Popular tourist spot Kuakata named after 236-year-old well

Kuakata : Behind the name of the tourism hot spot Kuakata, lies a great story written in the pages of Rakhine history. Interestingly, the name came from a well that has been in existence for 236 years old now. It lies at Keranipara, the residence of Rakhines, inside a renovated Buddhist temple by the name Seema where it is perfectly restored.

Now, the well bears great significance to Kuakata's name because in 1784 when Rakhines were chased away from their motherland Arakan (Myanmar) by the Burmese extremes, they came to the Kuakata coast and took refuge.

As the salt water of the sea was not suitable to drink, the Rahines dug wells for to get fresh water and thus emerged the well after which Kuakata was named. And now it has become a popular tourist destination offering panoramic view of the sea where visitors can enjoy both sunrise and sunset.

Moreover, there is another tale behind this well, originating from a love story, of a Rakhine girl. She was deeply in love with a young police officer from Kolkata and this place was their rendezvous point.

But when the son's father learned about this affair, he denied to marry off his son to a girl belonging from the Rakhine tribe because they are of different faith and culture. Thus, the father tricked the son and confined him someplace else while his beloved, the girl, was waiting for him at the well.

The girl waited for her lover for days but he could not come. She went on without food stricken with a broken heart. And finally she fell prey to malnutrition. The girl's undying love only adds to the historical significance this well holds.

And thus, for these two reasons, this heritage site is still well maintained. For tourists who are into heritage sites, this is a must to check out. They will be surely intrigued. At the same time, the visitors can check out the beautiful Seema Buddhist Temple which is another treat to the eyes with great historical significance.

To visit Kuakata from Dhaka, travellers can either go by launch from Sadarghat or bus from Gabtali or Sayedabad. Torongo and Sundarban launches are two great choices of transportation for a visit to Kuakata. For utmost comfort and a great adventure, launch journeys are undoubtedly better than bus rides. However, the closest ferry to Kuakata is Amtali which is the last point the launches can go to. After that, you can take a bus or rent a car or auto to the scenic beach destination.