Kuakata

Kuakata, locally known as Sagar Kannya (Daughter of the Sea) is a panoramic Sea Beach, located in Patuakhali district, Barisal Division, Bangladesh. It is in Latachapli union under Kalapara Police Station of Patuakhali district. Kuakata is around 320 Kilometers (199 miles) south of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, around 138 kilometers (86 miles) from Barisal City, the divisional headquarters, and around 70 Kilometers (43 miles) from the Patuakhali Town, the district headquarters. Kuakatais a famous tourist place as it is one of only a few wide sandy beaches from where one can see both the sunrise and sunset. The Kuakata beach is 30 km (18.64 miles) long and 6 km (3.73 miles) wide.

The name Kuakata originated from two Bengali words, “Kua” and “Kata”. Kua means well and Kata means Dug. So, it means “Dug a well”. Possibly the name was given to it by the earliest Rakhine settlers (Arakanese kingdom) from Kingdom of Arakan who landmarked the place by digging a well. Rakhine settlers (Arakanese People) landed on Kuakata coast in the eighteenth century after being banished from the Arakan State of Myanmar by the Mughals. Being deprived of fresh water, Rakhine settlers dug a well for it and they were successful in managing fresh water for drinking. Thus they gave the name of the place, Kuakata.

Kuakata is one of the rarest spots in the world, from where people can view the rising and setting of the sun in the water of the Bay of Bengal in a calm environment. Kuakatais an excellent tourist spot which offers a combination of the scenic natural beauty, sandy beach, huge expanse of water of the Bay and coconut garden and a reserved forest alongside the beach. Kuakata is also a sanctuary for migratory winter birds. There is a Buddhist temple about 100m from the beach on a slightly raised mound. On the compound of the temple, there is a century about 30 feet high old statue of Buddha, said to be the largest in the country. Kuakata is the place of pilgrimage of the Hindus and Buddhist communities. Many Hindus and Buddhists gather here at the festival of “Rush Purnima” and “Maghi Purnima”. A major ritual on these two occasions is the taking of bath in the water of Kuakata, which they believe to be holy.