assam and Meghalaya on both the side of the road during part of the journey to Shillong. We took lunch at Nongpoh on the way to Shillong. Nongpoh is the Administrative Centre of Ri-Bhoi District of Meghalaya. We reached Hotel Polo Tower, Shillong at 2.00 pm.

4. 

After checking in to the hotel room, we first moved to MTDC office for booking tickets of conducted tours. Thereafter we visited Ward’s Lake. Locally Ward’s Lake is known as Nan-Polok and is horseshoe shaped. It is also known as Pullock Lake. Ward’s Lake is named after Wiiliam Ward, a Chief Commissioner during British Rule. This lake is more than 100 years old located near Raj Bhawan and is nearer to the central location of Shillong. There is an entry fee of Rs.20 per person and the entry is allowed from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm. The lake is surrounded by beautiful garden with flower beds.  It is very pleasant to walk along the pathway surrounding the lake. There is a boating facility. One can enjoy boating. Grassy slopes near the lake provides a serene lakeside resting place. Wooden bridge on the lake is another attraction of this lake. Traditional dresses for both man and woman are available on hire for photoshoot purpose on payment of Rs.100 per dress. You will see beautiful swans either swimming in the lake or walking on the sides of the lake. Thrashes used in Ward's Lake are conical in shape and made from bamboos. We have taken a complete round of Ward's lake surrounded by beautiful trees and flower plants. This time we could not do boating in the lake. We have enjoyed our evening by sitting on the bench facing the lake. There are sufficient seating arrangements surrounding the lake. 

               My wife is in the traditional dress of Meghalaya 👉

👈Thrash used in Ward's Lake is made from bamboo

   

5. 

There are many other places for sightseeing in and around Shillong. In addition to Ward's Lake one can visit Phan Nonglait Park, Cathedral Church, Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures, Shillong Peak, Golf Course, Elephant Waterfalls and Umiam Lake. This time we could not visit these places except Umiam Lake on our way to Shillong from Guwahati and also while returning from Shillong to Guwahati Airport. You can see the photograph of Umiam Lake on the right-hand side. It is the biggest artificial lake in Meghalaya. This lake was created by damming the Umiam River, as part of the first hydroelectric power project in the Northeast in 1965. This time we could not visit the other places in and around Shillong as we had to visit Mawlynnong and Dawki on the next day morning. Let us hope that we will cover these leftover places in the next tour to Meghalaya.

 Our Planning for Meghalaya Tour

In my earlier post “Leisure Travel During Post-Retirement Life” [https://post-retirementlife.blogspot.com/2024/04/leisure-travel-during-post-retirement.html] I emphasised on proper tour planning in advance and also focussed on luggage management as well as important items to be carried during travel. This time we made our plan for Meghalaya Tour less than a month in advance as our youngest son decided to go for tracking in Himalaya Range. We decided to make a tour to Meghalaya during his tracking period. Accordingly, we made a plan to proceed on Meghalaya Tour on 2^nd May 2024 and to return back on 6^th May 2024.

2. We first booked flight tickets to Guwahati from Kolkata for both onward and return journey. Then I applied for booking Holiday Home at Shillong for two days. After confirmation of booking of holiday home at Shillong, I first tried to book a holiday home at Kazi Ranga, Assam. Initially, we planned to spend two nights at Shillong, one night at Kazi Ranga and One night at Guwahati, Assam. After getting rejection of my application for booking of holiday home at Kazi Ranga, we decided to spend all the four days in Meghalaya i.e. two days in Shillong and two days in Sohra (Cherrapunjee). Accordingly, we booked one homestay at Sohra (Cherrapunjee) for two days. This homestay was booked in hurry without verifying its distance from the main location of Sohra and its proximity to Taxi Stand and markets. It was far away from the main location of Sohra. This was the mistake made on my part. Mistakes are part and parcel of any task including planning. Instead of repenting for the mistake it is better to learn lesson from the mistake and go ahead. We also did the same.

