I travelled miles, for many a year/ I spent a lot in lands afar
I’ve gone to see the mountains/ The oceans, I’ve been to view
But I haven’t seen with these eyes/ Just two steps from my home lie
On a sheaf of paddy grain/ A glistening drop of dew
~ Rabindranath Tagore
New Digha, an extension of older Digha has many hotels and places to stay comfortably. It is located 183 km from Kolkata/ Howrah and 234 km via Kharagpur. It is connected to Kolkata/Howrah by a highway and a rail-link via Tamluk. This proximity makes it so popular for weekend and holiday visitors. There are a number of nearby shallow sand beaches with excellent low gradient and gentle waves that make it a hotspot among tourists.
Bichitrapur Mangrove Forest developed by Odisha Forest Sector Development Program for regeneration, conservation and protection of mangroves is unknown to many visitors. It was during our recent stay in New Digha, the friendly owner insisted that we must have a look at Bichitrapur. In Bengali the word ‘Bichitra’ means variety. We thought that the place must be full of variety. Next morning with a SUV and a driver we were on our way to a memorable adventure.
The river Suvarnarekha played hide and seek throughout our pleasant 18 km journey from Digha. This river which originates in the state of Jharkhand and flows through copper mining town of Ghatshila finds its real character as it flows into the Bay of Bengal at Bichitrapur, Odisha. The drive is on a single lane typical road through villages. Our driver knew the place well and soon we reached our destination.
Being an Eco tourism site, Bichitrapur is not only less promoted but is also less commercialized. There was no crowd and only a few small shops selling some snacks and mineral water.
The person at the lone government facility was very helpful. The 60 minutes breathtaking boat ride into the mangrove and nature watch would be memorable. Two types of boat with 6 and 8 person seating capacity were available at INR 1000 and INR 1200 respectively. We were 5 people and that made our choice very simple. A guide and a boatman soon materialized. We had to walk through a gangway to a motorized boat.
The river Suvarnarekha was in full flow, an eager lover hurrying to meet her beloved sea. On both sides, the mangrove was aflutter with nameless beautiful birds perching on the tall mangrove forest. It was low tide and the water spray came from the boat’s outboard motor, annoying droplets were hitting our camera lenses. Soon we took a break on a beautiful small raised sandy ground and walked towards the desolate, quiet and serene beach.
The beach was strewn with dead mangrove trees but a look at the sand revealed red crabs running to their hiding places. Walking barefoot in the sand was fun. Our guide pointed out to us the many medicinal plants. But these beaches are famous for the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles that build their nests and lay eggs during their breeding season. The turtles congregate and mate in the sea adjoining the Subarnarekha river mouth.
We were happy to know that the plan for two proposed ports at Bichitrapur and Kirtania were dropped as they would have endangered these turtles. It was time to climb back into the boat and move close to the confluence of the river and the Bay of Bengal. As we approached the mouth of the river we could feel the water swelling up into waves.
At a distance some mangroves could be seen standing like sentinels protecting the river, mangrove and the turtles. We bade a silent goodbye to the Mother Nature in all her glory.
Important Facts:
A boat ride into the mangroves is available from 10.30 am till 5.30 pm. The nearest market is Chandaneswar (10 kms) and good restaurant is at Talasari. Try locally caught crabs from Subarnarekha River. Carry food for Kids and Infants. Be careful with your camera accessories as water keep spilling into the boat. There is no shelter or shaded place at the last destination point where you will walk towards beach. Please carry an umbrella for the kids and elderly. Water-proof shoes are preferable if you are going during high tide. You can also leave your shoes in the boat and walking barefoot on the sand is fun.
Non swimmers please note that life vests not provided in the boat.