Basirhat (বসিরহাট Basirhāṭ) is a city in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. Along the banks of the Ichamati River and close to the Bangladesh border, the city is famous widely for its Durga Puja.
Understand
[edit]
The city serves as an administrative and educational hub in the region.
Climate
[edit]The best time to visit is from October to February, when the weather is mild and the festive season is active. During heavy monsoon, some areas may flood — check weather updates before travel.
Talk
[edit]Like the rest of West Bengal, Bengali is the primary language, although English and Hindi are also understood.
Get in
[edit]By plane
[edit]The nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata (around 70 km away). From there, take a taxi or train to reach Basirhat.
By train
[edit]- 1 Basirhat Eastern . Basirhat is well connected to Kolkata via the suburban rail network. Regular EMU trains run from Sealdah (North section, Basirhat-Hasnabad line) to Basirhat, taking about 1.5–2 hours.
By road
[edit]Frequent buses and shared cars operate from Kolkata (Esplanade) and Barasat towards Basirhat. The drive passes through beautiful rural scenery typical of South Bengal.
Get around
[edit]
The city is compact. You can explore most areas by bike taxis, e-rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, or simply on foot. For nearby villages, electric rickshaws and local rickshaw vans are available.
See and do
[edit]- Ichamati River Front – The heart of Basirhat. Ideal for peaceful evening walks and watching boats drift by. Walk along the parks and ghats of Ichamati Riverbank at sunset.
- Surjakanta Lake View Park – A clean green area for families and evening relaxation.
- Basirhat Dakshina Kali Temple (Sangrampur Kalibari)
- Ghosh Bari
Do
[edit]- Join the celebrations during Durga Puja or Kali Puja.
Events
[edit]- Durga Puja – During September–October, Basirhat bursts into colour with creative pandals and lights. More than 100 Durga Puja celebrations occur in the city, which is fourth-highest after Kolkata, Asansol, Durgapur and Siliguri.
Buy
[edit]- Itinda Road – Many retail stores, shopping mall and local resturants and eateries. Best neighbourhood to experience the urban ambience via shopping.
Eat and drink
[edit]Basirhat offers authentic Bengali sweets like kachagolla rosogolla and chomchom. There are many bengali and Chinese resturants which are famous in the region. Street food includes phuchka, ghugni, momos and egg rolls. Small family-run eateries near the market serve home-style meals.
Sleep
[edit]Go next
[edit]- Barasat — Headquarters of North 24 Parganas, and a busy regional hub at the north-eastern fringes of Kolkata.
- Dhanyakuria — explore the aristocratic cultures of zamindar families.
- Taki — A calm border town on the Ichamati River.