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Places of
Interest
 Day
Trips
Weekend
Trips
If
you have more than a weekend to spare
Weekend Trips
Digha is one of the most popular tourist spots in West
Bengal. The beauty of this place was discovered as early as the days of
Warren Hastings. Today’s Digha was known as Beercool at that time. The
sea at Digha is calm and shallow for about a mile from the beach making
it quite safe for swimming. A small town, Digha is crowded with hotels
generally around one main road. Its proximity to Calcutta (187 kms)
attracts tourists throughout the year. Digha is a hard beach where one
can drive during low tide. The beach is however facing the problem of
sea erosion. Bathing is advisable only during the low tide. One can view
both sunrise and sunset at Digha sea beach. It is well connected by road
and rail from Kolkata.
Chandipur is a peaceful sea side resort where the sea
recede and proceed 5 km everyday. The Chandipur beach, located 16 Km
from Balasore, is a tourist's delight. The beach is one of the best
beaches on the eastern coastal line of India. The beach offers
magnificent views of the beautiful seascapes. The beach has casuarina
trees and the gleaming waters of this seaside resort has made Chandipur
a favoured destination of the beach lovers. A very unique feature of the
Chandipur beach is that twice a day the sea-water recedes from the shore
around 5-km away, giving water revellers an ultimate pleasure of walking
onto the golden sands of the beach.
Chandipur is 240 kms form Kolkata. The Madras bound N.H. 5 linking
Calcutta – Balashore-Cuttack-Bhubaneswar is the main connector by road.
It takes approx 7-8 hours to reach Chandipur from Calcutta. Balasore
(16km form Chandipur) the rail head is well connected by train with
Howrah Station in kolkata. After alighting there are taxis and three
wheelers plying between Chandipur and Balasore. A number of good hotels
are available in Balasore. Orissa Tourism Development corporation's
Panthniwas guest house in Chandipur is a good option for comfortable
stay.
Sunderbans, the world’s largest delta and mangrove swamp,
is formed by the merging of three rivers- the Ganga, the Brahmaputra and
the Meghna- and has a 2,585 sq km wildlife sanctuary that extends into
Bangladesh. The Wildlife Sanctuary, which is the world’s largest
estuarine sanctuary, has some of India’s most interesting wildlife, and
is worth a visit.
Kolkata, is just 131 km from Sunderbans. The railhead and roadhead
closest to Sunderbans Tiger Reserve is Port Canning, which is connected
to Kolkata by train. From Port Canning, regular buses go to Sonakhali,
Raidighi, Najat and Namkhana, from all of which launches can be hired to
tour the waterways of the reserve.
The WBTDC organizes guided tours- mostly of a duration of two or three
days, starting and ending at Kolkata. Sunderbans is open to visitors
from October to March. Winter is anyway the time when the area isn’t as
hot and humid as the rest of the year, so it’s best to time your visit
for between December and February.
Within the Sunderbans reserve, the only accommodation available is at
Sajnekhali, where there’s a tourist lodge. Outside the park, especially
at Piyali and Bakkhali, are tourist lodges and hotels which can be an
alternative for anyone looking for a place to stay.
For foreigners, permits are available at the Forest Department in the
Writer’s Building, Kolkata. Note that the core area- the National Park-
is off-limits for tourists; you’ll only be able to visit the wildlife
sanctuary.
Bakkhali is a small beach resort about 132 kms from
Calcutta. Despite being isolated and having limited accommodation, it is
very popular with the citizens of Calcutta. One can walk to the
Frasergunj beach from Bakkhali. You have to travel from Calcutta to
Namkhana (105kms) by bus. Then from Namkhana you have to cross river
Hatnia Doania by ferry. Then take a bus for Bakkhali. Accommodation can
be arranged at the WBTDC Tourist lodge.
Shantiniketan - Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore formed
Shantiniketan as an International University. He intended it to be a
place where the cultures of the East and the West could meet and mingle.
Named Vishva-Bharati, the University maintains Indian traditions while
incorporating the best of other cultures. The Shantiniketan campus of
Vishwa Bharati has grown up to be a centre for learning with an emphasis
on art, music and humanities. The Uttarayan complex where the poet lived
consists of several buildings, which reflect the architectural genius of
the poet's illustrious son, the late Rathindranath Tagore. In addition
there are Kala Bhavan (College of Fine Arts and Crafts), Sangeet Bhavan
(College of Music and Dance), Vidya Bhavan (College of Humanities),
Shiksha-Bhavan (College of Science) and others. The galleries at Kala
Bhavan and Bichitra (Rabindra Bhavan) are worth visiting. There is a
Deer Park 3 kms from Shantiniketan. Originally, the area was a fast
eroding `Khowai'. It is now a large wooded area with herds of deer and
makes a natural bird sanctuary. While visiting remember that summer gets
very hot with the maximum temperature reaching 39 degrees celsius. There
is heavy rainfall during the monsoons in July and August. The University
remains closed in May and June and for one month during the Puja
Holidays which fall in September-October.
