Howrah Bridge in Kolkata
· Summer: March-May(26°C - 38°C)
· Winter: November-February (16°C - 28°C)
· Monsoon: June-September
Best time to visit:
October-March
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Easily the most prominent icon of Kolkata and West Bengal, Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge which helps hundreds of thousands of vehicles and pedestrians to cross River Hooghly. Connecting Kolkata with its twin city Howrah, it is a bridge with no nuts and bolts, but constructed by riveting the entire structure. Its construction started in 1930s and the bridge was opened for traffic in 1943. Showcasing the advanced British architecture and engineering and integrated with Kolkata’s history and culture, it is the busiest cantilever bridge in the world.
A notable feature of the bridge is that it has no connecting pylons but connect the two cities in a single span. It is 705 m. in length and 71 ft. in width with 15 ft. wide footpath on both sides. The bridge was renamed Rabindra Setu, after the first Asian Noble Prize laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1965, though continues to be popular with its original name. It is an outstanding experience to watch huge volume of traffic on the bridge from a boat or ferry.
Connectivites
Road:
The bridge itself is a significant road connection between the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah. You can walk on the bridge to admire its busy routine and also to have marvellous views of the river below. Taxis and auto-rickshaws can also be hired to explore this iconic bridge of Kolkata.
Railway:
The closest railway stations to the bridge are at Howrah (about a km. away), Barabazar (about a km. away) and BBD Bagh (about 3 km. away). Howrah Maidan and Mahatma Gandhi Road have the closest metro stations (each about 2 km. away). You can conveniently access the bridge from each of these stations on foot.
Airway:
The international airport of Kolkata is just about 14 km. from the bridge. Hire a taxi or an auto-rickshaw from the airport to access the location.