Bandel

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Bandel | type = city | latd =22.5 | longd =88.23
locator_position = right | state_name = West Bengal
district = Hugli
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altitude = 2
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:"For the German-American structural engineer see Hannskarl Bandel"

Bandel ( _bn. ব্যান্ডেল) is a city in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is under Mogra police station of Chinsurah subdivision. [ [http://www.wbcensus.gov.in/DataTables/01/Table-3.htm District-wise list of statutory towns] ] A major junction station of Eastern Railway, it is 40 km from Howrah station. The Howrah-Bardhaman line, the Bandel-Naihati line and the Bandel-Katwa line meet here.

History

Bandel church

Earlier, there was a Portuguese settlement at Bandel. The Church and the Monastery were built around 1660 by the Portuguese. Bandel Church is one of the oldest Christian churches in West Bengal. It is dedicated to Nossa Senhora di Rozario. The keystone of an older church with the year 1599 on it adorns the riverside gate of the monastery attached to it. [ [http://www.wbtourism.com/heritage/hooghly.htm#Hooghly West Bengal Tourism – see Hooghly] ]

Economy

Bandel Thermal Power Station was started with a capacity of 82.5 MW in 1965. It has since been expanded and currently has a rated capacity of 530 MW. It is operated under the West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDCL). [ [http://www.wbpdcl.com/plant.htm WPDCL website] ]

Schools

* Dunlop English Medium School
* Bandel Vidyamandir High School
* Auxilium Convent
* Don Bosco
* Hooghly Gour Hari Harijan Vidya Mandir

Nearby places

Debanandapur

It is the birth place of the Bengali author Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay and is about 3 km west from Bandel Station. His dwelling house is still there. There also is a library named Sarat Smrithi Pathagar, which includes a museum room containing the things used by the famous writer. The village has some 19th century atchala temples. It is one of the seven important villages named Saptagram at the time of Mughals. [ [http://www.hooghly.gov.in Government website] ]

ahaganj

Sahaganj is 4 km from Bandel station. A unit of Dunlop India Ltd. is located here. Ruias purchased Dunlop India Ltd. from the Dubai-based Jumbo group owned by the Chhabarias. [ [http://www.reifenpresse.de/CDML007/en/gast/detail.php?tk=&t=q&RecID=9520 Dunlop India] ] and resumed production in January 2007 after 8 years. [ [http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=151744 Financial Express 15 January 2007.] ]

* [http://wikimapia.org/395972/ Satellite view of Sahaganj and adjoining areas]

Tribeni

Tribeni is 8 km from Bandel on the Bandel-Katwa line. [ Eastern Railway time table. ] Tribeni Tissues Limited, a specialty paper manufacturing company and a major supplier of tissue paper to the cigarette industry, is located at Tribeni. It was taken over by ITC in 1990. [ [http://www.itcportal.com/the_itc_profile/history_evolution.html ITC website] ]

Other places

* Mogra - 7 km
* Bansberia - 4 km

References

ee also