Shibpur
Encyclopedia
Shibpur is a residential area located in the city of Howrah, West Bengal
, India
. It is well known for being the location of the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, the Bengal Engineering College and the Hazar Hath Kaali Temple. The famous Bengali linguist Suniti Kumar Chatterji
was born in Shibpur. During British Raj
, its name was written as Seebpore.
. During the era of the British rule in India
, the landlords sold their possessions to build jute
mills. These included the successful jute mills such as the Howrah Jute Mill and the Bengal Jute Mill amongst others. The proximity to Kolkata
's southern district and the central business district
which is just across the river brought many middle class office goers to seek cheaper lodging in Shibpur. Some of the old jamindar's house in shibpur is like the Roy Choudhury's. The family stayed in Shibpur for near about 500 years at Sanjher Attchala. Botanical Garden was a British determent area. Then after freedom Indian government took a long place from the garden and made the college. The most old banyan tree is in the B Garden. Its original root has been destroyed many years ago and the tree sprayed a lot through its brunches. This tree was taken from Africa by the British govt. Temple of batai chandi (considered an avatar of goddess Kali) is another famous place.
project a vast tract of land near used to be a marsh and only dotted by few villages. Which is a dream of distant past now after building the iconic bridge and the Kona express way easily connecting the place with heart of Kolkata
and the national highway and the industrial sector in Dasnagar. Notably the Kolkata port was connected to the rest of India easier than the other existing route through Howrah Bridge
and Bally bridge which are famous for their congested rush hour traffic. As a result of that the place has good an attention recently over again. The town saw an immediate rush for land after the proposal for the bridge. Now various important buildings of district is located in the town namely the water purifying plant at Padmapukur and the Dumurjala stadium and a good number of women's hockey clubs. It has also turned up in the recent real estate boom the metropolis over the last 10 years Shibpur has developed into a popular residential community. Many multi-storied apartment complexes have been built (e.g. Panchsheel Apartments) attracted by the location near the River Ganges, as well as by the easy connection to South Kolkata
over the Vidyasagar Setu
bridge. Newly constructed roads have made access to the area very easy. Many parts have turned up as a transportation gateway to Kolkata.
, the author of the first complete English translation of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata
(1883–1893) also lived in Shibpur.
Shibpur is notorious for its narrow lanes and high density built up town space. Shibpur has a chequered history in the field of culture. The residents of this place are well known for their interest in music, the arts and literature. Many luminaries of West Bengal in the fields of sports and athletics reside here. The only indoor stadium in Howrah, the Dumurjala Indoor Stadium, is located in the western fringe of Shibpur along the Drainage Canal road.
, a very popular jogging track and rendezvous point. It was named 'Mandirtala' due to two popular Mandirs of Lord Shiva situated here. Nearby popular places are Shashthitala & Shibpur Bazar, Hazar Hath Kalitala, Dumurjola Stadium. Shibpur Bazaar is a busy marketplace, where most of Shibpur's shops and stalls are located.
Shalimar is a terminus station for south eastern railway, is also a port. Shalimar port is even older than the Kolkata port made by the colonial rulers. Shalimar port was in function during the Mughal Empire
, which was connected to the rest of the country with Grand Trunk Road
.
Shibpur contain many of the good schools and colleges in West Bengal
. The eminent institution Bengal Engineering College, the second oldest engineering college in India
, was given the status of a university
making it the first university in Howrah. The university was renamed the Bengal Engineering & Science University, Shibpur. Shibpur Hindu Girls' High School, Vabani Balika Vidyalaya, Tara Sundari Valika Vidyalaya, Howrah Zilla School, Shibpur Srimat Swami Projnanananda Saraswati Vidyalaya, Howrah Vivekananda Institution, Shibpur Sri Ramkrishna Vidyalaya, Shibpur Shikshalaya, Sri Ramkrishna Sikshalaya are well known school in the state for its large number of good students.
Dumurjala adds to sports excellence of Howrah which is known for the football talents like Sailen Manna
. The newly built indoor stadium is encircled with a clubs devoted to various sports and athletic activities like swimming, hockey and cricket, not to mention football.
.
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
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is well known for being the location of the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, the Bengal Engineering College and the Hazar Hath Kaali Temple. The famous Bengali linguist Suniti Kumar Chatterji
Suniti Kumar Chatterji
Suniti Kumar Chatterji was an Indian linguist, educationist and litterateur. He was born on 26 November 1890 at Shibpur in Howrah...
was born in Shibpur. During British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, its name was written as Seebpore.
History
The area was home to many royal landlords (jamindars) in BengalBengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. During the era of the British rule in India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, the landlords sold their possessions to build jute
Jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, which has been classified in the family Tiliaceae, or more recently in Malvaceae....
mills. These included the successful jute mills such as the Howrah Jute Mill and the Bengal Jute Mill amongst others. The proximity to 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...
