Top Tourist Attractions in North 24 Parganas
North 24 Parganas or sometimes North Twenty Four Parganas is a district in southern West Bengal, of eastern India. North 24 Parganas extends in the tropical zone from latitude 22° 11′ 6″ north to 23° 15′ 2″ north and from longitude 88º20′ east to 89º5′ east.
The district comprises of the densely populated urban fringe of the metropolitan city of Kolkata, with the already built-up city of Salt Lake and the New City at Rajarhat on one side and the remote riverine villages in the Sundarbans on the other. Being near Kolkata, it is well connected by surface and local trains with Kolkata.
North 24 Parganas district is in southern West Bengal. It is bordered to Nadia by north, to Bangladesh (Khulna Division) by north and east, to South 24 Parganas and Kolkata by south and to Kolkata, Howrah and Hoogly by west. Barasat is the district headquarters of North 24 Parganas.
Best Places to Visit in North 24 Parganas
- DAKSHINESWAR
- ADYAPITH TEMPLE
- Chakla Dham
- TAKI
- ANNAPURNA MANDIR
- MULAJOR KALIBARI AT SHYAMNAGAR
- NAIHATI BANKIM SANGRAHASHALA
- BARRACKPORE
- Gandhi Ghat
- Gandhi Museum Barrackpore
- Sadhak Ramprasad Sen Vita
- PANIHATI
- AQUATICA Theme Park
- Rabindra Tirtha
- CLIVE HOUSE (DUM DUM)
The district consists of the heavily populated urban edge of Kolkata, with the previously built-up cities of Salt Lake and Rajarhat on one side and the isolated riverine settlements of the Sundarbans on the other. Because it is close to Kolkata, it is well linked by surface and local railroads.
The district of North 24 Parganas is located in southern West Bengal. It is bounded to the north by Nadia, to the east by Bangladesh (Khulna Division), to the south by South 24 Parganas and Kolkata, and to the west by Kolkata, Howrah, and Hoogly. North 24 Parganas’ district headquarters is located at Barasat.
DAKSHINESWAR
Dakshineswar Kali Temple is a Hindu temple in Dakshineswar, which is near Kolkata. Bhavatarini is the presiding deity of the temple, which is located on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River. Rani Rashmoni, a philanthropist and Kali devotee, erected the temple in 1855. The temple is well-known for its affiliation with Ramakrishna, a 19th-century Bengali mystic.
ADYAPITH TEMPLE
Adyapith, a pilgrim centre and the temple of Adya Ma, located close to Dakshineswar temple. Sree Annada Thakur, after being told in a dream, established the temple of ‘Adya Ma’ to educate man the tenets of love and idealism. Construction began in 1340 BS, and the temple was dedicated on Makar Sankranti (the final day of the Bengali calendar month Poush) in 1375 BS.
On the bottom is a Murti of Sri Ramakrishna with the word “Guru” inscrebed adjacent on the middle altar is a duplicate of the Adya Ma Murti discovered by Ananda Thakur in the Eden Garden. This murti is constructed of eight different metals. “Knowledge and Work” is engraved nearby. The murtis of Radha and Krishna decorate the highest point. The Divine Couple is well-known around the world. On the altar, love is written. Mangalarati begins one hour before sunrise, Bhogarati begins at 10.30, and Sitalarati begins 1.5 hours after sunrise.
How to Reach: Dakshineswar railway station is located on the Sealdah-Dankuni line. It is around 14 kilometres from Sealdah and approximately 10 kilometres from Dankuni. Most local trains, particularly Dankuni Local trains from Sealdah station stop here, as do some long-distance trains such as the Darjeeling Mail. This location is easily accessible from Kolkata.
Chakla Dham
Chakla (Station Guma/ Bira) is a well-known Religious Tourist Place in Bengal for Lokenath Baba Temple. It is well-known around the world for the Temple of Lokenath Bramhachari Baba (Thakur / Guru Ji). Because Lokenath Baba was born at Chakla.
