Digha

History

Digha historically known as Beerkul.

An English businessman John Frank Snaith started living here in 1923 and his writings provided a good exposure to this place. He convinced West Bengal Chief Minister Bidhan Chandra Roy to develop this place to be a beach resort. An old church can be seen near the main gate of Old Digha. This place is also known as Alankarpur. A new mission has been developed in New Digha which is known as Sindhur Tara which is beside Amrabati Park. It's a Church where it is possible to wish for the welfare of family and loved ones. The best way to visit is to book a local rickshaw. There are so many places where one can travel which give mental refreshments, like Tajpur, Odisha Border, Science City etc.

Geography

M: municipal city/ town, CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre, H: historical/ religious centre, S: port, sea-beach Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly |mark-coord1= | label-pos1=bottom|label1=Contai | numbered1=M| mark-title1= Contai (M)|label-color1=#800000 |label-size1=13| mark-size1=13|shape1=l-circle|shape-color1=#800000|shape-outline1=white|label-offset-x1=2 |mark-coord2= | label-pos2=left|label2=Basantia | numbered2=CT| mark-title2= Basantia (CT)|shape-color2=#C40000 |mark-coord3= | label-pos3=top|label3=Khadalgobra | numbered3=CT| mark-title3= Khadalgobra (CT)|shape-color3=#C40000 |mark-coord4= | label-pos4=left|label4= Digha| numbered4=R| mark-title4= Digha (R)|shape-color4=black| label-size4=13|label-color4=black |mark-coord5= | label-pos5=left|label5= Ramnagar| numbered5=R| mark-title5= Ramnagar, Purba Medinipur (R)|shape-color5=#C40000 |mark-coord6= | label-pos6=left|label6= Marishda| numbered6=R| mark-title6= Marishda (R)|shape-color6=#C40000 |mark-coord7= | label-pos7=left|label7= Bhupatinagar| numbered7=R| mark-title7= Bhupatinagar (R)|shape-color7=#C40000 |mark-coord8= | label-pos8=left|label8= Majna| numbered8=R| mark-title8= Majna (R)|shape-color8=#C40000 |mark-coord9= | label-pos9=left|label9= Khejuri| numbered9=R| mark-title9= Khejuri (R)|shape-color9=#C40000 |mark-coord10= | label-pos10=left|label10= Kamarda| numbered10=R| mark-title10= Kamarda (R)|shape-color10=#C40000 |mark-coord11= | label-pos11=left|label11= Janka| numbered11=R| mark-title11= Janka, Contai (R)|shape-color11=#C40000 |mark-coord12= | label-pos12=right|label12= Bara Bankuya| numbered12=R| mark-title12= Bara Bankuya (R)|shape-color12=#C40000 |mark-coord13= | label-pos13=right|label13= Dholmari| numbered13=R| mark-title13= Dholmari (R)|shape-color13=#C40000 |mark-coord14= | label-pos14=left|label14= Baratala| numbered14=R| mark-title14= Baratala (R)|shape-color14=#C40000 |mark-coord15= | label-pos15=left|label15= Durmut| numbered15=R| mark-title15= Durmut (R)|shape-color15=#C40000 |mark-coord16= | label-pos16=right|label16= Depal| numbered16=R| mark-title16= Depal (R)|shape-color16=#C40000 |mark-coord17= | label-pos17=left|label17= Silaberia| numbered17=R| mark-title17= Silaberia (R)|shape-color17=#C40000 |mark-coord18= | label-pos18=left|label18= Kharipukuria| numbered18=R| mark-title18= Kharipukuria (R)|shape-color18=#C40000 |mark-coord19= | label-pos19=bottom|label19= New Digha| numbered19=S| mark-title19= Digha (S)|shape-color19=#0048BA |mark-coord20= | label-pos20=right|labela20= Shankarpur| numbered20=S| mark-title20= Shankarpur (S)|shape-color20=#0048BA |mark-coord21= | label-pos21=right|label21= Tajpur Port| numbered21=S| mark-title21= Tajpur Port (S)|shape-color21=#0048BA |mark-coord22= | label-pos22=left|label22= Mandarmani| numbered22=S| mark-title22= Mandarmani|shape-color22=#0048BA |mark-coord23= | label-pos23=left|label23= Junput| numbered23=S| mark-title23= Junput|shape-color23=#0048BA |mark-coord24= | label-pos24=bottom|label24= Petuaghat |labela24=Fishing Harbour| numbered24=S| mark-title24= Petuaghat Fishing Harbour|shape-color24=#0048BA |mark-coord25= | label-pos25=right|label25= Dihibahiri| numbered25=H| mark-title25= Dihibahiri (H)| shape-color25=#AA6666 |mark-coord26= | label-pos26=left|label26= Dariapur| numbered26=R| mark-title26= Dariapur, Purba Medinipur (R)|shape-color26=#C40000 |mark-coord27= | label-pos27=right|label27= Jukhia| numbered27=H| mark-title27= Jukhia (H)| shape-color27=#AA6666 |arc-coordA=| arc-textA=West Bengal| arc-text-colorA = dark grey| arc-angleA=30| arc-gapA=3.9| arc-radiusA=0.25| arc-text-sizeA=10 |arc-coordB=| arc-textB=Odisha | arc-text-colorB = dark grey| arc-angleB=48| arc-gapB=6.2| arc-radiusB=0.15| arc-text-sizeB=10 |arc-coordC=| arc-textC= Bay of Bengal | arc-text-colorC = soft blue| arc-angleC=160| arc-gapC=-1.0| arc-radiusC=1.6| arc-text-sizeC=14}}

