Rediscovering Digha – The Brighton of the East

Digha is West Bengal’s most popular sea resort and tourist spot located south west of Calcutta. Often known as the ‘Brighton of the East’ – Digha is best for a small weekend trip. Thanks to Didi, now Digha is well-connected to Kolkata via trains, and the Duranta Express is a life-saver for tourists like us who make last minute plans. Having visited this place almost 25 years back, the rediscovery of Digha was an experience so rejuvenating, that it will remain etched in memory (and Facebook albums) for ever.

Old Digha Beach

One of the advantages of staying at Sea Hawk hotel is that it overlooks the sea. The newly constructed embankments along the beach are right outside the hotel, and ideal for enjoying morning tea or evening stroll. The scenic beauty of this place is charming and luring. The beach is girdled with casuarinas plantations along the coast enhancing the beauty of this place.

The embankments

One can view both sunrise and sunset at Digha sea beach. The sunsets and sunrises reflecting off the salty waters of the Bay of Bengal are something straight off an artist’s easel. The sea at Digha is calm and shallow for about a mile from the beach making it quite safe for swimming. However, if you happen to be at Digha during full moon, or in the rainy season, the rough tides and waves would be a treat for you.

Waiting to set sail

Digha is mentioned as the “Brighton of the East” in one of Warren Hasting’s letters (1780 AD) to his wife. In 1923, an English tourist John Frank Smith was charmed by the beauty of Digha and started living here. His writings about Digha slowly gave exposure to this place. After independence, he convinced West Bengal’s chief minister Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy to develop Digha as a beach resort. And under the aegis of Mamata Banerjee, Digha Development Corporation has completely overhauled the look of this beach-destination.

Three wise men

With Digha as your base camp, you can travel to nearby beaches too. On one hand you have Shankarpur-Mandarmani-Tajpur while on the other hand you can visit Udaipur and Talsari beaches (in Odisha). Hotels arrange these trips for you, but you can bargain a deal with local cabbies too. Do not forget to visit the Mohona early one morning in a van rickshaw. If you are lucky enough, you can lay your hands on fishes of different varieties at throwaway prices.

Click here to watch the waves at play.

Here are some more moments from the trip, captured in the frames:

Crabs – The natural artists

Romance with the seas

Friends from the sea

Before we say goodbye