Bakkhali

Bakkhali is a village in the Namkhana police station area. It is part of the Namkhana community development block. The village is in the Kakdwip subdivision of the South 24 Parganas district, in the state of West Bengal, India.

It is important not to confuse this Bakkhali with another place called the Bakkhali river. That river is in Cox's Bazar District, Bangladesh. This helps us know the unique location of the village in India.

History

Sir Andrew Fraser, the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal from 1903 to 1908, first found the place. Part of the town is named Fraserganj to honor his work. Near the beach, there is an old, broken house that people think was where Fraser used to stay.

Geography

The Kakdwip area is a quiet, rural part of the Ganges Delta. This southern part of the delta has many channels and islands such as Henry Island, Sagar Island, Frederick Island, and Fraserganj Island. It is part of the Sundarbans settlements. Many tourists visit this area, especially places like Gangasagar and Fraserganj-Bakkhali. Gobardhanpur is also seen as a place with promise for the future.

Bakkhali is found at 21°33′47″N 88°15′34″E / 21.5631°N 88.2595°E / 21.5631; 88.2595. The village sits at an average height of 4 metres above sea level.

Activities

Bakkhali has a fishing harbour at Frasergunj. This harbour is managed by Benfish, which is part of the state government. There is also government presence near the harbour.

Tourism

Bakkhali is a pretty village famous for its nice sea beaches. One of the main sights is the White Sea beach, known for its white sand and calm water. People can visit the nearby Mangrove Reserve and stay at local resorts.

Accessibility

Ferry crossing across the Hatania Doania creek at Namkhana

Jambudwip and Lothian are two nearby forested islands. You can only get to these islands by using simple motorised country boats because they do not have jetties. These islands are now popular places for tourists to visit.