I came back from my office at around 9 pm, tired and exhausted. It was Friday. Everyone was busy with their family, going to clubs with their friends or maybe having a romantic dinner date with their loved ones. I was feeling both bored and irritated and wanted to escape from the rush of a monotonous city life. I had my dinner and sat with my laptop to finish a few office-works that were pending. By the time I finished my work, I felt infinitely frustrated, wanted to take a break from the jargon and start a journey that ended at a lovely endpoint. All of a sudden, the name struck in my mind- “Digha”. Now you may label me as impulsive (And I Don’t Mind), but I had to call the driver up, tell him about my plan after apologizing for calling him up in the middle of the night. Then I packed my bag and thought of taking a quick nap.
The next morning my driver showed up at about 6 am and we started our journey towards Digha at around 6:30. I stay in Kolkata, so travelling via road is the best mode of travel to Digha. The other alternatives are traveling by a train or a bus. Hats off to the Indian-Railways for connecting urban and rural lives, to the extent of even the remotest places of the country! And to people who stay far away, now you may also travel to Digha on a flight.
We reached Digha at around 11 am. The 190 km journey from Kolkata to Digha was a smooth and pleasant ride along the NH16 and then over NH41. All along the journey, the beautification on both sides of the road seemed remarkable.
In 1923, an English tourist- John Frank Snaith was charmed by Digha’s radiance and started living there. Through his articles, he brought the place into limelight. After independence, he convinced Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, the Chief Minister of Bengal, to develop Digha as a beach resort. Big thanks to Mr. Snaith for offering us such a wonderful and nearby destination to visit! The beautiful beach town of Digha is situated towards the south of West Bengal, and by the shores of the mighty Bay of Bengal. One can explore this place without ending up with holes in their pocket. It is also known as “Brighton of the East” and is near to the Bengal-Odisha Border. Digha is divided into two parts- Old Digha and New Digha.
I checked in at Hotel Raj (which is situated in New Digha) and luckily got a sea facing room with balcony situated at just around 100 meters from the sea shore. I thanked my stars (Numerous Times) for getting the room even without an advance booking. The beaches of Digha are flat and wide, and the view of the sea from the balcony was refreshing. I could smell (Literally) the salty breeze of the sea and I was feeling as if the sea waves were welcoming me with open-arms!
After taking a quick shower I went to the ‘In-House Restaurant’ to finish my breakfast, and immediately after filling my stomach with the tasty “Aloo Parantha”, I took an auto-rickshaw and went to ‘Mohana’. ‘Mohana’ is famous for fishing activities and from here the sea looks beautiful during the monsoon.
I went to ‘Udaypur Beach’. It was not at all crowded as not many know about this enchanting and aloof spot. Maybe that’s the reason why it is so serene out there. The tall palm and coconut trees were trying to reach-out to the clear blue sky. I took a long walk by the shore. When I went closer, the waves started playing, kissing and tickling my feet. Finally I felt, I had a friend communicating to me, even in the aloofness of the beach.
Spending some quality time out there and rejuvenating myself, I went to the Talsari beach. It is 9 km away from New-Digha, located in the ‘Odisha Border Area’. Bikes are available there for tourists to rent to go roaming around the beach during the low-tide. There were numerous “Daab (coconut) Stalls” with lush-green coconuts lying in front of their doorway. Coconut water to me is probably the most refreshing, safe and natural option available to a thirsty tourist. I decided to have one and then returned to the hotel. Due to the salty and humid weather, once again I had to take a shower. During the lunch hours phenomenal regional delicacies were waiting for me. I had to simply go to a nearby restaurant and they served mouthwatering Prawns, along with Fish and Crabs. Just in case if you are a sea-food lover, Digha is the perfect place for you to visit and what makes it even better is the fact that Crabs in Digha are one of the best in the state and on top of it the food is super-inexpensive.
