Kolaghat and Deulti

Sarat Chandra Kuthi, Deulti

Kolaghat and Deulti are twin popular picnic spots in West Bengal at the opposite sides of the Rupnarayan River.

Get in

By train

• 1 Kolaghat railway station. (updated Jan 2023)
• 2 Deulti railway station. (updated Jan 2023)

Get around

Auto-rickshaws are available between the stations and the neighbouring villages.

See

• 1 Madangopal Jiu Temple. A 450-year old Hindu temple, locally known as Gopaler Mondir (the temple of Gopala, another name of Lord Krishna). The temple was commissioned by Mukundaprasad Roychowdhury, a member of Mellak's Roychowdhury zamindar family. Although the temple was in ruins by 2010, it has been found renovated by 2022. (updated Jan 2023)
• 2 Sarat Chandra Kuthi (Sarat Smriti Mandir). The house of Bengali novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay for twelve years. The house was constructed in 1923 by a local worker named Gopal Das. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's famous works such as Devdas, Baikunther Will, Dena Paona (Debts and Dividends), Datta (Bethroed) and Nishkriti (Deliverance) among others were serialised during his stay at Sarat Chandra Kuthi. The two-storied Burmese-style house was also home to Sarat Chandra's second wife, Hironmoyee Debi, and his brother, Swami Vedananda, who was a disciple at Belur. All of their samadhis are in the gardens of the house. Trees such as bamboo and guava planted by the novelist stand in the gardens surrounding the house. (updated Nov 2022)

Do

An annual fair, by the name of Sarat Mela, is held in late January in Panitras in remembrance of the novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Eat and drink

• 1 Express Food Plaza. 24 hours daily. A food court where you can also find street foods. (updated Jan 2023)

Stay safe

Despite there are several boats, avoid boating at the Rupnarayan River, as such has been banned by the state government due to the mishap in 2009. If you want to cross the bridge, take the Kolaghat Bridge instead.

Nearby

• 1 Amta. Home to Melai Chandi Temple, said to be one of the 51 Shakti Pithas at which part of the left knee of the Hindu goddess Shakti fell to Earth. The shrine is mentioned in the Chandimangal poem of Kabikankan Mukundaram Chakrabarti. (updated Nov 2022)