Baharampur
Baharampur (also spelled as Berhampore) is in Birbhum-Murshidabad, India. Bankim Chandra wrote his epic, Anandamath, sitting beside the bank of river Bhagirathi here in Baharampur. The British East India Company starts its journey from the place now known as Murshidabad. Nowadays few tourists comes to Baharampur, mostly Indians and former Europeans attracted by the towns history.
Get in
Berhampore Court Station or Berhampore bus stand.
By train
Start from Sealdah railway station, Kolkata. Take Bhagirathi Express(18.22) or Hazarduari Express(06.50) starting from Kolkata(Chitpur) station or any passenger train going towards Lalgola. It is 186 km away from Kolkata and takes 3.5 to 4.5 h depending upon the train that you catch. you can also avail DhanaDhyanye Express(20.30) from Kolkata station
By bus
Get into any private or government bus from Dharmatala/ Esplanade(Kolkata) going to or via Berhampore.Volvo bus service is also available for Kolkata-Baharampur route.
Get around
See
This is probably the best urban town of West Bengal.
- Krishnath College. Started 3 years before the inauguration of Calcutta University. Built by Krishna Nath Nandi.
- Barrack Square Army barracks of the British regime. Basically a nearly square shaped field, which has four cannons in the four corners of it and surrounded by army quarters.
- Karna subarna the Capital of Bengal in the Sashanka Regime. Though there is little to view, but still, it is a historical place.
- Murshidabad (about 24km from Baharampur): Hazar Duari, Nashipur Palace, etc.
- Tarapith a Hindu bengali(shaakto) pilgrimage. It is a temple town in Birbhum and the temple was built by Sadhak Bamakhyapa. It is a major Hindu pilgrimage centre, and several thousand devotees visit the temple every day.
Do
Hang around in the riverbank in the afternoon and go for drive on river side road.
Just go to the Laldighi Park once in the evening, if possible, with your love interest. Great spot to (re)discover love.
Visit the oldest Ramkrishna Mission's( Sargachhi) satellite center in Berhampore.
See theater at Rabindra Sadan and documentary film at Rittik Sadan. Berhampore hosts International Theater Festival in between October and December in every year.
And don't forget to have chhana bora, the trademark sweet of Berhampore.
Buy
- Kitchen utensils and home decorating show pieces made of Kansa(a copper alloy). Khagrai Kansa is said to be the best in India.
- Snake Charmer's flute.
- Once Berhampore was famous for its ivory product.
- Murshidabad Silk.
Also, lots of cottage industry can be observed, which make lot of hand crafts items.
Eat
- Chhanabora--a delicious sweet made of one kind of milk product(Chhana-> uncompressed Panir).
The best sweet in any sweet this urban town has given when you bite it will have a flow of sweet syrup inside it.
- Mango Specialty of mango of Murshidabad is the variety. Specially planted by the Nababs (Muslim emperor of Murshidabad) from different areas in India and outside.
Wide range of mangoes from Kohinoor, Rani, Khosba they are awesome and unique in test. A sweet called KHAZA made from sesame, also very popular.
Drink
There are a number of liquor bars on the outskirts of the town.
Sleep
The town Berhampore has a wide choice of restaurants and hotels from a budget to luxury.
Samrat Hotel, at NH34. Known as the best hotel in town with a good restaurant. It can be classified as four-star hotel.
Also, there is Berhampore Lodge in the heart of the city and can take the view of laldighi. Berhampore Lodge Pvt. Ltd., http://hotelblpl.com/ Samrat Hotel Hotel Mauyr Hotel Whitehouse Hotel Bhaghirathi
contact nos Berhampur tourist lodge (03482)250439 / 259711 Berhampur Lodge (03482)252952 Berhampur Lodge Pvt Ltd. (03482)250500 Royal Hotel (03482)254818/251721
Connect
Go next
Making Berhampore as base, people can enjoy various tourist spots in the district. The famous Hazar Duari, situated in Lalbagh, is hardly 30 km from the town. On the way you can find Katra Masjid, Imambara, Motijhil and Palace of Cossimbazar, to name a few. Other than these one can also visit Karna Suvarna, the capital of Bengal under King Shashanka.