3. During the last week of April, I went to the office of Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) in Kolkata for getting detail information on the tourist spots in Meghalaya. They gave me tourist information guide and other booklets. They told me that there is an office of MTDC near Hotel Polo Tower, the place where I would be staying for two days in Shillong. They advised me to book conducted tour to Cherrapunjee and other places like Dawki, Mawlynnong, etc. from MTDC office at Shillong. I first contacted MTDC, Shillong over telephone and told them to book two seats on 3^rd May for conducted tour to Mawlynnong & Dawki and on 4^th May for conducted tour to Sohra (Cherrapunjee). They forwarded me tour details through WhatsApp. They advised me to make payment at the counter of MTDC, Shillong on 2^nd May after reaching there. I got lot of information on important tourist spots at Shillong and other places in Meghalaya and also the information on transportation facilities in Meghalaya. They told me that it would have been better to approach them before booking tickets and accommodations so that something better plan could have been chalked out to cover maximum tourist spots. This is another learning experience for me.

4. We had the information about the weather conditions in Shillong and other places in Mehgalaya including Sohra (Cherrapunjee). We also knew that rainfall is heavy in Sohra and therefore we carried umbrella as well as raincoat with us. We also carried woollen garments and jackets for protection against cold though the temperature at Kolkata was 42 degrees Celsius before proceeding for Meghalaya Tour. It was not easy to accommodate our belongings in one trolley as we had to carry winter garments, raincoats and umbrellas which occupy more space. Any how we accommodated our belongings in one trolley bag by using the techniques mentioned in para 4(iii) of the previous post “Leisure Travel During Post-Retirement Life” [https://post-retirementlife.blogspot.com/2024/04/leisure-travel-during-post-retirement.html]. We had one trolley bag for check in luggage and one handbag each for myself and my wife to be carried as cabin baggage.  

5. Scheduled departure of our flight on 2^nd May was 7.50 am in the morning which got delayed by 30 minutes. We started at 5.30 am from our home and reached Kolkata airport at 6.00 am. After check in and completing our security check we proceeded towards lounge to have breakfast by swiping our debit cards (SBI Wealth VISA Signature) having the facility of complementary lounge access. Token amount of Rs.2.00 was deducted from each card swiped for access to airport lounge. This card allows complementary lounge access thrice in a quarter. It is advisable to have such debit or credit card having complementary lounge access in airport. There are many other cards having the facility of complementary lounge access which one can check and verify. We also availed lounge facilities at Guwahati Airport during return journey. One need to check the list of airport lounges where complementary access is allowed for the holder of such cards.

6. It is very much essential to estimate the time of arrival at the final destination after taking into consideration the scheduled time of arrival at the destination airport, expected time to receive the check in luggage, time to walk out of airport to Taxi Stand and the estimated time to be taken by the taxi to reach the final destination i.e. hotel and also the expected time to get checked in to your hotel room. Accordingly, we planned to visit MTDC Office at Shillong to make payments for conducted tours to Mawlynnong & Dawki and to Sohra (Cherrapunjee) and thereafter to visit Ward’s Lake. We did accordingly in Shillong on 2^nd May.  

7. Our Tour plan was finalised. On 2^nd May we reached Shillong and visited Ward’s Lake in the evening on the same day. On 3^rd May we visited Mawlynnong and Dawki by conducted tour operated by MTDC. They charged Rs.700 per person for that conducted tour by bus. On 4^th May we checked out from the hotel in the morning after taking complimentary breakfast and proceeded for Sohra (Cherrapunjee) Tour operated by MTDC. They charged Rs.500 per person for that conducted tour by bus. After completing all the sight-seeing in Cherrapunjee we got down there and stayed in Cherrapunji for two days. We enjoyed heavy rainfall in Sohra (Cherrapunjee) for the entire day on 5^th May. On 6^th May, we came back to our home after completing our Meghalaya Tour which will remain memorable for us.

