East India · West Bengal
Howrah, West Bengal
Sources: wikimedia
About Howrah
- Riverside
Where it is
Howrah is the twin city of Kolkata in West Bengal, on the west bank of the Hooghly River directly opposite it, linked to it by the Howrah Bridge and the Vidyasagar Setu.
History
The Venetian traveller Cesare Federici noted a trading port called Buttor here around 1578, and the area came under the East India Company in the 18th century. Its railway station opened in 1854 as the terminus of eastern India's first railway line, and jute mills and engineering works along the river earned it the name Sheffield of the East.
People
Bengali is the main language, and Hindi and Urdu are spoken by many families who came from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to work in the mills and markets. Durga Puja lights up the city each autumn, and the riverside ghats fill for Chhath.
Known for
- Howrah Bridge across the Hooghly
- Howrah railway station
- The Great Banyan in the Botanic Garden
- Belur Math
- Light engineering workshops
Did you know?
The Great Banyan in Howrah's Botanic Garden spreads over nearly two hectares like a small forest, yet it is a single tree that has lived on through its aerial roots since its decayed main trunk was removed in 1925.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.