Durgapuja at durgapur

Get in

From Calcutta starting in the wee hours of the morning (6:00 a.m. is really early for most Bengalis), you have trains coming to Durgapur at regular intervals. Frequency slows down a bit in the afternoon though. At 6:05 a.m. you have the Shatabdi Express that takes you non-stop to Durgapur in about 1 hr 45 min. At 6:10 you have Black Diamond Express: takes 3 hours (because it travels on the main line). After that, you have a bunch of long distance trains that stop at Durgapur: you may have to pay a higher price for the tickets. In the afternoon, you have Mayurakshi Fast passenger leaving at 4:30 p.m. (not recommended unless you are a cheap bloke. The daily passengers there will make your life hell). Right on its heels are Coalfield Express, Asansol Express, Kalka Mail, Chambal or Shipra Express and Bombay Mail.

Bhabani Pathak’s Tilla - made famous in the novel Durgesnandini by Bankim

Chattopadhyay. An unbelievable network of tunnels starting near the City

Center region right up to the Damodar river. Legend has it that unless you

know the map of the tunnel system, it would nearly be impossible to

navigate. In our childhood we ventured inside. Nowadays, it is a protected

monument (the entrance of the cave). But you would be able to visit the place.

Rahreswar Shibtola - this temple, quite unbelievably, is more than 800

years old (according to the Archaeological Survey of India). It is built

in the style of Rathas of Southern India, which also is pretty amazing.

Lovely serene environment - take a few steps out and you will see

the remains of a British airforce airport.

Garh Jungle – it is also called Dharma Garh of Raja Surath. If you are adventurous enough,then there is the Garh Jungle on the eastern end of the city. The place is supposed to be one of oldest place of ancient India.As per the verses of Puranas and Bhagbats this is the place of Satya Yuga where Raja Surath performed Durga Puja at the instruction of Mahamuni Medhas.Raja Surath after being defeated by Kols and Bhils came under the blessings of Medhas Mahamuni whose ashram was located there and thereafter performed Durga Puja. In current days Jogiraj Brahmananda Giri of the Dasnami cult rediscovered the place and started Durga Puja at the same temple founded by Raja Surath. Thousands of devotees across the world visit the place at the time of Durga Puja.Jogiraj Brahmananda Giri a yogi of modern India spent nore than 12 years in the deep forest to re-establish the place. It is believed that the name Durgapur is borrowed from this legend.

Troika Park – it is a fun place for kids near City Centre. It has got a toy-train, a few rides and a bunch of other attractions. Adjacent to it is a deer park. You can actually walk in and touch a few of the deer. You can also find a leisure boating lake close by.

Kumaramangalam Park - A shade of its former beautiful self. The lovely lake (where I have spent a lot of time boating), is simply filthy. Would love to see it back to what it used to be. so don't go there as yet. Heard the are coming up with some sort of a plan for its maintenance. Anyway, by all means, its a place to stretch out, relax and refresh yourself.

Durgapur Barrage - definitely one of the best places to see, if you are interested

in one of two things: nature and man's effort to control its fury. And if you really

are game, you should be there at the height of monsoons. Try peering over the

railings to watch water being let out of the lock-gates. It is a phenomenal sight.

A few yards away from the main barrage is the canal feeding the Hooghly.

There is a short foot bridge over it. Try crossing with a lock gate open. It is

dizzying. And finally, get down by one of the sides (Bankura or Durgapur

- prefer Durgapur), the beaches. It is really pretty. Finally, there are a few

fishermen who fish in those waters. Pay a few bucks and ask them to give

you a ride.

Durgapur Steel Plant - the steel plant is one awesome thing to see. It is hard

to imagine the scale of things that happen and lets you wonder how the heck

does all of this work together. Hats off to the staff of the place. You need a

permit to visit: easily obtained from the Administrative building at the main

entrance of the plant.

National Institute Of Technology, Durgapur is one of the premier technical institutes in India and it is a jewel in the Durgapur crown.The National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, India (formerly Regional Engineering College, Durgapur), was established under an Act of Parliament in 1960 as one of the eight such colleges aimed to function as a pace setter for engineering education in the country and to foster national integration.If you visit Durgapur do not miss NIT where you can interact with some of the best technical minds in the country.