A Journey That Began as Travel, But Became Art
They say the Sundarbans don’t reveal themselves all at once—you feel them before you see them.
When I first boarded that wooden boat during the Sundarban Hilsa Festival, I didn’t expect magic. I was chasing a food festival, a few good photos, and a change of air. But as the motor hummed to life and the creeks opened up before me, it felt like I had stepped into a canvas—painted with strokes of green mangroves, grey skies, and golden ilish curry on clay plates.
That first boat ride changed everything.
This is not just a travel diary. It’s a heartfelt tale of how a plate of hilsa and the silence of a river taught me the art of being present, in one of India’s most enchanting corners—the Sundarban Hilsa Festival 2025.
🛶 Drifting Into a Dream — My First Boat Ride Through the Delta
There’s something poetic about wooden boats—they creak, they sigh, they glide. That morning, organized beautifully by Sonakshi Travels, we boarded a modest launch from Godkhali, the official gateway to the Sundarbans.
As we slowly floated past water hyacinths and coconut palms, the world changed.
🌿 The greens of the mangroves were deeper than any palette I’ve seen
☁️ The sky was a soft, overcast grey that made the water shimmer
🌊 The river reflected the mood—calm, mysterious, inviting
I remember dipping my fingers in the water and feeling a strange peace. No phone signal, no rush—just birds above, tides below, and the distant scent of hilsa being prepared somewhere onshore.
That moment stayed with me. It felt like the beginning of something beautiful.
🐟 Ilish on My Plate, Emotion in My Heart
The Sundarban Hilsa Festival 2025 isn’t just about eating fish. It’s about celebrating an emotion wrapped in silver scales.
Our boat docked near a riverside eco-village, and lunch was waiting. Not in a five-star setting, but under a humble palm-thatched roof with benches made of bamboo.
🍽️ On my plate?
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Shorshe Ilish — rich mustard sauce with hilsa so soft it broke with a look
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Ilish Bhuna — fried hilsa belly in onion-garlic gravy
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Ilish Pulao — rice soaked in hilsa oil and ghee
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Ilish Fry with Kasundi — crispy fish served with pungent mustard dip
It wasn’t just delicious—it was deeply moving. The aroma took me back to my grandmother’s kitchen. The texture, the heat of the green chilies, the warmth of the locals serving it—all of it made me feel at home in a land I was visiting for the first time.
🌳 The Forest in Monsoon — Alive, Silent, Sacred
After lunch, the rains came gently—a curtain of mist and drizzle. Most visitors retreated to their rooms, but I, guided by my curiosity, joined a small group heading toward the Sundarban National Park.
Our boat entered one of the narrower creeks, where the water was dark and the silence thick.
🦀 Crabs clung to mangrove roots
🐊 A crocodile slipped quietly into the water ahead
🦌 A group of spotted deer watched us from behind the foliage
🐅 Our guide pointed at fresh tiger pugmarks on the muddy trail
Though we didn’t spot the Royal Bengal Tiger, I could feel it. That quiet alertness in the forest, that feeling of being watched—it was thrilling and humbling.
And once again, the colors overwhelmed me—green leaves beaded with rain, grey trunks of the Sundari trees, and golden slivers of sunlight breaking through.
Nature was painting again. And I was a witness.
🏘️ Conversations, Chai, and Village Songs
That evening, the festival opened up in its most human form.
I wandered into the village. No stage, no fanfare—just real people, real stories.
👩🍳 A woman stirred hilsa curry in a clay pot and offered me a taste
🧓 An old man showed me how to prepare ilish paturi (hilsa wrapped in banana leaf)
🎶 Teenagers rehearsed a folk dance near the riverbank
☕ A group of children shared their puffed rice and jiggled with laughter
We didn’t speak the same language, but their hospitality was fluent.
They told me, “Ilish Sundarban-ei bhalo lage.”
(“Hilsa tastes best in the Sundarbans.”)
And I couldn’t agree more.
🌌 Nightfall Over the River — A Feast of Stars and Flavors
Dinner during the Hilsa Festival tour Sundarban is an experience. The riverbank glowed with lanterns and the air carried the scent of cardamom, mustard, and roasted spices.
As we sat down, a folk singer sang a song about the tides, heartbreak, and ilish.
✨ The river shimmered with the reflections of stars
🔥 A fire crackled as ilish kebabs were grilled
🍲 The final dish of the day was doi ilish—fish cooked in yogurt and mustard, sweet and savory at once
I couldn’t help but smile. I had come for a festival and found a feeling. A kind of peace that arrives when food, nature, and people speak the same language.
💭 When the Journey Turns Into a Painting of the Soul
When I look back at my time in the Sundarbans, it’s not the boat, the food, or even the forest that stands out alone—it’s how they all came together like colors on a canvas.
That first boat ride felt like entering a dream:
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Green mangroves lining the river like brushstrokes
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Grey skies softening everything they touched
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Golden ilish warming hearts and bellies
The Sundarban Hilsa Festival is more than a travel event. It’s a sensory story. It’s where flavor becomes memory, and nature becomes emotion.
I went in as a visitor. I left as a storyteller.
📞 Call to Action: Book Your Journey with Sonakshi Travels
Ready to step into your own painting?
Sonakshi Travels curates immersive, heart-touching journeys to the Sundarban Hilsa Festival 2025, including:
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🛶 Traditional boat rides through mangrove creeks
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🍽️ Ilish tasting menus crafted by village cooks
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🌿 Guided safaris into the forest
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🏡 Authentic homestays with warm local families
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🎭 Cultural evenings with folk music and storytelling
📱 WhatsApp: 7980469744
🌐 Visit: https://sundarbantravel.com/sundarban-hilsa-festival-2025
This year, don’t just travel.
Feel the tide. Taste the poetry. Live the painting.
With Sonakshi Travels, you’re not just a tourist—you’re a part of the canvas. 🎨