There is loneliness all around, only the sound of the boat reaching the ears. It is as if nature has poured all of its magical form here, into the lush green forest.
I am talking about Ratargul, the only freshwater water forest in Bangladesh. Ratargul is one of the natural tourist destinations in the country located in Sylhet.
A little introduction
Ratargul is basically a 'freshwater swamp forest' or a forest, such a forest is not seen anywhere else in Bangladesh. This forest is also known as 'Amazon of Bengal'. Located in Fatehpur Union of Gowainghat, a bordering upazila of Sylhet, this forest is about 26 kilometers from Sylhet city. The forest covers an area of 3,325.61 acres, of which 504 acres were declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1973.
In the green forest;
According to official data, there are only 22 freshwater wetlands in the world, two of which are in the Indian subcontinent. One is in Sri Lanka, and the other is Ratargul.
In ratargul, a type of plant called ratagacha (scientific name - Schumannianthus dichotomus) is found. In the local language it is known as Murta. The name of this forest is Ratargul after the name of this tree. The most common oats in the nightingale (scientific name - Millettia pinnata).
Two forms of ratargul
In Ratargul, two forms are seen in a year. At one time of the year (four to seven months) most of the forest vegetation is under water. At that time the forest is submerged under 20-30 feet of water. This form is mainly seen in Ratargul during the monsoon season from May to September. Then you have to go around the forest by small dinghy boat. The occasional drizzle of rain makes the nature of this forest more colorful. This immaculate form of Ratargul attracts tourists from far and wide.
At the end of the monsoon season, the forest water decreases. The height of the water is about 10 feet. Small canals become footpaths and water accumulates in the excavated beels of the forest department. Then it looks like ten other forests, like a dry land with fallen leaves. At this time the aquatic fauna is sheltered in the large ponds dug by the forest department.
A large lake of 3.6 sq km has been dug inside the Ratargul forest as a bird habitat. In winter, the gathering of various birds sitting in the pond.
The story of the path
At the end of July 2019, in the rainy season, I had the opportunity to visit Ratargul as part of a field tour of the university. This time I want to tell the story of seeing the amazing beauty of Ratargul all day long.
There are many ways to go to Ratargul from Sylhet city One of the two easy ways is to bring CNG autorickshaw or jeep through Khadim Tea Garden next to Sylhet city and Khadimnagar National Park to Sringi Bridge. Ratargul from there. The other way is to take the Sylhet-Jaflong car to Sarighat. From there by CNG to Gowainghat Bazar and then to Ratargul.
In Ratargul, where the car stops, you have to walk half a kilometer to get to the boat dock. Many times you can get CNG again. It is better to walk to see the rural path and nature. Various terrestrial animals can be seen on this winding road. Ratargul's fascination will start from here.
This is how the boats are arranged on the dock;
When you reach the boat dock, you have to rent a boat from the dock. It is important to be careful in determining the rent. 5-6 people can easily sit in a boat. Even if the rent is much higher, it is possible to reduce it by bargaining. If you want to have lunch here, there is an arrangement at the dock. In that case you have to tell in advance to organize more people. When you come back after traveling by boat, you will get food prepared.
Then philosophy
Our overnight trip started right after the boat. At the beginning quite a bit of the path is like a big bill (it is known as the Cheng canal), the open sky above. It rained a little. Everyone will keep an umbrella with them on the Ratargul trip in the rainy season, because you will see such rain here from time to time in a hurry. Crossing the open sky and the wide bill, we entered the tree forest. In the dense solitude of the trees, the sky is lost from time to time.
Although Ratargul is a natural forest, a number of trees including Hijal, Varun, Karach and Murta have been planted here at the initiative of the forest department. Ratargul also has about 63 species of water tolerant plants including Kadam, Jalibet, Arjuna. Two layers of plants can be seen in this freshwater swamp.
