Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden

The Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, often called the Shibpur Botanical Garden, lies on the western bank of the Hooghly River at Shibpur in Howrah, on Botanical Garden Road, across the river from central Kolkata in West Bengal, India. It was founded in 1787 by Robert Kyd of the East India Company and is among the oldest botanical gardens in Asia, covering a large riverside estate of lawns, lakes, avenues and woodland. Its best-known feature is the Great Banyan Tree, which is over two centuries old and spreads across a wide area with a canopy supported by many aerial roots, making it one of the largest banyan trees in the world by canopy. The main trunk was lost to disease in the twentieth century, but the tree continues to grow outwards. Elsewhere the garden holds a large collection of palms, orchids, ferns, bamboo and tropical trees, as well as a herbarium and greenhouses, and more than a thousand species of trees and plants. Visitors walk or ride along shaded avenues, relax by the lakes and the riverbank and enjoy views of the Hooghly. Birds are plentiful, and the garden attracts birdwatchers in winter. A visit takes two to three hours, and the distances are large, so comfortable shoes are important. Winter mornings are the best, with pleasant temperatures and soft light, whereas December and January weekends bring crowds of picnic parties and loud music. The garden is entered by a small ticket, with a higher rate for foreign nationals, and the opening hours run from early morning to late afternoon. Access from central Kolkata takes 30 to 45 minutes by taxi or app cab, and visitors should plan the return trip, as taxis are less common within the garden after closing time.