Weekend Gateways from Kolkata

Author: Vivekanand SinghDate: 16th April, 2019

ACHIPUR: 

Achipur, a hamlet on the banks of the Hooghly, is simply like several alternative Bengal village. however three hundred years past, this village, thirty metric linear unit from Taratala, bustled with activity and was dominated by the Chinese folks . This was the primary Chinese settlement within the country. On each Chinese New Year’s Day and for the remainder of that month, Achipur turns into a mini Chinatown. Thousands gather at the Chinese temple here, particularly on Sundays, to celebrate the yr. Recently the members of Kolkata’s Chinese community have pooled in nearly fifty hundred thousand rupees to revive the temple and build boarding and lodging facilities for the community. Malay Archipelago Company documents show that a Chinese monger known as Atchew Tong sailed into the village within the second decade of the eighteenth century and settled down. Others before long followed him. Atchew started a sugar plantation hooked up with a mill within the village.

MUKUTMANIPUR:

Mukutmanipur may be a city in Bankura district of West Bengal. it's set at the confluence of the Kangsabati and Kumari rivers, on the point of the Jharkhand border. India’s second largest material dam ANd an unbelievablystunning lake created by the dam, snuggled among thickly wooded hillocks, price a visit.

BISHNUPUR:

Bishnupur is a town of terracotta temples, legend weavers and Bishnupur Gharana of Hindustani Classical Music. Just 132 km from Kolkata, Bishnupur was the capital of the Malla Kings of Mallabhum for almost a thousand years. The patronage of the Malla Kings made Bishnupur one of the principle centers of culture in Bengal. Bishnupur developed a unique form of architecture and has perhaps the most brilliant and detailed terracotta work in Eastern India that has endured the ravages of time. The Malla rulers were Vaishnavites and built the famous terracotta temples. The terracotta temples here are the best specimen of the classical style of Bishnupuriya architecture. Baluchari Saree, another indigenous product of Bishupur, is an exquisite creation of Bishnupuriya weavers.

SOBUJ BON:

Sabuj Bon is a perfect weekend destination. you'll be actually hypnotised to find this plantation heaven, thusregarding Shantiniketan, in a very little village referred to as Rasulpur in Birbhum. Spanning a locality of around one hundred acres, the place options lush inexperienced vegetation for regarding eighty acres and enormous water body covers the remainder of twenty acres. within the monsoon, the smell of the wet red soil and also the sound of the pitter-patter raindrops actually produce a fascinating atmosphere in Sabuj Bon.

KHOAI SONAJHURI FOREST:

Whenever we have a tendency to arrange a weekend to Shantiniketan its Visva Bharati that involves our mind. however next time it may be Khoai that could be a ecological formation of tiny canyons ensuing from constant erosion caused by wind and water. The Khoai Shantiniketan region in Bolpur is marked by a patch of dry forest of Sonajhuri trees on Associate in Nursing worn landscape of red dirt soil. This distinctive look of the forest was immortalised by Rabindranath Tagore in several of his compositions. The Sonajhuri forest in Khoai is enclosed by the far-famed Kopai watercourse, the watercourse to that all Bengalis area unit introduced as “Amader Choto Nodi. The weekend to Khowai is incomplete while not a visit to the weekday Haat, wherever artisans of Shantiniketan sell their howling artefacts sitting within the forest.

MALANCHA RASULPUR:

A huge landscaped gardens with 60 thousand trees and 7 lakes, Rasulpur Park is only 90 minutes by car from Kolkata. Here nature-loving travellers can spend their weekends in one of the six cottages or deluxe rooms amidst greenery overlooking the largest lake of the park. The park offers all kinds of facilities to make your weekend tour enjoyable as well as a memorable one. You can enjoy boating, angling, birdwatching and a whole lot of activities here. Another 10 kilometers from Rsulpur is Amadhpur Zamindar House with its fascinating terracotta temples, Thakur Dalan (Place of worship), Lakes (Dighis) and Jal Mahals.

CHUPI KASTHASHALI PAKHIRALAY:

The sleepy silence of Purbasthali is broken from early December every year with the arrival of feathered friends from halfway across the world. The Ox Bow Lake formed from the mighty Ganges caresses past villages like Chupi and Kasthashali to become home to thousands of migratory birds. The crystal clear waters of the 9 km long channel of the Ox Bow Lake and the surrounding fruit orchards and farmlands harbour more than 70 species of local and migratory birds. The Ox Bow lake covers an area of almost 3.5 sq. kms and encloses an islet with three villages. Bird watching in the lake is done in local country boats and the boatmen help the guests to spot the birds.

The lake has a narrow channel connecting the Ganges and hence has a permanent source of water pouring into the lake. The rich alluvial soil of Ganges basin and abundance of rainfall has endowed the Purbasthali region with an overdose of greenery. Hence an intense agriculture is practiced here with crops like maize, rice, corn, mustard, jute, potato and different types of vegetables, fruits and flowers growing throughout the year.

