Places to see in Hooghly

Rich history and intertwined culture is one of the characteristic features of the city of Hooghly. Apart for that another feature of the city is the deep and fervent religious fervor that can be seen. Often referred to as the temple city of the state of West Bengal, Hooghly finds itself on the map of popular and religious destinations in India. Apart from that there are attraction that further the rich heritage and the historical importance that makes Hooghly a worthwhile place to visit.



Tarakeshwar- Takeshwar is located near Serampore in Hooghly. This is a prominent religious place of worship that dates back to the 18th century. The Taraknath temple as it is called is a typical Bengali temple and as such with sanctum and a porch in the front.  The porch is four sided porch has three arched openings, with railings on its roof. There is also a hall within the porch for the congregation of the faithful. This is a popular tourist destination and is visited by tourists all through the year. However devotees with deep fervor on each Monday as well on festive occasions like Mahashivratri. Gajan and Chaitrya Sankranti are celebrated with great pomp and fervor.

Gangeshwari temple- Situated in Bansberia in Hooghly, the temple has an impending and strong 21 meter edifice that has 13 towers and each tower is shaped in the form of a lotus. There is a tall statue of the dol of Ira, Pingala, Bajraksha, Sushumna and Chitrini follows the structure of a human body.

Shanderswartala Temple- This is one of the oldest temples in Chinasurh and situated on the river of Ganges and north of the Dutta Ghat. he temple was established by Sidheswar Roychoudhury after the Lingam of Shiva was placed by Digambar Halder in the 16th Century. This temple is also visited by tourists and pilgrims alike with devotion and fervor there is also a Durga Temple in the vicinity in the of the Shanderswartala temple.

Antpur Math- The math in Antpur was started in the year 1965 and was affiliated 1986. The center is situated in the birthplace of the Swami Premananda, one of the foremost disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. At this place, young disciples of Sri Ramakrishna under the leadership of Swami Vivekananda took the vow of renunciation. This led to the formation of the Ramakrishna Math. The place is now preserved and named the Dhuni Mandap.

Bandel Church- The church of Bandel is one of the most revered catholic places of worship in the city of Hooghly. Built By captain Pedro Tavares. The church was built in the 1599. The church was built at when the population of the Christians in the locality outnumbered that of the Hindu Community. The Church of Bandel is now replaced with the cathedral church.  The old edifice was replaced and razed off. Despite this Bandel Church also bears of the keystones of the old church as well as the niche stones of the former and several tomb stones with the Portuguese apart from the main altar and the two side altars.

Pandua Bari Mosque- This long and low laying Muslim place of worship was built in the 1300. The mosque is built in typical brick style construction. The mosque has three main aisles and with 21 doors in the front and three on the side. The roof is made of 63 domes over brick arches and rest on stone pillars with a canopied platform.

Imambara- Built by Hazi Mohammad Mohsin, is situated on the bank of river Ganga in Chinsurah. The construction of the temple took about 20 whole years to complete. The two storey building consists of several rooms and has a wide entrance, with the main gate flanked by two 80 ft tall towers and a massive clock tower between them. The walls of the decorated by the by texts of the holy Quran and is encircled with marbles, candles and lamp stands. Towards the south of the mosque lies the graveyard is the tombs of the Mohammad Mohsin and his relatives.

Kampurkar- This village is located Arambagh subdivision of the Hooghly District. The village is located within proximity of 48 km from the Taraknath temple. The village is known for the old buildings, points and tanks and also known for ruined and old temples. The Manasa festival held in the months of  March and April and celebrated with pomp and fervor. During this period devotional choral songs of Hari are sung for three days at a stretch.

Debanandapur- This is also an important village in Hooghly. his village is one of the seven important villages, which formed the Sapta Gram during the Mughal era. This village is also known of the birthplace of Katha Silpi Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Four atchala temples of the 19th century can also be found there. Tourists having archaeological interests can visit the old Dol Mancha within the premises.

Chandannagar Museum and Indo-French Institute- The institute and Museum was instituted by French president Pompidre and Indian prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. The center is also known for the antiquity and galleries that are dedicated to the East Indian Company and the efforts of the company to archaeological discoveries in the district since the Gupta period. Besides, the library contains information relating to the French administration in India.