TT Epaper
The Telegraph
Since 1st March, 1999

Ready reckoner

This year-ender issue of The Telegraph Howrah attempts to give our readers important information about Howrah in a nutshell. It lists the administrative, police, health and entertainment addresses in the town. For lack of space, a more comprehensive list could not be accommodated but we have tried to put together what the reader living in Howrah might need to know at a glance.

Howrah or Haora, as it is called in Bengali, is an industrial city, a municipal corporation in the Howrah district. It is the district headquarters as also the headquarters of the Howrah Sadar subdivision. Located on the west bank of the Hooghly river, it is a twin city to Calcutta. Howrah is the second smallest district after Calcutta. The two cities are connected by four bridges over the river Hooghly, the oldest among them is the Howrah Bridge (also known as Rabindra Setu), the Vidyasagar Setu (aka Second Hooghly Bridge), the Vivekananda Setu (popularly called the Bally Bridge), the Nivedita Setu (also known as the Second Vivekananda Setu) and ferry services between various jetties in the two cities.

Howrah Station serves as a terminal for two railway zones of India: the Eastern Railway and the South Eastern Railway. There are six other railway stations within the city, including the railway junction at Santragachhi and the terminal at Shalimar station. Two National Highways - NH2 and NH6 - are connected to Vidyasagar Setu via Kona Expressway. One endpoint of the Grand Trunk Road is at the Indian Botanic Garden, where Great Banyan Tree stands. Bengal Engineering and Science University, over 150 years old, stands right next to the garden and is a prestigious engineering university which will soon be upgraded to an Institution of National Importance. Another important landmark in Howrah is the Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission.