East Midnapore
Purba Medinipur district or East Midnapore district is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the southernmost district of Burdwan division – one of the three administrative divisions of West Bengal. The headquarters in Tamluk. It was formed on 1 January 2002 after the Partition of Midnapore into Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur which lies at the northern and western border of it. The state of Odisha is at the southwest border; the Bay of Bengal lies in the south; the Hooghly river and South 24 Parganas district to the east; and Howrah district to the north-east.
Purba Medinipur is formed of the sub-divisions of Tamluk, Contai and Haldia of erstwhile Midnapore district.Another sub-division, Egra has been created out of the erstwhile Contai sub-division during the partition of Midnapore. In 2011, the state government has proposed to rename the district as Tamralipta district after the ancient port city of Tamralipta which used to lie near the modern district headquarters.
Purba Medinipur saw many political movements during the British Raj. A parallel government named the Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar was formed during the Quit India Movement in Tamluk.In 2007, Purba Medinipur witnessed the Nandigram violence, an incident of police firing that killed 14 farmers.
Purba Medinipur is formed of the sub-divisions of Tamluk, Contai and Haldia of erstwhile Midnapore district.Another sub-division, Egra has been created out of the erstwhile Contai sub-division during the partition of Midnapore. In 2011, the state government has proposed to rename the district as Tamralipta district after the ancient port city of Tamralipta which used to lie near the modern district headquarters.
Purba Medinipur saw many political movements during the British Raj. A parallel government named the Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar was formed during the Quit India Movement in Tamluk.In 2007, Purba Medinipur witnessed the Nandigram violence, an incident of police firing that killed 14 farmers.
TAMLUK
Tamluk is the district headquarters of Purba Medinipur district. The present town is located on the banks of the Rupnarayan River close to the Bay of Bengal. The bank of river Rupnarayan is famous for picnic.
How to reach
Tamluk is best reached by Train and Bus. The nearest train station is at Tamluk and the nearest airport is at Kolkata.
By bus Route
The road route from Kolkata is: Esplanade - 63km - Kolaghat - 3km - Mecheda - 14km - Tamluk
From Kolkata, catch a bus at Esplanade or at Howrah headed for Digha. The bus route traverse via NH-6 via Kolaghat to Nimtouri (NH-41).From Kolkata, catch a bus at Esplanade or at Howrah headed for Digha, reach at Mecheda Stn. and then take local bus routes ( Mecheda stn. to Haldia / Mecheda stn. to Srirampur / Mecheda stn. to Nandigram) to reach at Tamluk.
By Train Route
From Howrah Railway Stn.you can avail Haldia Local which traverse via Mecheda via Panskura Stn. to Tamluk Stn.
From Howrah Railway Stn. by any Local train upto Mecheda Station then take local bus routes ( Mecheda stn. to Haldia / Mecheda stn. to Srirampur / Mecheda stn. to Nandigram) to reach at Tamluk.
There is a nearly 1150 year old Temple of Kali named here as Devi Barghobhima. This temple is a part of 51 Shakti Peethas. Puranas say that the small finger of left feet of Sati/Parvati fell here when Lord Vishnu cut the sacred Body of Goddess Sati into several pieces to make Lord Shiva quite.
Tamluk Rajbari is on the outskirts of town. The literal translation for "rajbari" is king's house, once housing one of the many kings in West Bengal. The Mayura-dhwaja ( Peackok ) Dynasty had been named in Mahabharata, Bhagvat, Bramhabaibarto Puran etc as a very rich and wealthest one of that region.
There is an Archeological Museum in Tamluk; it is a must see place of the town. Mr Kamal Kundu is the one of the prominent person who did his best to run this museum. The Tamralipta Museum at Tamluk contains artifacts of tamra or copper. Inscribed copper templates comprise the documents of this museum. The museum has preserved a tamralipta of Greek inscriptions. The Tamralipta Museum preserves the historical heritage of Bengal.
Rakhit bati is the another place to visit in Tamluk. In the beginning of 19th century it was famous as a secrete center of the then revolutionary party ‘Anusilan Samiti’ & ‘Gupta samiti’. Famous historian Late Shri Tailakyanath Rakhit rebuilt this building.
