Digha-Brighton East

The land to travel to, a haven of cultural delights, a civilization to tour, West Bengal can certainly also be called a travel destination. Tourists come to West Bengal for its wealth of sights, cultural exuberance, diversity of terrain, and in search of that something special, that extra punch that only a place like West Bengal promises and delivers. Apart from the wealth of the City of Joy, Kolkata, West Bengal has quite a few tourist spots located outside of the city. Places like Digha, Puri etc are worth mentioning. A trip to these destinations is not a bad idea for a short trip away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

When we talk about sea beaches, the name Digha comes to mind. Digha can be called the most popular seaside resort and tourist spot in West Bengal, located southwest of Kolkata. It was discovered at the end of the 18th century by the British. Originally known as Beerkul, it is referred to as the “Brighton of the East” in one of Warren Hasting’s letters (AD 1780) to his wife. In 1923, an English tourist, John Frank Smith, was enchanted by the beauty of Digha and began to live there. John Frank Smiths writings on Digha slowly made this place known. After independence, he convinced the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, to develop Digha as a health resort. Digha is located 187 km from Kolkata and can be termed as one of the best places for a relaxing holiday. The place has a low unevenness with a shallow sandy beach and gentle waves, which stretches for 7 km. At Digha, the sea begins about a mile from the start of the beach. The scenic beauty of this place is relaxing and enticing. The beach is surrounded by casuarina plantations along the coast, enhancing the beauty of this place. These trees, in addition to embellishing the sands, also help reduce erosion of the dunes.

What to see:

One can watch both sunrise and sunset at the Digha sea beach. Sunsets and sunrises reflecting on the salty waters of the Bay of Bengal are something straight from an artist’s easel. The sea at Digha is calm and shallow about a mile from the beach, making it quite safe for swimming. Digha is a hard beach, where you can drive at low tide. However, the beach faces the problem of marine erosion. Therefore, it is advisable to bathe only at low tide. One can watch both sunrise and sunset at the Digha sea beach. A small town, Digha is packed with hotels usually around a main road. It can boast of a wide and virgin beach, caesarean sections next to a calm sea and a good climate throughout the year. Bathing is advisable only at low tide.

Digha market is open at low tide. Curiosities made from seashells, shell jewelry, moderate varieties of Midnapore’s reputed Madur (handwoven mat made from seaweed) in colorful designs; Homemade crafts from Digha and Midnapore are available on the beach and at other outlets in the town. To take home a souvenir, try the home crafts of Digha and Midnapore.

New Digha: New Digha is an extension of Digha. It also has several hotels. There is also a small park with a lake.

Chandaneshwar: Just 8 km from Digha, Chandaneshwar is the site of an ancient Shiva temple. Lankeswari (14 km) and Kapal Kundala Temple (45 km) near Contai can also be visited.

Path:

Route 1. Kolkata-Howrah-Mechheda-Norghat-Contai-Ramnagar-Digha: 185 km.

Route 2. Kolkata-Deulti-Kolaghat-Kharagpur-Digha: 243 km.

Highway 3. Tarakeswar-Harinkhola-Arambag-Vishnupur-Kharagpur-Digha: 355 km

bus service

Bus services in Digha are very frequent. Express buses run from Esplanade (Calcutta) from 06:30am to 10:00am (Fare Rs.30/-). West Bengal Tourism Bureau deluxe buses 3/2 BBDBagh depart daily at 07:00 hrs (fare Rs.40/-). It is almost a 5 hour drive from Kolkata. Bus service is also available from West Bengal cities such as Asansol, Midnapore, Howrah, Bankura and also from Orissa via Balasore (Baleswar). BBRI

train services

In 2004, the train services were started in Digha. Digha is well connected by Rail from Howrah and Kharagpur. From Howrah there are 2 trains per day and from Kharagpur 1 train per week. There are trains from Shalimar railway station and there are also some trains from Howrah station. Shalimar-Digha Express Train No. 2867 leaves Shalimar at 08:00 and arrives at Digha Station at 11:15. Return train no. The 2868 leaves Digha Station at 1:40 PM, arriving at Santragachi Station (about 8 km from Howrah) at 4:40 PM. This pair of trains runs six days a week except Sundays. On Sundays there are 2867A Up and 2868A Dn trains leaving and terminating at Howrah station. The Dn train arrives at Howrah (189 km) at 17:00.

Accommodation:

Government accommodation is also available in both old digha and new digha. Early booking opens three months in advance and closes days before the actual date of occupancy. There are numerous hotels and wide range Tourist Lodge available in both Digha and New Digha. Hotels are generally around a main street. Its proximity to Calcutta (187 kms) attracts tourists throughout the year.