Beaches of West Bengal

This is the First part of the Beach Series. Starting from the state of West Bengal, we are going to explore some beautiful beaches in the state.

Culture Map of West Bengal

West Bengal is a state with a rich culture, heritage and cuisine. It is well known for its history and has given the country many noble Poets, Arstists, Patriots, etc. It has the most metropolitan Capital Kolkata, Tea from Darjeeling and the wotl-famous Sundarbans Delta. All these facts are known to the world. But what is unknown, is, the state have many beautiful beaches which rest of the India might be unaware of. Let us explore this side of nature in West bengal.

Note: These places have not been explored by me yet. But I have done my research and read about them. All the pictures are from Google image sources.

1. Digha Beach

Discovered in the 18th Century by the British, it is one of the widest beaches. Initially called as 'Beerkul', this beach is surrounded by Casaurina Trees. The beach is wide and also less crowded. So one can enjoy the beautiful Sunrise.

The best time to visit this beach is November to February when the climate is pleasant. Summers and Monsoons are the seasons to be avoided.Apart from the beach, there are other places near the beach which one can visit.

Apart from the beach, there are other places near the beach which one can visit.

A. Science Centre
Highlights: Major Attraction which includes Eskimo Igloos and Jurassic Age parks.
Entry Fee: Rs. 10 for Students
                    Rs. 15
Timings: 9 AM to 7 PM

B. Subarnarekha River
Highlights: 12 km from the Beach
Originates from Chhotanagpur Plateau.
Place where river and sea meet.

C.Amarabati Park
Highlights: Near the beach.
Surrounded by greenery and has a lake.
Variety of beautiful flowers.
Rope way ride for the visitors for better view of the park.
Boating in the lake.
Various eating joints.
Entry Fee: Rs. 5
Timings: 7:30 AM to 5:30 AM

D. Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre
Highlights: Best place for Marine Researchers
This plase has all types of marine species.
A person interested in marine life must visit this place.
Timing: 10 AM to 6 PM
Entry Fee: Free.

Other places of visit near Digha Beach are:
A. Chandrakona
B. Jhargram Palace
C. Kali Temple
D. Kanak Durga Temple
E. Ruins of the Hall of Brahmo Samaj
F. Jagannath Temple
G. Chandaneswar Temple

H. Shyamaleswar Temple

Hotels in Digha
1. Le Roi Digha
2. Cygnett Inn Sea View
3. Abhyagama Hotel
4. Grand Beach Resort
5. The Palace Inn

How to reach
By Air
The nearest airport is the Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport of Kolkata. 
By Road
There are buses from Kolkata which transit between SBSTC Bus Depot and Old Digha Bus Stop. Local taxis are also available. 

 2. Mandarmani

Located along the northern end of the Bay of Bengal, this is one of the most beautiful beaches of West Bengal, famous for its water sports. Also know as Mandarmoi Beach, this is the longest motorable beach with high speed ride.

This beach is an escape destination from the hustle bustle of the everyday life with a serene and peaceful atmosphere. The main highlight of this Beach is the Sunset, one should not miss...

Hotels in Mandarmani

1. Hotel Sonar Bangla

2. Ajoi Minar Hotel

3. Resort Garden Retreat Seaview

How to reach:

By Air

Nearest airport is at Kolkata which is well connected by road to Shankarpur.

By Road

Shankarpur is 185 km away from Kolkata. It is approachable by road through regular buses and taxis.

3. Shankarpur

Clean water, white sand and mildly blowing winds are a highlight of the Shankarpur Beach. Shankarpur is a beach town with famous beaches of Digha, Mandarmani and Shankarpur Beach. The beach has a very less footfall, this making it a calm and less crowded beach. Its famous for its scenic beauty. One can visit this beach at any time of the year except the monsoon season as the rains hamper the beach and its activities.