8. We completed our Meghalaya Tour as per our planning and taken lot of photographs and video shoots to keep our tour memorable forever. Our experiences with photographs at each and every spot that we visited will be elaborated in subsequent posts. For detail information on important tourist spots in Meghalaya, conducted tours, accommodations, etc. one can visit the website of Meghalaya Tourism i.e. www.meghalayatourism.in. 

Tour During Post-Retirement Life

 

Tour During Post-Retirement Life

In my earlier post “How to make post-retirement life happy and fruitful?” I have mentioned that during this phase of life one is free to plan vacation tour (rather I will say leisure tour) any time as per one’s convenience. I also suggested for leisure tour at reasonable frequency with spouse. Therefore, you will find previous four posts in my blog on my tour to Jaipur, Udaipur, Mount Abu and Thar Deserts in Rajasthan, India. You will also find posts on my tour to Digha, West Bengal, India and Puri, Odisha, India. Very recently I have also made a short distance tour to Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India which is at a distance of about 180 kilometers from my home. I have not yet posted any article on my tour to Shantiniketan. 

2. What should be the frequency of tour? It depends on many factors. Leisure travel may be short distance tour or long-distance tour, may be domestic or international. Short distance tours are generally of short duration. One may have such short duration tour to the nearest destinations on more frequent intervals, which may be once in a quarter. The frequency of short duration and short distance tour depends on one’s financial strength as well as health condition. Long duration and long-distance tour may be conducted at half yearly or yearly interval, depending on one’s health condition (both physical and financial).

3. Planning of tour is an essential element for making your tour enjoyable as well as cost effective. For long distance tour it is better to plan two to three months in advance which will help you in finding cheap flight tickets and hotels at reasonable prices. Planning in advance will help you in preparing your itinerary after making detail study of the places of interests, available transport facilities at the destinations, eateries, etc. For short distance tour planning 15 to 30 days in advance is sufficient. It is better to gather information on places of interests in and around your destination including study of map with routes which will help you in planning your tour in a more effective way. While making tour plan it is very important to keep sufficient timing for each and every spot as well as sufficient travel time between the two spots. It is advisable not to make your itinerary too hectic.

4. One has to ensure the followings before leaving home for leisure tour.

(i) Luggage should be light weighted containing all the essential items to be carried during your tour. It is better to carry trolley bag instead of suitcase as trolley bag is having wheels which can be easily moved from one place to another without lifting.

(ii) Please ensure that you have carried all your essential medicines with you including some other medicines and ointments to be used in case of exigencies. Have a first-aid box with you.

(iii) While packing your luggage please ensure that all your essential items are taken leaving sufficient room for accommodating items which you may purchase at the tourist destinations. While packing your luggage please ensure ‘space for everything and everything in its place’ so that you can easily trace any item as and when required. To make space for everything carry the essential and daily need items in small quantities sufficient to fulfil your requirement during tour. For example, instead of carrying 200-gram toothpaste you can carry 50-gram toothpaste, instead of carrying shampoo bottle you can carry shampoo sachets, etc.

(iv)  Carry all your travel documents including air tickets, passport, etc. in your handbag. Carry all your essential medicines and items required during travel in your handbag. Keep travel documents handy as these are required to be shown at airport.

(v) Before leaving your home please ensure that all your electrical gadgets are switched off, water taps are closed, and regulator of your cooking gas is in off mode. Ensure locking of your cupboards, almirahs and rooms. The last but not the least is that the proper locking of main door of your home should be ensured before leaving.  

5. After proceeding for tour ensure visiting all the places as per your travel plan or itinerary. Take photographs and videos during tour which will help in cherishing your memories after finishing your tour. Please do not post your videos and photos in social media during your tour. It is advisable to posts videos and photos in social media after coming back to your home.

