Howrah Bridge

Location: Howrah

Time to Visit: Anytime of the day

Preferred Timings: Best time to visit the Howrah Bridge is early in the morning with people taking bath in the Hooghly river and the flower market which is one of the biggest in Asia, sells rich varieties of blooms. The banks of the Hooghly are littered with flowers which makes the areas surrounding the Howrah bridge a riot of colors.

Admission Fee: Nil

How to Reach: Local buses and metered taxis are readily available from various parts of the city. One can also avail Howrah bound local trains. The trains are mostly crowded and be aware of pickpocketers.

Photography / Video charges: Photography is strictly prohibited

Nearest Railway Station: Howrah

Nearest Metro Station: Esplanade.

Nearest Functional Metro Station: Esplanade

Nearest International Airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

Time required for sightseeing: Half an hour.

Nearby Tourist Attractions

Nearby places to eat:

Detailed Content of Howrah Bridge

The majestic Howrah bridge is Kolkata's most famous landmark. Howrah Bridge is often used as a synonym for the city of Kolkata. It's a bridge of stupendous dimensions. The bridge lies suspended on cantilever with a span of 1500 feet. The width of the deck is 71 feet and the two pedestrian paths on either side of the bridge is 15 feet.

This marvelous engineering feat was built in the year 1943. The primary reason for building this colossal bridge was to link Kolkata with the industrial town of Howrah which was on the other side of river Hooghly. It was felt that a state-of-the-art bridge linking Kolkata with Howarh would greatly facilitate trade and commerce as far as transportation of goods and services were concerned.

During its initial years, there was provision for plying the charming tram cars over the Howrah Bridge. Nowadays, only vehicular traffic is allowed to ply through the Howarh Bridge.

The true grandeur of this magnificent bridge can be viewed 24/7. From the wee hours of the morning to well beyond midnight, there is non stop activity in the form of traffic movement. The Howarh Bridge has rightfully earned the distinction of being the busiest bridge in the world.

There are several ways to experience the enigma of Howarh Bridge. One way is of course by embarking on a walking tour of Howrah bridge through the pedestrian footpaths located on either sides of this colossal bridge. The other way is by hiring a boat from the Howrah station jetty and viewing the flood of humanity and vehicular traffic on the move above the Howarh Bridge from a vantage position down below from the boat.

By far, the best time to visit Howrah Bridge is after dusk when the entire city is at its dazzling best. The eerie silence of the river down below, the cool evening breeze and the majestic sweep of the Hooghly river makes for a truly surreal sight.

The charm of Howrah Bridge is so exquisite that in the days of yore, particularly in the year 1958, a Hindi blockbuster entitled "Howrah Bridge" starring Ashok Kumar and Madhubala did pretty well at the box office.Today this cantilever bridge is much preferred by the film industry which includes both Bollywood and Tollywood.

The aura surrounding the Howrah Bridge is very aptly described by Rudyard Kipling thus - "Why, this is London ! This is the docks. This is imperial. This is worth coming across India to see !"