CHANDRAKETUGARH
Chandraketugarh is in the district of North 24 Parganas, around 38 kilometres north-east of Kolkata. Chandraketugarh’s history goes back to the early third century B.C., during the pre-Mauryan period. Historians link this location to the ancient Gangaridai described by the Greek explorer Megasthenes in his work ‘Indika.’
TAKI
Taki is a city and municipality in the North 24 Parganas district of Bangladesh, located on the banks of the River Ichhamati and administered by the Hasnabad Police Station of the Basirhat subdivision. The river Ichhamati defines the boundary between India and Bangladesh. The immersion of Durga idols on the last day of Durga Puja attracts thousands of tourists, since idols from both nations are submerged here.
ANNAPURNA MANDIR
On the 12th of April, 1875 (30th Chaitra 1281), Sri Sri Ramkrishna Paramahansa opened the temple to worshipers, identical to Dakshineswar Temple at Titagrah on the river bank. Jagadamba Devi, Rani Rashmoni’s youngest daughter, erected the temple. She was married to Mathur Mohan Biswas, who married Jagadamba Devi after his first wife, Rani Rashmoni’s second daughter Karunamoyi, died. The magnificent Temple is located near Barrakpore on the Rani Rashmoni ghat.
MULAJOR KALIBARI AT SHYAMNAGAR
During the reign of Raja Krishna Chandra of Kirshnanagar, the monarch bestowed to his court poet Bharat Chandra Roy the hamlet of MULAJORE near Shyam Nagar, as well as the title of ROY GUNAKAR. There is a very ancient and historic library named Bharat Chandra Library in remembrance of Bharat Chandra Roy Gunakar. It is conveniently located near the railway station.
Rabindranath Tagore’s relatives established Mulajor Kalibari near Shyamnagar, North 24 Parganas. Visit the Temple along the Hooghly River, which is set in a beautiful natural setting. The temple was built on 31 Baishak in 1219 Bengali year, roughly 200 years ago, along the Hooghly River, before Rani Rasmoni Devi established Dakhineswar Kali Temple. Six priests have been hired to do puja for the goddess Kal. Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestor Khitish Kusari immigrated from Jessore, Bangladesh, to West Bengal, and his descendants included Bhattanaryan and, subsequently, Dinanath Kusari. Dinanath’s son Panchanan was given the title Thakur since his family members preferred to write Thakur instead of Kusari. Jairam Thakur (Kusari) belonged to the latter generation and had four sons: Anandiram, Nilmoni, Darpanarayan, and Gobindaram.
Anandiram’s next generation was Prince Dwarakanath Thakur, whose son was Debendranath, and Rabindranath was his eighth son. Rabindranath, on the other hand, became “bramho” and did not believe in idol worship. The Temple was founded by Gopimohan Thakur, Darpanarayan’s son. Gopimohan was the father of two boys, Prsanna Kumar and Harakumar, and a daughter, Brahmamoyee.
NAIHATI BANKIM SANGRAHASHALA
Bankim Sangrahashala is the library museum of India’s finest author and poet, Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. It is located in the North 24 Paraganas near Kanthalpara, Naihati. The museum, which opened in 1954, takes up only a fraction of the large ancestral mansion next door. Notably, throughout the years, Bankim Sangrahashala (Museum) has become one of the most sought-after destinations near Kolkata. The location is notable because it is where Rishi Bankim Chandra penned and composed India’s national hymn, Vande Mataram. The heritage museum is a living testament to the fact that other great personalities from pre-independence India, such as Rishi Aurobindo Ghosh, Chittaranjan Das, Dinabandhu Mitra, Keshab Chandra Sen, and others, used to come here to spend quality time in this peaceful ambiance with the great poet and author.