Matangani Sahid Smarak at the side of pond called Banpukur at Abasbari Para near Tamluk Court is another place of tourist interest. During the ‘Ahimsa’ movement of 1942, while a crowd trying to capture Tamluk administrative building, British police open fire in which Smt Matangini Hazara became ‘Sahid’. Later on Mahatma Gandhi appreciated her bravery and titled her as ‘Birangana’. This monument is a homage to her by Ex- prime-minister, Smt Indira Ghandhi. This is about 7Km from Tamluk station and on the way to Tamluk college.
Tamluk irrigation Bungalow and its near by areas also famous for its semi-nonurban atmospheres. The River Rupnarayana is just 1 km from the bungalow.
Another very popular picnic destination in Tamluk is green fields near the rail station.
Maahishadal and Geonkhali are near by tourist places. At geonkhali river Rupnarayan joins Hooghly river with a beautiful backdrop.
Kolaghat is another town on the bank of Rupnarayan River and famous for Hilsa (Ilish) fishes.
Tamluk is the district headquarters of Purba Medinipur district. The present town is located on the banks of the Rupnarayan River close to the Bay of Bengal. The bank of river Rupnarayan is famous for picnic.
How to reach
Tamluk is best reached by Train and Bus. The nearest train station is at Tamluk and the nearest airport is at Kolkata.
By bus Route
The road route from Kolkata is: Esplanade - 63km - Kolaghat - 3km - Mecheda - 14km - Tamluk
From Kolkata, catch a bus at Esplanade or at Howrah headed for Digha. The bus route traverse via NH-6 via Kolaghat to Nimtouri (NH-41).From Kolkata, catch a bus at Esplanade or at Howrah headed for Digha, reach at Mecheda Stn. and then take local bus routes ( Mecheda stn. to Haldia / Mecheda stn. to Srirampur / Mecheda stn. to Nandigram) to reach at Tamluk.
By Train Route
From Howrah Railway Stn.you can avail Haldia Local which traverse via Mecheda via Panskura Stn. to Tamluk Stn.
From Howrah Railway Stn. by any Local train upto Mecheda Station then take local bus routes ( Mecheda stn. to Haldia / Mecheda stn. to Srirampur / Mecheda stn. to Nandigram) to reach at Tamluk.
There is a nearly 1150 year old Temple of Kali named here as Devi Barghobhima. This temple is a part of 51 Shakti Peethas. Puranas say that the small finger of left feet of Sati/Parvati fell here when Lord Vishnu cut the sacred Body of Goddess Sati into several pieces to make Lord Shiva quite.
Tamluk Rajbari is on the outskirts of town. The literal translation for "rajbari" is king's house, once housing one of the many kings in West Bengal. The Mayura-dhwaja ( Peackok ) Dynasty had been named in Mahabharata, Bhagvat, Bramhabaibarto Puran etc as a very rich and wealthest one of that region.
There is an Archeological Museum in Tamluk; it is a must see place of the town. Mr Kamal Kundu is the one of the prominent person who did his best to run this museum. The Tamralipta Museum at Tamluk contains artifacts of tamra or copper. Inscribed copper templates comprise the documents of this museum. The museum has preserved a tamralipta of Greek inscriptions. The Tamralipta Museum preserves the historical heritage of Bengal.
Rakhit bati is the another place to visit in Tamluk. In the beginning of 19th century it was famous as a secrete center of the then revolutionary party ‘Anusilan Samiti’ & ‘Gupta samiti’. Famous historian Late Shri Tailakyanath Rakhit rebuilt this building.
Matangani Sahid Smarak at the side of pond called Banpukur at Abasbari Para near Tamluk Court is another place of tourist interest. During the ‘Ahimsa’ movement of 1942, while a crowd trying to capture Tamluk administrative building, British police open fire in which Smt Matangini Hazara became ‘Sahid’. Later on Mahatma Gandhi appreciated her bravery and titled her as ‘Birangana’. This monument is a homage to her by Ex- prime-minister, Smt Indira Ghandhi. This is about 7Km from Tamluk station and on the way to Tamluk college.
