Santragachhi
Encyclopedia
Santragachhi or Santragachi is a neighbourhood of Howrah city in West Bengal
, India. It has a railway station which is a railway junction
on the South Eastern Railway
. There is a large lake here named Santragachhi Jheel which attracts migratory birds such as Lesser Whistling Duck
in the winter months.
First vernacular school of the Howrah district
was established in Santragachhi in 1857 with the help of a Government grant. For Indian girls, the first girls' school of the Howrah district with Indian management was established in Santragachhi in 1863 with a small grant from the Government.
Santragachhi produced good quality of arum
s (ol: ). There is a variety of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius
(Elephant-foot yam of arum family) which is named Santragachhi after this place.
, Buxarah etc.
, was connected to Howrah station
in 1900. This time, the 3 mile long short branch from Santragachhi to Shalimar Station
was also created for redirecting heavy traffic of export goods, for further carrying them to Kidderpore
dock in Kolkata
via large ferry steamers. Santragachhi railway station is now a railway junction
.
Santragachhi is also close to Kona Expressway, which connects to Kolkata via Vidyasagar Setu
and towards rest of the NH 6 and to the NH 2
.
Santragachhi is the main Railway coaching yard of South Eastern Railway's Kharagpur Divission. Maintanance of more than 50 long or short distance trains are done here. The Class one flat yard consists a Diesle Locomotive Shed, an Electric Locomotive Shed, Washing and Sick lines and a turn table.
, Northern Shoveler
, Northern Pintail
, Garganey
from north of the Himalayas, and many other local migratory birds such as Cotton Pygmy Goose
, Comb Duck
etc. are spotted here during this season. However, Lesser Whistling Duck
is the most dominant species visible here.
The lake area is owned by South Eastern Railway, though the Forest Department of West Bengal also looks after the place. Every year before the migratory birds are expected to arrive, the Forest department cleans Water hyacinth
from the lake, though leaving some portion of it which adds up to an environment suitable for the birds. Efforts are made by local residents, Forest Department and Railways to improve the environment for the birds.
Forest Ministry of the State Government of West Bengal intends to convert the lake to a 'wildlife conservation centre'.
(Unknown – 20 November 1930) was famous Bengali philosopher saint of India.
In the year 1929, on the month of November (2nd Agrahayana of Bengali calendar 1336), an ashram was established by Tibbetibaba on the earnest request of his devotees and disciples. This ashram was given the name of Tibbetibaba Vedanta Ashram by his devotees and disciples. Land for the ashram was bought by a man named ‘Bishnupada Chattopadhyaya ‘(later he came to be known as “Bhooan Swami’’).The first brick for the ashram was laid by Tibbetibaba himself. Later more land for the ashram was bought by a man from Entally area of Kolkata.
At present this ashram is located at “76/3, Taantipara Lane, P.O. Santragachi, Howrah – 711 104, West Bengal, India.” It is commonly referred as ‘Tibbetibaba (Tibbati Baba) Ashram’ by the common people of Dalal Pukur area.
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India. It has a railway station which is a railway junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
on the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (India)
The South Eastern Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Garden Reach, Kolkata. It comprises four divisions:# Adra Railway Division# Chakradharpur Railway Division# Kharagpur Railway Division...
. There is a large lake here named Santragachhi Jheel which attracts migratory birds such as Lesser Whistling Duck
Lesser Whistling Duck
The Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica, also known as Indian Whistling Duck, is a small whistling duck which breeds in South Asia and southeast Asia...
in the winter months.
History
In the early twentieth century, Santragachhi was a large village, with a part within Howrah municipality. According to a legend, the principal family there, the Chaudhuris, who were Barendra brahmins, started staying here 300 years from now. Inspired by them, other Barendra families moved to the place. The railway station of Santragachhi was named after this place, though this place is closer to another railway station at Ramrajatala. Ramrajatala area was considered a quarter of the area under this village.First vernacular school of the Howrah district
Howrah District
Howrah district is a district of the West Bengal state in eastern India. It has thousands of years of rich heritage in the form of the great Bengali kingdom of Bhurshut. The district is named after its headquarters, the city of Howrah.-Geography:...
was established in Santragachhi in 1857 with the help of a Government grant. For Indian girls, the first girls' school of the Howrah district with Indian management was established in Santragachhi in 1863 with a small grant from the Government.
Santragachhi produced good quality of arum
Arum
Arum is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region....
s (ol: ). There is a variety of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, the Elephant foot yam or Whitespot giant arum or Stink lily, is a tropical tuber crop that offers excellent scope for adoption in the tropical countries as a cash crop due to its production potential and popularity as a vegetable in various delicious cuisines.Elephant...
(Elephant-foot yam of arum family) which is named Santragachhi after this place.
Location
Santragachhi is located at 22.58017°N 88.26963°E. Other neighbourhoods of Howrah that surround Santragachhi are Ramrajatala, JagachaJagacha
Jagacha or Jagachha is a neighborhood of Howrah city located in the Howrah district, West Bengal, India.-Geography:Jagacha is located at . It is adjacent to Ramrajatala, a neighbourhood in the north-western part of Howrah. Santragachhi railway station connects the town to Howrah station...
, Buxarah etc.
Transport
Bengal Nagpur Railway, which is now known as South Eastern RailwaySouth Eastern Railway (India)
The South Eastern Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Garden Reach, Kolkata. It comprises four divisions:# Adra Railway Division# Chakradharpur Railway Division# Kharagpur Railway Division...
