The Sundarbans is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. It spans from the Hooghly River in India’s state of West Bengal to the Baleswar River in Bangladesh.
The legal status of the forests underwent a series of changes, including the distinction of being the first mangrove forest in the world to be brought under scientific management. The name Sundarbans is thought to be derived from sundri or sundari (Heritiera fomes), the name of the large mangrove trees.
The Sundarbans mangrove forest covers an area of about 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi), of which forests in Bangladesh’s Khulna Division extend over 6,017 km2 (2,323 sq mi), and in West Bengal, they extend over 4,260 km2 (1,640 sq mi) across the South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts. West Bengal (46.39%) has the maximum mangrove cover in the country.
The Sundarbans is universally famous for globally endangered species including the Royal Bengal Tiger, Ganges and Irawadi dolphins, estuarine crocodiles, and the critically endangered endemic river terrapin (Batagur Baska). It is the only mangrove habitat in the world for tiger species, which are the only known species of this to climb trees.
One of the wildest, and most dangerous places on the planet. hundreds of people have been killed in a tiger-human conflict. The number of tigers increased to 96 in 2020 compared to 88 tigers in 2019 in India. The Sundarban National Park is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, and a Biosphere Reserve in West Bengal, India.
As a travel destination, Sundarbans is popular not just with Indians but also with travelers from outside India. Known as the gateway to the Sundarbans, The days in between the months of October and March are considered as the best time to visit the Sundarbans National Park as the weather during these days are more pleasant than any other time of the year.
Piyali Island is situated in the Sundarbans at a distance of 72 km from Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. On the Indian side are 102 islands, of which 54 are inhabited with Gosaba as the biggest and the last inhabited island on the Indian side of Sundarbans. The Sundarbans forest provides raw materials for wood-based industries.
In addition to traditional forest produce like timber, fuelwood, pulpwood, etc., the large-scale harvest of non-wood forest products such as thatching materials, honey, beeswax, fish, crustacean, and mollusc resources of the forest takes place regularly. People who venture into the jungle to collect honey and beeswax, firewood, or fish first offer prayers to local deities ‘Dakshin Rai’ and ‘Bonbibi’ to protect them.
The Sundarbans is crisscrossed by hundreds of creeks and tributaries. The vegetated tidal lands of the Sundarbans function as an essential habitat produces nutrients and purifies water. The forest also traps nutrients and sediment, acts as a storm barrier, shore stabilizer and energy storage unit. Last but not the least, the Sunderbans provides an aesthetic attraction for local and foreign tourists.
The water houseboat in Sundarbans is also a recent attraction among the tourists. Sundarbans was declared as Ramsar on 1st Feb 2019. The forest is also rich in birdlife, with 286 species including the endemic brown-winged kingfishers and the globally threatened lesser adjutants and masked finfoots and birds of prey such as the ospreys, white-bellied sea eagles and grey-headed fish eagles.
Tourists can also find the jungle fowl, giant lizards, spotted deer, wild boar, and crocodiles in these forests. The Siberian ducks are another famous attraction here. Besides this, there are over 64 varieties of Mangroves such as Goran, Genwa, Dhundal, Gurjan, Kankra, Sundari and Passur. The Sundarbans National Park is home to olive ridley turtle, hawksbill turtle, green turtle, sea snake, a dog-faced water snake, estuarine crocodile, chameleon, king cobra, Russell’s viper, house gecko, monitor lizard, pythons, common krait, green vine snake, checkered keelback and rat snake.
Sajnakhali Wildlife Sanctuary is a 362-square-kilometer (140 sq mi) area in the northern part of the Sundarbans delta in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, A UNESCO World Heritage Site the Sundarbans is celebrated through numerous Bengali folk songs and dances, often centred around the folk heroes, gods and goddesses specific to the Sunderbans (like Bonbibi and Dakshin Rai) and to the Lower Gangetic Delta (like Manasa and Chand Sadagar).
The Bengali folk epic Manasamangal mentions Netidhopani and has some passages set in the Sundarbans during the heroine Behula’s quest to bring her husband Lakhindar back to life. Sundarbans is well connected with Kolkata by air, rail, and road. Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge is the best place to stay for tourists.
Tourists can also avail of motorboat/houseboat tour for up to 3 days. Tourists must visit the Marichjhanpi island, Ghoramara Island, New Moore Island, Nilkamalor Hiron Point and Katka viewpoints that offer fantastic views of animals in the wilderness. Also, the mud-flats called Chargheri Char allow tourists to enjoy coastal trekking. A mesmerizing visit for tourists always
