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Sightseeing Highlights
There are
many places of historical interest in the district. At Antpur, only 62 km away from Calcutta,
there are a number of temples built by the wealthy zamindars in the eighteenth
century. The most famous of these is the Radha-Govinda
temple built in 1786 and decorated with exquisite terracotta panels telling
stories from the epics as well as of life and society of the times. Beautiful
murals cover the walls and the domed celing or the ?Jagamohan?. Antpur is also
famous because it is here that Swami Vivekananda took his vows under Sri
Ramakrishna.
Bansberia is another historic village where
the temples of Ananta Vasudeva and Hanseswari are very famous. The Vasudeva
temple is constructed with a curved ceiling and an octagonal tower. Hanseswari
temple has a unique architectural style with thirteen minars, each ending in a
lotus.
The relics
of the Portuguese settlement can be seen at Bandel town on the banks of the river. Visit the Church and the
Monastery dating back to 1660. Bandel is 43 km from Calcutta and attracts tourists throughout the
year. Chandannagar or Chandernagore
is the erstwhile French colony on the banks of the river Hooghly
with a typical European promenade, churches, the convent and the residence of
the French Administrator ? all heritage buildings now. Chinsurah town has Fort
Gustavus, a church, three
barracks and many old tombs built by the Dutch settlers.
Kamarpukur is the birthplace of the great
sage of Bengal, Sri Ramakrishna who was born
here of February 17, 1836. Jairambati, close by is the birth place of Sarada Ma,
the consort of Sri Ramkrishna. Further away is Belur Math, headquarters of the
Ramakrishna Mission and across the river is the beautiful Dakshineswar Kali
Temple, where the sage
worshipped. One of the most important Hindu pilgrimage spots of Bengal is at Tarakeswar
the important centre of Shaiviites. The Taraknath temple here attracts
thousands of worshippers each day.
The famous
Imambara at Hooghly
was established by Hazi Mohammad Mohsin in 1836. The gateway is flanked by
lofty minarets, the walls are decorated with texts from the Koran and the interior
has rich carvings and inlaid marble motifs.
The district
of Hooghly is just 47 km north of Kolkata and is steeped in history and
heritage. Its headquarters are at Chinsurah. The several small but important
towns in the district are each a testimony to the rule of foreign settlers such
as the British and Portuguese at Hooghly, the
Dutch at Chinsurah, the French at Chandannagore, and the Germans and Austrians
at Bhadreswar. The Portuguese were the first to settle here in 1537, but were defeated
by Shah Jahan in 1632. The British East India Company then followed and set up a
factory here in 1651. Chandernagore was once a French colony and is still influenced
by French language and culture. Chinsurah was a Dutch settlement from 1656 to
1825. It was later exchanged by the Dutch for the British-held Indonesian island of Sumatra in 1825. The Hooghly (as the Ganga River
is called here) dominates the landscape and people use ferries to cross over
from one town to another.
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