, was connected to Howrah station
Howrah station
Howrah Station is one of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata railway station in Kolkata. Howrah is situated on the West bank of the Hooghly River, linked to Kolkata by the magnificent Howrah Bridge which...
in 1900. This time, the 3 mile long short branch from Santragachhi to Shalimar Station
Shalimar Station
Shalimar Station is the newest of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, in Kolkata, Kolkata Station in Kolkata and Howrah Station in Howrah. Shalimar station is situated in the Shalimar area of Howrah. It is located near Shibpur area of...
was also created for redirecting heavy traffic of export goods, for further carrying them to Kidderpore
Kidderpore
Khidirpur or Kidderpore is a neighbourhood of metropolitan Kolkata . Located in the central-west part of the city, it is bounded by the districts of Alipore in the east, Ekbalpore in the south, Hastings in the north, Metiabruz in the south-west and the Hooghly River in the west.-History:One of the...
dock in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
via large ferry steamers. Santragachhi railway station is now a railway junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
.
Santragachhi is also close to Kona Expressway, which connects to Kolkata via Vidyasagar Setu
Vidyasagar Setu
Vidyasagar Setu, also known as the Second Hooghly Bridge, is a bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It links the city of Kolkata to Howrah. The bridge is a toll bridge for all vehicles. At a total length of 822.96 m, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in India and one of the...
and towards rest of the NH 6 and to the NH 2
National Highway 2 (India)
National Highway 2 , commonly referred as Delhi-Kolkata Road is a busy Indian National Highway that runs through the states of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. It constitute a major portion of historical Grand Trunk Road along with NH 91 and NH 1 in India...
.
Santragachhi is the main Railway coaching yard of South Eastern Railway's Kharagpur Divission. Maintanance of more than 50 long or short distance trains are done here. The Class one flat yard consists a Diesle Locomotive Shed, an Electric Locomotive Shed, Washing and Sick lines and a turn table.
Education
There are several secondary and higher secondary schools for boys and girls. Jagacha High School, Surendranath Girls High School, Jagacha Girl's High School, Buxarah High School, Santragachi Kedarnath Institution, Dharsa Mihirlal Khan Institution, S.E. Railway Mixed High School and St. Marys Convent School. There is also a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Santragachi.Santragachhi Jheel
Santragachhi Jheel is a large lake, located next to the Santragachhi railway station. This lake attracts large number of migratory birds in the winter months, particularly in December and January. The number has increased in recent years, as migratory birds have started to avoid destinations like the lakes in Alipore Zoo, Kolkata. Birds like Saras Crane from North America and Australia, GadwallGadwall
The Gadwall is a common and widespread duck of the family Anatidae.- Description :The Gadwall is 46–56 cm long with a 78–90 cm wingspan. The male is slightly larger than the female, weighing on average 990 g against her 850 g...
, Northern Shoveler
Northern Shoveler
The Northern Shoveler , Northern Shoveller in British English, sometimes known simply as the Shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, and is a rare vagrant to Australia...
, Northern Pintail
Northern Pintail
The Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator...
, Garganey
Garganey
The Garganey is a small dabbling duck. It breeds in much of Europe and western Asia, but is strictly migratory, with the entire population moving to southern Africa, India Santragachi and Australasia in winter, where large flocks can occur. This species was first described by Linnaeus in 1758...
from north of the Himalayas, and many other local migratory birds such as Cotton Pygmy Goose
Cotton Pygmy Goose
The Cotton Pygmy Goose or the Cotton Teal, Nettapus coromandelianus is a small perching duck which breeds in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, southeast Asia and south to northern Australia.-Description:...
, Comb Duck
Comb Duck
The Knob-billed Duck , or Comb Duck, is an unusual, pan-tropical duck, found in tropical wetlands in sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar and south Asia from Pakistan to Laos and extreme southern China...
etc. are spotted here during this season. However, Lesser Whistling Duck
Lesser Whistling Duck
The Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica, also known as Indian Whistling Duck, is a small whistling duck which breeds in South Asia and southeast Asia...
is the most dominant species visible here.
The lake area is owned by South Eastern Railway, though the Forest Department of West Bengal also looks after the place. Every year before the migratory birds are expected to arrive, the Forest department cleans Water hyacinth
Water hyacinth
The seven species of water hyacinth comprise the genus Eichhornia. Water hyacinth are a free-floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in...
from the lake, though leaving some portion of it which adds up to an environment suitable for the birds. Efforts are made by local residents, Forest Department and Railways to improve the environment for the birds.
Forest Ministry of the State Government of West Bengal intends to convert the lake to a 'wildlife conservation centre'.
Tibbati Baba Ashram
Dalal Pukur area of Santragachi is famous for Tibbati Baba (Tibbetibaba) Ashram. TibbetibabaTibbetibaba
Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known as Mahasadhak Tibbetibaba or Paramhamsa Tibbetibaba, alternative spellings Tibbatibaba, Tibbati Baba, Tibbeti Baba,Tibbotibaba or Tibboti Baba originally named Nabin Chattopadhhyaya or Nabin or Nabin Chandra, Tibbetibaba , Hindi:तिब्बती बाबा, also known...
(Unknown – 20 November 1930) was famous Bengali philosopher saint of India.
In the year 1929, on the month of November (2nd Agrahayana of Bengali calendar 1336), an ashram was established by Tibbetibaba on the earnest request of his devotees and disciples. This ashram was given the name of Tibbetibaba Vedanta Ashram by his devotees and disciples. Land for the ashram was bought by a man named ‘Bishnupada Chattopadhyaya ‘(later he came to be known as “Bhooan Swami’’).The first brick for the ashram was laid by Tibbetibaba himself. Later more land for the ashram was bought by a man from Entally area of Kolkata.
At present this ashram is located at “76/3, Taantipara Lane, P.O. Santragachi, Howrah – 711 104, West Bengal, India.” It is commonly referred as ‘Tibbetibaba (Tibbati Baba) Ashram’ by the common people of Dalal Pukur area.