Shantiniketan is about 2.5 hours by train from Kolkata. You have to take
a train form Howrah Station to Bolpur Station. There are all kinds of
Luxury as well as budget hotels in Bolpur e which is the rail head.
Vishnupur is located at 132km form Kolkata and can be acessed
by road and railway. It is a seat of Bengal craft and culture.
The patronage of Malla king Veer Hambir and his successors Raja
Raghunath Singha and Veer Singha made Vishnupur one of the principal
centres of culture in Bengal. Most of the exquisite terracotta temples
for which town is justly famous were built during this period.
Apart from the unique architecture of the period, Vishnupur is also
famous for its terracotta craft and its own Baluchari sarees made of
tussar silk.
Royal patronage also gave rise to Vishnupuri gharana (school) of
Hindustani classical music and the Vishnupur school of painting. This
town full of temples is accessible from Kolkata by train, bus. Best time
to visit is September to February. The temple town of Vishnupur can be
reached by bus from Kolkata and by the Howrah-Purulia Express train form
Howrah Station. There are a quite number of hotels and lodges where
accommodation is available at a reasonable charge.
MURSHIDABAD, the last capital city of independent Bengal
was named after Nawab Murshid Quli Khan, the Dewan of Bengal, Bihar and
Orissa. It is situated on the banks of the Bhagirathi. A city of
splendors & famous for its silk, was made capital of Bengal in 1717. The
British shifted the capital to Kolkata in 1773. The Hazarduari Palace,
or the palace with a thousand doors is the chief tourist attraction of
Murshidabad. Murshidabad is well connected with Kolkata. It is 195 Km
away and can be reached by road or by train form the Sealdah Station in
Kolkata. Tourist taxi, hired car, auto-rickshaw are available from
Berhampore to visit the tourist spots at Murshidabad town,
There are plenty of hotels and lodges to suit all pockets.
3. If you have more than a weekend to spare:
Darjeeling is internationally famous for its tea industry
and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
tea plantations date back to the mid 1800s as part of a British
development of the area. The tea growers of the area developed
distinctive hybrids of black tea and fermenting techniques, with many
blends considered among the world's finest. The Darjeeling Himalayan
Railway connecting the town with the plains was declared a World
Heritage Site in 1999 and is one of the few steam engines still in
service in India. Darjeeling is popularly known as the "Queen of the
Hills". Darjeeling with its natural beauty provides a wide variety of
activities from liesurely scenic walks to more gruelling activities such
as trekking and river rafting for the adventurous ones. Don’t miss
sipping Darjeeling tea on the terrace of Keventers while watching the
breath taking view of the snow capped Kanchanjunga.
Darjeeling is 759 km from Kolkata and is very well connected by air to
Kolkata and Delhi (Bagdogra Airport is 94km from Darjeeling), by railway
(closest station New Jalpaiguri is 88 km from Darjeeling) and by road.
Since Darjeeling attracts tourists through out the year it has plenty of
hotels but it is better to book both hotel and travel tickets in advance
due to the rush.
Making Darjeeling your base you can travel and explore Kalimpong, Lava,
Lolengaon and Kurseong to experience the beauty of the Himalayas.
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the
Himalayas. It is the least populous state in India, and the second
smallest in area after Goa. Gangtok is the capital and largest town.
Despite its tiny size, Sikkim is geographically diverse, owing to its
location on the Himalaya. The climate ranges from subtropical to high
alpine. Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest peak, which is located
in the north eastern part of Nepal can be seen from Sikkim. Sikkim has
become one of India's most visited states, owing to its reputation of
cleanliness, scenic beauty and political stability. The Nathula Pass at
nearly 15000 feet connects this state with China. The best orchids in
India grow in Sikkim and it has a great variety of flora and fauna. Due
to its proximity to the greater Himalayan range Sikkim does have a cold
climate with severe winters.
It is easily accessible from Kolkata by rail and road. There are a
number of hotels to suit every pocket.
However foreigners need permission from the Sikkim Tourism office in
Kolkata to visit Sikkim.
