A Day in The Veil of Flowers- Khirai

A short excursion is barely to dodge the stressful ordinary life. Undoubtedly, A Day in The Veil of Flowers “Khirai” will leave you lofty in the fields of the countryside. This popular destination is famous amongst the few where you may find the majority of the people from the nearest districts of Bengal. The main attraction is the vast acres of farmland cultivated with varieties of flowers.

The fragrance of the untouched countryside with warm-hearted people greets you with absolute adoration. Though the place doesn’t have any hill or valley yet it is known as Bengal’s Valley of Flowers. It is situated on the bank of Cossai (Kangshabati) river which later merges in the Bay of Bengal. Let’s spend a day in the field with outburst colours of flowers.

Bengal’s countryside is well portrayed by the poets as a shy bride with a veil covering her beautiful teenage face. The farms of Panskura and Khirai are the best illustration of poets mood. The farm produces some of the best ornamental flowers like Chrysanthemum, Karen and Marigold for the rest of India.

Best Time to Visit Khirai:

During the winter season, the production of flowers increase and this is the best time to witness blooming flowers. From the months of December to February is the peak season when flowers are at full bloom. The increase in the level of pollution has affected the countryside which is a desperate time for the farmer. It is our respect to give applause to our farmers for producing some of the best flowers in our country.

How to Reach?

The Valley of Flower is well connected by roads and railways. The farmland is located in East Midnapore district between Khirai station and Panskura station. It is easily accessible by local trains from Kolkata at regular interval. It takes around two hours from Howrah to reach the destination. From Khirai station it takes 30-40min of a walk along the narrow lane beside the railway track.

On a Lazy Sunday Morning!

Sudden plans always come up with more energy and excitement. Taking a short break from the city on a lazy Sunday wasn’t a bad idea. I have always been fond of vibrant colours and the place that I was about to go was A Day in The Veil of Flowers “Khirai”, attracted me while travelling by train long time ago. A vast field covered by Marigold flowers has always appeared to me like a trailer each time while crossing the field. So finally I made up my mood to explore the cinematic field of flowers.

The sun was up when I started my journey from home. I made sure to pack baked food and sufficient water and left from my place. I reached Santragachi railway station for a local train to Khirai. The total cost to Khirai and down to Santragachi on a train is Rs.30. The weather was surprisingly amazing and the train was not crowded so grabbing a seat near the window wasn’t a problem.

Although I was carrying my food I couldn’t stop trying local snacks from every vendor from different halts simultaneously enjoying the countryside view. The two hours of the local train journey was quite pleasant. While I got down, I wasn’t expecting an isolated station with scarcely visible life around the busiest network of India that clearly gives the glimpse of the untouched beauty ‘Khirai’.

The main occupation of the people is farming and very few are interested in city life. After two mins of walk from the station, I met a humble lady who guided me through narrow lanes beside the railway track and also told me the best route to reach the Veil of Flowers “Khirai”. Such generous behaviour is uncommon to see in the urbanites.

Thirty minutes of walk along the trail I felt like Cossai River was treating me an anonymous petal being pulled towards the land of flowers. After exploring for a few hours from one field to other, leisurely the sun was at the horizon. I bought a few saplings of marigold from the field and then went to the local market.

The market was entrancing with local people selling colourful marigold flowers and especially the ladies making garlands of it. I became familiar with the story of the famous temple in the village during gossips with the locals at tea- stall. It was getting dark and no vehicles were available for the station. After, sharing the unconditional gratitude toward locals I took a walk back to the station.