Strangely beautiful this forest and forest trees;
The upper layer is composed mainly of arboreal vegetation, and the lower layer is dominated by dense foliage. In this forest only those trees grow well which can survive in water. This is because of the constant flow of water throughout the forest. Especially as we go during the monsoon season, the amount of water is very high. So most of the trees have gone under water. The beauty of seeing the swamp forest is here.
A reservoir of biodiversity
The more we walk through the forest, the more loneliness consumes us. In the midst of this silence of nature, sometimes the environment of Ratargul becomes the mouthpiece of the chirping of birds. There are 175 species of birds. Notable among these are mashranga, various species of deer, pigeons, finches, ducks, tia, bulbuls, pankauri, dhupi, kite and hawk. In winter, guest birds also come to this forest. Grasshoppers will be seen in large numbers throughout the year in Ratargul.Various species of grasshoppers have made the forest colorful.
Among the crowds of birds and insects, the monkey will catch the eye. Jumping from one tree to another is the main way for monkeys to move in this forest. Sometimes they come up in tourist boats. There are more snakes in this forest because there is water kingdom, there are also leeches; Beji is also seen in the dry season, locals said. There are also monkeys and snakes. Apart from these, otters, squirrels, fish tigers etc. can be seen in Ratargul. There are nine species of amphibians in Ratargul. There are 20 species of reptiles. There are 26 species of mammals.
Climate of Ratargul
Ratargule receives more or less rain throughout the year.
Rain will be seen in the night in a hurry;
According to the Sylhet Meteorological Center, the average annual rainfall in Ratargul is about 4,162 mm. The driest month is July, with December having the lowest rainfall of 1,250 mm. Then the burden of seeing water in the night. The average temperature in May and October is around 32 ° Celsius, while in January winter it drops to 12 Celsius.
The whole night in the Watch Tower
The open sky will be seen again if you walk a long way beyond the forest of trees inside the forest. Then you will see a bunch of trees on both sides of the boat. A huge watch tower can be seen in the distance.
Watch Tower
From this tower, which is about six storeys high, you can see the amazing beauty of the whole Ratargul at a glance. In the rainy season, the lower part of the tower is also covered with water. In this case, it is important to be careful. When you cross the stairs of the tower and climb to the very top, a little fatigue may surround you. However, in what you will see after that, maybe inexhaustible peace will take place in your mind by impressing fatigue.
The beauty of the nightingale from the Watch-Tower;
How beautiful nature is here, how green and the kingdom of water are in harmony here, it is a duty to believe if you do not see it with your own eyes. As far as the eye can see from the tower, there is a kingdom of green. It is as if nature has done nothing wrong with its beauty. One of the beauties of Ratargul is probably the forest seen from this Watch Tower.
In winter, the water recedes throughout the night, including in the vicinity of the Watch Tower;
As soon as you get down from the Watch Tower, you will see small floats of tea and tea floating in the boat. You can take your own boat with a sip of tea on the side of the boat, you can also get jhalamuri. The famous tea leaves of Sylhet can also be bought. However, there are questions about the quality of these tea leaves. Seasonal traders usually decorate these posara in the rainy season.
Now that has to go
The noon is approaching. So we made our way back to the floating shop with a taste of tea and jhalmuri. It's raining again. With the umbrella on my head, I was once again fascinated by Ratargul. When the boat goes very close to the trees, I see many people sitting on the trees. However, it should be kept in mind that snakes are seen in the trees at this time as there is more water. There is also the fear of leech. So be careful when passing by trees.
Banuchuk Ratargul kept in awareness
Ratargul is a beautiful tourist destination. Every year many people from home and abroad come to enjoy its beauty. Forest biodiversity and environmental protection are therefore always under threat. Tourists can play the biggest role in protecting the forest. Avoid throwing water or food packets, water bottles or any kind of waste while walking around. Let the biodiversity live like that. We will keep this wealth alive through our behavior and awareness.
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Amazing story