BARRACKPORE
Barrackpore was one of the first British colonies along the Hooghly. Barrackpore derives its name from the English term barracks. Barrackpore got its name from the location of the British East India Company’s first major military station. Prior to then, Barrackpore was known as Chanak, and it is recorded in the Manasa Mangal under that name. It is also rumoured that during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb, this location was a prominent collecting point for “khajna” (taxes), after which it was renamed Barbakpur. With the passage of time, the name was changed to Barrackpore. It was a favourite riverfront hideaway for the British in Kolkata, known for its summer breeze.
Gandhi Ghat
The Gandhi Ghat package includes a mausoleum in Mahatma Gandhi’s memory, a lovely green garden lined with 120 species of flowers, gorgeous plants and trees, a picturesque sunset, and an intriguing riverside.
Built in 1948 (the year the father of the country died), the monument on the banks of the Hooghly River and the large garden, Jawahar Kunj’maintained by the state forest department’can provide a day’s relief to city people. It was inaugurated by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.
Gandhi Museum Barrackpore
Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, or more formally, the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Museums, were established at the request of the Gandhi Memorial Trust. The many collections in the Museum at Barrackpore give interesting and extremely useful direct study resources on the Mahatma’s personality, thoughts, and programmes, as well as events in his life. The museum’s search for an alternative ideology, in place of those still pursued by governments and countries without being able to bring about genuine welfare for the people, through various intellectual exercises such as seminars, dialogues, or other such programmes, and its research activities, perhaps a first by a purely biographical museum and beyond its collected objects, must be regarded as a distinguishing feature.
Mangal Pandey Park Barrackpore
Mangal Pandey, a well-known liberation warrior, is commemorated in this park. He was a soldier of the Barrackpore Cantonment who revolted against the British. With his musket and sword, he injured two British officers. On April 8, 1857, he was court martialed and hanged to dealth. In this park, there is also a statue of Mangal Pandey and a tribute to him. In front of Mangal Pandey’s statue, there is a little baby elephant statue lifting his trunk in reverence.
Sadhak Ramprasad Sen Vita
Halisahar is most known for being the residence of Sadhak Ramprasad Sen. As a result, the city bears witness to various worshipping activities of mother Kali, to whom Ramprasad was a devotee. Ramprasad Sen, a saint poet, was born in Halisahar, a hamlet on the banks of the Ganges.
There is a tourist attraction called “Ramprasad Vita,” which was Sadhak Ramprasad’s birthplace. He was a sakta sadhak who composed over 500 devotional songs. His meditation location was the Panchamundasana in Panchabati, which was located at his sadhanpith next to the Ramprasad Vita. Halisahar is also known as the birthplace of Rani Rasmani.
PANIHATI
Panihati is located in the Barrackpore Subdivision, right on the banks of the Ganges. Gandhighat is located 7 kilometres north of Dakshineswar and 7 kilometres south of Barrackpore. The area has a long and storied history dating back more than 500 years. Panihati has a major role in Bengal and India’s history as a result of a convergence of religious, cultural, and business industrial activity.
This location is distinguished by the presence of the footsteps of great people such as Sri Chaitanya and Nityananda Mahaprabhu, Sri Ramkrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy, Subhash Chandra Bose, and others.
Major points of interest: Panihati Mahotsav Tala is famed for having Sri Chaitanya and Nityananda’s footprints from over 500 years ago. Chida Utsab or Danda Mahotsab, an annual event, attracts a significant number of devotees from the state, neighbouring states, and worldwide. In addition, this event is currently conducted in over 150 countries throughout the world, mostly in ISKCON centres. This location was further enhanced by the presence of Sri Ramkrishna Paramahansa, who used to attend this event virtually every year.
He had visited the final time in 1885, before his Samadhi in 1886. Girish Chandra Ghosh, Rakhal (Swami Brahmananda, Narendra Nath Dutta (Swami Vivekananda), Kali (Swami Abhedananda), Swami Saradananda, Swami Premananda, Latu Maharaj, Mahendra Gupta (Srimo), author of Ramkrishna Kathamrita, and many more who used to follow Shri Ramakrishna visited here. In 1939, Mahatma Gandhi visited Mahotsav Tala to pay his respects to Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Chatubabu’s Garden was another name for Gobinda Home. Rabindranath Tagore came here as a child with his family to avoid dengue disease. Later, he returned to the location multiple times. Along with Rabindranath, other notable visitors to this garden home included Prashanta Chandra Mahalanabish, Sukumar Roy, and Sarala Devi Choudhurani. This garden home was considered by Ramakrishna monks for the establishment of a Math, which happened to be built at Belur. Swami Vivekananda visited the park in 1898.
