Howrah (হাওড়া Hāoṛā) is the twin city of Kolkata and an important industrial and transport hub of southern West Bengal.
Understand
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Howrah (HAO-rrah) is on the western bank of the Hooghly River opposite Kolkata.
Name
[edit]There has been much debate regarding the origin of the name "Howrah". Some say that the name is derived from "Harirah" (হাড়িড়া Hāṛiṛā), a village existed in the early 18th century. Others claim that the name "Howrah" is related to mud or water, considering the city's geography.
History
[edit]Although the modern city is developed largely under British rule, Howrah is preceded by a major trading centre called Betor (বেতড় Betaṛ), which was mentioned in the Bengali poem Manasāmaṅgal (1495) as well as in the journal of Venetian explorer Cesare Federici (1578). In 1713, the East India Company sought permission from Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar for five villages on the west bank of Hooghly River, namely Salica (Salkia), Harirah, Cassundeah (Kasundia), Ramkrishnopoor (Ramkrishnapur) and Battar (Betor), which eventually merged into the single city of Howrah.
Orientation
[edit]Like Kolkata, the twin city Howrah consists of numerous neighbourhoods (পাড়া, pāṛā) that possess a strong sense of community, with their own clubs and sometimes playgrounds. The city can also be roughly divided into three regons:
| North and Central Howrah (Ghusuri, Howrah Maidan, Pilkhana, Salkia, Tikiapara) The old town of Howrah, as well as the city centre. |
| Shibpur (South Howrah) (Baje Shibpur, Betor, Kasundia, Padmapukur, Ramkrishnapur, Shalimar) Once a separate suburb of Kolkata, Shibpur is now a posh residential area of Howrah. Home to the city's botanical garden, engineering college and shopping mall, as well as the multi-storey state secretariat of the West Bengal government. |
| West Howrah (Ankurhati, Dasnagar, KWIC, Salap, Nazirgunge) Rapidly developing industrial area, home to the city's manufacturing industry. |
The suburbs include:
- Andul — A heritage town at the west, home to Andul Rajbari and the Dutta Chowdhury family, along with one of the oldest Durga Puja celebrations.
- Bally — A laid-back town at the north, home to the Belur Math, headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, as well as the twin bridges across the Hooghly River. It was once an industrial town with jute mills, most of which are now closed.
- Dankuni — An industrial town, the eastern terminal of NH 19 (Agra-Kolkata).
- Uttarpara — Another industrial town north of Bally, once a major automobile hub, now a manufacturing hub for metro vehicles in India.
Get in
[edit]By train
[edit]There are three major stations in Howrah.
- 1 Howrah Eastern South Eastern 2 . One of the main stations of Kolkata, a short drive away from the city centre.
- 2 Santragachi South Eastern . Covers West Howrah.
- 3 Shalimar South Eastern . Covers Shibpur.
There are also smaller stations between the above stations that serve specific neighbourhoods, including Dasnagar, Padmapukur, Ramrajatala, and Tikiapara. All of these are served by local trains on the South Eastern Line South Eastern , and are used by people to avoid more crowded ones.
By metro
[edit]The East–West Line 2 of the Kolkata Metro connects Howrah Maidan and Esplanade, and it is the fastest way to reach Howrah from Kolkata. The line runs below the Hooghly River, and it is India's first underwater metro service.
By car
[edit]There are four bridges to get to Howrah: Howrah Bridge, Vidyasagar Setu, Vivekananda Setu and Nivedita Setu. Besides, highways like the Grand Trunk Road and NH 19 terminate at Howrah or nearby.
By bus
[edit]The bus termini in Howrah are:
- 4 Howrah Bus Terminus (W of the Howrah Bridge, N of Howrah station). Buses are available from different parts of West Bengal.
- 5 Kolkata Central Bus Terminus (Santragachi Bus Terminus) (near Santragachi Junction railway station).
- 6 Nabanna Bus Terminus, Andul Rd.
