Weekend
A Diamond-creek on Mighty Gangas - The Diamond Harbour
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Picturesque view of Diamond Harbour |
This spectacular spot, located at the mouth of river Ganga is
full of natural beauty and some historical remnants. Diamond Harbour is
formarly known as Hajipur. Long long ago, when Portuguese sailors crossed this
area they noticed this place shimmering on sunlight. Then they called this
place as Diamond-creek and started using its dockyard as the river area gets
wider here. This place was a Portuguese stronghold for long years. The British
also used this place and named it Diamond harbor later. It is a great option for oneday trip at the
weekend to relish the scenic beauty of this place.
Where is this place ?
Diamond Harbor formarly known as
Hajipur is in South 24 Pargana District. It is the turning point where Hoogly
river has taken a southern turn and converges into the Bay of Bengal. Diamond
Harbour is only 50 km away from Kolkata.
How to reach ?
- By train : Take Diamond Harbour local from Sealdah station and reach this place within 1hr and 30min. Take Toto (Battery car) / auto from railway station and reach Diamond Harbour picnic spot ground whose local name is “Kellar Math”.
- By Bus : There are many buses ply towards diamond harbor on daily basis. Esplanade / Babughat to Diamond Harbour buses are available.
- By road : Diamond Harbour is only 50 Km from Kolkata and easily accessible by road by 1hr and 30 min.
Check 👉 Map link
Best time to visit :
Actually winter is the best time. This place is famous as picnic spot and many picnic parties gather here
during winter. But October to April is good choice as weather remains
favourable.
Where to Stay ?
Diamond Harbour is good for a day
long trip or oneday picnic. But if you want to stay and relax a day on the bank
of Hoogly then there are options of some hotels with riverside view.
- WBTDC Sagarika Tourist Lodge, book from wbtdcl.com
- New Hotel Hansaraj , Ph- 0954786967
- Pushpa Ban Resort + picnic spot
- Punyalakshmi Hotel, Besides residing and restaurant facilty, River cruise package is also available in this hotel in day-shift, evening-shift and night-shift. Book from hotelpunyalakshmi.com
Places of attraction :
Sarisha Ramkrishna Ashram, An age-old lighthouse, Chingrikhali
fort ruins, River cruise, Ferry ride, Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, nearby town
Joynagar.
Our Itinerary and Experience :
- We visited Diamond Harbour on January,2021. It was a bus journey. We started in the morning.
- On the way to Diamond Harbour we first stopped at Swaminarayan Mandir, as it is situated on Diamond Harbour road in Bhasa. It’s a clear, well-decorated and peaceful temple. After puja we had some refreshment here. Healthy food is served in the canteen at nominal price. There are some stores selling lots of different items. It is a must visit place.
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A partway of Swaminarayan Temple |
- After that we headed towards Diamond Harbour. We reached at “Kellar Math”. The ticket price is only Rs. 10 for normal visit. Parking and picnic spot booking charges are different. The scenic beauty of this place must impress you. You just stare at the long stretches of water. The gentle breeze is really refreshing here. You can walk through riverside or just sit and watch passing boats, vessels. The Chingrikhalli fort was situated here long time ago. Now you can only explore the ruins of this ancient fort. The remnants of the fort have the story of their own.
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Remnants of Portuguese fort scattered here |
- We stayed there till sunset. Watching sunset while enjoying zephyr can definitely rejuvenate your mind and soul. I didn’t miss the clickable scenes of sunset.
Sunset view
- In the evening, we dined in a nearby restaurant and got back to home. We didn’t stay there at night. But a night can easily be spent in the vicinity of river.
Conclusion :
Diamond Harbour is really a must visit place. Locally-made Jaggery and honey are sold at nominal price inside ‘Kellar Math’ and nearby market in winter season. The quality of jaggery made from locally-grown date trees is really very good. You can try it.
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Covid 19 tips : Follow all Covid-19 safety measure
issued by the Govt. when travelling. Use mask, sanitizer while visiting a tourist
spot. Travel in small groups and avoid gathering. Neither we recommend nor we
encourage anyone to travel during pandemic. Travel when it is safe and you are
at your best health condition.
The Jewel-Crown of Bankura - Mukutmanipur
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| The bluish landscape of mesmerizing Mukutmanipur |
The
Jewel crown of Bankura - I call it by this name. Bankura is already
enriched with lots of tourist attractions, some of which are possess
natural beauty and others convey markings of historical relics. What’s
my favourite among them ? It is ofcourse Mukutmanipur. The Mukutmanipur
Dam and it’s lake are the main attraction of this place. You must be
overwhelmed with joy seeing azure waterbody , lush greenery of sal,
mahul, shimul trees of this place. The boat riding in this vast lake has
become my best experience. Mukutmanipur is one of the best weekend
gateways of West Bengal for 2-day’s relaxation.
Where is this Place ?
Mukutmanipur is situated on the bank of Kangsabati and kumari river in the Bankura District. The
famous Mukutmanipur dam is India’s second largest earthen dam on
Kangsabati river. The distance of Mukutmanipur from Kolkata is 212 km.
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| The photogenic landscape |
How to reach there ?
- By rail : Trains available from Howrah to reach Bankura Station. It’s a 4hr train journey.
a) Purulia SF Spcl
b) Bokaro Steel City Express Spcl
c) Chakradharpur Express Spcl
After
reaching Bankura Station, go to Bus stand. you can take a regular Bus
or cab to reach Mukutmanipur 52km away. Pick up and drop facility is
also available from the pre-booked hotels.
- By Bus : Both State tourism buses and Private Buses are available from Kolkata towards Mukutmanipur or Bankura. Regular bus -> Esplanade – Bankura / Karunamoyee – Bankura
Book your trip from m.redbus.com
- By road : This
place is easily accessible by road. Road to Mukutmanipur is also
well-constructed. An adventurous bike trip or a car trip can be very
enjoyable.
