12 Places to Visit near Kolkata within 300 kms (2024)

At a distance of 20 km from Barrackpore, 48 km from Howrah, 50 km from Kolkata, 150 km from Haldia, 155 km from Kharagpur, 158 km from Midnapore, 177 km from Murshidabad, 469 km from Bhubaneshwar, 478 km from Tatanagar, 526 km from Puri, 531 km from Siliguri, and 589 km from Darjeeling, Hooghly is a historical city & district located in the Indian state of West Bengal. Also known as Hugli or Hooghly-Chuchura, it is one of the popular places of heritage in India and among the must include tourist destinations in West Bengal Tour Packages.

The town of Hooghly got its name from the famous river that flows through it. The name of the place is also spelt as Hugli & Hoogli. It shares its borders with Howrah in South, Bardhaman in North, River Hooghly flows in its East, and Medinipur in West. Between the 13th-15th centuries, the Hooghly town used to be an important sea route for the trade carried between India & other countries. Hooghly port was the place where the 1st cross-trade began between India & Portugal.

Dotted with several small but important towns, the district of Hooghly is among the few places in India that features remnant culture-based influences of several civilizations like Portuguese, Dutch and British. The Portuguese were the first to settle here in 1537 but were defeated by the Mughal armies in 1632. Hooghly was regarded as the first English settlement in Lower Bengal after the British East India Company set up a factory here in 1651. Later, it was abandoned ...

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At a distance of 35 km from Bankura, 50 km from Chhatna, 85 km from Kharagpur, 113 km from Purulia, 119 km from Hooghly, 136 km from Kolkata, 143 km from Barrackpore, 149 km from Jamshedpur, 163 km from Dhanbad, 187 km from Haldia, 216 km from Murshidabad, 565 km from Kurseong, Bishnupur is a small town located in Bankura district of West Bengal. Also called Vishnupur, it is one of the beautiful tourist destinations in India and among the famous heritage places to visit in West Bengal.

Bishnupur is famous among tourists, especially for its rich culture including architecture, music, and handicrafts. The history of Bishnupur dates back to 694 AD when King Raghunath I founded the Malla dynasty. The town is also referred to as Mallabhum, after the Malla dynasty, who once ruled this region for almost a thousand years. Bishnupur was the administrative capital under the reign of the Malla kings. It is believed that the town derives its name from the Hindu God, Vishnu as the Malla rulers were Vaishnavites. The legends of Bipodtarini Devi are associated with Malla Kings of Bishnupur.

Bishnupur is most famous for its beautiful terracotta temples. The Malla kings built grand terracotta shrines to celebrate their love for Lord Krishna sometime between the 17th and the 18th century CE. Each and every temple in this region bespeak of excellent craftsmanship and intricate carvings. The distinctive architecture incorporated various styles from the neighboring regions. Crafted from ...

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At a distance of 96 km from Haldia, 124 km from Midnapore, 164 km from Howrah, 171 km from Kolkata, 193 km from Barrackpore, 209 km from Hooghly, 228 km from Tatanagar, 289 km from Bhubaneshwar, 345 km from Puri, and 364 km from Ranchi, Digha is a seaside resort town located in Purba Medinipur (East Midnapur) district of West Bengal, India. It is one of the beautiful beach destinations in India and among the must include tourist places in West Bengal Tour Packages.

Situated on the shores of Bay of Bengal, Digha is a popular tourist destination known for its untouched beaches, scenic views, religious temples, and museums. Originally known as Beerkul, the town of Digha was discovered in the late 18th century by the British. It is mentioned as the 'Brighton of the East' by Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of British India. However, the town started gaining fame when in 1923, John Frank Smith, an English tourist got so greatly allured by its charm that he started living here and writing about Digha. After the independence of India, he convinced Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, then the Chief Minister of West Bengal to develop this place as a sea beach resort.

For ages, Digha has been a one-stop destination for families looking forward to spending pleasurable holidays or at least a weekend together. Being a seaside resort town, Digha naturally boasts of a number of stunning beaches such as New Digha Beach, Udaipur Beach, Talseri Beach, Chandpur Beach, and Shankarpur ...

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At a distance of 28 km from Bankura and 65 km from Bishnupur, Susunia hill is situated at Susunia village in Bankura district of West Bengal. It is one of the ideal picnic spots for the people residing in the surrounding areas.