By ferry
[edit]Howrah is just across the river from Kolkata. The ferry services to cross the Hooghly River from Kolkata to Howrah is very convenient to zip across both cities. There are a number of jetties. On the Kolkata side, the ferries link to such jetties at Bagbazar, Armenian, Fairlie, Chandpal Ghat and Babughat. On the Howrah side, there are jetties at Howrah Station, Ramkrishnapur Ghat, Botanical Garden, Bandhaghat and Golabari. Buy the ticket before you board the ferry and retain the ticket till after you have crossed to the other side and have shown it to the ticket checker near the exit gate or else you will be penalised!
Get around
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See
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- 1 Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden (Shibpur Botanic Garden), Shibpur, ☏ +91 33 67 32 31 35. Mar-Sep: 5AM-5:30PM; Oct-Feb: 5:30AM-5PM. An extraordinary place of vivid nature under the smog filled sky of the city. You will value the silence that is only filled by some birds singing. The Great Banyan tree in the botanical garden boasts of having the largest canopy in the world. The British established the institution in 1786 as Indian Botanical Garden. foreigners: ₹50; Indians: ₹5.
- 2 Howrah Bridge (হাওড়া ব্রিজ Hāoṛā Brij). 24 hours daily. Officially Rabindra Setu (রবীন্দ্র সেতু Rabīndra Setu), the Howrah Bridge is one of the iconic bridges of West Bengal. See the Kolkata listing for details. Free.
- 3 Kolkata West Gate, Salap. Based on the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the gate is an entrance to the Kolkata West International City (KWIC), a satellite township in Howrah developed by Indonesia's Ciputra Group.
- 4 Nabanna (HRBC Garment Park). Office of the Chief Minister of West Bengal since 2013.
- 5 Rail Museum, Lower Foreshore Rd (near Howrah Station). A museum established in 2006 to display the history and heritage of railways in the eastern part of India with special focus on Howrah Station. The collection includes the first broad-gauge electric locomotive built in India, a WCM-5; a HPS-32 steam locomotive captured during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971; and the Indraprastha, claimed to be the oldest remaining Indian Railways shunting locomotive.
- 6 Santragachi Jheel, Santragachi (7 km (4.3 mi) from Howrah station by train, or 6 km (3.7 mi) from Kolkata via Vidyasagar Setu; local: Santragachi Junction South Eastern ). A large lake next to Santragachi railway station. It attracts a lot of migratory birds in the winter months, particularly in December and January, impart because migratory birds are avoiding destinations like the lakes in Alipore Zoo, Kolkata. Birds like Saras Crane from North America and Australia, and many other local migratory birds such as Cotton Pygmy Goose, and Comb Duck, are spotted here during this season. The lake area is owned by South Eastern Railway, though the Forest Department of West Bengal also looks after the place. Efforts are made by local residents, Forest Department and Railways to improve the environment for the birds.
- 7 Statue of Enlightened Buddha, Kona Expy, Shibpur (local: Padmapukur South Eastern ). A pair of brass statues of the Buddha at Kona Expressway.
- 8 Vidyasagar Setu (বিদ্যাসাগর সেতু Bidyāsāgar Setu, Second Hooghly Bridge). Open 24 hours. The longest cable-stayed bridge in India and one of the longest in Asia, 3.7 km (2.3 mi) south/downstream of Howrah Bridge. See the Kolkata listing for details.
Temples
[edit]- 9 Bangeswar Mahadeb Temple (Seth Bansidhar Jalan Smriti Mandir), 32, Salkia School Rd. 5:30AM-noon, 4-8PM. One of the most popular Shiva temples in Howrah, with the tallest four-headed statue of Shiva in Eastern India at 51 ft (16 m). The Jalan family built this temple in 1952, and it has been a local pilgrimage site ever since. The tall Shiva statue, named "Bangeswar Mahadeb" (বঙ্গেশ্বর মহাদেব Baṅgeśbar Mahādeb, literally the "Lord of Bengal"), was later added in 2015 to spread the message of "Love Humanity". The replicas of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Hinduism are later added in the temple premises, including Kashi Vishwanath, Kedarnath and Somnath. Outside the temple, there's a viewing deck to enjoy the Hooghly River.
