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The Northern Suburbs of Kolkata cover the large urbanised industrial area to the north of the city, which includes Baguiati, Baranagar, Belgachia, Birati, Chitpur, Cossipore, Dakshineswar, Dum Dum, Lake Town, Nagerbazar, Paikpara and Sinthee. The once flourishing manufacturing belt still has some units working well, but the industrial area as a whole is no more in the pink of health and is often in the news for wrong reasons.
Nonetheless, the Northern Suburbs are home to the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, a popular pilgrimage site in West Bengal and is considered as the twin of Varanasi downstream. The district is also a major transport hub where air travel, rapid transit, commuter rail and bus transport converge. It hosts a lot of international fast-food chains and shopping malls as well.
Understand
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History
[edit | edit source]In the 17th century, Dutch merchants established a residence in Baranagar, making it a significant business hub at the time and the centre of the jute industry. It has become a major industrial centre for the manufacture of agricultural and industrial machinery, chemicals, castor oil, several jute products, matches, and numerous cotton-processing companies.
The British Raj had a major arsenal at Dum Dum which manufactured, among other things, expanding bullets which are still sometimes called "dum-dum bullets". They were later banned in warfare by the Hague Convention as being too inhumane.
Dum Dum, along with Barrackpore, was a major centre of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. It was rumoured that the paper cartridges provided to Indian soldiers were laced with pig lard or cow fat, resulting in the revolt of the soldiers in Dum Dum Cantonment.
However, the military importance of the suburbs declined by the late 1920s, when Dum Dum Cantonment became a civilian municipality. With the growth of Dum Dum Airport (later Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport), the area transforms into a major transport hub of Kolkata, alongside Howrah, Esplanade and Sealdah. The Kolkata Circular Railway has a terminus at Dum Dum Junction, which is connected with metro and bus routes.
Get in
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By metro
[edit | edit source]The fastest and the most convenient way to reach Northern Suburbs from the south. The Blue Line 1 runs along the city from north to south, and its branch Yellow Line 4 connects it to the airport. However, you may have to change to other modes of transport to reach your destination. Trains run every 10-15 minutes and at ₹5-₹15. It runs from 7:02AM to 9:49PM from Monday to Saturday and 10:02AM to 9:49PM on Sunday.
The metro stations in Northern Suburbs are 1 Belgachia 1 , 2 Dum Dum 1 Sealdah Circular Chord Link , 3 Noapara 1 4 , 4 Baranagar 1 Chord Link , 5 Dakshineswar 1 Chord Link , 6 Dum Dum Cantonment 4 Sealdah , 7 Jessore Road 4 and 8 Jai Hind 4 .
By train
[edit | edit source]The main line links Sealdah and Ranaghat, with a branch line to Bangaon, near the India-Bangladesh border. This line once served to link Kolkata with eastern Bengal (now Bangladesh), and it still does with international trains like the Bandhan Express and the Maitree Express, albeit not as frequently.
The Chord Link Line Chord Link links Dum Dum to Dankuni on the Howrah-Bardhaman Chord.
The stations in the Northern Suburbs include 9 Tala Circular , 10 Kolkata Circular , 11 Patipukur Circular , Dum Dum 1 Sealdah Circular Chord Link , Baranagar 1 Chord Link , Dakshineswar 1 Chord Link , Dum Dum Cantonment 4 Sealdah , 12 Durganagar Sealdah , 13 Birati Sealdah and 14 Bisharpara Kodaliya Sealdah .
By car
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The two main roads leading into the area from Kolkata are Barrackpore Trunk Road and Jessore Road (NH 34). Jessore Road is linked with the junction point of NH 2 and NH 6 at Dankuni via Belghoria Expressway across Nivedita Setu. Direct roads link Barrackpore with Barasat and Sodepur with Madhyamgram. Kalyani Expressway is another important link in the area.
By ferry
[edit | edit source]There are a set of parallel bridges across the Hooghly River - Vivekananda Setu and Nivedita Setu - between Dakshineswar and Bally. Between Naihati and Bandel, there only is a railway bridge. There are numerous ferry points (locally known as ghats) connecting the two banks of the Hooghly River.
- 15 Kuthi Ghat. There's a heritage building established by the Dutch merchants in 17th century, as "Dutch Kuthi".
- 16 Cossipore Launch Ghat.
