Page 287 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

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terracotta tablets in the p Botanical
frieze below the roof. Gardens
Further away is Kolkata’s
celebrated landmark, W bank of the Hooghly river, Shibpur.
the giant Howrah Bridge g from Babu Ghat. Tel (033) 2668 9970.
(now called Rabindra Open daily. The Palm House: Open
10am–5pm daily. Note: Visitors should
Setu), an airy, elegant plan morning visits, as the house may
mesh of steel that be closed in the after noon for security
appears to float above reasons. The National Herbarium:
the turgid Hooghly river Open Mon–Fri. Closed public hols.
(see p271). The sunset
behind the bridge is one The Botanical Gardens, in the
of the loveliest sights in Shibpur suburb of Howrah, were
the city. Built in 1943 to established in 1787 by Colonel
replace the old pontoon Kyd, an official of the East India
bridge, this is the sixth- Company. It has an astonishing
longest cantilever bridge array of flora inclu ding ferns,
in the world, with a cacti and palms, and boasts
central span of 457 m plants from ev ery continent. The
(1,500 ft). The bridge chief attraction is the magnificent
Final touches being given to a Durga image links Kolkata with banyan tree (Ficus bengalensis).
Howrah (Haora), the Claimed to be the largest banyan
o Kumartuli city’s main railway station tree in the world, it is more than
on the opposite bank, and is 200 years old, and its branches,
North Chitpur Rd.
always clogged with traffic. giving rise to nearly 300 aerial
Literally, the “Area of the Potters”, To its south is the impressive roots, spread over 60 m (197 ft).
Kumartuli is a maze of alleys, Vidyasagar Setu. This massive The central trunk was, however,
where images of various Hindu cable-stayed suspension bridge struck by lightning in 1919 and
gods and goddesses are made. was opened in 1992 to connect was subsequently removed. The
The best time to visit is late South Kolkata with Shibpur sight of this tree alone is worth
August and early September, as and Howrah station. the long journey.
this is when potters create the
idols for the ten-day-long Durga
Puja. It is fascinating to watch
them at work, moulding the
clay, strengthened by straw
and pith, to create images of
the fish-eyed goddess Durga,
with her face often modelled
on popular Hindi film actresses
and her hair long and flowing.
Nearby is an ancient temple
dedicated to Shiva, known as
the Buro Shiva or “Old Shiva
Temple”. This is probably the
only extant terracotta temple
in the city, embellished with Gigantic leaves of the Victoria amazonica lily, Botanical Gardens

The Durga Puja
Durga Puja is West Bengal’s favourite annual ritual, in which simply
everyone participates. Usually held between September and October, it
heralds the advent of autumn and the new harvest. Each locality sets up
its own puja, organized by local clubs and associations, financed through
public subscriptions, though some of the old Bengali families perform
their own puja in their ancestral houses. Brightly illuminated pandals
(bamboo structures), often shaped like famous monuments such as the
White House or the Taj Mahal, are erected on roads and in parks, and an
image of the goddess Durga (see p29) is installed within. The goddess is
elaborately decorated and in traditional Bengali homes, real jewellery
is used. Presents are exchanged, and great feasts are prepared. On the
Image of the ten-armed Durga, final day, the images are immersed in the Hooghly, to the frantic beating
slaying Mahisha of drums and cries of “Jai Ma Durga!” (“Hail to Mother Durga!”).

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