Kuakata

Kuakata (Bengali: কুয়াকাটা) is a beach town known for its panoramic sea beach.[1][2] It is in southeastern Bangladesh and is the number sizeable tourist destination in the country. Kuakata beach is a sandy expanse 18 kilometres (11 mi) long and 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) wide.[3] From the beach one can have an unobstructed view of both sunrise and sunset over the Bay of Bengal.[1]

Kuakata
কুয়াকাটা

Daughter of ocean
সাগর কন্যা
Beach
From top: Fishing, Sunset at Kuakata beach, Buddhist temples, Sea shore, Mangrove forest and Kuakata Grand Hotel & Sea Resort
Coordinates: 21°49′16″N 90°07′11″E
CountryBangladesh
DivisionBarisal Division
DistrictPatuakhali District
UpazilaKalapara
Time zoneUTC+6 (BST)

Etymology

The name Kuakata originated from the word 'kua' — the Bengali word for "well" which was dug on the seashore by the early Rakhine settlers(Burmese tribes) in quest of collecting drinking water.[4] They landed on the Kuakata coast in the 18th century after being expelled from Arakan (Myanmar) by the Burmese extremests .[5] Afterwards, it has become a tradition of digging wells in the neighbourhoods of Rakhaine tribes for water.

Geography

Kuakata is in Kalapara Upazila, Patuakhali District.[6] It is about 320 kilometres (200 mi) south of Dhaka, the capital, and about 70 kilometres (43 mi) from the district headquarters.[1]

Demographics

According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Kuakata had 2,065 households and a population of 9,077.[7]

Culture
Kuakata Beach
Sunrise at Kuakata beach
Sunset at Kuakata beach

Kuakata is a place of pilgrimage for Hindu and Buddhist communities. Innumerable devotees arrive here at the festivals of 'Rush Purnima' and 'Maghi Purnima'. On these occasions the pilgrims take holy baths at the bay and participate in the traditional fairs.[1] One may visit a 100-year-old Buddhist temple where the statue of Goutama Buddha and two 200-year-old wells are located.


Notable residents
  • Principle Md Habibullah
  • Khatibul Ummah, Allama Hafizur Rahman Siddik
  • Habibur Rahman Misbah

Beach

Kuakata offers a full view of the sunrise and sunset from the same white sandy beach in the water of the Bay of Bengal. Locally known as Shagor Kannya (Daughter of Ocean), the long strip of dark, marbled sand stretches for about 18 kilometres (11 mi). The long, wide beach at Kuakata has a typical natural setting. This sandy beach has gentle slopes into the Bay of Bengal. Kuakata is also a sanctuary for migratory winter birds.

On the eastern end of the beach is Gongamati Reserved Forest, an evergreen mangrove forest and snippet of the original Kuakata. (When the Rakhines settled in the area in 1784, Kuakata was part of the larger Sundarbans forest. However, the Sundarbans is one-hour away by speed boat.) As a mangrove forest, Gongamati, like the Sundarbans, offers some protection against tidal surges. However, it too is being threatened by logging and deforestation. The best way to reach the forest is by foot or bike along the beach, where flag-flying fishing boats can be seen trawling the coast. Visiting Gangamati in the late afternoon is a perfect time to watch the sun cast shadows on the exposed mangrove roots.

On 13 September 2007 the government had announced a red alert in Kuakata as caution for a possible tsunami.[8]

  • Kuakata Beach
  • Beach
  • Mangrove forest
  • Kuakata at early morning

See also

References
  1. "Tourist Attractions in Bangladesh". Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011.
  2. "List of Bangladeshi Villages". Travel Tips. USA Today. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  3. Kabir, Ekramul (2012). "Kalapara Upazila". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  4. Aouwal, Abdul (2016). "Kuakata National Park of Bangladesh". Ontaheen. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  5. Majida, Mustapha (2005). The Rakhaines: Aborigines in Bangladesh. Dhaka: Mowla Brothers. ISBN 978-9844104662.
  6. "NGA GeoName Database". National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  7. "Population Census 2011: Patuakhali Table C-01" (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  8. "Coasts evacuated on tsunami alert". The Daily Star. 13 September 2007.
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