- 10 Bhot Bagan Math, Ghusuri. The first Tibetan Buddhist temple on the plains of India. The temple was founded in 1776 by Puran Giri, the Indian representative of the third Panchen Lama of Tibet. The temple was later attacked by armed dacoits in 1795, and Puran Giri was killed while resisting it. The Math remains abandoned since 1905.
Do
[edit]- 1 Belilious Park, Tikiapara (suburban: Tikiapara South Eastern ). 10AM–8PM. An amusement park. Within the park, there is a pond and the trees around here provide greenery to the region. A marriage hall is also present here for marriage events. The Panchdeep Tower within the park is the tallest structure in Howrah.
- 2 Dumurjala Sports City (ডুমুরজলা খেলনগরী Ḍumurjalā Khelnagarī), Dr Bholanath Chakraborty Sarani, Shibpur. A sports complex with plays host to several prominent talent hunt contests and sports activities.
- 3 Howrah Planetarium and Astronomical Research Centre. A planetarium in Howrah with virtual tours of the night sky and cosmic shows in a specially perforated hemispherical dome. It is India's first 3D planetarium. A total of three shows are conducted a day in this planetarium to introduce visitors to the solar system. Visitors can also learn about important space discoveries and related information. Each show at planetarium is conducted for 25 minutes. Shows are available here in Bengali, English and Hindi.
Learn
[edit]- 1 Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur (IIEST Shibpur). Originally founded as Bengal Engineering College (B.E. College), and still popularly known as Shibpur College, IIEST Shibpur is the second-oldest engineering college in India.
Buy
[edit]It might be worth while to stroll down Howrah Maidan just for the excitement of a local market, busy with street shops selling anything from clothes, to pots, to fruits. By bus or taxi from Howrah station it will only take 10 minutes to get there.
- 1 Avani Riverside Mall, 32 Jagat Banerjee Ghat Rd (on the way to Kolkata - from Prinsep Ghat Railway Station — 1 km (0.62 mi) — take a trip to Dinobondhu College Bus Stop — 0.5 km (0.31 mi)), ☏ +91 33 3312-9000, fax: +91-33-2289-5811. 11AM–10PM. This three storey mall contains Eastern India's first PVR cinema hall. Large food court and many shops. Free.
Eat and drink
[edit]Local foods you must try are egg, chicken and mutton roll. Howrah is known for its egg chicken roll, which is available anywhere for ₹25. You will not find these foods anywhere else in the world. Mutton biryani is also worth a try, in Nizam's or Arsalan.
Sleep
[edit]| This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room: | |
| Budget | Under ₹1,000 |
| Mid-range | ₹1,000–5,000 |
| Splurge | Over ₹5000 |
Budget
[edit]- 1 The Howrah Hotel, 1, Mukhram Kanoria Rd (Adjacent to Howrah station), ☏ +91 33 26413878, +91 33 26412149, +91 33 28490240, [email protected]. Check-in: 24 hours. A heritage property, with a lot of character and one of the oldest hotels in Greater Kolkata. Renowned for its homey atmosphere and offering very neat and clean, airy rooms, one of the safest hotels in the locality, with cordial staff. Attached baths and cable TV. Five minutes walking distance from the railway station and bus stand. 5,000 sq ft garden. ₹550-₹650.
- 2 Samrat Palace, 219, GT Rd, ☏ +91 0124 620 1612.
Mid-range
[edit]Splurge
[edit]- 3 Fortune Park Panchwati, Kona Expy, ☏ +91 33-39884444, fax: +91 33-39881222, [email protected]. Standard Room ₹4,200, Fortune Club Room ₹5,000, Executive Suite ₹7,000 (Best Rates Price).
Connect
[edit]Post offices
[edit]- 2 Batai Post Office, 461, Sarat Chaterjee Road, Kazipara, Shalimar (at 'Santa Sing More' Bus Stop). A Branch Office.
Cope
[edit]Police stations
[edit]- 3 Howrah, ☏ +91 33 2641-1750.
- 4 Santragachi, ☏ +91 33 2658-6560.
- 5 Shibpur, ☏ +91 33 2638-1028.
Go next
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