Sawdesh Vraman

2012-10-26T00:17:00.000+05:30

Sundarbans, literally means beautiful forest, is a combined forest in Bangladesh and India and a haven for photographers and travelers, and is the biggest mangrove forest in the world and is a treasure island of biodiversity. The Sundarbans has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The part of the forest within Indian Territory is called Sundarbans National Park and is in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The Sundarbans cover an area of 38,500 sq km, of which about one-third is covered in water/marsh areas. Since 1966 the Sundarbans have been a wildlife sanctuary, and it is estimated that there are now 400 Royal Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area.

Paradise for wild life and greenish dense forest adventures and enthusiastic photographers, looks for the real panoramic region as the canvas, come over to Sundarbans. This forest has the credit of large number of Sundari trees and some claim that Sundarban derived its name from these trees. One who likes nature in its wildest forms, Sundarbans is the prime location which is not to be missed. Sundarbans offers a very extra ordinary view and a wild journey for a life time to recall.

Meandering rivers, springs, creeks and beautiful estuaries, Sundarban is ruled by the unique natural beauty of its surroundings. Wildlife flourishes in Sundarbans, leading with the Royal Bengal Tiger. The mighty Royal Bengal Tiger, ultimate and unopposed king of the forest, is majestic, cunning and merciless to its prey. It is the natural habitat of many other famous wild life animals like jungle fowl, giant lizards, spotted deer, wild boar, crocodiles and many more that the nature lovers would get a very good chance to have a close look. Migratory group of Siberian ducks is an attraction in some seasons, a beautiful scene of these ducks flying over sail boats fully loaded with many items like timber, fuel wood, honey, fish and shell adding to the serene natural attractiveness of the Sundarban.

The main tourist point is Nilkamal known also as Hiron Point for watching vociferous wild animals and natural beauty. Katka is another place where wind animals mare freely and also good for bird watching. Vast area of verdant valleys starting from Katka to tiger point in Kachikhali provides opportunities for adventurous wild trekking. Tin Kona Island is well known for deer and wild tiger and Dublar Char Island for fishermen. It is a beautiful island where flocks of spotted deer are frequently seen to graze.

Website: http://www.sunderbantigercamp.com

Phone

033-22488271/73 (Foreigners wishing to visit Sundarbans have to obtain a special permit. This is mandatory as per Government rule)

Timings

7.00 am to 5.00 pm

Price

Entry Fees: Rs 15 (Indian), Rs 150 (Foreigner)
Still Camera: Rs 300
Video Camera: Free
Boat Fee: Rs 100 (per Day)
Guide: Rs 200

When To Go

The climate of Sundarbans is hot during summers and pleasant during winters. It is best to visit Sundarbans duringSeptember-March.

Winters (November to February) are really pleasant with atmospheric temperature goes down up to 10°C and not crossing a higher temperature of 34°C. It is really a good time for sightseeing and visiting wild life sanctuary.
Summers (March to May) have hot atmosphere and maximum mercury level can soar up to 42°C. March is ideal for jungle activities and wildlife visits, while April and May has hot weather which makes it difficult for tourism.
Monsoons (June to September) months offer heavy monsoon rainfalls. It is not a good time for visiting wild life sanctuary but the green environs of the place is worth seeing.

The major attractions of Sundarbans are the wildlife. The honey collection season falls on the summers. October and November offers pleasant weather which makes it perfect for wildlife activities. Rainfall in Sundarbans is quite heavy and it may not be a good time for wildlife trips but the scenic environs can be enjoyed.

Attractions

Sundarbans National Park

mustsee

Sundarbans National Park was proclaimed as the core area of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in 1973 and is declared wildlife sanctuary in 1977. It was adorned on the UNESCO World heritage in 1987 and the Sundarbans region as a whole was announced in 1989 as Biosphere Reserve.

Sundarbans National Park is the leading mangrove forest in the world, containing majority of mangrove types identified in the world and these grow up well in the Sundarbans. There are many varieties of plant species, nearly 64, with the capacity to withstand extreme conditions and salty shower on account of tidal effects. Some of the more commonly found plants and trees in the park are Goran, Genwa, Dhundal, Garjan, Kankra, Sundari and Passur.

The Sundarbans forest is home to more than 200 tigers. The Royal Bengal Tigers have developed a unique characteristic of swimming in the saline waters, and are world famous for their man-eating tendencies. Some of the more popular birds are also found in this region. The Sundarbans National Park houses an excellent number of reptiles as well. The species that are declared as endangered lives protected within the Sundarbans, including Batagur baska, Royal Bengal Tiger, King Crabs, Olive Ridley and Turtle.