- 17 Dakshineswar Ghat. You can enjoy a 20–30-minute boating ride from Dakshineswar to Belur Math. Sunset on the Hooghly River behind Vivekananda Setu from the bank is superb. In winter, you will enjoy the most with the set of dusk and chill wind blowing over your body.
- 18 Ratan Babu Ghat. Often mistaken for the Kuthi Ghat of Baranagar, as it provides similar views of the Hooghly River as Kuthi Ghat.
See
[edit | edit source]- Balaram Mandir. Once a residence of Balaram Bose, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, the house hosts various events under the auspices of the Ramakrishna Mission, including the birthday celebrations of Ramakrishna, his wife Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda. The house also has a collection of 1,800 books.
- 1 Belgachia Villa (Paikpara Rajbari), 64B, Khudiram Bose Sarani. A large garden house. Prince Dwarkanath Tagore bought it from an Italian around 1823. In 1846, when he died in England, it was discovered that he was heavily in debt due to his extravagant spending. To pay off his debts, his son Debendranath sold Belgachia Villa and other properties.
- 2 Clive House, Rastraguru Ave, Nagerbazar. Considered to be the first pucca brick and cement building in West Bengal, possibly built by the Dutch or Portuguese. What is known is that it was used by British soldiers when they first entered the country. Later, Robert Clive took the area over, renovated it, added a floor to the single-storey building, and made it his country house around 1757-60. The house is on a raised mound in otherwise flat surroundings. When Clive House was excavated, a variety of artefacts were recovered, including coins, terracotta figures, sculptures, pottery and intelligence on a Portuguese fort. The articles found could be of the Sena period or may alternatively have links with the ancient Chandraketugarh civilisation. The name "Clive House" also refers to the surrounding neighbourhood.
- 3 Cossipore Burning Ghat (কাশীপুর মহাশ্মশান Kāśīpur Mahāśmaśān), 2, Strand Bank Rd. Another major Hindu crematorium along the Hooghly River after Nimtala Ghat. It is where Sri Ramakrishna was cremated in 1886, and his remains are kept at "Sri Ramkrishna Paramhanshadev Samadhiprangan", literally the "burial ground of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa".
- 4 G.T.S. Tower. A 75 ft (23 m) masonry tower, built in 1831 for the Great Trigonometrical Survey conducted by George Everest, the namesake of Mount Everest. The tower is still maintained in good condition by the KMC, as a relic of the history of geographic survey in India.
- 5 Tala Tank. One of the largest overhead water reservoirs in the world, as well as the major water supplier to Kolkata for more than 110 years since its inauguration in May 1911 by Edward Norman Baker, the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. Owned by the KMC, the reservoir is fed by Palta Water Works near Barrackpore and to send the water supply to the city. It covers 3–4 acres (12,000–16,000 m2) with a capacity of 9.9 million imperial gallons (45 million litres), and weighs 44 thousand tonnes (97 million pounds) at maximum capacity.
Dakshineswar Kali Temple
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The main attraction of the Northern Suburbs. It can be reached from Dakshineswar 1 Chord Link by a 330 m (1,080 ft) long skywalk, which provides a good view of the surroundings. Flowers and offerings to the goddess are available in an arcade just outside the temple. Many devotees follow the Hindu custom of fasting before worshipping here. There are many small eateries and restaurants catering to a large clientele.
- 6 Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Rani Rashmoni Rd, ☏ +91 33 2564-5222. 6:00AM-12:30PM and 3:00PM-8:30PM. 📵 Shoes, cameras and mobile phones not allowed. Submit at stand. The famous Hindu navaratna (nine-pinnacled) temple dedicated to Goddess Kali, who is worshipped here as Ma Bhavatarini. The temple was inaugurated by Rani Rashmoni in 1855, and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was the head and only priest of it from 1856 to 1886. He spent most of his life in the nahabat khānā (corruption of naubat xānā, meaning "drum house") chamber of the temple complex. After Ramakrishna's death, the temple complex had been taken over by the then-Government of Bengal, later the Government of West Bengal. It attracts thousands of worshipers around the year, especially on the day of Shyama Puja, Shiva Chaturdashi, Poyla Boishakh, Akshaya Tritiya, New Year's Day and Kalpataru Utsava. Beside the main temple, there are twelve shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva along the Hooghly River and a bathing ghat. Free.
