South 24 Parganas (দক্ষিণ চব্বিশ পরগনা Uttar Cabbiś Parganā) is a coastal district of West Bengal.
Cities
[edit]
- 1 Bakkhali (বকখালি Bakkhāli) — a popular beach resort
- 2 Canning (ক্যানিং Kyāniṁ) — known as the "Gateway of the Sundarbans"
- 3 Diamond Harbour (ডায়মন্ড হারবার Ḍāẏmanḍ Hārbār) — with beautiful sunsets and a fort, Diamond Harbour is considered an ideal destination for weekend tourists
- 4 Jaynagar Majilpur (জয়নগর মজিলপুর Jaẏnagar Majilpur) — famous for its confectionery Jaynagarer Moa
- 5 Kakdwip (কাকদ্বীপ Kākdbīp) — the gateway to Bakkhali and Sagar
- 6 Raichak (রায়চক Rāẏcak) —
Other destinations
[edit]- 1 Sagar Island — a deltaic island on the mouth of river Hooghly, a Hindu pilgrimage site with unspoiled beaches
- 2 Sundarbans National Park — a
UNESCO World Heritage Site with Royal Bengal Tigers and deer found in forests and mangrove swamps
Understand
[edit]South 24 Parganas is on the Indian half of the Ganges Delta, with a maze of distributaries in the Sundarbans. Although the Hooghly is the main river, other rivers in the region include the Bidyadhari, Ichhamati and Matla.
Till 1986, South 24 Parganas was a part of 24 Parganas district, whose name was derived from the number of "parganas" (divisions) contained in the zamindari of Calcutta which was ceded to the East India Company by Mir Jafar in 1757.
Get in
[edit]Get around
[edit]See and do
[edit]On Henry Island (near Bakkhali), you can climb a watch tower to get a splendid view of the entire Sundarbans area.
Diamond Harbour Fort is a ruined fort, alleged to date back to Portuguese pirates.
The Besher Mela is an annual event in Jaynagar Majilpur that attracts thousands of devotees.
The Lothian Island Wildlife Sanctuary and Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project, near Kakdwip, is the only crocodile project in West Bengal. The wildlife in this sanctuary includes estuarine crocodiles, olive ridley sea turtles, spotted deer, jungle cats and rhesus macaques.
Eat and drink
[edit]The ground water may not be safe for drinking, as it might be contaminated with arsenic. So you are better off drinking from the municipal or panchayat (village administration) supply of surface water or bottled drinking water of reputed companies, not of ordinary companies, here and there in South 24 Parganas, even if those are cheaper by ₹2 per litre.
Stay safe
[edit]South 24 Parganas has faced several cyclonic storms, most notably Aila (2009) and Amphan (2020). Monsoon rains may reach terrible levels and breed diseases like malaria or dengue. Keep yourself updated with the latest weather news and take precautions against such natural disasters.