East Digha-Brighton
West Bengal, the land to travel to, a haven of cultural delights, a civilization to tour, can certainly also be called a travel destination. Tourists come to West Bengal for its wealth of attractions, cultural exuberance, diversity of terrain, and in search of that special something, an 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 resort and tourist spot in West Bengal, located to the south-west 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 about 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 seaside resort. Digha is located 187 km from Kolkata and can be rated as one of the best places for a relaxing vacation. The place has a low slope with a shallow sandy beach and gentle waves, which extends for 7 km. At Digha, the sea begins about a mile away from the beginning 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 beautifying the sands, also help reduce the erosion of the dunes.
What to see:
One can see both sunrise and sunset at the sea beach of Digha. The sunsets and sunrises reflecting off 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 see both sunrise and sunset at the sea beach of Digha. A small town, Digha is packed with hotels usually around a main street. 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, mild varieties of Midnapore’s renowned Madur (hand-woven mat made from seaweed) in colorful designs; Homemade crafts from Digha and Midnapore are available on the beach and at other outlets in the city. To take home a souvenir, try the home-made 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. You can also visit Lankeswari (14 km) and the Kapal Kundala Temple (45 km) near Contai.
Road:
Route 1. Calcutta-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 depart from Esplanade (Calcutta) from 06:30 am to 10:00 am (Rs.30/- fee). West Bengal Tourism Board luxury buses, 3/2 BBDBagh, depart daily at 07:00 (Rs.40/- fare). 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, train services in Digha started. Digha is well connected by Rail from Howrah and Kharagpur. From Howrah there are 2 daily trains and from Kharagpur 1 weekly train. 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 13:40 to arrive at Santragachi station (about 8 km from Howrah) at 16:40. 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 hrs.
Accommodation:
Government accommodation is also available in both the old digha and the new digha. Early booking opens three months in advance and closes days before the actual date of occupancy. There are numerous wide range hotels and Tourist Lodge available in both Digha and New Digha. Hotels are usually around a main street. Its proximity to Calcutta (187 kms) attracts tourists throughout the year.