- 7 Panchavati (north of the Kali temple). A complex of trees consisting of banyan (vaṭa), peepal (ashvattha), neem (nimba), amla (āmlakī) and wood apple (bilva) trees. This is where Ramakrishna performed his advaitic sādhanā in 1865.
- 8 Rani Rashmoni Temple (next to the gate of the Kali temple). The shrine dedicated to Rani Rashmoni, the founder of the temple.
Ashrams
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- 9 Alambazar Math. Second monastery of Ramakrishna Order. Swami Vivekananda first put up here after coming back from abroad.
- 10 Baranagar Math. First monastery of Ramakrishna Order. After the death of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and some of his other disciples permanently started to live here. Here, they decided to establish Belur Math for the first time.
- 11 Baranagore Ramakrishna Mission (BRKM), 37, Gopal Lal Tagore Rd, Baranagar, ☏ +91 33 2556-3817, fax: +91 33 2556-3817, [email protected]. Founded by Yogindranath Tagore (the disciple of Swami Brahmananda) in 1912. This institution celebrates many cultural programmes throughout the year. Many people come to watch those cultural events every year.
- 12 Sri Sarada Math, ☏ +91 33 2564 5411. Daily ritual worships are performed here by the nuns. The birthdays of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, and other personalities are celebrated in this nunnery, besides the Hindu festivals. Religious discourse and lectures are also done regularly.
- 13 Udyan Bati (উদ্যানবাটী Udyānbāṭī, Garden House), 90, Cossipore Rd. A monastery where Sri Ramakrishna lived from 1885 till his death in 1886. Kalpataru Utsav is celebrated every year at 1 January.
Bridges
[edit | edit source]- 14 Nivedita Setu (নিবেদিতা সেতু Nibeditā Setu). A multi-span extradosed bridge, named after a disciple of Swami Vivekananda. See the Bally listing for details.
- 15 Vivekananda Setu (বিবেকানন্দ সেতু Bibekānanda Setu). A 880 m (2,890 ft) long rail-cum-road bridge, commonly known as Bally Bridge (বালি ব্রিজ Bāli Brij). See the Bally listing for details.
Museums
[edit | edit source]- 16 P.C.M. Memorial Museum & Archive (Amrapalli), ISI, 203, Barrackpore Trunk Rd, ☏ +91 33 2575 2756, [email protected]. 10AM-6PM (closed Sa and S). A museum hosted in the former residence of statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis. It has five galleries dedicated to his life, along with 752 exhibits. It also has a preserved study room and living quarters of the statistician for their historical value. Free.
Places of worship
[edit | edit source]- 17 Basri Shah Mosque. The oldest mosque in Kolkata, dating back to 1804. It has three domes and four minarets, and is affiliated with the Hanafi school of worship.
Churches
[edit | edit source]- 18 St. James Church. The only church serving Baranagar.
- 19 St Patrick's Church, Cantonment.
- 20 St. Stephen's Church, Cantonment.
Temples
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- 21 Adyapeath Temple, ☏ +91 33 2564-6999. A three-pinnacled temple dedicated to goddess Adya, and the centre of a major religious controversy. It is said that Annada Thakur received a divine command that goddess Adya was buried under the Eden Gardens for thousands of years. He went there in 1928 and allegedly saw the statue of the goddess coming out from the ground. He consecrated the statue as the idol of this temple. But archaeologist Rakhaldas Bandyopadhyay found that the statue was sculpted recently and not thousands of years ago, as Annada Thakur claimed. Later, many people got enraged to Thakur's deception, and the devotees of the goddess decided to immerse the statue to the Ganges to prevent further fury. The sanctum of the temple remained void till the consecration of the present idol.
- 22 Bamondas Mookerjee Kali Mandir. Bamondas Mookerjee is considered a leading industrialist of his time in brickfields and colliery. After purchasing 35 bighas (46,900 m²) of land at Cossipore from British attorney John Hart in 1894, he built a Kali temple in 1904. Daily worship and all rituals are practised here, although animal sacrifice is prohibited.
- 23 Kacher Mandir (Glass Temple), 1, Pran Krishna Saha Ln.
- 24 Kripamayee Kali Temple (Joy Mitra Kalibari). A navaratna (nine-pinnacled) temple of Goddess Kali worshipped as Kripamayee (she who is merciful). There are twelve shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva.
