North 24 Parganas (উত্তর চব্বিশ পরগনা Uttar Cabbiś Parganā) is the most populous district of West Bengal.
Regions
[edit]North 24 Parganas can be divided into two parts based on urbanisation:
- Western North 24 Parganas — the contiguous suburban area along the Hooghly River north of Kolkata, from Baranagar to Kanchrapara.
- Eastern North 24 Parganas — the remaining eastern part, with fertile land and scattered urban centres like Bangaon, Barasat and Basirhat.
Cities
[edit]Western North 24 Parganas
[edit]
- 1 Baranagar (বরাহনগর Barāhanagar or বরানগর Barānagar) — rich cultural heritage, home to the first monastery of the Ramakrishna Mission, as well as the first statistical institute of India
- 2 Barrackpore (ব্যারাকপুর Byārākpur) — a cantonment town with memories of the 1857 Rebellion
- 3 Dakshineswar (দক্ষিণেশ্বর Dakṣiṇeśbar) — major pilgrimage site, home to the Kali temple and some other Hindu sites
- 4 Dum Dum (দমদম Damdam) — industrial suburb and historical cantonment
- 5 Kanchrapara (কাঁচড়াপাড়া Kāncṛāpāṛā) — home to a large railway workshop
- 6 Khardaha (খড়দহ Khaṛdaha) — temple town and a major Vaishnava pilgrimage site
- 7 Halisahar (হালিশহর Hāliśahar) —
- 8 Naihati (নৈহাটি Naihāṭi) — home to Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's birthplace and a large Kali temple
- 9 Shyamnagar (শ্যামনগর Śyāmnagar) — home to a large Kali temple complex
Eastern North 24 Parganas
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- 10 Barasat (বারাসত Bārāsat) — district headquarters, a regional rail and road junction, and shopping destination
- 11 Bangaon (বনগাঁ Bangān) and Petrapole (পেট্রাপোল Peṭrāpol) — two towns near the India–Bangladesh border
- 12 Basirhat (বসিরহাট Basirhāṭ) — a historical city near the Ichamati River, close to the Bangladesh border, known for its vibrant Durga Puja, education, excellent shopping streets and regional trade
- 13 Berachampa (বেড়াচাঁপা Beṛācānpā) — best known for Chandraketugarh, an archaeological site
- 14 Dhanyakuria (ধান্যকুড়িয়া Dhānyakuṛiẏā) — known for the European-style Gaine Castle, but also contains a few other heritage buildings
- 15 Gobardanga (গোবরডাঙা Gobarḍāṅā) — see the Gobardanga Zamindar Palace
- 16 Haroa (হাড়োয়া Hāṛoẏā) — home to the shrine of Pir Gorachand
- 17 Rajarhat-New Town (রাজারহাট-নিউটাউন Rājārhāṭ-Niuṭaun) — one of the newest sections of Greater Kolkata, containing business clusters as well as various natural attractions
- 18 Salt Lake (সল্টলেক Salṭlek) — one of the earliest planned towns in West Bengal, and home to Kolkata's IT hub
- 19 Taki (টাকি Ṭāki) — a border town on the Ichhamati River, Taki is a scenic spot with beautiful views of the river
Other destinations
[edit]- 1 Bibhutibhushan Wildlife Sanctuary (Parmadan Forest) — a safe haven for a healthy population of nearly 250 deer
Understand
[edit]North 24 Parganas is on the Indian half of the Ganges Delta, with a maze of distributaries in the Sundarbans. Although the Hooghly is the main river, other rivers in the region include the Bidyadhari, Ichhamati and Jamuna.
Till 1986, North 24 Parganas was a part of 24 Parganas district, whose name was derived from the number of "parganas" (divisions) contained in the zamindari of Calcutta which was ceded to the East India Company by Mir Jafar in 1757.
Get in
[edit]Get around
[edit]See and do
[edit]St. Bartholomew's Cathedral in Barrackpore (1831) is an excellent example of British church architecture from that period.
The Jubilee Bridge over the Hooghly River at Naihati was opened in 1885.
Taki is a popular day trip and weekend getaway. There are great views of the river and boat trips on the river are enjoyable.
Eat and drink
[edit]The ground water may not be safe for drinking, as it might be contaminated with arsenic. So you are better off drinking from the municipal or panchayat supply of surface water or bottled drinking water of reputed companies, not of ordinary companies, here and there in North 24 Parganas, even if those are cheaper by ₹2 per litre.
Stay safe
[edit]North 24 Parganas has faced several cyclonic storms, most notably Aila (2009) and Amphan (2020). Monsoon rains may reach terrible levels and breed diseases like malaria or dengue. Keep yourself updated with the latest weather news and take precautions against such natural disasters.