Taki
Taki is a town in the southeastern part of West Bengal. With the quiet Ichamati River and some nearby nature spots, it's often a day trip or weekend getaway from Kolkata.
Understand
Get in
Taki is roughly 70 km east of Kolkata and can be reached both by road and rail.
By bus
Kolkata bus route #252 runs from Esplanade in Kolkata to nearby Hasnabad, travelling via Barasat and Basirhat past Taki to Hasnabad. Another bus, #79C, follows a similar route but starts/terminates in Shyambazar in North Kolkata rather than Esplanade. The trip takes 2-3 hours.
By train
Taki is part of the Hasnabad section of the Kolkata Suburban Railway, connecting to Sealdah Station in North Kolkata via Barasat. Trip time is about 2 hrs and there are several departures daily. The local stop is 🌍 Taki Road Station and it takes 10-15 minutes to get from the station to the riverfront and guest houses by rickshaw.
Get around
Rickshaws can be hired for getting around. 🌍 Taki Ghat is the main dock with boats for travelling the river.
See
- The Ichamati River is one of the main attractions. Be it sunrise, sunset, the countryside or fisherman working their boats, it provides a spot to relax and take in the views.
- 🌍 Golpatar Jungle (Golpataban) (north of town towards Jalalpur). Walking trails under the canopy of Golpata trees. The trails lead to the river where there are views of Bangladesh. It is recommended to bring photo id as you may be requested to present it before being allowed to enter.
- 🌍 Machranga Island (Machranga Deep, Machranga Dwip) (by boat from Jetty Ghat). A largely uninhabited island near the confluence of the Ichamati and Vasa Rivers. It's an excellent spot to go walking, swimming and view birds. The boat ride there takes about 30 minutes and is part of the experience — watch for the ruins of the zamindar Roychoudhury’s house, which is slowly being swallowed by the river. Boat ride is ₹30-40 per person.
- 🌍 Roychowdhury Zaminder House (beside the Ichamati river, north of town). This is the ancestral house of former Army General Shankar Roychowdhury. There are Natmandir, old temples in the premises.
Do
- Cruise along the river. Boats can be hired from Taki (Jetty) Ghat.
- The annual Durga Puja festivities are notable because of the town's position on the border with Bangladesh. People from both India and Bangladesh meet on the Ichamati to do the ritual immersing of the idols in the water.
Buy
Malpoa is a local sweet.
Eat
With the nearby river, fresh fish is a local favourite.
The guest houses often have a restaurant that serves meals at a reasonable price.
Drink
Sleep
- 🌍 Nripendra Atithisala (Taki Municipal Guest House), Taki Uttar Bari, PO Taki, 24-Parganas(N), Pin:743429, ☎ +91 9331026585, +91 9339375915. Guest house run by the Taki municipality. There is a garden area outside with a play area for children.
- 🌍 Suhasini Guest House, Taki Uttar Bari, ☎ +91 9330826779, +91 8016065309. Private and dorm rooms in a guest house across the street from the river. Rooms have air conditioning and there is parking and a restaurant.
Connect
Go next