Shibpur, Howrah (across the river)
Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden
A 270-year-old botanical garden with the world's largest banyan tree — a single tree covering 14,500 square metres with 3,700 aerial roots. It is genuinely one of the most astonishing living things in India.
Best Time to Visit
Early morning on a weekday. Weekends get school groups. The garden is vast (109 hectares) — wear comfortable shoes and carry water.
Nearest Landmark
Howrah Bridge → Shibpur
How to Get There
Shibpur, Howrah — 20 minutes from Kolkata by car (cross the Howrah Bridge, follow signs). Entry fee ₹30. Open daily except Fridays, 10am–5pm.
Local Tip
"The Great Banyan Tree (Ficus benghalensis) was struck by lightning in 1925 and had to have its central trunk removed — the tree now exists only as a forest of aerial roots, all from one original tree. You walk inside it. Also look for the Palm House, the orchid houses, and the fern collection. The full circuit of the garden takes 2–3 hours."
The Indian Botanic Garden was established in 1787 by the East India Company under the direction of Colonel Robert Kyd, originally to cultivate plants that could be commercially useful to the Company — teak, pepper, spice plants. What grew from that utilitarian origin is now one of the great botanical gardens of Asia.
The Great Banyan
The single most extraordinary thing here: the Great Banyan Tree, believed to be 250+ years old, is the widest tree in the world by canopy area. It covers more than 14,500 square metres. The central trunk was removed after storm damage in 1925; what remains is a forest of 3,700+ aerial roots, all part of a single organism. You walk among them. It doesn’t look like a tree — it looks like a small jungle.
The garden itself
109 hectares on the west bank of the Hooghly. The collections include palm species, bamboos, cycads, orchids, ferns, and a lake with aquatic plants. The heritage buildings (the Palm House, the colonial-era offices) add another layer.
Crossing the river
Getting here from central Kolkata means crossing the Hooghly, which is itself part of the experience. Auto-rickshaws from Howrah station, or cab across the bridge directly.