- 25 Mahamilan Math, 7/7, PWD Road. The Annapurna Temple and the Omkarnath Temple are two attractions here.
- 26 Parshwanath Jain Temple, 26, Khudiram Bose Sarani. Considered one of the most sacred Jain temples of worship in Kolkata. The temple also has a dharamshala equipped with modern facilities.
- 27 Pathbari Temple. A place where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu set his foot on his way to Puri in the early 16th century.
Do
[edit | edit source]- 1 Cossipore Club, 4, Dum Dum Rd, ☏ +91 33 2967 0511. 6-9AM, 4-10PM.
- 2 Sinthee More Ground. Hosts various local events throughout the year, including "Ajanta Circus" every winter.
- 3 Tala Lake Park. A parcel of greenery within the area's hustle.
Cinema
[edit | edit source]Durga Puja venues
[edit | edit source]Dum Dum Park
[edit | edit source]- 6 Dum Dum Park Bharat Chakra.
- 7 Dum Dum Park Sarbojanin.
- 8 Dum Dum Park Yubak Brinda, 361, Dum Dum Park Rd.
- 9 Tarun Sangha.
Lake Town
[edit | edit source]- 10 Dakshindari Youths, 17, Dakshindari Rd.
- 11 Lake Town Adhibasi Brinda, Lake Town Rd, Block A.
- 12 Sreebhumi Sporting Club.
Learn
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- 1 Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), 203, Barrackpore Trunk Rd, Baranagar. Founded by the statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in 1932, the institute is often considered one of the foremost centres in the world for training and research in statistics.
Buy
[edit | edit source]- 1 Chandrani Pearls, 153/1, BT Rd (Baranagar 1 Chord Link ), ☏ +91 33 2578 9025. 10:30AM - 9PM. Ornaments of pearls.
- 2 Diamond Plaza, 68, Jessore Rd, Satgachi.
- 3 Nagerbazar (নাগেরবাজার Nāgerbājār). A major shopping centre in Dum Dum, at the junction of Dum Dum Rd and Jessore Rd.
- 4 Saltee Plaza, 1, Jessore Rd.
- 5 Smart Bazaar, VIP Rd, Baguiati.
- Smart Bazaar, College More, M.B. Road, Birati.
Eat
[edit | edit source]Major food chains include Wow Momo (140, BT Rd).
- 1 Arsalan Restaurant & Caterer, 123, Jessore Rd, Bangur, ☏ +91 91633 63650. Closed 1AM-10AM. Biryani and Mughlai food. Popular items: firni, mutton kosha, mutton boti kebab, chicken chatpata, mutton biryani, egg chicken roll.
- 2 Food Plaza, Rani Rashmoni Rd (close to the Kali Temple). 7AM–8PM. Vegetarian meals such as chole bhature.
- 3 Haldiram's (Vegetarian restaurant), P420, Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani, Kaikhali, ☏ +91 9830011127, +91 9830011120.
- 4 Sher-e-Punjab, Jessore Road, Sukanta Nagar, ☏ +91 33 25672848. 11 am to 12 midnight. Quality Punjabi dhaba food. Chinese & Thai dishes also available. AC or open-air seating. Drinks served.
- 5 Anandamayee Sweets, 209, BT Rd, ☏ +91 33 2577 0120. 7AM - 10PM. Traditional Bengal sweets, curd (in Bengali "doi"), ice cream, dhokla, lassi.
- 6 The Cric World, 44/51, BT Rd, ☏ +91 98304 15213 (mobile). Noon - 11PM. Multi-cuisine restaurant.
- 7 Dhaka Biryani House, 144, BT Rd (suburban: Baranagar 1 Chord Link ), ☏ +91 99039 68610 (mobile). 11AM–10:30PM.
- 8 Food Village, 144, BT Rd (suburban: Baranagar 1 Chord Link ), ☏ +91 99039 43648 (mobile). Noon - 10:45PM.
- 9 Ganguram Sweets, 269/2, BT Rd (near Baranagar Police Station), ☏ +91 98317 36332 (mobile). 7AM - 10PM.
- Haldiram's Confectioners, 140, BT Rd (near Baranagar Road railway station), ☏ +91 33 2578 0815. 9AM-2PM & 5-9PM.
- 10 Maharaja Bar and Restaurant, ☏ +91 83350 55881. 11AM-11PM.
