Alipore
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
[edit]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
[edit]By metro
[edit]Line 3 begins from Majerhat and runs across Diamond Harbour Road, in the southwest.
By local train
[edit]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 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
[edit]- 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.
- 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.
- 3 Alipore Zoo (আলিপুর চিড়িয়াখানা Ālipur Ciṛiẏākhānā), 2, Alipore Rd, ☏ +91 33 2479 1150, [email protected]. 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.
- 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.
- 5 Hastings Chapel. A missionary church with eight Doric columns, founded in 1855 by the London Missionary Society.
- 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.
Buy
[edit]- 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
[edit]- 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
[edit]This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room: | |
Budget | Under ₹2,000 |
Mid-range | ₹2,000–5,000 |
Splurge | Over ₹5,000 |
Splurge
[edit]- 1 Taj Bengal, 34B, Belvedere Rd, ☏ +91 33 2223 3939, +91 33 6612 3939, +91 33 2223 1193, fax: +91 33 2223 1766, [email protected]. 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.
Connect
[edit]Libraries
[edit]- 1 National Library of India (জাতীয় গ্রন্থাগার Jātīẏa Granthāgār, previously Belvedere House), Belvedere Rd, Alipore (near Alipore Zoo, 1.3 km E of Netaji Bhavan 1 ), ☏ +91 33 2248-7831, +91-33-2479 1382, +91-33-2479 1383, +91-33-2479 1384, +91-33-2479 1385, +91-33-2479 1386, +91-33-2479 1387, +91-33-2479 2467, fax: +91 33 2479 1462, [email protected]. 8AM-8PM (Sa: 9:30AM-6PM). This is a stately mansion. Once home of the British Viceroys, Belvedere House is now the National Library. The oldest library in India with a huge collection, including some rarities. It houses over a million books and is the biggest in India.
Cope
[edit]Police stations
[edit]- 2 Alipore Police Station, ☏ +91 33 24791021.