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Although Howrah is technically a separate town, as the home of much of Calcutta's industry, as well as Howrah Station, it forms an integral part of the city. Until recently, antiquated Howrah Bridge was the only road link across the River Hooghly; since the opening of the tall and elegant Vidyasagar Setu , the second Hooghly bridge, a few years ago, the west bank of the river is changing rapidly. Vidyasagar Setu (also referred to as the New or Natun Bridge) provides easy access to Shibpur and the beautiful Botanical Gardens , and onwards southwest to the open highways towards Orissa. Across the river from central Calcutta, Howrah Station , built in 1906, is a striking red-brick building, topped by eight square towers and used by millions of passengers each day. During the war in Bangladesh in the early Seventies, it found itself sheltering thousands of refugees in horrific conditions. Until silting rendered it impractical for large ships, the River Hooghly , a distributary of the Ganges, was responsible for making Calcutta a bustling port. Unlike those at Varanasi, the ghats that line its east (Calcutta) bank have no great esoteric significance; they simply serve as landings and places for ritual ablutions. Around 1.5km north of Howrah Bridge, Nimtolla Ghat , one of the city's main cremation grounds, is sealed off from the public gaze. The large steps alongside, and a Shiva temple, attract strange sadhus as they head through the city on their way to January's Ganga Sagar Mela. A little further north, behind Kumartuli Ghat , a warren of lanes is home to a community of artisans who specialize in making the clay, straw and pith images of deities used for the major festivals. In the days leading up to the great pujas, especially that of Durga, Kumartuli is a fascinating hive of activity. As you walk north, you come next to Baghbazaar Ghat , where overloaded barges of straw arrive for the craftsmen of Kumartuli. Baghbazaar, the Garden Market, stands on the original site of Sutanuti, its grand but decaying turn-of-the-twentieth-century mansions epitomizing the long-vanished lifestyle of the Bengali gentry, the bhadra log . South of Howrah Bridge, but right in its shadow, the large Armenian Ghat is at its most animated soon after dawn, when traditional gymnasts and wrestlers, devotees of Hanuman the monkey god, do their morning practice, and a flower market is in full swing. Nearby, vehicles, from trams to handcarts, battle inch by inch to gain access to the Howrah Bridge. As the cobbled and much-potholed Strand heads south, it passes several warehouses on the way beyond Fairly Place to another cluster of ghats . Babu Ghat here, identified by its crumbling colonnade, is used for early-morning bathing, attended by pujaris (priests) and heavy-handed masseurs. Nearby,  © 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here!
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Babu Ghat's Bus Stand is one of Calcutta's main cross-country terminuses, while ferries from Chandpal Ghat , a couple of hundred metres north, provide an easy alternative to Howrah Bridge. Further south, past Eden Gardens, the Strand opens out into the promenades near Fort William, where people come to enjoy the cool evening river breezes. An ice-cream parlour overlooks the river and snack vendors are everywhere. A short boat trip to the new bridge and back costs around Rs40
Your Tips For Howrah and the River Hooghly
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