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South 24 Parganas (দক্ষিণ চব্বিশ পরগনা Dokhyiṇ Chobbish Porgonā) is a coastal district of West Bengal. It is home to the Southern Suburbs of Greater Kolkata, as well as the coastal mangroves of West Bengal.
Cities
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- 1 Alipore (আলিপুর Ālipur) — district headquarters, home to many bungalows and a zoological garden
- 2 Bakkhali (বকখালি Bokkhāli) — a popular beach resort
- 3 Baruipur (বারুইপুর Bāruipur) —
- 4 Budge Budge (বজবজ Bojboj) —
- 5 Canning (ক্যানিং Kyāning) — known as the "Gateway of the Sundarbans"
- 6 Diamond Harbour (ডায়মন্ড হারবার Ḍāymonḍ Hārbār) — with beautiful sunsets and a fort, Diamond Harbour is considered an ideal destination for weekend tourists
- 7 Falta (ফলতা Pholtā) —
- 8 Jaynagar Majilpur (জয়নগর মজিলপুর Joynogor Mojilpur) — famous for its confectionery Jaynagarer Moa
- 9 Kakdwip (কাকদ্বীপ Kākdwīp) — the gateway to Bakkhali and Sagar
- 10 Kamarpole (কামারপোল Kāmārpōl) —
- 11 Raichak (রায়চক Rāychok) —
- 12 Sonarpur (সোনারপুর Sonārpur) —
Other destinations
[edit | edit source]- 1 Sagar Island (সাগরদ্বীপ Sāgordwīp) — a deltaic island on the mouth of river Hooghly, a Hindu pilgrimage site with unspoiled beaches
- 2 Sundarbans National Park (সুন্দরবন Sundorbon) — a
UNESCO World Heritage Site with Royal Bengal Tigers and deer found in forests and mangrove swamps - 3 West Sundarbans (পশ্চিম সুন্দরবন Poshchim Sundorbon) — various sanctuaries and protected areas west of the national park
Understand
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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.
Visitor information
[edit | edit source]Official websites:
Get in
[edit | edit source]Get around
[edit | edit source]See and do
[edit | edit source]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.
Sagar Island is a lovely destination combining pilgrimage for Hindus and fun, on an island by the Bay of Bengal. It has a completely unspoiled beach on the estuary of the mighty Ganges.
Sundarbans National Park is home to an estimated 400 Royal Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer.
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 | edit source]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 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 | edit source]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.