Gadiara - Where Mornington Fort was build to guard Calcutta

In the 18th century, the British build a fort at this place to guard the entrance of British Colony, Calcutta against river pirates. However the Mornington Fort got ruined in the devastating flood of 1942. It is situated at the confluence of the Hooghly and Rupnarayan Rivers. You can still see some ruins of the old fort built during the rule of Lord Clive mostly submerged in the river. A good place for a day’s outing.

Gadiara River Banks

This small town in Howrah District of West Bengal, India.

Gadiara. 

It is hardly 80–90 km from Calcutta and there are frequent bus services both private and state-owned (CSTC), from Esplanade, Kolkata.

Savor the spectacular sunrise and sunset over the vast expanse of water. Take a walk along the riverside and spend some quality time taking a boat ride on the river. Idling along the river bank and taking lazy village walks are the best things to do here. You can even take a ferry ride and visit another beautiful tourist attraction known as “Geonkhali" located across the river. Geonkhali Water Treatment Plant is worth mentioning at Geonkhali.

There is a small lighthouse installed in Gadiara.

Lighthouse in Gadiara

How To Reach

You can drive to Bagnan and then take left. Cross the rail over bridge and head towards Shyampur to reach the destination. Gadiara is 8 kms from Shyampur and 33 kms from Bagnan. If you are driving along the Durgapur Expressway from Kolkata, then it will take around 1 hr to reach Bagnan from Kolkata. 

Kolkata - Gadiara Road Map

Salap More NH6

Mumbai Road

If you want to avail train services, then board a local train from Howrah heading to Kolaghat, Mecheda, Panskura or Kharagpur that will drop you at Bagnan Station. You can catch a bus from Bagnan to Shyampur. You would get auto rickshaws from Shyampur to Gadiara.

Click here to get the train time table from Howrah to Bagnan.

Bagnan Railway Station

Bagnan Bus Stand

Bagnan Rail Over Bridge

There are also direct buses leaving Kolkata from Dalhousie (Esplanade) – opposite to KC Das Sweet shop for Gadiara.

Esplanade, Kolkata

There is another way of reaching Gadiara through ferry services from Nurpur. There are direct buses from Esplanade to Nurpur too.

Noorpur - Gadiara Ferry Route

Gadiara River Banks

Gadiara Ferry Ghat

Accommodation at Gadiara

Gariara offers various guest houses and hotels where tourists can enjoy their stay with all the latest amenities available. Majority of hotels stand in front of the river and a few are positioned close to the bus stop. There are also some other hotels that are located in isolation in the midst of nature next to the river. As per the budget and preference of rooms one can choose from simple rooms to deluxe air-conditioned rooms. Gadiara has 2 nice hotels- New Chalantika tourist lodge and the Rupnarayan Tourist lodge. 

It has 2 good hotels, the government owned Rupnarayan Tourist Lodge and the New Chalantika Tourist Lodge:

New Chalantika Tourist Lodge:

This hotel offers lip-smacking meals and AC rooms. The rooms offer magnificent views. One can savor in good Indian delicacies at quite affordable prices. One can also enjoy the local fast food by visiting the stalls located close to the bus stop. 

Facilities:

• Friendly staff

• Vast complex   

• Located at the river side bus stop

• A big garden which is well-maintained

• A private pond which is available for fishing

Contact Details:

Address: Gadiara, Howrah, Pin code: 711314

Phone number: (03214) 26 3108 and 09732583213(mobile)

Rupnarayan Tourist Lodge:

Here basic accommodation can be available at reasonable rates. This lodge is owned by the West Bengal Government and hence it offers top-quality services to the tourists. Some of the facilities offered at this lodge are:

• Situated adjacent to the river

• Multicuisine restaurant

• Bar

• Picnic spaces (Both open and shed)

• Spacious rooms

• Cordial staff

• Popular Bengali cuisines like- Topse Macher Bora, Alu bhaja and Pona Macher jhol are one of the top Bengali dishes that one can savor at this lodge. 

• Situated near the railway station

Contact Details:

Address: P.O. Dakshin Shibpur, Gadiara, Howrah, Pin code: 711314

Phone number: (03214) 26 3125

Click here to book Rupnarayan Tourist Lodge.

Rupnarayan Tourist Lodge - Main Gate

Rupnarayan Tourist Lodge

Rupnarayan Tourist Lodge - Dining Hall

Rupnarayan Tourist Lodge - Garden

Rupnarayan Tourist Lodge - Garden

There are also a few guest houses in Gadiara which have gardens full of fresh vegetables. Tourists are permitted to choose their preferred vegetable from these gardens and get them cooked.

