Seri-tourism
in Murshidabad district: Some potential locations
Murshidabad (originally Muksudabad) became
the capital of independent Bengal during the regime of Murshid Quli Khan in 1717. After the
battle of Plassey, the British
shifted the capital to Kolkata in 1773. The district is
predominantly characterized by remarkable heritage precincts and attracts
considerable tourists round the year.
Murshidabad is
famous for its splendor Murshidabad Silk and different sericulture
activities. About 20,000 families in the block of Khargram
and Nabagram are associated with sericulture
activities. Besides, some families of other blocks are also engaged in
sericulture. The production of mulberry cocoons and raw silk in the district is
increasing gradually. Recently, MSME-DI, Govt of
India (2016) had identified that
sericulture based units like nylon net, bamboo rearing tray, matka spinning unit, bio-fertilizer, silk reeling, pupa oil
extraction, etc. may have enormous potential in the district. Pisciculture, poultry and dairy farming are also
some of the major areas which can be immensely benefited from seri-waste.
Seri-tourism is a new concept, basically where sericulture
and tourism intersect. In this confluence of tourism, sericulture growers / rearers, silk reelers and weavers
invite the public onto their domain
to experience the out of doors, the leisure pace, and the healthy and
nutritious produce during the time of traditional tours.
Some of the potential seri-tourism areas of the
district are highlighted below:
Index |
Area |
Major
sericulture related activities / products |
How
to reach |
Salient
seri-tourism features and Link
for detail information |
Nearby
conventional tourism
site* |
A |
Important handloom potential areas
in Murshidabad
|
||||
A-1 |
|
Silk kora than Silk shirting |
About
35 KM via SH 11; frequent bus, trekker
and hires vehicles area available |
A-1,
A-2 & A-3: Three areas comprises of about 16,000 silk-handloom
units of West Bengal. Among these about 130 weavers (silk) co-operative
societies with 12000 weavers (approx.) working with 9400 looms. These
cooperative societies mostly market their products through their own sale
outlets (Berhampore and other cities) or through
Govt. marketing agencies like Tantuja, Tantushree etc A-2: Oldest
silk reeling location of the state and famous for Matka
spinning (unique in the country).Majority of the Matka
spinerers (about 40,000 in West Bengal) are present
at this zone. A-3: Unique Korial and Garad producing
areas of West Bengal. |
Ratenswar (Bhattabati) temple; Ruins of Atai
mosque near atai serpur; Kiriteswari,
the oldest temple in Murshidabad district
and only Sati Peetha in Murshidabad
where Sati's kirit or crown fell at Kireetkona village. |
A-2 |
|
Matka shirting Silk kora than Silk dyeing unit |
About
30 KM via Jalangi Road; frequent bus, trekker and
hires vehicles area available. |
The village is situated at the bank of river Bhirab- a tributary of river Padma. |
|
A-3 |
|
Korial saree, Garad saree Garad shirting, Silk sora than |
About
58 KM via NH 34 and near to Raghunathganj; frequent
bus, trekker and hires vehicles are available. |
Brindaban Behari temple at Raghunathganj; House of Dada Thakur, Giriar war
field; Farraka barrage (50km) and Thermal Power
Station (NTPC); Kherur Mosque near Sekhdighi
(12km); Sagardighi thermal power station at Manigram(12km). |
|
B |
An ancient
place of silk trade |
||||
B-1 |
Ruin of the British factory (Nil ground). |
about 3 km from Berhampore town
well connected by rail and road |
http://murshidabad.net/history/places-topic-places-zone-two.htm |
Cossimbazar palace, new palace, Dutch cemetery, Pataleswar
Shiva Temple & Sati daha ghat,
Biayaspur Shiva Temple |
|
C |
Central Sericultural
Research & Training Institute (CSR&TI, Berhampore) |
||||
C-1 |
A premier Institute provides R&D support for the
promotion of silk industry in eastern and northeastern India. |
About 0.2 km from Berhampore
court railway station |
Sericulture museum; library with
nice collection of books on sericulture; arrange demonstration of silkworm
rearing and silk reeling on request. http://www.csrtiber.res.in |
Thibaw (A member of the royal family of Burma) tomb in the campus
of CSR&TI. |
|
D |
Sericulture villages and other silk associated
activities in Murshidabad: |
||||
D-1 |
Panchgram-Nabagram-Madgram -Kiriteshwari area |
Major
sericulture- rearing, reeling and weaving areas of Murshidabad
|
Around 15
sq. km area in and around Nabagram town; frequent
bus, trekker and
hires vehicles are available.
