Northern Suburbs (Kolkata)
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The northern fringes of Kolkata are in Southeast Bengal.
Understand
The large urbanised industrial area to the north of the city extends up to Naihati and Barasat and includes such places as Lake Town, Dum Dum, Nagerbazar, Baranagar, Dakshineswar, Belghoria, Nimta, Birati, Kamarhati, Sukchar, Khardah, Panihati, Ghola, Sodepur, Titagarh, Barrackpore, New Barrackpore, Madhyamgram, Hridaypur etc. The once flourishing manufacturing belt, still has some units working well but the industrial area as a whole is no more in the pink of health and is often in the news for the wrong reasons.
The main line of the Eastern Bengal Railway, that once served to link Kolkata with the eastern part of Bengal (now Bangladesh), ran through this area. The area has a mixed population - high percentage of Hindi-speaking people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and refugees from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), generally outnumbering the local population.
It is part of Kolkata urban agglomeration and is split into numerous municipalities spread across North 24 Parganas district.
Get in
By train
The main line links Sealdah and Ranaghat. A branch line links Dum Dum to Bangaon, near the India-Bangladesh border. The Calcutta Chord line links Dum Dum to Dankuni on the Howrah-Bardhaman Chord line. The main stations in the region are:
- 1 Agarpara railway station.
- Barasat railway station (It is marked on the map).
- 2 Bamangachhi railway station.
- 3 Barrackpore railway station.
- Belghoria railway station (It is marked on the map).
- 4 Birati railway station.
- 5 Bisharpara-Kodalia railway station.
- 6 Dum Dum Cantonment railway station.
- 7 Dum Dum railway station (Change over Dum Dum Metro).
- 8 Durganagar railway station.
- 9 Hridaypur railway station.
- Ichhapore railway station (It is marked on the map).
- 10 Jaggadal railway station.
- 11 Kakinara railway station.
- 12 Khardah railway station.
- 13 Madhyamgram railway station.
- 14 Naihati railway station.
- 15 New Barrackpur railway station.
- Palta railway station (It is marked on the map). barrackpore &palta & ultadanga railway station & road map
- 16 Shyamnagar railway station.
- Sodepur railway station (It is marked on the map).
- Titagarh railway station (It is marked on the map).
- 17 Baranagar Road railway station, Baranagar.
By metro
Metro railway is the fastest and the most convenient way to reach Northern fringes. However, there is only one route which runs along the city from north to south. This means one may have to change to other modes of transport to reach one's destination. Trains run every 10-15 minutes and at ₹5-₹15. It runs from 7:02AM to 9:49PM from Monday to Saturday and 10:02AM to 9:49PM on Sunday.
The metro runs from Noapara in the northern fringes to Kavi Subhash (New Garia) in the south-east. The metro route in Northern fringes is overground. The metro stations in Northern fringes are:
By road
The two main roads leading into the area from Kolkata are Barrackpore Trunk Road and Jessore Road (NH 34). Jessore Road is linked with the junction point of NH 2 and NH 6 at Dankuni via Belghoria Expressway across Nivedita Setu. Direct roads link Barrackpore with Barasat and Sodepur with Madhyamgram. Kalyani Expressway is another important link in the area.
By air
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport is in this area but it attracts hardly any passengers from this area. All the industry offices are in Kolkata.
By ferry
There are a set of parallel bridges across the Hooghly River - Vivekananda Setu and Nivedita Setu - between Dakshineswar and Bally. Between Naihati and Bandel, there only is a railway bridge. There are numerous ferry points (locally known as ghats) connecting the two banks of the Hooghly River.
Get around
See
- 1 Khadi Pratisthan, Sodepur. Founded in 1925 by Satish Chandra Dasgupta, a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.
- 2 Rishi Bankim Chandra's residence and museum, Naihati.
- 3 Dakshineswar Kali Temple. The temple was built in 1855 by Rani Rashmoni, a philanthropist and a devotee of Kali. It is famous for its association with Ramakrishna Paramansadev, a mystic of 19th Century Bengal. For more information see Kolkata/Dakshineswar.
Do
- 1 Barasat Stadium (Watch football matches). Capacity:22,000
Buy
- 1 Big Bazar Supermarket, Nazrul Islam Avenue, Baguiati.
- Big Bazar Supermarket, College More, M.B. Road, Birati.
- Pistol (From Cossipore Gun & Shell Factory).
- 2 Saha Textile (Departmental Store), Haritala, Barasat.
- 3 Sriniketan Fashions Pvt. Ltd., Station Road, Sodepur, ☏ +91 33 25834436, +91 33 25834437, +91 33 25834438.
Eat
- 1 Haldiram's (Vegetarian restaurant), P420, Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani, Kaikhali, ☏ +91 9830011127, +91 9830011120.
- 2 Sher-e-Punjab, Jessore Road, Sukanta Nagar, ☏ +91 33 25672848. 11 am to 12 midnight. Quality Punjabi dhaba food. Chinese & Thai dishes also available. AC or open-air seating. Drinks served.
Drink
Sleep
Dum Dum
- 1 Hotel Airways, Motilal Colony, Rajbari (Near Airport No. 2 Gate), ☏ +91 33 25132106.
- 2 Hotel Gateway Continental, Crossing of Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani and Jessore Road (Near Airport No. 1 Gate), ☏ +91 33 25118324.
- 3 FabHotel Shivangan, Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani (Jora Mandir, Baguiati), ☏ +91 33 2576 2711. ₹1,900-₹2,800.
- 4 O2 Hotel, Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani, Kaikhali, ☏ +91 33 25250078, +91 33 25250113.
- 5 Rose Valley Hotel, RGM 25/3010, Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani, Raghunathpur, Baguiati, ☏ +91 33 4019 7000.
Barasat
- 6 Annapurna Hotel, Taki Road, ☏ +91 9433275251.
- 7 Hotel Windsor, Rishi Bankim Chandra Road, ☏ +91 9831260630.
- 8 Palash Hotel, 125 Jessore Road (Near Barasat Hospital), ☏ +91 33 25523042.
- For places to sleep in Barrackpore see Barrackpore
Connect
Stay safe
For the past several years Barasat has, from time to time, been in the news for crime in general and against women in particular. The victims have generally been local people and life has gone on. However, those traveling to Barasat may keep a note of the emergency police number:100.