Location

Digha is located at . It has an average elevation of 6 m.

It is 183 km from Kolkata/Howrah via Mecheda and 234 km via Kharagpur, this proximity has probably helped this small hamlet to emerge as a weekend getaway with number of hotels and tourist lodges. Digha is connected to Kolkata/Howrah by a highway and a rail-link via Tamluk. Now many trains including Howrah-Digha Super AC express, Tamralipta express, Kandari express and EMU locals from Santragacchi via Mecheda and Tamluk run between Digha and Howarh and other stations in eastern India.It is also under Contai Sub division.

Police stations

Digha police station has jurisdiction over part of Ramnagar I (part) CD Block. It covers an area of 3,153 km2 with a population of 35,054. It is in old Digha.

Digha Mohana Coastal police station is in Digha.

Urbanisation

93.55% of the population of Contai subdivision live in the rural areas. Only 6.45% of the population live in the urban areas and it is considerably behind Haldia subdivision in urbanization, where 20.81% of the population live in urban areas.

Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the subdivision. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

Hospital

There is a District Hospital near old Digha. There is Contai Sub divisional Hospital and Sanjiban Hospital 31 km from Digha.

Climate

There are mainly five seasons in Digha, namely summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. Summer starts in April and continues until June with a maximum temperature of 37 °C. Although cold wind from the sea keeps the weather pleasant in this time. Next comes monsoon in July and lasts till the end of September. Digha generally experiences an average rainfall with high humidity in the monsoon season. Autumn sets in October and lasts till mid of December with an average temperature of around 25 degree Celsius. The weather remains very pleasant this time. Winter sets in the second half of December and lasts till mid February with an average temperature of 15/16 degree Celsius. The spring season in Digha starts from mid February to mid April. The hotels remain full of their capacity as tourist inflow is the highest in this peak season.

| Jan record high C = 32.9 | Feb record high C = 36.0 | Mar record high C = 38.0 | Apr record high C = 41.3 | May record high C = 42.0 | Jun record high C = 39.0 | Jul record high C = 37.3 | Aug record high C = 36.6 | Sep record high C = 37.1 | Oct record high C = 38.2 | Nov record high C = 34.5 | Dec record high C = 32.5 | year record high C = 42.0 | Jan record low C = 7.4 | Feb record low C = 8.8 | Mar record low C = 12.6 | Apr record low C = 17.9 | May record low C = 18.3 | Jun record low C = 20.8 | Jul record low C = 20.4 | Aug record low C = 21.4 | Sep record low C = 21.0 | Oct record low C = 15.8 | Nov record low C = 9.8 | Dec record low C = 8.4 | year record low C = 7.4 | access-date = April 8, 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205040301/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/1981-2010%20CLIM%20NORMALS%20%28STATWISE%29.pdf | archive-date = 5 February 2020 | access-date = 10 January 2021}} | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205042509/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/EXTREMES%20OF%20TEMPERATURE%20and%20RAINFALL%20upto%202012.pdf | archive-date = 5 February 2020 | access-date = 10 January 2021}}