Appeasing my heart to the fullest by filling my stomach up with what they served, I retired into my hotel room. At around 4:30 pm I woke up, freshened up, took an auto-rickshaw and went to ‘Old Digha’. It being a weekend, the beach was crowded. Lot of people had come over from Kolkata (Just Like Me) to escape from the claustrophobic city life. ‘Old-Digha’ is a bustling part of the town. Compared to the other places of the town, accommodation is cheaper. However, unlike New Digha you won’t be greeted by a peaceful ambience. This part of the town is both crowded and congested. There are seats made up of boulders and stones all across the beach, for someone willing to sit and gaze at the sea. The tides in Old Digha are high and tempestuous. They said that the waves became more violent after sort of a ‘Tsunami’ that had eaten-up a part of the beach at Old Digha, a few years ago. The reason I decided not to go near the sea. I spent my time noticing people who were riding horses along the beach. Kids were playing with their fathers on the sand near the sea-shore while their mothers were relaxing, sitting on some boulder with a cup of tea, munching on snacks and gossiping with others like them. I hurried up to find a stone-seat while carrying a bottle of cold drink and a platter full of ‘Crispy Prawns’, as the Sun was about to set. Digha is the perfect destination to enjoy shimmering sunsets accompanied by enjoyable sea food. Some spicy fried prawns along with cold drinks or chilled beer make a classic combination out there. However (Ahem), one should definitely drink responsibly!
Watching the waves hit the rocky shoreline in the evening is a blissful getaway from the clutter and chaos of the city, relief from the blazing heat and moderately more than what you may ask for. One would feel like every approaching wave is splashing hopes, dreams and energy into their life. This place is for everyone, be it a child or be it an old gentleman. I spent the whole evening merely staring at those waves. The sea looks ominous in the dark, so I went to the illuminated ‘Old Digha Market’ to shop a few artifacts. This market is notoriously crowded and in order to secure fair-pricing, one has to bargain with the shopkeepers till he/she drops.
Once the shopping part ended, I came back to my hotel, had my dinner and went early into the bed just to ensure that I don’t miss the ‘Sunrise’. I woke up at 4:30 am, quickly brushed my teeth, changed my clothes and went to the sea beach to witness the moment of the rising Sun.
Sunrise in New Digha beach is mesmerizing and spectacular. The reflection of the Sun on the welcoming waters of the Sea is something straight out of an artist’s canvas. There is tranquility and serenity all over the place and the beach looks so enigmatic.
The Sun showed up and decided to follow me. We went to the ‘Shankarpur Beach’.
The beach is known as the ‘Twin Beach’ of Digha. The main attraction of this place is probably the ‘Shankarpur Fishing Harbour Project’. The beach has plantations along the coast, enhancing its beauty. There were numerous red crabs playing on the beach (Or Maybe Working). I tried to take their photos but unfortunately couldn’t. The moment I tried to take a snap, they swiftly slithered into their underground sand castles. There were multiple huts and hammocks under the shades. I adored having coconut water while relaxing on a hammock, came back to my hotel, changed into casual clothes and went to the sea to finally take a bath. The weather was pretty good and the tides were not that high (Met The Criteria), so I played in the ‘Soft Sea’ for some time and then went to have my lunch. Thereafter once again I felt like going to the ‘Old Digha Beach’. I had fallen in love with the scenario of a sky getting painted with the crimson colors of the last Sun-Rays of the day. The repetitive waves kept thrashing on the coast relentlessly, eventually tuning the experience into something of hypnosis. It seemed as if their action signified the famous phrase- “Time and Tide wait for none”. I sat there for an entire evening, yet unable to feel like pulling myself up and returning to the hotel.
At night I was served the local Bengali cuisine in the form of Pomfret, Hilsa and Tiger Prawns (Popularly Known As ‘Golda Chingri’ in Bengal).
Thereafter it was time to return to boring and mandatory routine of life and livelihood. I packed my bag. The car was waiting outside the hotel and eventually started its journey back to Kolkata.
However this time I didn’t feel so bad because the visit had left a pacifying impression, imprinted in my mind. Hope to visit Digha once again because the azure sky, the magnificent sea beach, the exotic seafood and the amazing coastline that stretches into the infinity, made it an unforgettable trip.
A special one!
