Howrah (হাওড়া Hāoṛā) is the twin of Kolkata and an important transport hub of the metropolis. Although it is considered a separate city, Howrah is very much a part of the Kolkata metropolitan area, and Howrah railway station is where you will arrive from if connecting with anywhere north, south or west of the metropolis. This article covers the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) area, two other municipalities (Bally and Dankuni) and several smaller suburbs.
Understand
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Howrah (HOW-rrah) is on the western bank of the Hooghly River opposite of Kolkata proper. Although the modern city is developed largely under the British rule, Howrah is preceded by a major trading centre called Betor. Howrah station, the first railway station of Eastern India, was established in this city in 1854, with its first railway service to Hooghly began on 15 August of the same year. Although several other major stations have come up across Kolkata and Howrah, Howrah station still remains one of the busiest railway stations in India.
Get in
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By train
[edit]There are three major stations in Howrah (details are at the main Kolkata article):
- 1 Howrah Eastern South Eastern 2
— serves the central area. - 2 Santragachi South Eastern — serves the western fringes.
- 3 Shalimar South Eastern — serves the area around Shibpur and Indian Botanic Garden.
Other than these, there are smaller stations in Howrah serving specific neighbourhoods, like Andul, Bally, Belur, Dasnagar, Liluah, Padmapukur and Tikiapara. These stations are useful if you are coming here via local trains and want to avoid crowded stations.
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:
By ferry
[edit]Howrah is just across the river from central 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 as Bagbazar, Armenian, Fairlie, Chandpalghat, Babughat, Prinsep Ghat. On the Howrah side there are jetties at Howrah Station, Ramkrishnapur Ghat, Botanical Garden Ghat, Bandhaghat, Golabari and Belur Math. 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!
See
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- 1 Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden (Shibpur Botanic Garden), Shibpur (local: Shalimar South Eastern ), ☏ +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 Andul Rajbari (Andul Royal Palace), Andul. A heritage site of Andul, the palace was built by Raja Rajnarayan Bahadur in 1834. His family now owns a cinema hall and a local market as well.
- 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 (local: Howrah Junction Eastern South Eastern ). A museum established in 2006 to display the history and heritage of railways in the eastern part of India with special focus on Howrah Junction railway 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, Howrah (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.
Bridges
[edit]- 8 Nivedita Setu and 9 Vivekananda Setu — Two bridges across the Hooghly River, 50 m (160 ft) apart. Vivekenanda Setu is a 880 m (2,890 ft) long rail-cum-road bridge, built in 1932 as Willingdon Bridge and later renamed after Swami Vivekananda. Nivedita Setu is a newer cable-stayed bridge, named after the female disciple of Swami Vivekananda.
Howrah Bridge
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Howrah Bridge trivia
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- 10 Howrah Bridge (হাওড়া ব্রিজ, Rabindra Setu (রবীন্দ্র সেতু)). 24 hours daily. Free.
One of the iconic bridges of West Bengal, the 705 m (2,313 ft) long Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge with a suspended span over the Hooghly River. The bridge was commissioned in 1943 by Braithwaite, Burn & Jessop Construction Company, replacing the older pontoon bridge.
The area around Howrah station and Howrah Bridge has grown as a world of its own, catering to the needs of a huge floating population. This bridge frames the skyline of the Howrah Riverfront. The ambience is as amicable and profound as the river that flows alongside.
Vidyasagar Setu
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- 11 Vidyasagar Setu (বিদ্যাসাগর সেতু Bidyāsāgar Setu, Second Hooghly Bridge). Open 24 hours. With a total length of 823 m (2,700 ft), Vidyasagar Setu is the longest cable-stayed bridge in India and one of the longest in Asia. It was built 3.7 km (2.3 mi) south/downstream of Howrah Bridge. The bridge was commissioned in 1992 by the Hooghly River Bridge Commission (HRBC).
