Digha
Introduction And History : Digha is a small beach town located in the Indian state of West Bengal. Digha has some of the cleanest and hardest beaches to proffer. The town was originally called Beerkul and was praised as the ‘Brighton’s of the East’ by Warren Hastings. It was founded by the British in the late 18th century and was developed into a popular beach town later. The town is popular in West Bengal and serves as a weekend destination to many people in Kolkata itself. The sea is shallow and swimming and driving are popular activities here. However, of late, severe sea erosion has occurred and it has resulted in the new Digha, a pleasant stretch of 2 Kilometers, lined with casuarinas plantations to help preserve the beauty of Digha.
What To See : The New Digha beach is the neo-side of this small town with many beach resorts and a Science centre that is an important added value by the National council of science museums. Shankarpur beach is another untouched beach haven; this twin of Digha is 14km away. It is also an important fishing harbor.The best season to visit is from October to March.
Things to do: Make short excursions to Chandneshwar’s beautiful Shiva temple. The nearby Talasari beach is not to be missed. Junput is another beach, 40 Kilometers away which is a popular retreat for sun bathing. The State Government Fisheries Department, conducts fish cultivation and research here. The cottage crafts here are at a cheap price.
Accomodations : Many hotels and beach resorts have sprung around the town. Accommodation is available at very economical prices starting from 300 rupees to 1000 rupees per day. Beach resorts have prices starting from 1500 rupees and above.
Mode Of Transport : Digha is 5 hours travel from Kolkata. The nearest airport is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport located at Kolkata. There are every day trains from Shalimar railway station and Howrah station. From time to time special trains are also announced on holidays. Road transport is convenient as there is a regular bus service between Kolkata and Digha. You can even rent a tourist cab or even a car from Kolkata to reach Digha.
Related links:
• Tourist information: www.dighabeach.com
• West Bengal tourist site: http://www.wbtourism.com/
See also (Nearby places): Mandarmani, Midnapore and Kolkata.