Tamluk irrigation Bungalow and its near by areas also famous for its semi-nonurban atmospheres. The River Rupnarayana is just 1 km from the bungalow.
Another very popular picnic destination in Tamluk is green fields near the rail station.
Maahishadal and Geonkhali are near by tourist places. At geonkhali river Rupnarayan joins Hooghly river with a beautiful backdrop.
Kolaghat is another town on the bank of Rupnarayan River and famous for Hilsa (Ilish) fishes.
DIGHA
Digha is a small but the most popular seaside resort town in the state of West Bengal, India. It lies at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal.It is located just 183 km from Kolkata/Howrah via Mecheda and 234 km via Kharagpur. Digha is connected to Kolkata/Howrah by a highway and a rail-link via Contai.
How to reach
Digha is best reached by Train and Bus. The nearest train station is at New Digha Stn. and the nearest airport is at Kolkata.
By road
Travelling to Digha by road has become easier, thanks to the chief minister's efforts in promoting tourism at Digha and surrounding beaches (Mandarmoni, Tajpur, Sankarpur). The roads are excellent, and one can easily reach Digha from Kolkata in 4 hours of sedate driving.
Route: NH-6 till Kolaghat -> take a left turn on NH-41 excellent roads till Nandkumar -> right turn on state highway all the way to Digha, via towns of Contai and Ramnagar.
By train
It is advisable to make reservations in advance for weekends and national holidays.
Three trains run daily from Howrah Railway Station at 6.40am (Tamralipta Express), 11.15am (Duranto Express) and 2.40pm (Kandari Express) daily. Sometimes special trains are announced on special occasions and holidays. Notice for such trains come on widely circulated newspapers. Journey by Duront Exp (12847) leaving Howrah at 11.15 can be of great experience. The returning times are 10.25am, 1.35 pm and 6.20pm respectively.
On saturday, There is paharia express which comes from new jalpaiguri and halts at Howrah. This train remains quit empty and very comfortable to travel.
There is a Local train from Shalimar (Near Howrah) to Digha though the timing is not good. Also there may be some special train.
From 01-07-2011 , Indian Railways launched 4 (four) special trains from Puri (Wednesday 23:35 & Saturday 23:35),Malda Town ( Saturday 08:10),Vishakapatnam (Thursday 17:50).These all trains are weekly.
Digha's old beach isn't as wide as it used to be due to heavy soil erosion. The beach is held together with big stones and concrete steps. Since it is one of very few popular beaches in West Bengal, overcrowding, especially during the cooler winter break, is another problem. A new beach has been developed at New Digha which is about 2 km from the old beach. This new beach is not only bigger than the old one, but might be considered a better one. It is clean and well-maintained and is not surrounded by a congested locality like the older beach. There are new and better hotels a walking distance from the beach at New Digha and the locality itself seems to be better planned. The entire stretch of the Digha seaface from Old Digha to New Digha is filled with casuarina plantations, which looks beautiful. Tourists come here and bath in the sea, stroll by the beach along the casuarina trees and enjoy the sights and scenes offered by this magnificent stretch of sea.
Apart from the sea, there is Asia's largest marine aquarium, a science museum and a beautiful park all on the main road from Old Digha to New Digha. Another important spot near Digha is the Shiva temple at Chandaneshwar which is 6 km west of Digha. During the Bengali month of Chaitra, an annual fair is organised here which is attended by people from near and far.
Places Around Digha
Junput: It is 40 km away from Digha; famous for fishing.
Shankarpur: Also known as virgin beach, only 14 km east of Digha. It is also a regular fishing harbour. This beach is covered with casuarina plantations.
Subarnarekha river:The sweet place where Subarnarekha river draining into Bay of Bengal, Only 12 KM far from Digha, located in Orissa-Bengal border. This is new destination of Digha tourist.
Talsari: A small delta on Bay of Bengal, Only 6 KM far from Digha, located in Bengal-Orissa border.
Digha is a small but the most popular seaside resort town in the state of West Bengal, India. It lies at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal.It is located just 183 km from Kolkata/Howrah via Mecheda and 234 km via Kharagpur. Digha is connected to Kolkata/Howrah by a highway and a rail-link via Contai.
