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| Botanical
Gardens
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Th e
Botanical Gardens at Shibpur lie 10km south of Howrah Station
on the west bank of the Hooghly. Although they were created in 1786
to develop strains of Indian tea, Calcuttans have only started to
appreciate these 109 hectares once again since the opening of the
second bridge. Populated by countless bird species, such as waders,
cranes, and storks, the huge gardens are best seen in winter and spring
and early in the mornings, when they're free from the grime of the
metropolis. Their single most famous feature is the world's largest
banyan tree, reaching up 24.5 metres high and embracing an astonishing
circumference of 420 metres. Now over 240 years old, a survivor of
cyclones in 1864 and 1867 that eventually caused it to lose its main
trunk, its 1825 aerial roots drop from the overhead branches to create
the effect of a small forest. Elsewhere, palm trees abound around
the lakes, ponds and ornamental footbridges, and especially the brooding,
atmospheric Palm House. The Orchid House, the Herbarium and the Fern
Houses are also worth seeing, and there's an attractive riverside
promenade.
As a rule, the gardens are empty during the week and busy at weekends.
Much the nicest way to get here is by ferry from Armenian Ghat, Babu
Ghat or Chandpal Ghat, though it's also accessible as a tedious road
trip from Esplanade, by minibus or the ordinary ash-coloured C6 bus.
Cafes within the gardens open at unpredictable hours.
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