MEKHLIGANJ TEA RESORT:

Mekhliganj is a luxury resort that is located within a lush tea estate and with a river along the tea estate. Enjoy a splendid view of lush greenery of tea garden and farmland from this tea resort. It is located between the winding Saniajaan River and the tea estate. The Tin Bigha Border Crossing is just a stone’s throw from the Resort from where the ceremonial Border closing of India and Bangladesh is visible every evening. Take a stroll along the tea estate or spend some idle time at the lonely banks of River Saniajaan, and a tea-factory located nearby you can also take a dip in the resort’s swimming pool.

RASIKBILL:

Rasikbill is a huge lake situated in the town of Tufanganj in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal. It is prominent bird viewing spot. Situated around a vast lake spreading more than 175 hectares territory, Rasikbill Lake is encompassed by three dull and thick woods – Nagurhaat, Atasmochar and Bochamari. They are differentiated by Batikata a little trench. It is a great shelter of eco-tourism in the wild with stunning magnificence of its photo postcard landscape.

MON CHASHA ECO VILLAGE:

“Mon Chasha” could be a mix of authentic village culture, pure stuff tradition, the cultural heritage of a rural life and a real sentiment of natural Bharat.Mon Chasha was set in motion in 2012 to assist the native individuals, the economy & the vicinity through touristry. the concept is to make job opportunities for the villagers, whereas additionallyguaranteeing that tourists have an honest time seeing and experiencing real village life. Mon Chasha emphasises on exploiting the irreproducible touristry scope offered by the village that helped the village to retain its originality.

JUNPUT:

A temple that served as the setting of a classic novel, a lighthouse overlooking the confluence of a river and the sea, winding trails lined by casuarina and eucalyptus, a secluded beach — Junput offers plenty of attractions for those willing to look beyond Digha and Mandarmani. Junput is best reached through Contai, about 150 km from Calcutta. Buses and Trekkers are available from the town to Junput crossing, approximately 10 km away. Follow the dyke bordered by eucalyptus trees towards the resort. It abuts a huge lake and encompasses vegetable gardens and large ponds spanned by narrow bridges.

TAJPUR:

The convenient location of Tajpur is the major cause behind the emerging popularity of this sea beach holiday destination. Surrounded with patches of forests this sea shore destination truly offers great visual pleasure. The sea beach of Tajpur has an unusual shape – unlike the most sorted crescent shape Tajpur has an inverted Crescent shape of the beach, which gives an unusual panoramic view of the sea. Tajpur is still the most unexploited virgin sea-beach around Kolkata. The beach is infested with infinite number of red crabs which play hide and seek in the sand. Their presence makes the beach look crimson. There are fishermen's villages in the vicinity, where one can observe the mundane life of fisherman. Just 1 km away is a lagoon with pleasant surroundings.

ITACHUNA RAJBARI:

The place, a modern village offers a perfect blend of nature and modernity to unwind in a royal ambience. The Rajbari is a place where history resides and you can feel its princely presence. The Rajbari is divided into five mahallas – a village courthouse, a ballet dancing hall, kitchen house, guest house and an andar mahal for ladies. It has one of the largest family temples of the Rajbaris of Bengal. The family deity ‘Shreedhar Jeeu’ is still offered prayers four times a day, with occasional mass gatherings in the plush courtyard. In the backyard of the Rajbari, a lush green area, erstwhile ‘Khamar Bari’, now converted to an outdoor shooting area. An adjoining pond with idyllic jungle is a hotspot for get-togethers.

DEULTI:

If you are looking for a rural escape, away from the bustling city life, then you can make a tour to this small village of Deulti, nestled amidst a serene ambience. This peaceful retreat is located about 6 kms towards the western part of Bagnan, in the district of Howrah in West Bengal. It is a perfect holiday destination, cradled on the bank of River Roopnarayan.

ECO PARK:

New Town Eco Park or Prakriti Tirtha is an urban park in Rajarhat, Kolkata The park is situated on a 480 acres (190 ha) plot and is surrounded by a 104 acres (42 ha) waterbody with an island in the middle. The park has been divided into three broad parts. One is ecological zones like wetlands, grasslands, and urban forest, the second one is the theme gardens and open spaces, and the third is the urban recreational spaces. The Eco Park is further divided into different sub-parts according to the different types of fauna planted. The park has different areas like wild flower meadows, a bamboo garden, grasslands, tropical tree garden, bonsai garden, a butterfly garden, a play area and an amphitheatre. There is an eco-resort which includes an area where handicrafts from different part of the state are exhibited.

VIVADA CRUISE:

We at Vivada Inland Waterways Ltd. are engaged in inland waterways and related business for more than four decades. The Kolkata-based Vivada Cruises (our cruising division) flaunts a fleet of vessels and barges, water taxis as well as a range of water transport services. Presently, Vivada Inland Waterways Ltd. has merged with Vivada Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. We have also been offering the most luxurious and successful inland waterway cruise to Varanasi, lower Ganges and Sunderbans. However, in recent years lots of queries from our visitors have compelled us to go forward with the short river trips in Ganges and Day Cruises.

GAUR:

Gaur is the ideal holiday retreat for those who are connoisseur of historical architecture. Nestled near the west bank of the Ganges, this historical city is situated around 40 km. downstream from Rajmahal, in the district of Malda of West Bengal. The location is dotted with a number of archaeological sites and historical places, admired with splendid architectures. Though most of the architectural splendours have been reduced to remnants, but still the city of Gaur holds some aura, which attracts tourists from far and near.