Alipore



Entrance of Alipore Zoo

The land of bungalows, Alipore (আলিপুর Ālipur) is home to Kolkata's zoological park, the National Library, a prison-turned-museum, and several government offices.

Understand

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Alipore is named after Mir Jafar Ali Khan, the next Nawab of Murshidabad after Siraj-ud-Daulah. After his abdication in 1760, the East India Company permitted Mir Jafar to live in the area now known as Alipore. It is also fondly called "Bungalow Para" (বাংলোপাড়া Bāṅlopāṛā) due to its abundance of bungalows.

Alipore is strongly associated with the Indian independence movement, with prisons like Alipore and Presidency Jails were being used to arrest revolutionaries. The Alipore Jail is converted to a museum dedicated to the arrested revolutionaries. The Alipore Sessions Court is known for holding the Alipore Bomb Case in 1908-1909, where Sri Aurobindo and others were tried.

Alipore used to be the headquarters of undivided 24 Parganas till 1986, when it became the headquarters of South 24 Parganas.

Get in

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Map
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Map of South Kolkata

By metro

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Line  3  begins from Majerhat and runs across Diamond Harbour Road, in the southwest.

By local train

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 Circular  runs across this district, from Ballygunge to Khiddirpur, which is useful to get here from northern parts of the city. 1 Majerhat  3  Circular  Sealdah South  Majerhat railway station on Wikipedia is an important junction for local trains from both northern and southern parts of the city, as well as from North and South 24 Parganas districts.

See and do

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National Library of India
  • 1 Agri Horticultural Garden, 1, Alipore Rd (south from National Library, 0.8 km (0.50 mi) from Remount Road railway station), +91 33 2479 1713. 7–11AM and 1:30–5:00PM, closed on W upto 11AM and Th. Founded by William Carey in 1820, it is a lush environ owned and managed by the Agri Horticultural Society of India. The venue for exotic plant and flower exhibitions, it is spread over 21 acres comprising main lawns and informal gardens and children park, and has many rare and tropical plants. Agri Horticultural Society of India (Q4693837) on Wikidata Agri Horticultural Society of India on Wikipedia
  • 2 Alipore Museum (previously Alipore Central Jail), 17, Judges Court Rd, Alipore. A museum dedicated to the Indian independence movement, especially its violent faction. It was a prison during British times used to arrest freedom activists like Sri Aurobindo and Subhas Chandra Bose. Alipore Central Jail (Q4726823) on Wikidata Alipore Central Jail on Wikipedia
  • 3 Alipore Zoo (আলিপুর চিড়িয়াখানা Ālipur Ciṛiẏākhānā), 2, Alipore Rd, +91 33 2479 1150, . F–W 9AM–5PM, aquarium 10:30AM–5PM. One of the most famous zoological gardens in Eastern India. It was once notorious for its cross-breeding experiments between lions and tigers to produce strains like tigons, ligers and litigons. It was home to Advaita, the longest-lived animal in the world, who died in March 2006. The other success story of the zoo was a live birth of the rare Sumatran rhinoceros in 1889. The lakes within are a favourite retreat for migratory Siberian birds. Zoo ₹20, aquarium ₹5, video photography ₹250 per hour. Alipore Zoological Gardens (Q3346440) on Wikidata Zoological Garden, Alipore on Wikipedia
  • 4 Dhanadhanya Auditorium (ধনধান্য Dhanadhānya; variously spelt as Dhanadhanye or Dhonodhanno), Thackeray Rd (off Debendra Lal Khan Rd, opposite Presidency Jail). An auditorium shaped like a humongous conch-shell (শাঁখ śā̃kh), an example of mimetic or novelty architecture in India. Inaugurated on April 2023, the building has 6 floors containing guest house, restaurant, cafeteria, VIP lounge, media lounge and a convention centre. It hosts various cultural programmes and is also a venue for national and international trade fairs. Dhanadhanya Auditorium (Q118896876) on Wikidata Dhanadhanya Auditorium on Wikipedia
  • 5 Hastings Chapel. A missionary church with eight Doric columns, founded in 1855 by the London Missionary Society. Hastings Chapel (Q69392103) on Wikidata Hastings Chapel, Kolkata on Wikipedia
  • 6 Indenture Memorial, Kidderpore Dock. A memorial dedicated to the 1.6 million Indian workers who were transported to labour in European colonies. The indenture system was a substitute for slavery, which was abolished in many European countries by the 19th century. This resulted to the increasing presence of Indians abroad, especially in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
  • 7 India Government Mint (Calcutta Mint), Taratala (south of Majerhat  3  Circular  Sealdah South ), +91 33 2401 4132. Though the mint dates back to 1757, the present building was built in the 1930s. India Government Mint, Kolkata (Q6019316) on Wikidata India Government Mint, Kolkata on Wikipedia

Buy

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  • 1 Fancy Market, ~22, Karl Marx Sarani, Kidderpore. Consumer goods market - lots of foreign goods. Fancy items, fancy prices. Beware of fakes.

Eat and drink

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  • 1 Amrit National Hotel, 43 Diamond Harbour Rd (Mominpur Bus Stop), +91 33 66343401. Budget restaurant. Biryani and Mughlai food.
  • 2 Drop In, Ground Floor, Ideal Towers, 57, Block A, Diamond Harbour Rd, +91 9073309928, +91 9073309929. 7:30AM-11PM. Vegetarian restaurant. Indian and Chinese cuisine. Popular items: lassi, naan, paneer tikka masala, roti, thali.

Sleep

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This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room:
BudgetUnder ₹2,000
Mid-range₹2,000–5,000
SplurgeOver ₹5,000

Splurge

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  • 1 Taj Bengal, 34B, Belvedere Rd, +91 33 2223 3939, +91 33 6612 3939, +91 33 2223 1193, fax: +91 33 2223 1766, . A deluxe hotel and is amongst the top hotels in Kolkata. The restaurants are also open to non-residents. The hotel has 200 rooms and 29 suites, with terracotta statuary and palm-covered atrium lobby. It has fine dining restaurants such as Cal27, Sonargaon, Souk, Chinoiseire and The Chambers, along with an al fresco area and banquet halls. Taj Bengal (Q110942881) on Wikidata Taj Bengal on Wikipedia

Connect

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Libraries

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Cope

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Police stations

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