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Sight
Seeing
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Digha
Digha is the most popular beach resort in West Bengal.
Described as the 'Brighton of the East', Digha was discovered
in the late 18th century by the British. The sea at Digha
has a low gradient with a shallow sand beach and gentle
waves. The mile-long beach has a firm base, and aeroplanes
have also landed on it. There are two famous beachs in
Digha - one is the Old Digha and the other is the new
Digha.
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Main
attractions
The
beach at Digha is the town's main attraction. Casuarina
pines, or Jhau trees, have been planted on the sand
dunes to reduce beach erosion. Boulders have also been
placed to keep the waves at bay. The tree-lined dunes
and boulders create a pretty landscape. Arrangements
can be made for boating and for exploring the dense,
interior forests.
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The
Digha market co-ordinates with local sea tides. The
market is open at low tide. Cottage crafts of Digha
and Midnapur are available at the beach and at other
outlets in town.
The
Science Centre is the latest attraction of the beach
resort. Established by the National Council of Science
Museums, the Centre offers a wide variety of mechanisms
to make science an enjoyable learning experience. A
fun glass measures individual height. A
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skeleton
gives company for bicycle racing. An Eskimos' Igloo turns
out to be a planetarium. Also in the enclave is the Centre's
Science Park, which offers entertaining educational opportunities.
A park representing the Jurassic Age has also been built at
the Centre.
Asia's
largest Marine Aquarium is opposite Digha's hospital.
The
Amravati Lake near Digha offers boat rides. A Snake Farm near
the lake, established by expert Dipak Mitra, is an added attraction.
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How
to reach
The distance between Kolkata and Digha is
174 km. A longer route via Kharagpur is 234 km. The
average travel time on direct bus services from Kolkata
to Digha is five hours. Buses leave Kolkata from the
Shahid Minar and Howrah bus terminus in central Kolkata,
from Ultadanga, Dum Dum, Karunamayee and the Dunlop
Bridge in north Kolkata, and Dhakuria, Garia and Gol
Park in south Kolkata. Night buses ply between Kolkata
and Digha via Kolaghat, Kharagpur and
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Belda.
Train services are available at half the cost of bus travel,
with stops at Kanthi, Kharagpur and Mecheda. One can also
take a train from Howrah and reach Kathi and then move by
road to Didha.
Lodging
There
are more than a hundred hotels, lodges, bungalows and holiday
homes at Digha. Advance booking is advised.
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