One can enjoy wildlife safari by boats floating down through the various lanes formed by the many flowing rivers and can have a close look at the most impressive wild animals. This is a place for an adventurous tourist not to miss.

Contact: 033-22488271/73 (Foreigners wishing to visit Sundarbans have to obtain a special permit. This is mandatory as per Government rule) Timings: 7.00 am to 5.00 pm Charges: Entry Fees: Rs 15 (Indian), Rs 150 (Foreigner) Still Camera: Rs 300 Video Camera: Free Boat Fee: Rs 100 (per Day) Guide: Rs 200

Dublar Char Island

popular

Dublar Char, a beautiful island known for its picturesque scenes, is famous for fishing and is a place for fishermen with abundant of fish fauna. One can enjoy the fishing here and have a first hand experience of this fun filled activity.

The Island has all the natural beauty of any of the world renowned Islands. It is an attractive island where herds of spotted deer are often seen to graze. A casual walk around the Island provides the tourist with the chance of spotting many wild animals. With water all around and with lots of fish fauna, Dublar Char offers unique experience to the enthusiastic visitors.

Hiron Point (Nilkamal)

popular

Hiron Point is a beautiful spot, great for spotting tigers and other spectacular and rare wildlife animals. Also known as Nilkamal, it is famous for tiger, deer, monkey, crocodiles and many precious birds.

This place attracts many tourists owing to its natural beauty and innate splendor. This is a place to have a look at the rare species of wild animals and birds, to be noted in the diary of bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts.

The visitors can get a comfortable stay in the three-storied Rest House of the Mongla Port Authority with prior booking.

Katka

popular

Katka a base for safaris, and good spot to see tigers and for bird-watching. Katka is well known for many rare and majestic wild animals. At Katka, one can see many precious wild animals right from tigers to deer and also varieties of birds and many kinds of monkeys. Here one can hear the natures’ music mixed with the wild fowls in the mornings and evenings.

For those interested in wildlife trekking, the vast expanse of grassy meadows running from Katka to Kachikhali (Tiger Point) is an ideal route. Don’t miss this place if you are an adventurous tourist.

Tin Kona Island

popular

Tin Kona Island, literally means three cornered Island, is another popular spot for wildlife spotting in Sundarbans. Tin Kona Island is renowned for tiger and deer, where one can come across the real wildlife. This island has an enchanting, but wild beauty merged with wild forests and estuaries.

Many tourists visit this Island just to have some relief from the busy town life and to get ideal resting place, merged with the wild beauty of forests and natures’ blessings.

Sundarbans does not have railway station. Howrah Jn (HWH) is a nearby train station connected to Kolkata.

Santragachi Jn to Howrah Trains

	Trains to Howrah depart from 1 station in Kolkata: Santragachi Jn (SRC)
	Related: Howrah to Sundarbans

No	Train	Departure	Arrival	Duration	Running Days
1	Howrah Mail (12840)	03:24 AM (Santragachi Jn)	04:10 AM (Howrah Jn)	0h 46m	All Days
2	Howrah Mail (12809)	05:13 AM (Santragachi Jn)	05:50 AM (Howrah Jn)	0h 37m	All Days
3	Ypr Howrah Exp (12864)	05:30 AM (Santragachi Jn)	06:10 AM (Howrah Jn)	0h 40m	All Days
4	Koraput Hwh Exp (18006)	05:44 AM (Santragachi Jn)	06:25 AM (Howrah Jn)	0h 41m	All Days
5	Hte Rnc Hwh Exp (18616)	05:55 AM (Santragachi Jn)	06:35 AM (Howrah Jn)	0h 40m	All Days
See All

Note: The running days are from Kolkata.

Sawdesh Vraman: Digha Tour

2012-10-25T23:54:00.001+05:30

Sawdesh Vraman: Digha Tour: About Digha Tourism Digha is located in the East Midnapore District and at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal. Lying 187 km away from...

Digha Tour

2012-10-25T23:48:00.002+05:30

About Digha Tourism

Digha is located in the East Midnapore District and at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal. Lying 187 km away from Kolkata and at an average elevation of 6 m above sea level, Digha is the most popular sea resort of West Bengal.

Originally known as Beerkul, it was discovered by the British in the late 18th century. Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India, described Digha as ‘Brighton of the east’ in one of his letters to his wife.

