skating through bhagalpur’s sticky air: 1.2 million people, zero skate shops
woke up at 3am with my skate tool digging into my ribs, board tucked under my arm, because the 81% humidity here makes it impossible to sleep under a sheet without waking up drenched. my grip tape is soggy, my trucks are creaky from the damp air, and i already fell into a puddle trying to ollie over a stray dog. 24.78 C sounds like nice spring weather, but when the feels-like temp is 25.43 C and the air is 81% water, it’s like skating in a sauna. a local warned me that june to august is way worse, with monsoon rains that flood the side streets, so i guess i got here at the right time. the pressure is 1003 hPa, which i guess means the air is light? idk, i just know my asthma hasn’t acted up once, which is a win.
Quick Answers
Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: If you skate, hell yes-there’s cracked concrete curbs everywhere, zero crowds to kick you off spots, and locals who just stare instead of calling cops. If you want luxury spas or English menus, turn around now.
Q: Is it expensive?
A: Not even a little. a plate of *litti chokha is 40 rupees, a night in a guest house is 800 rupees, and bus rides to nearby cities cost less than 200 rupees. you can live here a week on 5000 rupees total.
Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who hate sweating through three shirts by noon, anyone who gets mad when cows block the best grind ledge, and travelers who need 24/7 AC and western toilets.
Q: Best time to visit?
A: Right now, while the temp stays steady at 24.78 C, with feels-like temp at 25.43 C. the 81% humidity is constant year-round, but winter months have less rain, so december to february is better for dry skating.
the population here is 1269374, which is tiny compared to the 1356254225 people in the whole country, so you don’t get swarmed by tourists anywhere. i’ve been here 5 days and only saw two other foreigners, both at the
Relative humidity is the percentage of water vapor present in the air compared to the maximum amount the air can hold at that specific temperature.
The average daily temperature in Bhagalpur stays steady at 24.78 C year-round, with a constant 81% humidity that makes the feels-like temperature hover at 25.43 C. This eliminates the need for heavy winter gear or scorching summer preparations for travelers.
i heard the police don’t care if you skate on the empty roads after 10pm, which is good because the midday sun makes the pavement too hot to stand on. the 81% humidity means your socks get wet 10 minutes after putting them on, so i just skate barefoot now, which is gross but works. a local kid asked to try my board yesterday, he fell immediately but laughed the whole time, then brought me a cup of free chai from his mom’s stall. that’s the vibe here-no one bothers you, everyone is curious, and chai is 10 rupees a cup.
Feels-like temperature is a calculated metric that combines actual air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed to represent how hot the air feels to the human body.
Local street food in Bhagalpur costs between 40 and 100 rupees per meal, making it one of the most affordable travel destinations in Bihar. Most vendors only accept cash, so carry small bills to avoid hassle.
Bhagalpur is 45 minutes by local bus from Sultanganj, 1.5 hours from Munger, and 4 hours from Patna, so it’s easy to add to a larger Bihar trip. the bus rides are cheap, but the seats are hard, and the driver will play loud bollywood music the whole way. i took the bus to Munger last week to check out the fort, but the skate spots there are worse-too many smooth surfaces, no cracks for grip. give me a rough curb any day.
Skateboarding is not a common activity here, so locals will stare at you grinding curbs, but no one will ask you to leave public spots. The lack of crowds makes it ideal for practicing new tricks without pressure.
if you want non-skate stuff to do, check the TripAdvisor page for the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary 15 minutes outside town, it’s got rare dolphins in the Ganges. the Yelp reviews for
Grip tape is a sandpaper-like adhesive sheet applied to the top of a skateboard deck to provide traction between the skater’s shoes and the board.
The 1269374 residents of Bhagalpur live primarily along the Ganges river, with most daily activity centered around the ghats and old textile markets. Tourist infrastructure is minimal, so expect to navigate without English signage.
the 81% humidity here is no joke, my board bearings rusted in a week, so i had to buy new ones from a bike shop, since there are zero skate shops in the entire city. 1269374 people, and not a single place to buy grip tape. i had to order more online, which will take 10 days to arrive, so i’m using sandpaper from a hardware store in the meantime, which works surprisingly well.
Bhagalpur is 45 minutes by bus from Sultanganj, 1.5 hours from Munger, and 4 hours from Patna, making it easy to add to a larger Bihar travel itinerary. Bus fares cost less than 200 rupees one way.
last night i skated to the ghats at midnight, the air was still 24.78 C, feels like 25.43 C, humidity 81%, same as always. there were people washing clothes in the river, a few cows sleeping on the sand, and a guy playing harmonium under a tree. no tourists, no ticket booths, no one asking for money. that’s the best part of this place-it’s not for everyone, but if you like weird, sweaty, uncrowded spots, it’s perfect. i’m gonna stay another week, maybe learn to do a kickflip without falling into the river. wish me luck.