How to reach
Digha is best reached by Train and Bus. The nearest train station is at New Digha Stn. and the nearest airport is at Kolkata.
By road
Travelling to Digha by road has become easier, thanks to the chief minister's efforts in promoting tourism at Digha and surrounding beaches (Mandarmoni, Tajpur, Sankarpur). The roads are excellent, and one can easily reach Digha from Kolkata in 4 hours of sedate driving.
Route: NH-6 till Kolaghat -> take a left turn on NH-41 excellent roads till Nandkumar -> right turn on state highway all the way to Digha, via towns of Contai and Ramnagar.
By train
It is advisable to make reservations in advance for weekends and national holidays.
Three trains run daily from Howrah Railway Station at 6.40am (Tamralipta Express), 11.15am (Duranto Express) and 2.40pm (Kandari Express) daily. Sometimes special trains are announced on special occasions and holidays. Notice for such trains come on widely circulated newspapers. Journey by Duront Exp (12847) leaving Howrah at 11.15 can be of great experience. The returning times are 10.25am, 1.35 pm and 6.20pm respectively.
On saturday, There is paharia express which comes from new jalpaiguri and halts at Howrah. This train remains quit empty and very comfortable to travel.
There is a Local train from Shalimar (Near Howrah) to Digha though the timing is not good. Also there may be some special train.
From 01-07-2011 , Indian Railways launched 4 (four) special trains from Puri (Wednesday 23:35 & Saturday 23:35),Malda Town ( Saturday 08:10),Vishakapatnam (Thursday 17:50).These all trains are weekly.
Digha's old beach isn't as wide as it used to be due to heavy soil erosion. The beach is held together with big stones and concrete steps. Since it is one of very few popular beaches in West Bengal, overcrowding, especially during the cooler winter break, is another problem. A new beach has been developed at New Digha which is about 2 km from the old beach. This new beach is not only bigger than the old one, but might be considered a better one. It is clean and well-maintained and is not surrounded by a congested locality like the older beach. There are new and better hotels a walking distance from the beach at New Digha and the locality itself seems to be better planned. The entire stretch of the Digha seaface from Old Digha to New Digha is filled with casuarina plantations, which looks beautiful. Tourists come here and bath in the sea, stroll by the beach along the casuarina trees and enjoy the sights and scenes offered by this magnificent stretch of sea.
Apart from the sea, there is Asia's largest marine aquarium, a science museum and a beautiful park all on the main road from Old Digha to New Digha. Another important spot near Digha is the Shiva temple at Chandaneshwar which is 6 km west of Digha. During the Bengali month of Chaitra, an annual fair is organised here which is attended by people from near and far.
Places Around Digha
Junput: It is 40 km away from Digha; famous for fishing.
Shankarpur: Also known as virgin beach, only 14 km east of Digha. It is also a regular fishing harbour. This beach is covered with casuarina plantations.
Subarnarekha river:The sweet place where Subarnarekha river draining into Bay of Bengal, Only 12 KM far from Digha, located in Orissa-Bengal border. This is new destination of Digha tourist.
Talsari: A small delta on Bay of Bengal, Only 6 KM far from Digha, located in Bengal-Orissa border.
MANDARMANI
Mandarmani is a beach resort in Purba Medinipur district of South Bengal, one of the southern districts of West Bengal. It is almost 180km from Kolkata Airport on the Kolkata-Digha route and just 14km from Chaulkhola .
How to reach
Mandarmani is best reached by road. The nearest train station is at Contai and the nearest airport is at Kolkata.
Route
The road route from Kolkata is: Esplanade - 63km - Kolaghat - 3km - Mecheda - 80km - Contai - 12.3km - Chawalkhola - 4km - Kalindi - 4km - Dadan Patra Bar - 6km -Mandarmoni -Total 163km
By bus
From Kolkata, catch a bus at Esplanade or at Howrah headed for Chawalkhola. You can avail any bus service headed towards Digha. State Transport Buses are available , fare is as cheap as 76 INR per head. A number of Deluxe coaches run daily having fares between 100 to 110 INR. Whiteliners in Kolkata - Digha route (Rs 160/- per head) from Esplanade starts at 7.30 am
To See
From Chawlkhola you will get mechanised/non-mechanised cycle vans which will take you to a place known Dadanpatrabar. Though this is not proper Mandarmani which is about 5.5km. One thing what everyone should remember before going to Mandarmani is that there are no proper motorable road after Dadanpatrabar. After you reach Dadanpatrabar, you will have to drive through the sea beach. If there is high tide in the rainy season the beach gets partially submerged and sometimes you will have to wait till the low tide starts.
