Howrah Bridge is one of the few names that come to mind when you hear the name of Kolkata. Today it turns a year older. As an integral part of Tilottma, it has been standing tall for the last 80 years. The Howrah Bridge is the main and ancient junction between the two busiest cities of West Bengal, Kolkata and Howrah, on either side of the Hooghly River. Rabindra Setu is very busy all day long with people and vehicles moving incessantly. While heavy goods vehicles are prohibited on the bridge, there is no restriction on light goods vehicles and buses, taxis, and private cars. You can walk or drive over the bridge at any time.
Web Story on Howrah Bridge: Check Interesting facts Here
Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu) – History
In 1862, the then Government of Bengal asked George Turnbull, Chief Engineer of the East India Railway Company, to carry out a feasibility study on building a bridge over the Hooghly River. He presented the required design on 29 March that year, but the bridge could not be constructed at that time.
The first Howrah Bridge was built in 1874. It was a floating bridge. Later in 1945, the present bridge was inaugurated. It is a cantilever bridge and it is suspended. There are two pillars on either side of it but there is no support in between. When this bridge was built, it was the third longest bridge of its kind at that time. Currently, Howrah Bridge is the sixth such bridge in the world.
Subsequently, the Calcutta Port Authority appointed a committee in 1906 headed by RS Hight, Chief Engineer of the East Indian Railway, and WB McCabe, Chief Engineer of the Calcutta Corporation. The committee presented the necessary data and, based on that, a decision was taken to construct a floating bridge over the river. Tenders were invited for the design and construction of the bridge from around 23 firms. The New Howrah Bridge Act was amended in 1935 and construction of the bridge began the following year.
Some lesser-known facts about Howrah Bridge at a glance
- Total length of Howrah Bridge is 750 meters.
- The longest span is 447 meters long.
- About 1,50,000 pedestrians and 1,00,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day.
- This bridge has been illuminated by Tapas Sen, the famous lighting artist of the theater world.
- There are no nuts and bolts in this bridge.
- This bridge is built with 26 thousand 500 tons of steel, this steel was supplied by Tata Steel Company.
- Howrah Bridge was designed by Mr.Walton of M/s Rendel, Palmer & Triton
- Howrah Bridge was renamed Rabindra Setu in 1965 as a tribute to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
Howrah Bridge – How to Reach
Take a train to Howrah station from any part of West Bengal or India. After getting down at the last station, you will see the Howrah Bridge, officially called Rabindra Setu. Various buses from almost all parts of Kolkata cross the Howrah Bridge to Howrah station. You can also reach Howrah station by launching from various ferry ghats along the Ganges. In that case, you can see it from under the Howrah Bridge. Work on the Metro project up to Howrah Maidan has been started for several years. Kolkata Howrah metro connection will be established in the next few years, then Howrah station can be reached by metro. And Howrah Bridge can be seen.
Howrah Bridge – Things to Know Before Visiting
Although photography is prohibited on the bridge for safety reasons, many commuters are seen standing on the bridge and taking selfies with the Ganges behind them. Standing on this bridge, one can see the coexistence of different classes of people in West Bengal. This bridge can also be visited from Gangabaksa. If you board any launch (boat) from Howrah Ferry Ghat towards Bagbazar, you will open your heart and get a view of this bridge from different angles. There is no restriction on taking pictures of the bridge from the launch.