There are numerous temples, ashrams, and ghats along the 5-kilometer river bank, including: Ma Anondomoyee Ashram, Giribala Thakur Bari, Panihati Rasmancha, Raghab Bhaban, Thakur Nityagopal Ashram, Tran Nath Kalibari, Anukul Thakur Ashram, ISKOCN Temple, Baromondir Ghat, Sukchar Sidheswari Kali Temple, Balak Bram etc.
Gandhiji officially opened the Sodepur Khadi Ashram on January 2, 1927. “Sodepur is my second home,” Gandhi once said. He visited here a few of times. This ashram hosted significant historical gatherings. Satish Chandra Dasgupta founded the Khadi Pratisthan in response to Mahatma Gandhi’s swadeshi and self-reliance movement. Subhas Chandra Bose, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Ballaov Bhai Patel, Sarojini Naidu, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Dr Bidhan Chandra Ray, Dr P C Ghosh, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, and other leaders paid visits to the Ashram.
AQUATICA
Aquatica is a water theme park that spans 17 acres (75000 sq ft). This theme water park first opened its doors in 1999. It is the largest of the water parks in the eastern portion of India, as well as in Kolkata. For those who prefer partying and other types of outings, Kolkata has a plethora of venues to explore.
RABINDRA TIRTHA
Rabindra Tirtha Complex is a cultural institution in New Town’s Narkel Bagan. It is named after Rabindranath Tagore. It is a HIDCO-created project. It features an exhibition of Tagore’s paintings, archives, a research centre, an auditorium, and dormitories for students conducting Tagore study.
CLIVE HOUSE (DUM DUM)
The house at Dum Dum was thought to have been acquired by Lord Clive either shortly before the battle of Plassey in 1757 as an operational base, or after his success during negotiations; Dum Dum House, ‘an old property on a mound’, is mentioned several times by contemporary historian Robert Orme (including a sketch diagram from 1756). After that, Clive took over the bungalow and combined the existing Indian architecture with European designs. Clive House is a famous historical place. It may unearth a 1300-year old city beneath Kolkata. This is a famous archeological site. The origin of the Clive House, also known as Burra Kothi, still remains a mystery. The passage extends to a canal connected to the famous Motijheel of Dum Dum.
Best Time to Visit in North 24 Parganas
The winter season is the finest time to visit North 24 Parganas.
How to Reach North 24 Parganas
How to reach N 24 Parganas by Air
The nearest International Airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, roughly one hour drive from North 24 Parganas. The Airport is well connected with other major cities such as Frankfurt, Bangkok, Paro, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Dubai and Yangon. Domestic flights are also available for the cities such as Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
Nearest Airport : Nscbi Airport, Kolkata
How to reach N 24 Parganas by Rail
The nearest Railway Station is Kolkata Railway Station. It is situated on the major New Delhi-Kolkata railway line and is linked with the cities like New Delhi, Bangalore, Mysore, Lucknow, Chennai, Kanyakumari, Puri, Ahmedabad and Gaya through Lokmanya Tilak Express, Navjeevan Express and Karnataka Express.
How to reach N 24 Parganas by Road
North 24 Parganas is 49 Kms from Kolkata, 133 Kms from Bardhaman, 140 Kms from Haldia, 168 Kms from Bishnupur, 199 Kms from Durgapur, 240 Kms from Asansol, 323 Kms from Jamshedpur and 450 Kms from Ranchi and is well connected through West Bengal State Road Transport Corporation (WBSRTC) and some private travel services.