Taki is a small town under the Hasnabad police station of Basirhat subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. It is located on the banks of the Ichamati River.
Taki is one of the most popular places to visit near Kolkata, especially during the weekend. If you are looking for an offbeat Destination near Kolkata, this is one of the best places you can visit.
In this article, I will tell you about my short Weekend Trip to Taki. You will get the following details about Taki:
Taki Location
The town of Taki is located on the India - Bangladesh Border, on the banks of the Ichamati River. It falls under the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
How far is Taki from Kolkata?
Taki is located at a distance of 75 kms from Kolkata. You can reach Taki via Car, Bus or Train.
How to Reach Taki?
By Road:
If you starting your trip from South Kolkata, or Central Kolkata, you can take the Kolkata - Malancha Road from Science City, and then take the Malancha - Basirhat Highway.
Another route to reach Taki is via Barasat Chapadali. You have to take the turn towards Taki Road from Barasat and will reach Taki by crossing Berachampa and Basirhat on the way. We took this route as we started our trip from Dumdum, Kolkata.
By Train:
The best route to reach Taki by Train is by getting on the Hasnabad Local from Sealdah Railway station and get down on the Taki Road Railway station. From there, you can rent a Toto to reach your Hotel.
By Bus:
There are a lot of buses that will take you from Kolkata to Taki. You can get on any bus going towards Hasnabad from Esplanade or Shyambazar via Barasat. It may take about 2-3 hours by Bus. According to me, if you want to take public transport, the train route is much better.
Our Trip to Taki started on a Saturday morning at around 10 AM from Kolkata and we reached there at around 1:30 PM. It took us around 3 hours by Car considering traffic and a small break.
Places to Visit in Taki
There are a lot of beautiful places that you can visit during your stay at Taki. I have mentioned some of them below.
The Ichamati River (Ichamoti Nodi) is the main attraction of Taki. A boat ride in the Ichamati river is an experience you cannot miss. The India - Bangladesh Border runs through the middle of this river here in Taki.
Therefore on all the boats floating on the Ichamati River, you will see Indian Flags hoisted. On the opposite side of the river, you will also get to see boats with Bangladeshi Flags hoisted on them.
The boat ride here will cost you about Rs. 40 per person, if you take a boat on sharing basis with 20 other people.
You can also hire a boat of your own if you are going in a small group or just in case you want to go solo or as a couple. That's up to you.
Once you get on a boat, they will take you to the middle of the river, still being on the Indian side of the border. You will also get to see Bangladeshi boats approaching and tourists waving at you.
From your Hotel at Taki, hire a Van Rickshaw or Toto and visit the Golpata Forest. The Golpata forest (Golpatar Jungle) is famous for its canopy jungle path walk. The forest is also popularly known as Mini Sundarban.
The trail in the forest will take you to the banks of the river from where you can see the lands of Bangladesh up close.
It is highly recommended to bring a photo ID proof of you and everyone in your group, as the BSF may ask you to present it before entering this place.
Kuleshwari Kali Bari is one of the most famous religious places in Taki. It is said that Devi Kali in this temple is very active and fulfills the wish of her disciples.
You will get positive vibes while visiting this place.
The Roy Chowdhury Zamindar Bari is former Army General Shankar Roychowdhury 's ancestral home. There are a number of temples and a Nat Mancha located beside the house. The place is now in ruins.
The Roy Chowdurys were the first Zamindars of this area. This place also has a historical significance and is thus one of the best places to visit in Taki.
Joramandir located in Taki, being 300 years old, is a temple of historical importance. There is a small pond in front of the temple. Book a toto from your hotel to visit the temple.
Machranga Island was another amazing place to visit in Taki. But in the recent Cyclone "Amphan", the island was destroyed and it went underwater.
What is Taki Famous for?
Apart from the places to visit, Taki is also famous for a lot of other things as well. There are a lot of spots where the shooting of popular and vintage films like "Bishorjon" has taken place. You can also visit these spots if you want.
Best Time to Visit Taki
Winter is considered the best time to visit Taki. The weather is perfect for a picnic among the banks of the river. The original jaggery or Patali Gur is also available here during this time and is quite good.
However, Taki is a place that can be visited almost any time of the year.
Durga Puja is also considered as a good time to visit Taki as you can see the splendid view of the immersions of the idols of Ma Durga of two different countries in the Ichamati river.
Where to Stay in Taki?
There are a lot of guesthouses and hotels for you to spend the night in Taki. The hotels are also located along the banks of the Ichamati River.
You can sit in your hotel balcony in the evening and enjoy the cool breeze.
Website like MakeMyTrip and Yatra offers hotel booking in Taki online.
There are also a number of Guesthouses, including the Nripendra Atithisala which is the Taki Municipal Guesthouse.
What to eat at Taki
The local freshwater fishes are one of the most popular things to try out here in Taki. There is a local fish market that you can visit and buy the freshly caught fishes of the Ichamati River.
The sweet "Malpoa" is also quite famous in the area. Apart from this, there are also a number of staple Bengali dishes that you can try out.
Taki 2-Days Tour Itinerary
DAY 1: We started our journey on Saturday morning and reached Taki at around 1:30 PM. After that, we had our lunch at a local restaurant and checked in at our Hotel. After taking some rest, we went to the banks of the Ichamati River.
The evening is the perfect time for a boat ride on the Ichamati River. We hopped on the boat and went to the middle of the river. It's an exciting feeling to see another country that close and to stand that close to the India - Bangladesh border, that too on a boat.
After the boat ride, you can sit on the banks of the river and see the Sun going down the horizon.
DAY 2: On the second day, we went to the local fish market in the morning after breakfast. There were a huge variety of fishes that I have never seen before. The lobsters were huge. After that, we rented a Toto and started our sightseeing of Taki.
At first, we went to the Golpata forest. After walking under the canopy of the Golpata and Sundari trees, we took the same Toto and visited the Kuleshwari Kali Bari, Roy Chowdhury Zamindar Bari, and Joramandir.
They will also take you to some spots where various films were shot, as part of the sightseeing.
Conclusion
Our tour of Taki was an amazing short trip we have after a long time. It's an amazing weekend destination near Kolkata.
You must add this place to your list of places to visit in West Bengal, if you haven't already.
Posted via Taki, Hasnabad – Places to visit, Picnic Spot – Weekend Destination near Kolkata