Hotels in Shankarpur 

1. Cygnett Inn Sea View

2. Abhyagama Hotel

3. Hotel Pabitra Jamuna

4. Hotel SagarPriya

5. Aqua Marina Drive Inn

6. The Palace Inn

How to Reach

By Air

Nearest airport is at Kolkata which is well connected by road to Shankarpur.

By Rail

Nearest rail head is at Contai which is well-connected to Mandarmani. From there, one can hire a taxi and reach the beach.

By Road

The Kolkata-Digha route leads to Mandarmani. From Kolkata you need to first reach Chawalkhola, from

here you need to travel on narrow village roads for some 11 km more till you reach Mandarmani. The village roads are mostly mud roads.

4. Bakkhali

Bakhali, the tranquil beach getaway, is yet another beautiful beach in West Bengal, a perfect getaway from the hustle-bustle of the every day life.

Beach walks, wind farms, boat rides, islands, cycle rides around town. The ones who want a break from the their busy lives and look for small get aways can find this place soothing and calm. The best time to visit Bakhali is between the months of October and March.

Places to visit in Bakhali

1. Bakhali Beach

2. Henry's Island

3. Jambu Dweep (An island near Bakhali which is uninhabited and submerged for few months in a year)

4. Fraserganj Wind Park

5. Bishhalakshmi Temple

Hotels in Bakhali

1. Hotel Deepak

2. Hotel Dolphin Bakkhali

3. Mousuni the dolphin camp

4. Mousuni hotel

How to reach

By Air

Nearest Airport is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport- 123 kms from Bakkhali.

By Road

Travelling by road is an adventure in itself.

5. Tajpur

Tajpur Beach is one of the most hidden beaches of India. It falls between Kolkata and Digha and lies in the Purba Medini district of West Bengal. This beach is the most recently discovered beach and lies close to Mandarmani and Shankarpur Beach. It is surrounded with patches of forests and this sea shore destination truly offers great visual pleasure to vacation at Tajpur. Tajpur sea beach is also known as virgin sea beach around Kolkata.

The convenient location of Tajpur is the major cause behind the emerging popularity of this sea beach holiday destination. Surrounded with patches of forests this sea shore destination truly offers great visual pleasure.

The sea beach of Tajpur has an unusual shape - unlike the most sorted crescent shape Tajpur has an inverted Crescent shape of the beach, which gives an unusual panoramic view of the sea. Tajpur is still the most unexploited virgin sea-beach around Kolkata. 

The beach is infested with infinite number of red crabs which play hide and seek in the sand. Their presence makes the beach look crimson. There are fishermen's villages in the vicinity, where one can observe the mundane life of fisherman. Just 1 km away is a lagoon with pleasant surroundings.

How to Reach

By Air: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at a distance of about 180 km is the nearest airport.

By Train: From Howrah all Digha bound trains except Duranto Express, halt for a minute at Ramnagar station. From station to the main road i.e. Digha Kanthi road is about 15 mins.

By Road: Kolkata - Vidyasagar Setu - Kolaghat, Turn left - Nandakumar, Turn right - Kanthi, Turn right - Chownkhola More - 4 KM ahead Alampur More, Turn left 3 KM - Tajpur rickshaw stand.

6. Sagar Island

Sagar Island or Sagardwip, as called prominently, and located on the Sundarbans Island is yet another beach where the Ganges River meets the sea. The place where the river meets the sea is popularly known as Gangasagar. The beach is flooded with thousands of tourists every year as they make their way to Sagardwip for a holy dip in the Ganges. The beach otherwise is a calm, soothing place to enjoy a sunset.

Places to visit

A. Gangasagar Mela: 

A stunning island just off the Bengal coast, Ganga Sagar is a place of beauty as well as religious importance. Home to some of the most stunning beaches, it is famous for hosting the Sagar Mela, which is both a pilgrimage and a fair. The island is stunning in its greenery and one can trek around the whole island to discover its beauty Besides being a place for religion, Ganga Sagar is also a place for relaxation and rejuvenation among the sun and sand.

