The State of West Bengal is located in the eastern part of India. It has sea beaches, hill stations, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and pilgrimages, which have beautified this state. These, along with Victoria Memorial, Sunderbans, St. Paul`s Cathedral, etc draw a plethora of tourists to this state. West Bengal also has islands, some of which are labeled uninhabited.
Sagar Island
Sagar Island is located on the continental shelf of Bay of Bengal, about 100 km (54 nautical miles) south of Kolkata. More specifically, this island is situated in the Ganges delta and comes under South 24 Parganas District. This island is spread over an area of about 224.3 square kilometers. Sagar Island is known to have 43 villages and the largest village among these is named "Ganga Sagar". This island is a Hindu pilgrimage site. It is thronged by a plethora of Hindus each year on the day of Makar Sankranti. They take a holy dip at the confluence of river Ganges and Bay of Bengal and also visit Kapil Muni Temple. The managing body of this island is the state government of West Bengal.
Jambudwip
Jambudwip is situated in the Bay of Bengal, about 8 km to the southwest of Bakkhali in the South 24 Parganas district. It is called an isolated island as it remains uninhabited, except in the fishing season (between the months of October and February). This island is valuable for fishermen as it provides drinking water and has a natural creek for safe harboring of boats.
Ghoramara Island
Ghoramara Island is located about 92 km south of Kolkata, in the Sunderban Delta complex of the Bay of Bengal. This island roughly occupies an area of about 5 square kilometers. It is important to note that erosion and rise in sea level have resulted in the sinking of this small island. Consequently, the population on this island is reducing.
Nayachar
Nayachar is an island located off Haldia in Purba Medinipur in the Hooghly River. The total area occupied by this island is about 64 square kilometers (25 sq mi). As of 2007, this island had a total population of about 2,500 people, but in government documents it is mentioned as "uninhabited". 54 square kilometers of land at Nayachar was given to PCR Chemicals Pvt Ltd on 15th of February by the West Bengal Government. This step was taken to carry out a feasibility test for setting up a chemicals hub on this island.
Other Islands of West Bengal
Morichjapi, Lohachara Island and Henry Island are the other Islands of West Bengal.