6. I hope the above tips will help you in making your tour enjoyable and memorable forever.

 My Rajasthan Tour - Visit to Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur and Thar Desert

As a part of my Rajasthan tour with my family members, we first visited Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan and thereafter visited Udaipur and Mount Abu. We left Mount Abu in the morning of 28th December and started our journey to Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur. In my previous three posts I have shared my experiences and brief information about the places that I visited with my family in Jaipur, Udaipur and Mount Abu. In this post I would like to share my experiences and brief information about the places that I visited Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur and Thar Desert.

1. Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur

We reached Mehrangarh Fort in the afternoon and we had taken lunch on the way. This fort is located on the top of the hill which is at a height of about 122 meters above the surrounding plains. It was built in the year 1459 by Rao Jodha Rathore who founded the city of Jodhpur in the same year. This fort is having seven gates, the brief details of which are mentioned below.

(i) Jai Pol i.e. Victory Gate built by Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victories over Jaipur and Bikaner armies.

(ii) Fateh Pol which literary means Victory Gate was built to commemorate the victory of Maharaja Ajit Singh over the Mughals.

(iii) Gopal Pol, the second pol after Fateh Pol.

(iv) Dedh Kangra Pol still bear the scars of bombardment by cannonballs. 

(v) Amruti Pol is in between Dedh Kangra Pol and Loha Pol.

(vi) Loha Pol is the final gate into the main part of the fort complex.

(vii) Suraj Pol is the inner most gate which provides access to palace complex and Daulat Khana Chauk. 

Within the fort you will find several beautifully crafted and decorated places. You will also find various paintings, palkis and other articles used by Royal Families inside the palaces. There are five palaces inside the fort. 

(i) Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace)

(ii) Phool Mahal (Flower Palace)

(iii) Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace)

(iv) Sileh Khana (a place of storage of weapons or the armoury)

(v) Daulat Khana 

                            ☝ Daulat Khana

👈Inside Daulat Khana

👈 Palki (Traditional means of transport in those days. Palki was used as a means of transport mostly by Royal families which was carried on shoulders by four to six persons for transportation.)

                  Beautiful Paintings inside the Palace 👉

After completing our visit to Mehrangarh Fort we proceeded to hotel for taking dinner and for night stay. On the next day morning i.e. on 29th December 2023 we proceeded towards Thar Desert.

2. Thar Desert

We reached the tents of SAM Desert in the afternoon where we were allotted tent for staying overnight. After keeping our luggage in the tent, we proceeded to enjoy the evening in Thar Desert. In the Thar Desert we enjoyed camel riding. We were there till sunset. Sunset was beautiful in Thar Desert. Before Camel riding we had Desert Safari which gave us thrilling experience. Sunset view in the desert was very beautiful. We have taken photograph of sunset view in the desert. Camel riding was also a thrilling experience for me as I was doing camel riding for the first time. I was very much scared of falling down. However, I enjoyed camel riding with my wife. After sunset, we came back to our tent in SAM Desert.

                                       

                                        Sunset in Thar Desert 👉 

It was a unique experience of staying in tent in the desert and that too during extreme winter. Daytime was comfortable due to sunlight. After coming from Desert Safari, we assembled in the central place where a stage was arranged for cultural programme. That place was almost equidistance from all the tents in the camp. Snacks and tea were served during cultural programme. Traditional Folk Dances were performed by the local artists. We enjoyed the cultural programme with snacks and tea. There was a bonfire kept in the middle of the stage. Ghoomar Dance, Bhavai Dance and other folk dances of Rajasthan were performed by the artist.  

               Bhavai Dance Performed by the Artist 👉

Artist was performing dance with seven pots kept one over other on her head.

After cultural programme we all assembled in one tent for dinner. That tent was specially made for taking meal. After taking dinner we went to our respective tents. In a chilled winter it was really thrilling to spend one night in the tent. In the next day morning after taking our breakfast we proceeded toward Jaisalmer.

(Note: The historical facts mentioned in the article are collected from Wikipedia and some other sources in public domain.)