Belur Math
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- 12 Belur Math, Belur (about 4 km (2.5 mi) from Howrah station; suburban: Belur Math Eastern . You can travel there by bus, auto or taxi. It takes 20-25 min to get there and around 40 min to return, because this route is longer and becomes more congested. Suburban trains also go to Belur Math, but going by auto, bus or taxi is much better as they drop you off at the entrance of Belur Math. One can also travel from Dakshineswar to Belur by either boat or road.). Headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Next to the Hooghly River, one can sit on the banks of the river during evening time and relax.
In Belur, you have a small but beautiful museum of Sri Ramakrishna and Sarada Devi along with Swami Vivekananda. The evening "Arati" is something you should see in Belur Math. One most uncommon and attractive ritual of Belur Math is, at the time of Durga Puja, which is generally held in the month of October, they worship a girl dressed with beautiful Benarashi sari and jewelleries which resembles as "Kumari Puja" meaning worshiping "Kumari" i.e., a unmarried and young girl who haven't reached the age of 10 years. The girl have to dress according the tradition and the Priests will worship as long as the time scheduled for the puja. Thousands of people come this day to see the pujas and only on this day taking snaps are allowed in the temple compound.
- Old Shrine — it was the original shrine of Belur Math until the present shrine is constructed. It has the hallowed memories of Swami Vivekananda and other disciples of Ramakrishna.
- Samadhi Enclosure — it contains the remains of seven disciples of Ramakrishna.
- Swami Vivekananda Temple — a temple dedicated on the namesake monk.
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.
- Durga Puja of Dutta Chowdhury family. Among the oldest in Bengal, the Durga Puja was started by Kashiswar Dutta around 400 years ago.
- 2 Howrah Indoor Stadium, Dumurjala. An indoor stadium 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) (local: Shalimar South Eastern ). The first university in Howrah and 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.
- 2 Forum Rangoli Mall, 212, Girish Ghosh Rd, Belur. Opened in 2015 and houses stores of premium brands, including Max Lifestyle, Domino's Pizza, Archies and Spencer's retail among others. There is also an INOX multiplex in the mall.
- 3 RD Mall, 269, GT Rd, Liluah. It was launched in 2011 and houses INOX multiplex, Domino's Pizza, Cafe Coffee Day, a gaming arena and Big Bazaar among many other retail stores.
Eat
[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 Nizams or Arsalan.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]| This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room: | |
| Budget | Under ₹1000 |
| Mid-range | ₹1000 to ₹3000 |
| Splurge | Over ₹3000 |
Budget
[edit]- 1 The Howrah Hotel, 1, Mukhram Kanoria Road (Adjacent to Howrah station), ☏ +91 33 26413878, +91 33 26412149, +91 33 28490240, info@thehowrahhotel.com. Check-in: 24 hours. A heritage property, with a lot of character and one of the oldest hotels of Kolkata. Renowned for homey atmosphere and offers 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, sales.fhp@fortunehotels.in. Standard Room ₹4,200, Fortune Club Room ₹5,000, Executive Suite ₹7,000 (Best Rates Price).
Stay safe
[edit]Police
[edit]The Howrah City Police[dead link] is a police force serving the city. While most police officers are honest and helpful, you may find some officers who may be corrupt and unhelpful. For police assistance during an emergency dial 100. For non-emergencies, or to report a crime, visit the nearest police station.
- 2 Howrah, ☏ +91 33 2641-1750.
- 3 Bally, ☏ +91 33 2654-1128.
- 4 Belur, ☏ +91 33 2654-0380.
- 5 Santragachi, ☏ +91 33 2658-6560.
- 6 Shibpur, ☏ +91 33 2638-1028.
Railways
[edit]- Howrah, ☏ +91 7985727760.
Connect
[edit]- 7 Batai Post Office, 461, Sarat Chaterjee Road, Kazipara, Shalimar (at 'Santa Sing More' Bus Stop). A Branch Office.