Howrah (also spelled Haora) is an industrial city in West Bengal, India, and is also the name of the administrative district including the city and its surroundings. It is on the left bank of the Hoogli River, and is Kolkata's twin city. It is West Bengal's second largest city. The two cities are linked by the famous Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu), as well as the Vidyasagar Setu (the second Howrah Bridge) and the Vivekananda Setu bridges. The city also contains Howrah Station, one of the major train stations serving Kolkata as well as Howrah.

Neighbourhoods

Belur Math - Shibpur

Attractions in Howrah

There are many notable attractions in Howrah:

Belur Math

One of the attractions in Howrah is Belur Math. It is the location of the Ramakrishna Temple, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission. The temple and gardens are thought of as tourist attractions. Besides the temple there are several educational institutes also at Belur Math.

Shibpur

Shibpur is the location of the Indian Botanical Gardens and contains the Great Indian Banyan Tree . The Great Banyan Tree boasts of having the largest canopy in the world. It continues to grow and almost looks like a forest. The botanical garden happens to be the oldest in India and was founded in 1786. Close to the Botanical Gardens are the deemed university and famous technical institute of the Bengal Engineering College. The Shibpur area is now said to be a popular neighbourhood, with the proximity of the Vidyasagar Setu and proximity to the River Ganges.

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 River, the Rupnarayan River 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.

External links

• http://www.tourism-of-india.com/howrah.html
• http://home.att.net/~dakku/cal5.html - Bridges of Calcutta
• http://www.calcuttaweb.com/maps/howrah.htm - Map of Howrah