The last place between India and Bhutan has a small hamle t named Bindu with a dam. This is, one of the oldest dams in Darjeel ing which is...
The last place between India and Bhutan has a small hamlet named Bindu with a dam. This is, one of the oldest dams in Darjeeling which is situated on the Indo-Bhutan border and built across the Jaldhaka River. Dudh khola, Bindu Khola and Jaldhaka these three streams have met at the dam site. This place is incredibly situated, surrounded with the sky-scraping mountains
with Jaldhaka River running throughout the valley making a natural border between India and Bhutan. This river is famous for rubber plantation or cultivation. Places near this dam that worth visiting include the Cardamom Curing Centre at Godak. India’s best cardamom is processed here before export.
Bindu is positioned at an altitude of 2000 ft and surrounded by impenetrable and opaque forests and mountains. Sited at a distance of 107 km from Siliguri, it takes about 4 hours to arrive at Bindu Dam by road. The dam is also used as a foot bridge to enter into Bhutan and get glorious view of the Himalayan ranges. There is no restriction for locals of Bindu and Bhutanese of nearby areas to cross the border and buy essentials from the local market. Lodgings in Bindu are accessible at a few budge hotels that offer fundamental but homely atmosphere. Located on the bank of Jaldhaka, the hotels offer a spectacular view of the valley. The affectionate hospitality and the scrumptious food will stay in mind as sweet memory.
This is general explanation of natural beauty Bindu, but I think this is not enough, these are the things which I saw and which I came to know but not the experience of my heart. Now, I shall focus on my heart full of experience about Bindu. In initiation, I must say the road towards Bindu is really magnificent. The river 'Jaldhaka' will go all along with you and you surely be fond of Rubber plantation of both the sides of the road. Sometimes you will cross tiny villages. The inhabitants are poor, but they amazingly decorate their houses with very small arrangements. Some houses are made of tin or wood and built 6/7 ft above the ground with help of wooden pillar. When I asked the reason I came to know this is for the prevention from the attack of wild animals specially elephant who named as ‘Mahakal’ by local dweller.
Bindu is typically a mountain village. Tiny road with acclivity and declivity go through the village along with houses on its two sides. On 5th February 2015, around 1 PM, I reached Bindu. On that very day, the ‘Haat’ (A market, especially held on weekly basis in a rural area) took place there. In that Haat one could find Alpines to Elephant of daily life. I was so lucky that I Visited the place on that very day which away stuck me with the friendship and culture, ethnicity, colors and style of dresses and above all the purity and innocence of the people of Indo Bhutan. I was able to differentiate only those Bhutanese from Indians who were in their national dress. Men were dressed in Gho and women in Kira. (I came to know the name of the dresses from my driver. He took the responsibility to give knowledge of each and everything of the place and people so loving and caring way) .I was amazed that only so basic thing that the dwellers need in their life. People from the side of Bhutan came to that haat for shopping purpose .The area was full of people buying and selling household necessaries that my car hardly able makes place to go through them. So, I got out of the car and sat on road side and started watching people. After some time, I observed that the most common buying element of all most every people was Hotpot or Casserole. I realized that they hardly have the urban facilities to make the food warm in cold weather. It is so surprising for me, some women sat in the balcony or window side doing hobnob with other men/women along with making Momos. It was so easy for them that in minutes they made one. By a twinkle of eye they made one perfect sized and shaped Momo with stuffing. I enthralled by their expertise.
As I am a food fervent just stated watching what kind of food was available in the haat. There were dry fruits of various types. Spices of various types, sweet like Jaleebi, dry sweet with staffing and sweet Samosas are names of few. Most amazing thing you could find there was Chhurpi which was made from the milk of Chamri Gai or Yak. It is white and neutral in taste. There are two types of chhurpi – soft and hard. Dwellers prepared it at home from buttermilk. From boiling butter milk they obtained the solid mass and put in a thin cloth to exhaust the water and hung over fire to harden it further. After it dries, it is sliced into small cubical pieces. If you put Chhurpi in your mouth don’t chew it, just slowly sucking it after some time it will start melting in your mouth. The creation is somewhat like the Italian ricotta.
With the intention to had delicious lunch, I reached a small food joint/shop run by a family. The place was inundated by the customers. I was enchanted with the foodie smell of the place. All family members were involved in running the joint. This food joint served all possible things which they can arrange at the last point of our country. They served rice platter called thali like Veg Thali, Egg Thali, Chicken thali, Pork thali. In this thali rice, daal, one curry, home made pickles are common after that egg/veg/chicken or pork one can choose according to choice. Along with thali they also had Noodles Hakka and in gravy, Steamed Momos, Fried Momos and Thumpas. I ordered Hakka pork noodle and Steamed Momos. Momos were with chicken and noodle with pork. They served the food hot and quick.
Momos were so affectionate that they can easily make a place in your heart. The staffing of the Momo was so lip-smacking. It prepared with garlic, onion, spring onion, carrots, chicken and cheese. They served it with home made garlic chili-chutney, tomato sauce with caring coriander paste. The combination was heavenly. The skin of the Momo was so soft and silky that fork was so easily gone through it like it moves through butter. With Momo they served soup. It’s some thing between chicken clear soup and sweet and sour veg soup. It is marvelous.
Noodle was fabulously tender and smooth. This dish was prepared with so many ingredients from which I indentified crashed nuts, onions, garlic, carrot, cabbage, spinach leaves, black pepper, sauce, egg and pork, chili, lime juice. So much amount of pork was available in the dish that you hardly able to had a spoon without pork piece. Pork was so flavorsome and juicy; it just melted in mouth. I had not experienced so tender pork in my life. The taste of noodle is utterly delicious with perfect balance of pungent, sweet and sour.
Chilled bear, local country liquor, cold drink, coffee and others were also available here. Coffee is so wonderfully smelly and creamy that spellbound me. When I had my launch rain got started. It’s splendidly wonderful experience to had smoky hot delicious lunch in a place encircled with dense forest and mountains in cold rainy weather.
With the heart full of splendid experience and I also brought Chhurpi with me as a token of love from Bindu. This place is a platter of nature containing forests, river, dam, culture and cuisine, silence and smell of wild innocent environment that offers ideal sojourn for metropolitans. Please visit the place and let the place be in your heart forever.
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