To Do
Relax, swim and enjoy the beach. You are not likely to have many visitors around and that's the beauty of this beach. Activities include table tennis, carrom, beach cricket, beach volleyball, and boat cruises.
Fishing ,Sunbathing - only possible from October to February ,Swimming
Mandarmani is a beach resort in Purba Medinipur district of South Bengal, one of the southern districts of West Bengal. It is almost 180km from Kolkata Airport on the Kolkata-Digha route and just 14km from Chaulkhola .
How to reach
Mandarmani is best reached by road. The nearest train station is at Contai and the nearest airport is at Kolkata.
Route
The road route from Kolkata is: Esplanade - 63km - Kolaghat - 3km - Mecheda - 80km - Contai - 12.3km - Chawalkhola - 4km - Kalindi - 4km - Dadan Patra Bar - 6km -Mandarmoni -Total 163km
By bus
From Kolkata, catch a bus at Esplanade or at Howrah headed for Chawalkhola. You can avail any bus service headed towards Digha. State Transport Buses are available , fare is as cheap as 76 INR per head. A number of Deluxe coaches run daily having fares between 100 to 110 INR. Whiteliners in Kolkata - Digha route (Rs 160/- per head) from Esplanade starts at 7.30 am
To See
From Chawlkhola you will get mechanised/non-mechanised cycle vans which will take you to a place known Dadanpatrabar. Though this is not proper Mandarmani which is about 5.5km. One thing what everyone should remember before going to Mandarmani is that there are no proper motorable road after Dadanpatrabar. After you reach Dadanpatrabar, you will have to drive through the sea beach. If there is high tide in the rainy season the beach gets partially submerged and sometimes you will have to wait till the low tide starts.
To Do
Relax, swim and enjoy the beach. You are not likely to have many visitors around and that's the beauty of this beach. Activities include table tennis, carrom, beach cricket, beach volleyball, and boat cruises.
Fishing ,Sunbathing - only possible from October to February ,Swimming
HALDIA
Haldia is a city and a municipality in Purba Medinipur in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a major seaport located approximately 50 kilometers southwest of Calcutta near the mouth of the Hooghly River, one of the distributaries of the Ganges. The population in 2001 was 170,695.
How to reach
Haldia is best reached by Train and Bus. The nearest train station is at Haldia Bandar and the nearest airport is at Kolkata.
By bus Route
The road route from Kolkata is: Esplanade - 63km - Kolaghat - 3km - Mecheda - 56km - Haldia
From Kolkata, catch a bus at Esplanade or at Howrah headed for Haldia. AC Buses are also available to reach Haldia. The bus route traverse via NH-6 via Kolaghat via Nandakumar to Haldia (NH-41).Total duration of bus journey 2.5 hours (Approx)
By Train Route
From Howrah Railway Stn.you can avail Haldia Local which traverse via Panskura stn. , Tamluk Stn. to Haldia Bandar Station.
From Howrah Railway Stn. by any Local train upto Mecheda Station then by Bus to Haldia (via NH-41).
Haldia is being developed as a major trade port for Calcutta, intended mainly for bulk cargoes. The port is quite modern, uses conveyor belts for loading and unloading and has the world's second largest lock gate-1010 ft x 130 ft and a depth of 48 ft. The Haldia Refinery and Haldia Fertilizers may be paid a visit with prior permission. The Centinery Park also attracts tourists. Haldia is a ideal spot for weekend tour. The industrial city has several factories, including South Asian Petrochemicals Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Exide, Shaw Wallace, Tata Chemicals, Petrochemical complex (Haldia Petrochemical) and Hindustan Lever, in addition to various light industries. The port has attracted factories of foreign companies, like Mitsubishi Chemical Company (MCC). A large number of companies are also being set up now, Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCI), primarily being ancillary industries to the Haldia Petrochemicals. The Haldia Petrochemicals is the second largest project of such kind in India.