Transport

Bus service

There is frequent bus service to Digha from Dharmatala, Baruipur Garia and Joka bus stand of Kolkata, Burdwan, Bolpur, Siliguri, Asansol, Kirnahar, Baharampur, Serampore, Tarakeswar and many other parts of West Bengal. Buses are available from Howrah as well, a connection has been made from Sealdah to Digha where a private bus arrives at 8:30 am throughout the week. It takes the shortest route from Sealdah connecting S.N Banerjee road, Taltala, Wellington, Dharmatala to Howrah station, it departs from Howrah Station within 5 min to Digha. Digha is connected to Kolkata Metropolitan Area with E17 (Barasat), E17/1 (Barasat), E19 (Habra), E19D (Dumdum station), E45 (Joka), E46 (Saltlake Karunamoyee), E54 (Sreerampore), E55 (Madhyamgram), E56 (Baduria), ACT5 (Barasat), ACT8 (Habra), ACT9 (Saltlake Karunamoyee), ST31 (Dharmatala) etc.

Train service

In 2004, train services have started for Digha railway station (Station Code : DGHA). Now there are three new trains from Howrah Station too.

Air

• Digha Heliport

Area

Digha's old beach is not as wide as it used to be due to heavy soil erosion. Big stones and concrete steps are used to hold together the beach. The record number of storm surges have caused many of the unplanned shacks and smaller hotels to succumb to the sea. Since it is one of very few popular beaches in West Bengal, it gets overcrowded, especially during the cooler winter break.

A new beach has been developed "New Digha" which is about 2 km from the old beach. This new beach is bigger than the old one. It is not surrounded by a congested locality like the older beach. The latest attraction of New Digha is the Science Centre established by the National Council of Science Museums. The entire stretch of the Digha seaface from Old Digha to New Digha is filled with casuarina plantations.

Places of interest

Marine Aquarium and Research Centre (MARC)

It was established in the year 1989 during the Seventh Five Year Plan. The major objective of the Centre is to display the marine biodiversity of the region and impart its values to the common people and to carryout the research activities.

Jagannath Dham, Digha

The Jagannath Temple, Digha is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath, located in the coastal town of Digha, Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal. The temple enshrines the deities Jagannath, a form of Vishnu, along with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra. The temple was inaugurated on 30 April 2025 after a prana pratishtha (consecration) ceremony.

The temple is sacred to the Vaishnava tradition of Hindus and has been constructed as a replica of the famous Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha.

Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra, along with Sudarshan, will be worshipped as deities in the temple.

Shiva Temple At Chandaneswar

This place is only 8 km away from Digha the century-old Temple of Shiva at Chandaneswar, near Bengal and Orissa Border. Chandaneswar is part of Odisha. During the Bengali month of Chaitra, an annual fair is organised here. Nearly half million people and pilgrims visit the temple.

Digha Gate

Main article: Digha Gate

Digha Gate is an entrance gate built on the National Highway 116B. The gate is also known as the Gateway of Digha and the Digha Welcome Gate. It is shaped like a fishing boat and painted blue and white. The gate is illuminated at night.

References

References

1. "Digha page in National Informatics Centre site".
2. "DIGHA {{!}} Purba Medinipur {{!}} India".
3. "Digha page in National Informatics Centre site".
4. [https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/midnapore/%E0%A6%AC-%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%97-%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%87-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%A6-%E0%A6%98-1.118078 বীরকূল পরগনার গ্রামই আজকের দীঘা] ''Anandabazar Patrika''. Retrieved 5 September 2021
5. "About the Place, Digha Sankarpur development Authority".
6. "West Bengal Tourishm, Digha".
7. "Digha PS". Purba Medinipur District Police.
8. "Digha Mohana Coastal PS". Purba Medinipur District Police.
9. "District Statistical Handbook 2014 Purba Medinipur". Department of Planning and Statistics, Government of West Bengal.
10. [http://transport.wb.gov.in/transport-services/bus-services/ Transport Department, Government of West Bengal: Bus Services]
11. "::Welcome to Digha Sankarpur Development Authority::".
12. (18 April 2013). "সৈকতশহরের ভোল বদলাতে এ বার তৈরি হচ্ছে ‘গেটওয়ে অফ দিঘা’". এই সময়.