|
http://www.seriwbgov.org [for the contact of different DoT(seri) Govt. of WB units in Murshidabad].
Walk
through / exposure visit / interaction with sericulture-commercial / seed rearers and reelers;
sericulture related SHG groups / NGOs.
|
A. Panchtupi temple
complex; Pancharatna terracotta temple at Gobarhati; Kaliswar Shiva
temple at Baghdanga
B. Kiriteswari
temple in Kireetkona village; Tomb of Nawab Seraj-ud-Daulla at
Khosbug;
|
Important
sericulture- seed rearing areas of Murshidabad
|
Around 55
km east of Berhampore
town ; frequent bus, trekker and hires vehicles are available
|
http://www.seriwbgov.org [for the contact of DoT(seri) Govt. of WB unit in Sagarpara].
Walk
through / exposure visit / interaction with sericulture - seed rearers;
|
Padma river at Jalangi
(about 5 km)
|
||
Automatic reeling unit at Shibpur
|
Activities: Raw Silk Reeling
Product: Raw Silk yarn
|
Around 10km from Berhampore towards Palsanda via
NH34; frequent transports are available.
|
Automatic Reeling Machine (
|
Kiriteswari temple, Dahapara dham, Khoshbagh
|
|
PRITEX Silk Printing Unit at Gopegram
(Nabagram)
|
Activities: Fabric Printing
Product: Block, Screen, Dispersed
printed Sarees
|
Around 2 km from ARM unit towards Palsanda via NH34; frequent transports are available
|
PRINTEX: The major printing cluster is located in Serampore area of Hooghly district in West Bengal. The
activities could not be diversified in other areas of the state in the past,
though scattered units at cottage sector are available in different parts.
PRINTEX is also a newly established organized unit to cater service to the
individual weaver and large no. of Co-operative and Apex Societies.
|
Same as D-3.1 segment.
|
|
D-4
|
Jiaganj
|
Activities:
Yarn dyeing,
Fabric dyeing
Products: Silk
Jamdani Saree
|
Around 210 km from Kolkata and 20
km from Berhampore court in Sealdah-Lalgola route. Frequent rail & road transports are available.
|
Baluchari fabric is named after the village Baluchar, a peripheral village of Jiaganj
town located on the bank river of Bhagirathi in Murshidabad
district. Baluchari weaving was flourished during
the period of Murshid Quli
Khan, the Diwan of Bengal, an erstwhile Hindu Bramin who embraced Islam and these textiles are famous
for their elaborate anchal (palloo).
It has been eulogized as the loveliest and most charming of all silks of
India. Geographically, there is no existence of Baluchar
village today and said to be drowned under the river Bhagirathi. The weavers
have been migrated to Bishnupur block of Bankura district of West Bengal. Presently the activity
of weavers of this area is restricted to the production of silk Jamdani saree.
|
Murshidabad district museum at Jiaganj;
Jain temple complex in Ajimganj and Jaiganj, Baranagar (Rani-Bhabani) temple complex; Dahapara
Ashram.
|
* Major conventional
tourist attractions are: Hazarduari (palace of a thousand Doors), Nizamat Imambara, Wasef Manzil , Tripolia Gate, Dakshin Darwaza, Chak Darwaza, Gharighar,
Bachchawali Tope (a canon), Moti Jhil (Pearl Lake) Madina,Nasipur palace, Khatgola garden and Katra Mosque.