Ganga Sagar is a wonderful island situated just off the Bengal coast and on the point where River Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal. The stunning island is a place of peace, calm, golden sand beaches and of religion. Every year in the month of January the island sees a huge gathering of devotees from all parts of the country, who come to take a dip in the holy waters.

B. The Kapil Muni Temple: 

The temple dedicated to Saint Kapil Muni is the principal attraction of Sagardwip. After a holy dip in the water, pilgrims go to the temple to offer prayers to the Saint.

The temple, along with four other temples got destroyed in a storm in 1960s. The Kapil Muni Temple was the only one that got restored. It is believed that after attainting salvation, Kapil Muni came back and passed on the divine knowledge to his mother, on how to attain Nirvana. Kapil Muni is therefore worshipped by people to help them absolve their sins.

C. The Sagar Lighthouse: 

The lighthouse is yet another spot that every tourist would want to visit. This is located in the vicinity of the beach, giving the panoramic view of the beach and all the other places nearby.

D. Bharat Seva Ashram: 

The Bharat Seva Ashram is a small ashram run by a trust in Ganga Sagar. The ashram has a small temple and it offers accommodations to its guests. The Ashram is one of the most trusted places for a room in Ganga Sagar.

E. Onkarnath Temple: 

The Onkarnath Temple is another very sacred temple at Gangasagar. The temple is dedicated to Lord Onkar and his teachings. Set amidst trees and marshes, the temple has a very peaceful atmosphere. It is rarely crowded and you can pray here, at your own pace.

Hotels in Sagardwip:

1. Hotel Deepak

2. Hotel Portland

3. Mousuni Nirala Camp

How to reach:

Nearest Airport: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) - 118 kms from Ganga Sagar (Sagardwip)

The ride from Kolkata to Gangasagar is quite thrilling. First, board a bus to Kakdwip from Esplanade (90 km) to Harwood Point. The ride will take around three hours to travel. From here, cross the river Muriganga by boat and reach Kachuberia. From Kachuberia, a bus service is there that takes you to Gangasagar (30km) within an hour.

When travelling by train, Kolkata Chitpur Railway Station happens to be closest to Sagardwip at a distance of 128 km. However, it's not well connected with the rest of the country. You could also get down at Howrah Junction or Namkhana station. Irrespective of which station you choose, the journey until Sagardwip will still be a combination of taxi, bus and ferry.

On a local view, autos, taxis and rickshaws are easy to find.

Here, these were some of the popular and most visited beaches of West Bengal. These beaches attract tourists because of the beach and the nearby places.

There are other beaches too which are popular but less known as compared to the above beaches.

1.     Falta Beach

Falta beach is one of the most visited beaches of the state. The beach is famous for its undulating beauty. A little ahead of the Falta Beach the River Damodar merges with Hoogly and provides a mesmerising site. The beach derives its name from a ship that was ruined here in the 17th century.

2.     Frazerganj Beach

Frazerganj Beach enjoys an unspoilt panorama. With the white sand that covers the beach and the crystal clear blue water of the Bay of Bengal, Frazerganj Beach is contrast to the loud cries of the nearest metro, Kolkatta. The place has a charm that makes the dawns and the dusk poetic. Being beautifully spread and quietly sitting and witnessing the merger of the water and the land it also invites a lot of migratory avifauna that increases the charisma of the place.

3.     Junput Beach

The beach being highly visited by the tourists, Junput Beach is known for its natural beauty. The casuarina trees are lined parallel to the coastline making it a beautiful combination of clear blue and lush greens and imparting a picture perfect view. The beach is fairly commercialized as the number of visitors is quite large. The beach is famous for family outings and as a famous picnic spot of Bengal.

 

These are some of the listed beaches of West Bengal. More are yet to be explored. The coastline of India is so unique that one has to explore it. West Bengal, which popular for its culture, will gain the popularity of its beaches too in the coming time.

Stay Tuned for the next series of beaches in Odisha.......