A video from a recent bike trip :

Video Channel Courtesy : One Living Life 

Sweet Stop on National Highway 19

The Sweetest part of India, West Bengal is the land of diversity. The state shares its borders with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, and is the gateway to many a scenic wonder. With one of the richest cultural heritage, the state is a wonderland for travellers waiting to explore the depths of his travel fantasies. From the cultural heritage at Shantiniketan, to the thrill of the Royal Bengal Tiger in the mangroves of Sunderban, the idyllic beaches of Mandarmani & Digha, to the call of the Himalayas in the north, the famous Toy train ride in Darjeeling to chasing wildlife in their natural habitat in Dooars, and everything in between – you name it and the state it ready to mesmerize you with its beauty.
Kolkata, or the erstwhile Calcutta, is the most important city of West Bengal, home to the quintessential Bengali Babumoshai. The state has given birth to countless scholars from different walks of life, and is easily the home of the cultural renaissance in India. Known for the warmth of the hosts, Bengali’s obsession with food, adda and travel are world famous. The language is as sweet as their food and hospitality, and undoubtedly it is a must-visit destination for every world traveller.

HOW TO REACH

By Road: From Kolkata it’s one hour thirty six minutes drive to Bardhaman.
By Train: It is extremely well connected by rail and road as it’s the junction area of West Bengal.
By Air: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is the nearest airport to reach Bardhaman.

Saktigarh railway station is the railway junction of the Howrah-Bardhaman chord and main lines. It is 83 kilometres (52 mi) from Howrah Station via chord and 96 kilometres (60 mi) via main line. It is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Bardhaman. It is part of Kolkata Suburban Railway system.
It is located on Grand Trunk Road and the newly constructed NH 19 (old numbering NH 2) bypasses the town. There is a regular bus-service between Barsul, Memari, Jamalpur to Bardhaman via Saktigarh. The service is in high demand and many people prefer this route to railways while coming here from Bardhaman.

This is all because the most famous region of Lyangcha is Shaktigarh, the birthplace of the sweet itself. There are many shops selling those sweets along NH 19.

Worldwide famous for its sweet, Shaktigarh has created its own name and history in the art of dessert making and Indian sweets. Lyangchas are of different taste there, black in color, fried more deeply and much sweeter than the ones found in any other parts of Bengal. These are also banana-shaped instead of cylindrical.

The langcha is said to have originated in Saktigarh, in the hands of a novice called Khudiram Dutta, who went on to establish Langcha Mahal. The sweet made Saktigarh famous, particularly after a crippled (langra or langcha in Bengali) British officer fell in love with it, or so goes the local lore. Today, the langcha has given the town quite a leg-up.

That’s because, even though every shop grandly announces “Saktigarh’s traditional and authentic langcha”, the place where all cars, tin buses, swanky Volvos and trucks and lorries stop for a breather and a bite is not Saktigarh. It is Amra, a five-minute drive from Saktigarh.

Recipe Taken form Metro:

A Short Video :

Tarakeshwar - Where India comes for Shrabani Mela

A holy destination for lovers of religion, Tarakeshwar or Tarakeswar is a small village in Hooghly district of the state West Bengal. The picturesque place is an important center of religious significance for Hindus. The renowned Tarakeshwar temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva is located here and draws millions of pilgrims every year to this place.

The city is a perfect tourist destination to visit. Tarakeshwar Travel Guide is full of references to the religious destinations and serene spots. Tarakeshwar Temple, Buddha Temple and Dudhpukur Tank are the popular tourist attractions of the city. The story goes that two brothers descended to Tarakeshwar from Ayodhya and unearthed a Shiv Lingam in the forest. Sensing some foul play, the local villagers forced one of the two brothers to hold hot iron in his hand. The brother comfortably passed the test seeing which the other brother unearthed the Siva Lingam in the forest. It was later revealed that the brother had a dream in which Lord Shiva instructed him to build the temple there.

Accommodation in Tarakeshwar

Tarakeshwar has some budget accommodation options that offer homely comfort and nice food. Tarakeshwar Tourist Lodge (Guest House Road), Shibam Guest House (Doodhpkur Par), Ashoke Nibas (Tarakeshwar) and Trambar Guest House (Tarakeshwar) are the popular budget accommodation options of the city.

Events / Festivals in Tarakeshwar

West Bengal is considered to be one of the richest states in India in terms of culture, tradition, fairs and festivals. The festivals in Tarakeshwar are celebrated with great delight and religious sentiments.

Charak Puja: An exclusive festival of West Bengal, Charak Puja is a festival celebrated for saying good-bye to the passing year. It is considered that the celebration leads to affluence in the coming year. Charak Puja is celebrated on the midnight of Chaitra Sankranti.

Durga Puja: Durga Puja, dedicated to the Goddess Durga is one of the most awaited events in Tarakeshwar city. It occurs twice every year and is celebrated with much pomp and show. This eve symbolizes the triumph of Goddess Durga over the devil Mahishasura. It is a wonderful experience to be a part of these festivities in Tarakeshwar.

Holi: The “festival of colours” is indeed celebrated in a very colourful manner in Tarakeshwar and is one of the biggest festivals for the natives. The atmosphere is really charged up during the celebrations.

Watch the video to know more :