Chandannagar

চন্দননগর

Hooghly district · Kolkata & Around

A former French colony on the Hooghly.

About Chandannagar

Chandannagar (Chandernagore) was a French settlement until 1950. It still has a French-flavoured riverfront promenade (the Strand), colonial buildings, a well-known church and a museum-institute. It is best known across Bengal for the elaborate lighting of its Jagadhatri Puja in November.

Highlights

The Strand promenade on the Hooghly
Sacred Heart Church
Indo-French museum (Institut de Chandernagor)
Jagadhatri Puja lighting

Plan your trip

Best time: November to February. Visit in November for Jagadhatri Puja (expect very large crowds).
How to reach: On the Howrah to Bardhaman main line; roughly an hour by train from Howrah. About 35 km from Kolkata by road.
Suggested stay: Day trip
Distance from Kolkata: About 40 km by road
Travel time: About 1 hour by train
Nearest railway station: Chandannagar
Budget: Budget
Food: Jolbhora sandesh, said to have been created here.
With family: Easy for all ages: a flat riverside promenade and short distances.

Nearby and related destinations

Serampore (Srirampur): Danish Bengal and the birthplace of modern Bengali printing. (about 30 km from Kolkata, nearest station Shrirampur)
Bandel & Chinsurah: A Portuguese church, a grand imambara and a Dutch town. (about 50 km from Kolkata, nearest station Bandel Junction)
Bansberia: A temple with thirteen lotus-bud towers. (about 55 km from Kolkata, nearest station Bansberia)
Kolkata: The City of Joy: colonial grandeur, adda, books and food.

Part of these guides

Distances and travel times are approximate road figures from central Kolkata. Check timings, permits and road conditions before you travel.