Puri, the holy city of Orissa has a remarkable value in
the field of Art, Architecture, Literature, religion and tradition. Puri
is the seat of Lord Jagannath, the Lord of Universe. This place is an
important religious centre for hindus. The sanctity of the place is well
known to all the pilgrims of the world. The town being situated on the
sea beach of the Bay of Bengal. The wonderfully wide beaches, the
fishing farms and the superb resorts make it a place equally inviting
for all kind of tourists. The beaches at the dawn are absolutely
breathtaking and worth the effort of waking up early to go to the beach.
Other places from Puri worth a visit is the SunTemple at Konark, The
Chilka Lake, Bitharkanika Wildlife Sanctuary(Olive Ridley Turtles) and
the Nandankanan zoo.
The nearest airport is 62-km away at Bhubaneswar. There are Indian
Airlines flights from there to Delhi, Calcutta, Hyderabad, Madras, and
Bombay. Puri has direct train service to and from Calcutta, New Delhi,
Ahmedabad, Vishakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Tirupati. There are a few
main areas where there are hotels along the beach. The northeast part,
near the fishing village, on or just off Chakra Tirtha Road, is where
most of the budget hotels are located and is a popular area for western
tourists. Another area is the main Indian tourist area, which is by the
Puri Hotel, near Beach Sea Road. Most of the people staying in this area
are Indians. There are also a few hotels in the southwest part of town.
It is quiet there and the seawater is clean too.
Varanasi, or Benaras, (also known as Kashi)
is one of the oldest living cities in the world. Varanasi`s Prominence
in Hindu mythology is virtually unrevealed. Mark Twain, the English
author and literature, who was enthralled by the legend and sanctity of
Benaras, once wrote : "Benaras is older than history, older than
tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them
put together" . Boat rides on the River Ganga are very popular,
especially at sunrise and sunset.
Varanasi is also renowned for its rich tapestry of music, arts, crafts
and education. Some of the world renowned exponents India has produced
in these fields were schooled in Varanasi’s cultural ethos. Luminaries
apart, Varanasi abounds in the art of silk weaving, an exotic work of
art which manifests itself in precious Banarasi Silk Sarees and Silk
brocades which are cherished as collector’s items across the world
today.
It also attracts Buddhists from all over the world as it was in Sharnath
that Lord Buddha preached his first sermon.
Trains are the easiest and most likely way that you'll reach Varanasi.
It's well connected to many cities including Delhi, Agra and Kolkata.
Being such a tourst attraction Varanasi has hotels that range from five
star accommodation to budget hotels.
Bodhgaya - About 15 km from Gaya, Bodhgaya was the place
where Gautam, later called the Buddha or the enlightened one, attained
Enlightenment. And here under a peepal tree one of the great religions
of the world, Buddhism, was created. This was twenty five centuries ago.
One of the four holiest cities of Buddhist faith, the Mahabodhi temple
is the main attraction of Bodhgaya and is located near the spot where
Lord Buddha attained spiritual enlightenment. Places associated with the
life and times of Lord Buddha are located inside the Mahabodhi complex
including the Bodhi Tree and a pond where according to legends, Lord
Buddha meditated for a few days. Visited often by His Holiness the Dalai
Lama and other Lamas from Dharamshala, Bodhgaya is not merely a
historical site but a vibrant Buddhist pilgrimage center of India.
The nearest airport, and railhead are at Gaya, 12 km away is very well
connected to Kolkata and other major cities.
Betla Forest - Betla (Palamau) shot into fame as early as
1932 for its tiger census - the first of its kind in the world. In 1974
it became one of the country's earliest tiger reserves. Endowed with
thick tropical forests and a rich variety of faunas, its core area of
232 sq. km. has been declared the Betla National Park. It is now a part
of one of the nine tiger reserves in India under Project Tiger. Betla
National Park is a great attraction to tourists. Tiger, Panther, Sloth
Bear, Wild Bear, Sambhar, Nilgai, Kakar, Mouse Deer, Peacock are also
spotted. The park, at an average elevation of 100ft is open throughout
the year although February, March and April are the best months to
visit.
The accommodation facilities in the tourist complex, include a three
star hotel, tourist lodges with canteen, log huts and tree houses inside
the forest with fully furnished suites. The tree house overlooks a
watering hole a few yards away where the animals gather in the summers
to quench their thirst. STD/ ISD, Postal and Internet facilities are
available in the reserve area. Bihar State Tourism Development
Corporation's Van Vihar is available for stay. Phone: 06562-86513.
Ranchi, situated around 140 km away, is the nearest airport with regular
air connections to Delhi and Kolkata. The nearest important railway
station is Daltonganj (25 km away), connected to many places in the
region with regular trains. Ranchi and Gaya are also convenient railway
stations for the tourists coming from Delhi and Calcutta respectively. |
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