Placed at an altitude of 1442 feet, Susunia is a part of the Eastern Ghats. The entire hill is covered with a rich flora of beautiful shrubbery, majestic trees, and rare medicinal plants. The hill is famous for rock climbing and trekking. During winters, trekking and camping activities are arranged on the Susunia Hill. Enveloped in the ranges of the Eastern Ghats and resting amidst the lush greenery, spending a day on this hill is the perfect way to escape the loud and polluted airs of the city.

Susunia hill is one of the well-known fossil and archaeological sites where thousands of years old fossils of animals like hyenas, Asiatic lions and giraffes have been found. Not just fossils, upon excavation, tools that were known to be used in the Stone Age were found here too. The history of Susunia hill dates back to the 4th century. The Stone inscriptions of King Chandravarman are found in the Susunia Hill, referring to the place was ancient Pushkarana, the modern-day Pakhanna. It is also believed that King Chandravarman had built a fort here but ruins could not be traced out.

There also stands an ancient but impeccably carved monolith structure on the Susunia Hill named as the Narasimha Stone. The carvings on the monolith call it the oldest ...

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At a distance of 78 from Bankura and 95 km from Bishnupur, Jhilimili is a magnificent tourist place in Bankura district of West Bengal. Also known as Darjeeling of South Bengal, it is one of the unique spots in West Bengal and among the popular tourist places to experience Bishnupur tourism.

Jhilimili is famous for its dense forests and natural beauty. Jhilimili, in Bengali, means 'sparkle' and is said that the place partially derives its name from the 'sparkle' of the soil. The place is situated on a hillock and amidst thick, dense forests of varying heights. The Kangsabati River flows right through this forest and its banks are a perfect spot to have a picnic. There is a watchtower which offers an amazing view of the surroundings, including that of the descending elephants from the Dalma Hill during winters.

Jhilimili has a serene and peaceful climate, which makes it a perfect gateway for city dwellers in search of some peace from their hectic schedule. Small tribal villages are scattered in and around the forest. Those who wish to get a taste of tribal life can hike to one of the villages and spend some time with the inhabitants.

The annual Tusu Parab, a tribal festival worshiping Goddess Tusu is a major attraction in the region. The tribes in Jhilimili celebrate Tusu Parab during mid- January. The tribes from various places flock here to sell different items and enjoy the music and dance celebrations.

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At a distance of 41 km from Bishnupur and 75 km from Bankura, Jayrambati is a religious and tourist destination located in Bankura district of West Bengal. It is one of the best places in West Bengal and among the important tourist places to visit near Bishnupur.

Jayrambati is the birthplace of Ma Sarada Devi, wife of Ramakrishna Paramhansa. She is worshipped as the Holy Mother by the followers of Sri Ramakrishna. Surrounded by lush green trees and shrubs, it is an offbeat but stunning tourist destination.

Jayrambati Math is the main attraction and a must-visit place, especially for the people who seek spirituality and wish to offer their prayers to Goddess. The other major attraction here is Matri Mandir, dedicated to Ma Sarada Devi. Built-in 1923, the temple houses a marble image of Sarada Devi along with the holy relics of Sarada Devi in the sanctum sanctorum.

The place has few other attractions such as Dharma Thakur Temple dedicated to Sundara Narayana Dharma Thakur and Singhabahini Temple, where Sarada Devi has taken on fasting in order to get healing from an acute disease. One can also visit Puratan Bari, the house of Ma Sarada Devi.

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At a distance of 47 km from Bishnupur and 59.5 km from Bankura, Hadal & Narayanpur are the twin villages located in Bankura district of West Bengal. Situated on the banks of the Bodai River, it is one of the famous places to visit near Bishnupur.

Hadal and Narayanpur are situated side by side and belongs to the same administrative division. It is said that the village was first established by one 'Murokata' Chakraborty, who literally cut down trees to start up the village. The village is famous for the Mandal family terracotta temples that comprise of Barataraf, Mejotaraf, and the Chhototaraf temples.

The first temple that houses the idol of Bramhani Devi is not like the traditional structure. It was a modern flat-roofed structure with the entrance displaying a painting of Lord Shiva dancing with the body of Sati on his shoulder. Made of black 'Kasti Pathar', the idol of the goddess has four hands and surprisingly has a strong resemblance to south Indian idols. There are small female figures at the foot of the main idol. This statue is said to be from the Pal era of Bengal.

