HowrahKolkata’s industrial twin across the Hooghly — the great cantilever bridge, Howrah Station’s riverside rush and the Great Banyan
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Howrah in one minute
Howrah — live weather, population, hidden places and cost of living, auto-updated.
Howrah is the twin that made Kolkata a pair — a city of foundries, jute mills and rail terminals packed onto the Hooghly’s west bank, joined to its eastern sister by three river bridges. Census 2011 counted about 10.7 lakh in the municipal corporation, a UA of 17.3 lakh — the state’s second city by every working measure. The Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu, 1943) still carries some 45,000 vehicles and uncountable feet every day.
The station set the rhythm — Howrah Station (HWH), among India’s busiest terminals, and Santragachi’s yards keep the Eastern Railway heartbeat. But the city keeps quieter glories: the 1787 Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Botanical Garden with the world-famous Great Banyan Tree, the Santragachi jheel’s winter ducks, and an engineering-foundry belt that once earned the tag Sheffield of India.
Fast facts
| Status | Municipal corporation |
| District | Howrah (HQ) |
| District population (2011) | 48,50,029 |
| City population (2011) | 10,72,161 (corp) — UA 17,27,434 |
| Elevation | ≈12 m on the Hooghly |
| Landmark | Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu) — 1943 |
| Rail | Howrah Jn (HWH) — terminal |
| Languages | Bengali · Hindi · English |
| Main stations | Howrah (HWH) · Santragachi (SRC) |
| River | Hooghly (Bhagirathi) |
| Green icon | AJC Bose Botanical Garden — Great Banyan |
| Industry | Foundries · jute · engineering works |
| District literacy | 83.3% (2011) |
| Famous for | Howrah Bridge · Station · Botanical Garden |
City map
Demographics CENSUS 2011
Last official census — 2021 census deferred, estimates update on release.
10,77,165 residents
per 1,000 males
municipal area (2011)
≈1,18,488 children (est.)
🌟 Hidden & heritage places
Howrah beyond the postcards — quiet places and lanes most guides skip.
Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu)
The 1943 cantilever with no pylons in the river — the dawn flower-sellers, the 45,000-vehicle day and the postcard silhouette.
Directions ↗Howrah Station
The rail cathedral on the river — 23 platforms, the Eastern Railway’s riverfront face and the perpetual arrival rush.
Directions ↗AJC Bose Botanical Garden
The 1787 garden whose Great Banyan walks on its own aerial roots — a 250-year-old forest block inside the city.
Directions ↗Vidyasagar Setu
The cable-stayed 1992 bridge — the sunset drives and the river panoramas between the twin cities.
Directions ↗Santragachi jheel
The lake that hosts the migratory ducks — lesser whistling-teal flocks and the birding mornings each winter.
Directions ↗Liluah & Salkia works
The engineering quarters — casting yards, machine shops and the wagon-works legacy of the industrial bank.
Directions ↗Weekend getaways
Approximate road distances from Howrah.
Cost of living
Indicative monthly estimates for a single person — verify locally before deciding.
| 1 BHK rent (city) | ₹5,000 – 9,000 / mo |
| 2 BHK rent (city) | ₹9,000 – 16,000 / mo |
| Meal at a local eatery | ₹100 – 200 |
| Groceries (single, month) | ₹4,500 – 6,500 |
| Utilities (basic) | ₹1,500 – 3,000 |
| Monthly total (est.) | ₹14,000 – 23,000 |
Estimates only · tier-1 industrial twin · updated with market data over time
Top industries
What actually runs Howrah.
Foundries & engineering works
The casting-and-machine belt — iron castings, wagon components and the heavy-engineering yards of the west bank.
Engineering ↗Jute mills
The golden-fibre mills along the river — sacking, hessian and the mill-town housing quarters.
Jute ↗Terminal & yard economy
Howrah Station and Santragachi yards — coaching depots, freight marshalling and the platform-city services.
Rail hub ↗Light engineering & tools
The small-works cluster — pumps, cycle parts and the machine-tool shops of the industrial grid.
Engineering ↗Chemicals & paints units
The riverside chemical works — industrial paints, acids and the processing units of the belt.
Chemicals ↗River & road freight
The barge landings and truck parks — cargo transfer between the port system and the upcountry markets.
Logistics ↗IIEST Shibpur & colleges
The BESU-turned-IIEST campus — engineering faculties and the college rows of Shibpur.
Education ↗Top restaurants & food
Where locals actually eat — local counters, classics and street institutions.
Dobson Road food rows
The station-adjacent food line — kathi-roll counters, chowmein woks and the puchka carts.
Directions ↗Bhaat-machh thali houses
The rice-and-fish kitchens — shorshe-ilish, aloo-bhate and the mishti-do endings.
Directions ↗Roll & biryani rooms
The old-city grill belt — kathi rolls, mutton-biryani pots and the firni bowls.
Directions ↗Mishti & nolen-gur houses
The sweet belt — roshogolla tins, sitabhog counters and the winter gur season.
Directions ↗Bantra & Maidan cafe strip
The new-city cafe mile — coffee counters, momo stands and the student crowds.
Directions ↗Style-verified from local guides · Sep 2026 · hours change — call ahead
Markets & shopping
Mullik Fatak & Panchpara
The old-city market pair — cloth arcades, hardware rows and the wholesale lanes.
Directions ↗China Bazaar & freight rows
The river-side trade yards — hardware, packaging and the port-adjacent wholesale economy.
Directions ↗Bantra & Dobson belt
The modern retail — showrooms, multiplexes and the food-court weekends.
Directions ↗Festival & fair calendar
Durga Puja
The city’s biggest festival — pandal nights, dhak drums and the riverfront immersion processions.
Kali Puja & Diwali
The goddess night — lamp rows, crackers and the Kalibari crowds of the twin city.
Saraswati Puja
The student festival — chalk-lettered floors, khichuri bhog and the college queues.
Santragachi jheel bird season
The nature calendar — migratory flocks, bird-count mornings and the sanctuary watch weeks.
October – February
The Hooghly winter — bridge walks, garden mornings and the puja season.
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FAQ
What is Howrah famous for?
The Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu), Howrah Station — one of India’s busiest terminals — and the AJC Bose Botanical Garden’s Great Banyan Tree.
What is the population of Howrah?
Census 2011: about 10,72,161 in the corporation city (queue figure 10,77,165, pending reconciliation); Howrah UA 17,27,434; Haora district 48,50,029.
What is the pincode of Howrah?
The city starts at 711101; Howrah spans 711101–711501 across Shibpur, Santragachi and the industrial belts.
Which places should I visit there?
The Howrah Bridge and Station riverfront, the Botanical Garden’s Great Banyan, Santragachi jheel in winter — with Kolkata across the bridge.