Explore Kolkata & West Bengal
South of Kolkata down to the coast, the Hooghly fringes one of the world’s largest estuarine deltas, the Sundarbans, a 10,000-square-kilometre expanse of mangrove swamp and forested islets formed by silt swept down from the Himalayas. The region has been designated UNESCO world Heritage site and its abundant wildlife, includes saltwater crocodiles, Gangetic dolphins, otters and the world’s largest population of tigers. Closer to the city, the former colonial port of Diamond Harbour on the east bank of the Hooghly is a popular weekend break and lies enroute to Sagardwip, a sacred island where the Ganges reaches the sea.
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Sajnekhali and the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve
Sajnekhali and the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve
The cluster of mangrove-covered islands known as the Sundarbans, or “beautiful forest”, lie in the Ganges Delta, stretching east from the mouth of the Hooghly to Bangladesh. They are home to the legendary Royal Bengal tiger, which has adapted remarkably well to this watery environment, swimming from island to island and covering distances of as much as 40km in one day. A half-million or so people find themselves sharing this delicate ecosystem with the mighty cats. All, regardless of their official religion, worship Banbibi, the goddess of the forest, and her Muslim consort Dakshin Rai, supreme ruler of the Sundarbans.
