In 1923, there was an English tourist who came to visit West Bengal. His name was John Frank. Soon he visited a town that charmed him so much that post-independence, he specially requested the then-Chief Minister Mr. Bidhan Chandra Roy to develop the town as a beach resort. That’s how Digha came into existence.
Digha is a popular resort town in the coastal region of West Bengal. Resort towns are those Urban cities that are meant for tourism. These places invite you to spend your holidays there, away from the rustic life in metropolitan cities.
Beaches, on the other hand, add to the beauty of the town or perhaps makes it to the central position.
Let’s know about Digha more!
Table of Contents
- History of Digha
- Major places to visit
- Digha Beach
- Bhobar Horbola Temple
- Kajal Digha Wonderland
- Science Center
- Amarabati Park
- Marine station/ aquarium of Zoological Survey of India.
- How to reach here?
- By Roads
- By Railways
- By Airport
- Conclusion
History of Digha
Digha was formally known as Beerkul. Before John Frank, the place was visited by Warren hastings when it was discovered in the late 18th century. He was so mesmerized by its beauty that he would come to Herr often and had even mentioned this town in one of the letters he wrote to his wife.
The Resort town comprises Old Digha and New Digha town. While Old Digha has the Bhobar horbola temple, New Digha town has some major attractions of the town including Beaches, a Science centre, and Amarabati park.
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Major Places to Visit in Digha
As a Tourist town, Digha has several tourist spots that can be visited by people from every age group.
Some of the major attractions of Digha are listed below:
1. Digha Beach
Digha Beach is the most popular tourist spot in Digha. This is one of the widest beaches in India. People can visit the beach in the Morning and evening to witness the sunrise and sunset. The Sun rays and the Golden sand add a golden hue to the beach which gives Digha Beach The title of “Golden beach”.
2. Bhobar Horbola Temple
The Bhobar Horbola temple, established in 1979, is situated in the Old Digha region. The temple is dedicated to Maa Horbola, another form of Maa kali, the most revered Goddess in West Bengal. The temple was founded by a Spiritual Saint, Bhabapagla. Apart from being a Spiritual Saint, he was also a Bengali composer and devotional song lyricist.
The temple gets closed twice a day, one from 8 PM to 5 AM and 1 PM to 4 PM. The temple serves vegetarian prasad.
3. Kajal Digha Wonderland
The Kajal Digha wonderland is a fun place for every age group of people, especially for children. This amusement park offers mini-train journeys and Boating for visitors. Rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds are your friendly neighborhood hosts. Wonderland is situated in Palsandapur, Digha. The timings are from 8 AM to 8 PM and cost around ₹ 5/- per person.
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4. Science Center
Situated in the New Digha town, the Science centre is a fun-friendly place for all curious minds. The Science center was developed by the National council of science museums. Not just Curious Science loving folks, but Normal people will also find science easy with the interactive mechanisms taught by the center. Along with exhibitions, the centre has planetariums, Jurassic Park, and science camps for students. The Centre is open from 9 AM to 7 PM.
5. Amarabati Park
The Amarabati park is located on Babita Road, New Digha. It is a 5-minute walk from the new Digha Beach. This park is an ideal place if you want to relax from traveling. Other than that, there is a lake in the park which also offers Boating facilities, so you can also engage in Boating activities. The timings are from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. The cost of entering the Park is ₹5 per head. However, the Boating charges are high and cost around ₹60 per head.
6. Marine Station/Aquarium of Zoological Survey of India.
Abbreviated as MARC, the Marine station is one of the major tourist spots of Digha. This is the largest inbuilt aquarium in India. The aquarium is home to three kinds of marine creatures. They are species of Conservation importance, Local and curious species, and freshwater species. The species include lobsters, sharks, butterflyfishes, sea snakes, corals, and some unheard species of the marine world.
The highlight of the place is a whale skeleton. However, photography is prohibited in the center. There is no charge for entering the center and is situated in the middle of Digha town and the Digha railway station. The timings are from 10 AM to 6 PM except on Tuesdays when it is closed.
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How to Reach Digha?
Digha town can be easily accessed by Road and Railway as there is no airport nearby Digha. Kolkata is 183 km away from Digha.
By Roads:
Either visitors can hire private vehicles or can travel via buses that go to Digha.
By Railways:
The nearest railway station in Digha is the Digha Railway station. The Duronto express reaches Digha from Howrah in 2 and a half hours.
By Airport:
There is no airport in Digha. The nearest airport to Digha is the Kolkata Airport which is in Kolkata City. The travelers will have to reach Kolkata and then come to Digha via road or train facility.
The best time to visit Digha is in the winter season as the weather is cool and breezy. The preferable months are October and February as the temperature is moderately cold during this time.
Conclusion
Digha is a place that is meant for relaxation ever since it was discovered in the Pre-Independence Era. The town should be on your next tour list if you wish to relax in the middle of the Golden landscape that is both serene and exotic. The Science and Marine center will blow your mind with the abundance of new facts about Science and life.