The Haldia Township is bordered by the Haldi River an offshoot of the Ganges River. The riverside in Haldia is a favorite destination for residents and one can see people strolling down the riverside during the evenings.
Haldia is also a base of Indian Coast Guard. There is a hover-port to house two of the six hovercrafts belonging to the Indian Coast Guard.
CLIMATE
The climate of Haldia is a typical moderate one with winter temperatures ranging from 8 degrees Celsius to 12 degrees Celsius. Winters are cool and present and it is also the festival time for inhabitants here with the Haldia Utsav taking place during the same time.
Summers can be hot and humid with temperatures going up to 40 degrees Celsius. Rainfall is moderate, and the rainy months are between May and September.
TRANSPORT
The transportation system of Haldia is extremely well developed and it is connected to Kolkata by both bus and train. Recent efforts have seen introduction of new air conditioned buses which takes less than three hours from the place to Kolkata. In terms of local transport cars, bikes, auto rickshaws and specially bi cycles are the most common means.
Haldia is a city and a municipality in Purba Medinipur in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a major seaport located approximately 50 kilometers southwest of Calcutta near the mouth of the Hooghly River, one of the distributaries of the Ganges. The population in 2001 was 170,695.
How to reach
Haldia is best reached by Train and Bus. The nearest train station is at Haldia Bandar and the nearest airport is at Kolkata.
By bus Route
The road route from Kolkata is: Esplanade - 63km - Kolaghat - 3km - Mecheda - 56km - Haldia
From Kolkata, catch a bus at Esplanade or at Howrah headed for Haldia. AC Buses are also available to reach Haldia. The bus route traverse via NH-6 via Kolaghat via Nandakumar to Haldia (NH-41).Total duration of bus journey 2.5 hours (Approx)
By Train Route
From Howrah Railway Stn.you can avail Haldia Local which traverse via Panskura stn. , Tamluk Stn. to Haldia Bandar Station.
From Howrah Railway Stn. by any Local train upto Mecheda Station then by Bus to Haldia (via NH-41).
Haldia is being developed as a major trade port for Calcutta, intended mainly for bulk cargoes. The port is quite modern, uses conveyor belts for loading and unloading and has the world's second largest lock gate-1010 ft x 130 ft and a depth of 48 ft. The Haldia Refinery and Haldia Fertilizers may be paid a visit with prior permission. The Centinery Park also attracts tourists. Haldia is a ideal spot for weekend tour. The industrial city has several factories, including South Asian Petrochemicals Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Exide, Shaw Wallace, Tata Chemicals, Petrochemical complex (Haldia Petrochemical) and Hindustan Lever, in addition to various light industries. The port has attracted factories of foreign companies, like Mitsubishi Chemical Company (MCC). A large number of companies are also being set up now, Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCI), primarily being ancillary industries to the Haldia Petrochemicals. The Haldia Petrochemicals is the second largest project of such kind in India.
The Haldia Township is bordered by the Haldi River an offshoot of the Ganges River. The riverside in Haldia is a favorite destination for residents and one can see people strolling down the riverside during the evenings.
Haldia is also a base of Indian Coast Guard. There is a hover-port to house two of the six hovercrafts belonging to the Indian Coast Guard.
CLIMATE
The climate of Haldia is a typical moderate one with winter temperatures ranging from 8 degrees Celsius to 12 degrees Celsius. Winters are cool and present and it is also the festival time for inhabitants here with the Haldia Utsav taking place during the same time.
Summers can be hot and humid with temperatures going up to 40 degrees Celsius. Rainfall is moderate, and the rainy months are between May and September.
TRANSPORT
The transportation system of Haldia is extremely well developed and it is connected to Kolkata by both bus and train. Recent efforts have seen introduction of new air conditioned buses which takes less than three hours from the place to Kolkata. In terms of local transport cars, bikes, auto rickshaws and specially bi cycles are the most common means.