The Digha Beach is popular for its views of the Bay of Bengal amidst the many casurina plantations along the seaside. The sea at Digha is mostly calm and shallow upto a mile off the beach, which makes its makes it safe for various marine activities like swimming, scuba diving, jet ski-ing and surfing.

Lately, due to erosion of the beach leading to a receded landspace, as well as for cleanliness reasons, a new Digha Beach has been developed as an extension to the old Digha beach, at a distance of 2 km from it. Visitors can also head to two other nearby spots: the Udaipur Beach and the Shankarpur Beach, which are relatively untouched.

The latest attraction of Digha is the recently built Science Centre. Digha also boasts of the largest aquarium in India, the Aquarium of Zoological Survey of India. Some of the other tourist places in the region include Subarnareskha River, Talsari, a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva; the Subarnareskha Delta and the Mandarmani Beach.

Digha has its own railway station and is well connected to Howrah and Kharagpur. Direct buses ply from Esplanade (Kolkata) to Digha on a frequent basis. The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata is the nearest airport.

Tourist places in Digha

Digha has quite a few sightseeing options. New Digha, the newer division of the town, is known for housing the Science Centre, set up by the National Council of Science Museums. There is also a Science Park, in the enclave of the centre, offering educational activities. The Centre also has a park representing the Jurassic Age. New Digha also has one of the largest marine aquariums across India.

Another tourist attraction of New Digha is the Amravati Lake, offering boating facilities. There is a snake farm close by the Amravati Lake. An age-old temple of Lord Shiva is found eight kilometres from Digha, popularly known as the temple of Chandaneswar.

The two other notable temples of the destination are Lankeswari and Kapal kundala Temple. Tourists can also visit a beach called Talsari, located just three kilometres from Digha. The beach of Shankarpur, with casuarina groves, is located 14 km from Digha. The prime attraction of the place is the Fishing Harbour Project.

Regular bus services are available from Digha to another beach resort called Junput, located at a distance of 40 km from Digha. Junput is the hub for studying marine biology and houses a farm for breeding ducks.

Tourist lodge in digha
Digha Tourist Lodge (03220)-66255/56.Fax – (03220)-66256 P.O. Digha,Dist. Midnapore.Pin – 721426.

Sea Hawk	Blue View
Booking address: Sea Hawk India (P) Ltd 334 Jessore Road Patipukur, Kolkata	Booking address: Dey’s Publishing 13, Bankim Chatterjee Street Kolkata – 700 073
Sea Coast	Hotel Sathi
Booking address: 22/1B,Ballygunge Station Road Kolkata – 700 019	Booking address: Rabindranath Avenue, Sodepur, 24 Pgns (N)
Omega	Dolphin
Booking address: 66, Dum Dum Road Calcutta – 700 074	Booking address: 47, Bhupen Bose Avenue Kolkata – 700 004
Hotel Amit	Casurina
Booking address: 8/2/2 Umesh Banerjee Lane Howrah - 700 001	Booking address: Classic Travels, Stephen House, 1st Floor B B D Bag (East), Calcutta – 700 001
Hotel Ashirbad	Daffodil
Booking address: Universal Tourist Counter Gole Park	Booking address: 6, Ashokgarh (East) Calcutta – 700 035.
Hotel Cozy	Geetanjali
Booking address: Bera Refrigeration Co. 84, A J C Bose Road Calcutta – 700 014	Booking address: 63, Seal Thakurbari Road Calcutta – 700 038 (Near Ajanta Cinema at Behala)
Bela Nivas	Hotel Holiday Home
Booking address: Ex Servicemen’s Booking Counter at Esplanade.	Booking address: Room No.35, 2nd Floor 212, R B Avenue, Calcutta – 700 019
Samundra Samrat	Digha Tourist Lodge
Booking address: Eastern Travel & Tours 4B, Gopal Banerjee Street (Near Harish Park) Calcutta – 700 025	For booking go through the following: Tourist Information Bureau Govt. of West Bengal 3/2 B.B.D.Bagh (E) Kolkata - 700 001.

2012-10-25T22:38:00.000+05:30

http://www.dighabeach.com/

2012-10-25T14:01:00.003+05:30

http://www.darjeeling-tourism.com

2012-10-25T13:57:00.002+05:30

http://www.indianrail.gov.in

2012-10-25T13:52:00.003+05:30

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=114252576666095904491.00046b6c384bc1b00adfc

2012-10-25T13:46:00.001+05:30

kolkata.org.uk

2012-10-25T13:41:00.001+05:30

uttarbanga.co.cc

2012-10-25T13:39:00.003+05:30

westbengaltourism.gov.in