The great banyan tree of Howrah

A banyan tree with the second most extensive canopy in the world - by Travelogue

Location:

Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Shibpur,

Howrah, West Bengal 711103.

Best Season to Visit:

Winter is preferable but you can visit here in any season.

Entry Fee:

For Indians- INR 10,

For Foreigners- INR 100,

Camera: INR 20

The annual membership fee for all cardholding daily walkers is INR 200 per month.

Garden Timing:

10:00 a.m.  to 7:00 p.m.

Time required:

2-3 hours

Best for:

Nature lovers, Photographers, Botanists

What is The Great Banyan Tree?

The Great Banyan Tree is a banyan tree that is about 250 years old and is considered to be one of the largest and most gigantic trees in the world.  This tree has its branches spread over an area of ​​about 500 meters.  A paved road was built around the tree but this tree grows at its own speed beyond that road.  The tree is still alive after enduring many cyclones and super cyclones in its lifetime.  Because the tree does not stand on a single trunk of its own.  Rather innumerable roots have entered the soil and turned into a tree colony.  As a result, the banyan tree itself looks like a dense forest.

The great banyan tree

As the main branch of the tree became diseased in 1925, the garden authorities were forced to cut it down and build a monument on the site. It's hard to see though. The tree is still alive without its main branch.    Many stalks of the tree were damaged by various storms before and after this incident.  But due to the short and dense shape of this banyan tree, no cyclone could kill it.

How to reach:

One can easily take a private car or a taxi to the Botanical Garden to reach The great banyan tree.  The Botanic Garden is located on the Howrah side of the Hooghly River on the West Side of the Kolkata City Center in West Bengal state of India.  It is advised to travel to it via a private vehicle or a cab.  You can even hop on to a bus which says "B Garden" and it will drop you at the entrance to the garden.

There is no metro stops or other public transport alternatives that will drop you at or near the Botanic Garden.

If you're wondering about trains, the nearest Railway Station is Shalimar.  However, it is not well connected with Kolkata's suburban rail network and only links to Santraganchi Railway Station.  It does, however, connect to a few places outside the city.