SAGAR - The Extreme South Point Of Bengal

SAGAR ISLAND

The Sagar and Sand Head group of islands are of fairly recent origin and consist mainly of a sandy upper strata. They are spread over 90 sq.km area at the estuarine mouth of the river Hugli.

Sagar island:  Also known as Sagar or Gangasagar, is a large (300km2) inhabited island at the mouth of the Hugli where it meets the sea.
Sagar attracts thousands of Hindu pilgrims at the annual Gangasagr Mela held in January. The large island has a mixed coast of sand and mud flats and the area inland offers good agricultural habitat for birds.

Birds: Sagar Island's location and topography makes it an excellent bird-watching site. Many species have been recorded here and include good birds like Amur Falcon, Terek and Curlew Sandpipers, Dunlin, Sanderling and Great-crested Terns. A flock of over 500 Small Pratincoles was also observed here in October 2007. Really, anything from the checklist can turn up at Sagar and more field visits are required in this area.

Sagar Island

How to reach:

Sagar can be approached from Harwood Point ('Lot 8') or Kakdwip or Namkhana all of which can be reached by road from Kolkata.

Transport Corporation buses ply daily to these destinations and local trains from Sealdah Station can also be used to reach Kakdwip Port or Namkhana.

 Harwood Point is 82kms from Kolkata and Namkhana 95kms. From Kakdwip, Namkhana or Harwood Point one has to take a ferry to to cross the Muriganga to reach Kachuberia jetty on Sagar. Access is also possible from the opposite shore to the west of Sagar.

Famous Places;

• Bharat Sevashram Sangha temple of Gangasagar
• Kapil Muni temple at South Sagar.
• Sea beach at South Sagar.
• Sagar Marine Park at South Sagar.
• Ramkrisna Mission Ashram
• Sushama Devichowdhurani Marine Biological Research Institute. (SDMBRI) at Bamankhali.
• Chimaguri Mudflat- It is the entry point to the Mangrove Forest
• Wind Mills- The island gets its electricity from the wind energy

Bharat Sevashram Sangha temple of Gangasagar

Learn about the humanitarian work of Hindu organizations with visits to the ashrams (missions) of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Private transportation to and from site locations and round-trip ferry ticket included.

Bharat Sevashram Sangha of Sagar Island

Kapil Muni temple at South Sagar.

Kapil Munir Mandir Sagar

According to the legend, King Sagara of the Ikshvaku dynasty ruling at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh had two queens, Keshani and Sumati, but neither had a child. Sagara performed severe austerities before his wives could produce sons. 

Herobhanga Island or Haribhanga Dwip:

Formerly know as Lower Long Sand Island, this is an isolated little, almost entirely treeless, island which sits out in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Sagar Island. This 400- 500 hectare sandy outcrop was once proposed to be declared a marine wildlife sanctuary based on the rich marine biodiversity in and around the island. However, the plan was dropped when illegal occupants of Jambu Island had to be offered an alternative off-shore location to dry fish. 

The mix of sandy beaches, inter-tidal mudflats and splendid isolation makes Herobhanga a winning destination for birders despite the logistical hurdles of reaching it.

Birds: The island is an excellent place to see birds at high-tide roost. Hundreds of waders and gulls and terns from surrounding smaller tidally submerged islands congregate at Herobhanga and many use it for both feeding and roosting. This is also a very likely place to see local vagrants and rare species. Birds noted at Herobhanga include Lesser and Greater Sand, Kentish, Grey and Pacific Golden Plovers; Terek and Curlew Sandpipers, Red-necked Stints, Pallas's, Brown and Steppe Gulls, Great Crested and Little Terns plus many of the commoner species. Concentrations here can be large and 2,800 Little Stints or 500 Curlew Sandpipers are not unusual numbers for Herobhanga as reported in Jan/Feb 2005.

Best season: October to March

Richard's Pipit

Herobhanga Island

The Richard's pipit (Anthus richardi) is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds in open grasslands in northern Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving to open lowlands in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is a rare but regular vagrant to western Europe. This bird was named after the French naturalist Monsieur Richard of Lunéville.

It belongs to the pipit genus Anthus in the family Motacillidae. It was formerly lumped together with the Australasian, African, mountain and paddyfield pipits in a single species: Richard's pipit, Anthus novaeseelandiae. These pipits are now commonly considered to be separate species although the African and paddyfield pipits are sometimes treated as part of Anthus richardi.

Some Advices:

• 1. The Muriganga cannot be crossed at low tide and visits to Sagar should take into account tide timings unless you want to wait for hours to cross.
• Avoid the last half of January when hundreds and thousands of pilgrims swamp the island.
•  Accommodation is basic and most hotels only open around the time when the pilgrims arrive. Check and book in advance.

Thanks to wikkepedia

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