At Barataraf, there is a huge Rasmancha that resembles a 17 pinnacled terracotta structure near the entrance. One can find the sculptures depicting Durga and her family, Shiva's Marriage, Gaja Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu in Anantashyana pose here. The residence of the Barataraf of Mandal Family is painted yellow with a cylindrical shaped entrance. The windows at this entrance were like full-sized ...

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At a distance of 20 km from Digha Railway Station, Tajpur Beach is another beautiful beach located near Digha, West Bengal. Situated between Chandpur Beach and Mandarmani Beach, it is one of the less commercialized beaches in Digha and among the best Digha Tourist Places.

Set on the tranquil shore of the Bay of Bengal, Tajpur Beach is one of the most hidden beaches in India. This virgin beach is still untouched by commercialization and tourism. Fringed by dense tamarisk, eucalyptus, and casuarina trees, the crescent shape of the beach here endows photographers an unusual panoramic view of the sea. The highlight of the pristine beach is the hundreds of red crabs that are found on the shores during the morning hours.

With pristine sea beach and tranquil environs make Tajpur a popular weekend getaway for the traveler who wants to laze on a hammock and spend some time in solitude amidst the sun, sea, and sand. The road that takes you to the beach passes through marshy land, large fishing lakes, or 'Bheris' on one side and the sandbanks by the sea on the other side. The coconut-tree clad beach is a favorite habitat of sea-gulls who spread their wings to the wind at the break of dawn.

Tajpur offers various adventure sports options like Surfing, Sun Bathing, Parasailing, Kayaking, Zorbing, Rock Climbing, Beach Football, Beach Volleyball, Beach Cricket, Long Drive, etc. The beach is also an ideal spot to watch sunrise and sunset.

Timings: 6 AM - 7 PM

Entry: ...

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At a distance of 15 km from Tajpur, and 28 km from Digha, Mandarmani is a large and rapidly developing seaside resort village in the East Midnapur district of West Bengal. Situated at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal, it is one of the popular weekend getaways from Kolkata and among the must-visit places during your Digha Tour.

With great scenery, sandy beaches and an amazing aura of luxury, the coastal town of Mandarmani is a great place to relax, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Mandarmoni boasts of a 13 km long motorable beach, perhaps the longest motorable beach road in India. The drive-in beach is the primary attraction as a crazy high-speed ride on the beach at Mandarmani can give you the ultimate thrill. Red crabs crawling around the 13 km long beach is a special attraction of Mandarmani and the sight is incredible as the entire beach looks like it's filled with red crabs.

The beach, one of the cleanest of its kind, has a lot of lodging options available for tourists, with plenty of hotels and resorts lined up along the beach. Due to its top-notch facilities and luxuries, Mandarmani has a tremendous potential of becoming a world-class destination. There is also a string of local shops selling shells, handmade jewelry, and handicrafts. A few locals also offer groups to take a trip towards the Mohana (Estuary) during sunset.

Timing: 6 AM - 10 PM

Entry: Free

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At a distance of 49 km from Hooghly, Taraknath Temple is a famous Hindu shrine situated at Tarkeshwar in the Hooghly district of West Bengal. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in West Bengal and among the must-include places in Hooghly Tour Packages.

Also known as Tarakeshwar Temple, the Taraknath Temple is dedicated to Lord Taraknath, a violent (Ugra) form of Lord Shiva who drank venom (Vish) during Samudra-Manthan. According to the legend, the temple was built after a dream which led the mendicant brother of Raja Vishnu Das to discover a Linga in the jungles near Tarakeswar. Later, a small temple was built around the swayambhu linga (self-manifested) by the villagers. The present structure of the temple was built in 1729 by Raja Bharamalla.

The temple is built in central West Bengal style of temple architecture with features such as 'atchala' and 'natmandir'. The temple has four roofs above the sanctum sanctorum and extended galleries for the congregation of the devotees. This temple also has minor shrines dedicated to Goddess Kali and Lord Lakshmi-Narayan. Dudhpukur, a tank to the north of the Shiva temple is believed to fulfill the prayers of the devotees those taking a dip in it.

Pilgrims visit the temple throughout the year, especially on Mondays. But thousands of pilgrims visit Tarakeswar on the occasions of 'Shivaratri' in Phalgun month and Gajan Mela in Chaitra (mid-April). Also, the month of Sravana (mid-July to mid-August) is auspicious ...

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