's southern district and the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
which is just across the river brought many middle class office goers to seek cheaper lodging in Shibpur. Some of the old jamindar's house in shibpur is like the Roy Choudhury's. The family stayed in Shibpur for near about 500 years at Sanjher Attchala. Botanical Garden was a British determent area. Then after freedom Indian government took a long place from the garden and made the college. The most old banyan tree is in the B Garden. Its original root has been destroyed many years ago and the tree sprayed a lot through its brunches. This tree was taken from Africa by the British govt. Temple of batai chandi (considered an avatar of goddess Kali) is another famous place.
Recent developments
Before the Vidyasagar SetuVidyasagar 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...
project a vast tract of land near used to be a marsh and only dotted by few villages. Which is a dream of distant past now after building the iconic bridge and the Kona express way easily connecting the place with heart of 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...
and the national highway and the industrial sector in Dasnagar. Notably the Kolkata port was connected to the rest of India easier than the other existing route through Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge
The Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city, Kolkata . On 14 June 1965 it was renamed Rabindra Setu, after Rabindranath...
and Bally bridge which are famous for their congested rush hour traffic. As a result of that the place has good an attention recently over again. The town saw an immediate rush for land after the proposal for the bridge. Now various important buildings of district is located in the town namely the water purifying plant at Padmapukur and the Dumurjala stadium and a good number of women's hockey clubs. It has also turned up in the recent real estate boom the metropolis over the last 10 years Shibpur has developed into a popular residential community. Many multi-storied apartment complexes have been built (e.g. Panchsheel Apartments) attracted by the location near the River Ganges, as well as by the easy connection to South 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...
over the 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...
bridge. Newly constructed roads have made access to the area very easy. Many parts have turned up as a transportation gateway to Kolkata.
Culture
The eminent novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay lived in Baje Shibpur, at north of Shibpur. Kisari Mohan GanguliKisari Mohan Ganguli
Kisari Mohan Ganguli was an Indian translator, who is most known for the first complete English translation of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata published as The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose between 1883 to 1896 by Pratap Chandra Roy , a Calcutta bookseller,...
, the author of the first complete English translation of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
(1883–1893) also lived in Shibpur.
Shibpur is notorious for its narrow lanes and high density built up town space. Shibpur has a chequered history in the field of culture. The residents of this place are well known for their interest in music, the arts and literature. Many luminaries of West Bengal in the fields of sports and athletics reside here. The only indoor stadium in Howrah, the Dumurjala Indoor Stadium, is located in the western fringe of Shibpur along the Drainage Canal road.
Popular Areas
Being a largely populated city Shibpur has its share of areas and places that play the role of landmarks and "hangout" points, such as - Mandirtala: the Shibpur entrance to the Vidyasagar SetuVidyasagar 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...
, a very popular jogging track and rendezvous point. It was named 'Mandirtala' due to two popular Mandirs of Lord Shiva situated here. Nearby popular places are Shashthitala & Shibpur Bazar, Hazar Hath Kalitala, Dumurjola Stadium. Shibpur Bazaar is a busy marketplace, where most of Shibpur's shops and stalls are located.
Shalimar is a terminus station for south eastern railway, is also a port. Shalimar port is even older than the Kolkata port made by the colonial rulers. Shalimar port was in function during the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
, which was connected to the rest of the country with Grand Trunk Road
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
.
Shibpur contain many of the good schools and colleges in West Bengal
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...
. The eminent institution Bengal Engineering College, the second oldest engineering college in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, was given the status of a university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
making it the first university in Howrah. The university was renamed the Bengal Engineering & Science University, Shibpur. Shibpur Hindu Girls' High School, Vabani Balika Vidyalaya, Tara Sundari Valika Vidyalaya, Howrah Zilla School, Shibpur Srimat Swami Projnanananda Saraswati Vidyalaya, Howrah Vivekananda Institution, Shibpur Sri Ramkrishna Vidyalaya, Shibpur Shikshalaya, Sri Ramkrishna Sikshalaya are well known school in the state for its large number of good students.
Dumurjala adds to sports excellence of Howrah which is known for the football talents like Sailen Manna
Sailen Manna
Sailendra Nath Manna , known popularly as Sailen Manna, is an Indian International Footballer and is considered to be one of the best defenders India has ever produced. He has represented and captained India in different international competitions including Olympics and Asian Games...
. The newly built indoor stadium is encircled with a clubs devoted to various sports and athletic activities like swimming, hockey and cricket, not to mention football.
Problems
Even after all the improvement in the recent two decades the place is not free of the usual problems with Howrah. The amount of road space to the population in Howrah is too small compared to even smaller towns by populations like BerhampurBerhampur
Brahmapur , nicknamed "The Silk City", is a city located in the eastern coastline of Ganjam district of the Indian state of Orissa, about south to state capital, Bhubaneswar.It is also dubbed as "The Dance City" of Orissa after Prince Dance Group and Harihar Das made the state famous in India's...
.