Garchumuk and Atanna Gate: Where two flows merge.

Courtesy  :  www.WeekendDestinations.info  

Merely sixty Km from Kolkata lies a spot which can be reveled in the misty monsoon or in the winter sun.  It still is a picnic spot but can be a destination to hangout, any time of the year. Add Garchumuk to your -been there done that- list of destinations. The place lazes out at the confluence of the rivers Damodar and Hugli where visitors converge with their families and loved ones to chill out.

A boat ferrying commuters at dusk

We drove the sixty odd kilometers and the ride was good as most of the route was maintained by National Highway Authority. Crossing the Second Hoogly Bridge (Vidyasagar Setu) we took the Kona Express way. At its end, 10 km away at Salap, we turned left and got to the National Highway 6. We crossed another Toll plaza (the first was at Second Hoogly Bridge) at Dhulogarh and drove straight to Uluberia from where we turned left again towards Shyampur. An hour later we crossed the lock gate bridge over Damodar. To our right lay the beautiful expanse dotted with trees. It’s the bank of Damodar where the picnic parties frolic in winter. The 58 lock gates ( Atanna Gate, in local dialect) that bind the river give a to bluish green tinge upon the near stagnant water.  If you travel by CSTC bus from Esplanade, Kolkata, alight here. You must have a previous booking of the Howrah Zilla Parishad. A pedaled van will take you to the Bungalow.

Courtesy: http://kolkataonwheelsmagazine.com

To head for the bungalow one has to turn left. The road is undulated amid the woods. At its end lie the cottage type dwellings in the middle of a sprawling garden and park. Soon you will find that the campus is located at the vantage point, at the confluence of the rivers. The lunch can be ordered before the start of the journey. Arrangement here is fulfilling but not lavish. Boating in the river is an added treat especially when it drizzles and you don’t have a propensity towards cold. One can simply sit by the river, see ocean liners heading towards the Kolkata Port or departing to the sea. Else, simply count waves to kill time. Before returning one must not miss the deer park at Atanna Gate.

Places to stay:

 At Howrah Zilla Parishad Bungalow ( Tel: 033-26384633 / 34  Ext: 147). One has to download the application form (http://www.howrahzilaparishad.in/) and apply to the secretary, Howrah Zilla Parishad or WBCADC – 03322377041-43. A few local hotels are also available.

How To Reach:

Buy CSTC bus heading for Gadiara, from Esplanade. By train from Howrah to Uluberia and then by hiring a car. Best is to drive straight to the spot.