Durga Sagar

Durga Sagar is the largest tank in southern Bangladesh, dug in 1780 on the orders of Rani Durga Devi of the Chandradwip house at Madhabpasha, a rectangle of water of about sixty acres with high tree-planted banks and a wooded island at its centre, made, as these tanks were, to provide water and as an act of standing. It is managed as a picnic and recreation ground for Barishal, and in winter the water draws ducks and other birds, with the island as a roost. The banks are walked as a circuit under old trees. It is a quiet, modest place whose interest is the scale of the digging and the winter birdlife rather than any spectacle.

The landscape

• A 1780 hand-dug tank - the largest in the south of the country.
• The wooded island roost - trees at the centre of the water.
• Wintering ducks - the flocks on the tank in the cool months.
• Tree-planted banks - the circuit walk around the water.

When to go

December to February for the birds. Half a day. Weekends bring picnic crowds from Barishal; weekday mornings are quiet and best for birdwatching.

What to expect

It is a tank with a park around it and expectations should match. Weekend crowds and noise displace the birds. Facilities are basic. Litter is a problem after holidays.

Nearby

Barishal is east; the guava canals lie south-west.

Key facts