It was an exceptional tour from my traveling life. I have never seen any Baor(বাঁওর), and even didn’t know much about this before this recent travel. So decided to visit Jhenaidah(ঝিনাইদহ) to visit Baor(বাঁওর). It was a team of two, and this time Ehasan(এহসান) was traveling with me.
After visiting the Morjat Baor(মরজাত বাওর), we have reached at Kotchadpur(কোটচাঁদপুর) Upozila of Jhenaidah(ঝিনাইদহ) district. This area has two major Baor(বাওর). Joydia Baor(জয়দিয়া বাওর) is one of those. This one is smaller, but having the maximum depth among all the Baor(বাওর) from this district. There are several villages situated beside that arc shaped lake. Joydia(জয়দিয়া), Kestopur(কেষ্টপুর) are the two names that I can remember right now.
Using a motorbike from the Boluhar bus stand(বলুহার স্ট্যান্ড), we have reached directly to the Joydia Baor(জয়দিয়া বাওর). It was a short 25 minutes of bike ride. It was 1:45 at the day. Most of the people were inside house for lunch, or for prayer. In fact, there were no boatmen around the Baor(বাওর), but lot of empty boats were available.
Our biker was looking for a boatman for our aid. But couldn’t. Before leaving the place, that guy gave us his number so that we can call him if we need any bike during returning. We kept his number, though it didn’t require later. But thanks to him for the generosity.
While we were waiting for a boatman, suddenly found a Kheya Nouka(খেয়া নৌকা) was about to leave the bank of the Baor(বাওর) for other side. We have boarded on that small boat to reach at the other side. Not that much tourists use to travel this part of the country. So we had to answer lot of questions from the boatman.
Lot of kids were waiting at the other side of the Baor for the boat. I thought them as school returning student. Just forgot that it was Friday. Basically they were returning after having a private lesson from their teacher. Village kid students are as a group looks awesome to me. They always feel shy, but having lot of question about me inside them.
At the bank of the Boar, we have passed around 20/25 minutes of idle time under a tree by gossiping with local people. This is one of my favorite task that I like to do over and over. This is a technique to get closer to those people and learn more about them, and their lifestyle. And also sitting beside the Baor(বাওর) was giving me a flavor of sitting beside a river. I have talked on lot of issues with the villagers.
At the far, amid of the Baor(বাওর), a government high official was catching fish on a boat using his wheel. A valet of him was holding an umbrella to protect him from the sun. It was an irony to those villagers. They live beside that Baor(বাওর) from generation to generation and they are now refrained to catch fish from that arc shaped lake. But that officer from nowhere was enjoying his moments.
Anyway, while talking with those guys and thinking on these issues, that Kheya Nouka(খেয়া নৌকা) just returned back to the bank of the Baor(বাওর) from other side. So we have boarded on the boat once again. We would have had a boat ride on the Baor(বাওর) for a long time, but the sun was very hot and didn’t encourage us to do so. What a tiring weather that was! We have paid 10 taka to the boatmen for the round trip.
Its kind of a remote area, so during returning, we didn’t find anything as it was the resting time for village people. So we have had a short walk through the village and returned back to the Moksed Mor(মোকসেদ মোড়). From there we have returned back to the Kotchadpur(কোটচাঁদপুর) using Auto rickshaw.
How to Go:
GPS coordinate of the Joydia Baor(জয়দিয়া বাওর) is 23°26’45.81″N, 88°56’49.39″E
From Boluhar(বলুহার) bus stand of Kotchadpur upozila(কোটচাঁদপুর উপজেলা(23°24’44.55″N, 89° 0’12.53″E)), you can hire a motor bike that will take you directly to the Joydia Baor(বাঁওর). This will cost you around 100 taka. Two person can ride behind the biker.
Another option is reaching to Moksed Mor(মোকসেদ মোড়) using Van or Auto Rickshaw. This will cost 15 taka per person. From Moksed Mor(মোকসেদ মোড়), you can take a walk, or hire any van. Its ten taka per person. It should be a 25-40 minutes of travel.
About a Baor(বাঁওর):
A Baor(বাঁওর) is an arc shaped lake that is formed at a bend/turn of a river/canal. Basically the river is dead/changed it course since several decades. But the water at the bend of the river is still prominent. So it just turned into a lake and having a shape of arc. The length of the arc can be 10% to 95% of the circle. But never a circle. More about a Baor can be found at Banglapedia.
