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Piyali Island – Your Weekend Jaunt


More often than not, whenever we contemplate about taking a break from routine city life, our mind starts wandering about destinations pretty common to all of us.

 

While discussing a jaunt on a fall winter weekend amongst friends, the onus was upon me to find out a place which is close by, beautiful yet not very commonly known to masses. Instantly, the name of Piyali Island popped up in my mind.  Earlier, somewhere I’ve heard of the place but never happened to be there.

 

However, I’ve started scouring in the internet as well as amongst people who might be aware about it. From the internet, I got desired information to be able to put up to my association. Most of the people I asked though told me about the picnic spot Piyali which is en route to Canning, 24 Parganas (S). But, since I knew that what I was looking for I didn’t pay any heed to it.

 

Four of friends, including me decided to take up the excursion on Sunday, 21st January 2018 by local train.  Two friends converged into Ballygunge Railway Junction, a station in Sealdah South Section. We boarded Namkhana Local (one may opt for Kakdwip or Laxmikantapur Local as other options) for our destination station Dakhin (South) Barasat. Rest of the friends boarded the train from Jadavpur. They have managed to pick breakfast packets on the way to station, so we had our breakfast on local train. It took around 1 ½ hrs. to reach South Barasat. From there we took a shared trekker car which are opulently available but overcrowded and somewhat claustrophobic. We decided to climb up on the roof top and enjoy our journey!!

Panoramic Piyali Island


It took over an hour to travel approx 24 kms. The road conditions are mostly good but in patches they were pretty worse, narrow and choked by crowd. En route we were escorted by meandering Piyali River, tranquil lash green nature perfectly punctuated by paddy fields.  However, locally the place is more renowned as “ Kella” albeit there is no “Kella” (Fort) to be found in the area. So, anyone looking for a fort there will be disappointed and also asking for Piyali Island while in the station for boarding a trekker car may not always get positive answer.

 

We reached Piyali Island at around 1.00 p.m. The main land is connected with a bridge to the island, underneath which there lies a sluice gate. The Island is beautiful, serene, and tranquil to say the least. I’m uploading few snaps for readers to have a minimal feel of the place, let their imagination draw the pictures of the place for themselves. The island is basically a delta between river Matla and river Piyali which drifts into river Matla further down south. Nature lovers without bothering about amenities of city dwelling can enjoy their visit to this ‘GETAWAY TO SUNDERBAN’. Although enriched with natural beauty, our stroll around the area revealed that during monsoon, wrath of these meandering rivers brings about huge loss to life and properties of locales and during that time this place looks completely different. Earlier, a tourist lodge namely ‘Piyali Island Tourist Lodge’ was operative here with its huge premises and picturesque forestations, but currently though it is lying closed, dilapidated and ill-maintained sans flow of visitors and tourists. There is dearth of eateries around the place which is definitely needs to be taken care of along with public toilets. Hope, administration will take necessary care to provide infrastructure in order to promote tourism in this part.


















 

With setting sun and sated with natures beauty we had to return back since the last trekker leaves at 5.00 p.m.  


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