Best Route à Kolkata – Burdwan – Bankura - Mukutmanipur
Where to Stay ?
- There are various budget friendly as well as luxurious hotel and resort options for tourists.
- West Bengal Forest Department runs Sonajhuri Resort is situated at the midway of hill top. This resort is really beautiful.
Sonajhuri Prakriti Bhraman Kendra , Ph- 07602088036
Peerless Resort Mukutmanipur, Ph- 09932787993
- We stayed at the Hotel Green Park. It is approx. 2km from the lockgate. This hotel is a good accommodation for family and friends visit. A beautiful garden and parking place is also available here.
Hotel Green Park, Ph-07407407474 (Bankura tourism )
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| View from the balcony of the garden of Hotel Green Park |
- You can also book these hotel/ resorts from www.mukutmanipurtourism.com / www.bankuratourism.com
Sightseeing options :
- Kangsabati Dam and the azure lake :
The azure lake
The
vast bluish water of the lake must refreshes your mind. The entire
landscape become paradise during sunrise and sunset. It's a blessing
zone for photographers. The Confluence of Kangsabati and Kumari river
is also a beautiful place.
- Banpukuria Deer Park :
A glimpse of wildlife from Banpukuria Deer Park
The
park is situated in the other side of the dam and you have to take a
boat ride to reach this place. There are many deer, atleast 30-40 in
number. Environment of this small jungle is very nice. You can find many
birds in this jungle. Photography is also allowed here. This place is
great for family and children.
- Musafirana view point :
The well-decorated park
It is a well maintained park situated at the side of vast stretch of water of the river. A fantastic view of Mukutmanipur town can be seen from this place.
Pareshnath Shiv Mandir :
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| The God's abode |
The
temple of Shive deity is located on a hillock near Musafirana view
point. This temple is famous among the tribal people of Bankura.
Devotees gather here during “Makar Sankranti”. This temple is of very
ancient origin.
Our Itinerary and Sightseeing :
- I visited Mukutmanipur before this Covid-19 pandemic when we were not hiding our face under face-masks. Our itinerary was like this 👇👇
- Day 1: We headed there by bus with a big team. The bus started at night 11p.m. and we reached Bankura at dawn at 4.30 a.m. The fresh morning air wiped out our stress of bus journey totally. Trees were lining at the side of the road on our way to hotel. I already got started to overwhelm. We checked out in the hotel and after rest and breakfast our day started.
- Day 2 : At first we reached at Kangsabati Dam road. Then we hired an auto rickshaw to visit the confluence of Kangsabati and kumari River. It is 6km ride.
After that our next destination was Banpukuria Dear Park. You
need to use a boat to cross the reservoir to reach the other side of
the dam for this. We hired a boat with team and started our most
exciting part of the journey. Oh! This beautiful lake. The
vast azure waterbody surrounded by greenery and hillock created a
picturesque view. It’s a long boat ride. The journey by boat is awefully
beautiful and only one thing must come in your mind. ‘come and relax in
Mukutmanipur’. After reaching other side we took a motor-van for 2km
ride inside the jungle. We many deers and birds . I really enjoyed
myself in this park. Time needed for this trip is 4-5 hours.
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| The refreshing boat ride |
- Then we had our lunch in a hotel nearby the dam area.
- In the afternoon we visited Musafirana View Point. You can witness the best views of Mukutmanipur from this park.
- Pareshnath Shiv Temple is close to this park and we also visited this temple.
In the evening, you strolled in the beautifully
decorated
market in the barrage road. All the shops are coloured by blue-white
combination. One can buy nicely decorated bags, handmade terracotta and
wooden showpieces which make great gift items.
- After dinner we rested for the day.
- Day 3 : Next morning we bid a good-bye to this serene town and got back to Kolkata.
This
serene town and its mesmerizing natural beauty will definitely refresh
your mind. It’s a perfect weekend gateway for Kolkatans.
If you want to go for a road trip your plan is ready. We provide plans, you take the tour.
Your road trip Plan :
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| The beautiful road |
- Start your day very early morning at 5 a.m. and you must reach by 11a.m. Check out in hotel , take rest, have lunch. Then start visiting Kangsabati Dam in the afternoon and then visit to Musafirana View Point. It’s a beautiful park.
- Pareshnath Shiv Temple is close to this park and you can go to this temple. You must witness beautiful sunset view.
- In the evening, you can stroll in the beautifully decorated market and buy handmade terracotta and wooden showpieces which make great gift items.
- Next day visit to Bonpukuria Deer Park. You need to use a boat to cross the reservoir to reach the other side of the dam. Then take a motorvan for 2km ride inside the jungle. There are many deers and birds . The journey by boat is awefully beautiful. Time needed 3-4 hours. Then come back to Kolkata after lunch.
If you plan this trip or you have more ideas then please comment below and let us know.
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For more weekend tour plans check our another post – 10 Enchanting Road trips near Kolkata
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Hei
beloved readers, if you have enjoyed reading and found this article
fruitful then please give us feedback by your valuable comment. Our
reader’s constructive thought will encourage us and help us to grow
more. If you have any suggestion you can also share with us.
Connect
with us through Facebook- 'Trip Mania' , Twitter- '@tripmania4',
Pinterest- tripmania4, Follow our Facebook Page- 'Trip Mania' and
subscribe through email for blog updates.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Covid 19 tips : Follow all Covid-19 safety measure issued by the Govt. when travelling. Use mask, sanitizer while visiting a tourist spot. Travel in small groups and avoid gathering. Neither we recommend nor we encourage anyone to travel during pandemic. Travel when it is safe and you are at your best health condition.
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