Towns of Howrah

There are many notable attractions in Howrah:

Belur Math

One of the attractions in Howrah is Belur Math. Belur Math, founded by Swami Vivekananda , the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, is situated in Belur, North Howrah. The Ramakrishna temple and gardens are thought of as tourist attractions. Besides the temple there are several educational institutions also at Belur Math. The setting is on the Hoogly River with a great view of the Bally Bridge. Unfortunately, the last time I visited, my peace was shattered when a dead body floated on to the bank of the Hoogly a few feet from where we were eating ladyginni.

hibpur

Shibpur, literally "Lord Shiva's City", through the centuries has been synonymous with the Great Banyan tree. The terminus of the Grand Trunk Road, the legendary route that traverses the gangetic plain and the Punjab and ends at Landi Kotal almost 2,500 kM away at the foot of the Khyber Pass. The Great Banyan Tree boasts of having the largest canopy in the world. It continues to grow and covers many city blocks and looks like a forest all by itself. The British established the Indian Botanical Gardens in 1786 between the Great Banyan Tree and the Hoogly River. Getting there is much easier with the new bridge. The entire garden is currently in a state of neglect and disrepair. There are fallen trees all over the place and tall weeds growing where fifty years ago were beautiful lawns. The degeneration of this once-lovely botanical garden into an unkempt wilderness is a stark symbol of the failure of West Bengal and perhaps a reminder of the damage done by the partition of Bengal in 1947.

The Bengal Engineering College is also located in Shibpur; the second oldest engineering college in India, and was also the preemient institution until it was overshadowed by the Indian Institutes of Technology. One hope that perhaps with the Vidyasagar Setu -the new bridge across the Hoogly River to Kolkata this area will also improve.

alkia

Salkia is the cultural hub of Howrah. The center is Haraganj Bazar which stretches about a mile from "Salkia Chowrasta" to the Hoogly River - the western-most distributary of the River Ganges. At the river end is Bandaghat with ferry service across the Hoogly to Ahiritollah Ghat on the other side. Five Movie theaters - Parijat, Piccadilly, Rakhee, Maya and Ashok anchor the entertainment scene. The Grand Trunk Road is the backbone of Salkia with frequent bus service along the route from Howrah station to Bally. Bus route No. 51, 54, 54/1, 54/2, and 56 are legendary in these parts. Minibuses ply from Salkia to Esplanade and the daily commuters have a hectic time during the office hours. Salkia also has a large Muslim community concentrated around Nishat Cinema and an Anglo-Indian community based around the Eastern Railway colonies; the heroic stories of engine drivers from this community, saving the train while sacrificng their own lives is passed on through the generations.Salkia Chowrasta is the hub of this place,where two legendary roads meet-G.T.Road & Beneras Road.The name Salkia is associated with decent and simple people. Although there is no college in Salkia , students have to go to colleges in Kolkata or go to Bijay krishna Girl's College near Howrah Station or Narasingha Dutta College or Lal Baba College.Salkia have a library it's most probably 29yrs old. It's name Alpha Library.

Liluah

Liluah is the first stop on the Eastern Railway mainline - the artery that extends all the way to Delhi and Amrtisar. The Eastern Railway workshop provides the anchor to this small town and employs thousands. Liluah is an industrial suburb with iron foundries and soap factories. It has a great environment with lakes , societies , and so on forming a part of the big picture . Festivals are organised with great enthusiasm . People are very friendly and are a sport . It has become a very attractive residential area and many buildings are coming up in the region, thanks to its connectivity through road and rail. (I am not sure who wrote the previous sentence but on my last visit to Liluah I would hard pressed to find a more miserable place in India: just look at the state of Kali Majumdar Road. There are few toilets and scenes of men defecating along the ponds and roads is a common sight). Another thing worth mentioning in Liluah is Don Bosco High & Technical School, Liluah, which is run by Roman Catholic missionaries, originally from Turin,Italy. It was here during the sixties and seventies that legendary science teacher, Brother Maurice Nicholson, B.Sc. (Hons.), singlehandedly graduated legions from this area to the Indian Institutes of Technology and other great institutions and then on to careers around the world. With "tough love" and a passion for science, Brother Maurice was the inspiration for hundreds of high school boys who without him were unlikely to escape Liluah. A school for girls was set up in 1995 by the Agrasain Society and the school is called Agrasain Balika Siksha Sadan on Agrasain Street, this school is the only girls school in liluah at a large scale, it has various activity groups like, Guides. MCKVIE, which is an engineering college in Liluah is another silver lining in the town & has produced many engineers since 1999,when the institute was formally founded. Another school- MCKV, has cropped up recently.

Amta

A very peaceful green village on the bank of Damodar River. One can visit ‘Ma Melai Chandi Mandir’ (one of the 51 parts of Satee ma ) near to Amta bazaar. If anybody wants to write poems, he should come to bank of Damodar river. Also,‘Ma Betai Chandi Mandir’ is there in nearby village called Betai. Some very old schools are there in Amta (Amta Pitambar High School, Estd. 1857). Amta to 7km distance at amoragori 'Brambho Mandir' established by Fakirdas Roy 1880.

antragachi / Ramrajatala

The city of king Ram. Ram is worshipped in Ram Mandir for 4 months, starting from Ram Nabami to the last Sunday of the month of Shraban. A big fare is held every year at last day of Ram's presence in this city. It is a well connected town, atmost 20 min away from the city of Kolkata. This city is well enriched by its culture and historical importance. Sir Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay laid the foundation stone of Santragachi Kedarnath Institution, biggest school in this area, in 1925. It is the birthplace of famous lad Biswarup Mukherjee (Tutke). Vidyasagar Sporting Club is the most famous football club in this locality.

One of the notable educational institute in Santragachi is National Institute of Management & Technology (NIMT). NIMT is affiliated to Sikkim Manipal University and offers graduate and Master degree programs. This state of the art institute located next to Barrackpore Municipality offers 3 years and 2 years degree programs in IT, Computers, Management, Journalism & Fashion. Students are offered campus placements at the end of the degree program. NIMT is located at "Indradeep" on the Station Road.

Buxarah

A big area near to Santragachi Railway Station. A huge lake which attracts migratory birds during winter. A old ashram name anukul ashram. A very old charaktala.

Other attractions

For the pious as well as the tourists with an archaeological bend of mind the Temple of Madangopaljiu Bagnan of 1651 at the Mellak village is a must visit. While in the temple, do check out the awesome pieces of terracotta art. At Howrah do visit the village of Gadiara, which is the point of convergence of the Damodar, the Rupnarayan and the Hoogli rivers. Gadiara in the lap of nature is a popular spot with the localities as well as the tourists. At Gadiara the Fort Mornington Point and the lighthouse will not fail to catch your eye. Another famous place is 'Hazar hath kali' - a statue of Goddess Kali with 1000 hands.Another attractive picnic spot 'Garchumuk'situated at uluberia. Tourist attractions include a deer park and opportunity for boating in winters.