- 11 Mahua (মহুয়া Mahuẏā), 18/3, KC Ghosh Rd. The 40-year-old shop is known for creamy dahi (দই dai), and it often runs out of dahi every day. Dahi: ₹260 per kg.
- 12 New Sher-e-Punjab Hotel, 131, BT Rd (near Indian Statistical Institute), ☏ +91 78901 01313. 11:30AM - 10:45PM.
Drink
[edit | edit source]Major café chains include Cafe Coffee Day (BT Rd). You also can get lassi in several sweets shops, in Anandamayee Sweets many kinds of lassi like mango, dahi etc. are available. In the Alambazar area, you could get lassi in a sweet shop. In the Dunlop area, near Baranagar railway station and Sonali cinema hall, several fruit juice shops are available. You can also visit "Dunlop Coffee House" for coffee.
Sleep
[edit | edit source]| This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room: | |
| Budget | Under ₹2,000 |
| Mid-range | ₹2,000–5,000 |
| Splurge | Over ₹5,000 |
There are some lodgings for the visitors to stay fortnight or so. Charges varies from season to season but it's between ₹150-300 per room per day.
Budget
[edit | edit source]- 1 Debalay Guest House, 1, TN Mukherjee Rd, Dakshineswar, ☏ +91 70441 74570 (mobile). Check-in: noon, check-out: 11AM.
- 2 FabHotel Shivangan, VIP Rd, Baguiati, ☏ +91 33 2576 2711. ₹1,900-2,800.
Mid-range
[edit | edit source]- 3 Airport City, 259, Jessore Rd, ☏ +91 33 2513 3131. ₹3,000-3,700.
- 4 Ethnotel, 71, Jessore Rd, ☏ +91 33 7101 7000.
- 5 Holiday Inn Express Kolkata Airport, 28, Jessore Rd, ☏ +91 62899 01724, +91 33 6815 1234. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon. ₹4,660.
- 6 Hotel Airways, Motilal Colony, Rajbari, ☏ +91 33 2513 2106.
- 7 Hotel Gateway Continental, ☏ +91 33 2511 8324.
- 8 Hotel O2 Oxygen, 641, VIP Rd, Kaikhali, ☏ +91 33 2525 0078, +91 33 2525 0113, +91 98364 75753 (mobile). Check-in: 1PM, check-out: noon. ₹3,460-5,600.
- 9 Orbit Hotel, RB 29, VIP Rd, Raghunathpur, ☏ +91 85840 14256 (mobile). Check-in: noon, check-out: 11AM.
- 10 Rose Valley Hotel, RGM 25/3010, Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani, Raghunathpur, Baguiati, ☏ +91 33 4019 7000.
- 11 Sher-e-Punjab, 151, Jessore Rd, ☏ +91 33 2567 2848, +91 90888 60003 (mobile). Check-in: noon, check-out: noon. A hotel-cum-restaurant with quality Punjabi dhaba food. Chinese and Thai dishes are also available. AC or open-air seating. Drinks served.
Connect
[edit | edit source]Post offices
[edit | edit source]- 2 Cossipore Head Post Office.
Cope
[edit | edit source]Fire stations
[edit | edit source]- 3 Baranagar Fire Station, 282, Deshpran Sasmal Ave, ☏ +91 33 2510 2102.
Police stations
[edit | edit source]- 4 Airport Police Station, ☏ +91 33 2511 8292, +91 91478 89436, [email protected].
- 5 Baguiati Police Station, ☏ +91 91478 89500, +91 91478 89475, [email protected].
- 6 Baranagar Police Station, 47, BT Rd, ☏ +91 33 2531 9300, [email protected].
- 7 Chitpur Police Station, 19, Cossipore Rd, ☏ +91 33 2556 6141.
- 8 Dakshineswar Police Station, ☏ +91 33 2564 9008, +91 62906 43740, [email protected], [email protected]MULTIPLE EMAIL.
- 9 Dum Dum Police Station, ☏ +91 33 2551 4167, [email protected].
- 10 Lake Town Police Station, ☏ +91 33 2534 4402, +91 91478 89479, [email protected].
- 11 Nagerbazar Police Station, 82A, Jessore Rd, ☏ +91 33 2549 9375, [email protected].
- 12 Nimta Police Station, 199, Madhusudan Banerjee Rd, ☏ +91 33 2539 3536, [email protected].