Serampore and Uttarpara
Serampore and Uttarpara are two towns at the western bank of the Hooghly River, in the Hooghly district of West Bengal.
Serampore (শ্রীরামপুর Śrīrāmpur), previously Frederiksnagore, was a former colony under the Danish Empire. Though there are only a few remnants of Danish colonialism in this town, the Serampore College is a prime example of Danish architecture. The town is associated with the Serampore Trio (William Carey, Joshua Marshman and William Ward), who had made several contributions in the Bengali literature.
Uttarpara (উত্তরপাড়া Uttarpāṛā) was once a leading automobile manufacturing hub in India, producing some of the famous car models of all time. It also once boasted of sylvan peace, beautiful buildings, epitome of great architectural works and steeped in cultural heritage. Although Uttarpara has lost its glory in the 21st century, it is still an important site for industrial tourism in West Bengal.
This article also includes other towns between the two, including Rishra and Konnagar.
Get in
By train
The Howrah–Bardhaman Main Line runs through these two towns.
By car
The famous Grand Trunk Road runs through Serampore and Uttarpara as SH 6. SH 13 acts as a bypass of SH 6 and is a better way to reach Serampore and Uttarpara if you don't want to follow the historical road.
By ferry
There are several ferry services to and from Serampore, Konnagar and Uttarpara.
See
- 🌍 Abanindranath Tagore's Baganbari. It was once the residence of Abanindranath Tagore, nephew of Rabindranath Tagore and one of the famous artists of Bengal.
Serampore
- 🌍 Danish Cemetery.
- 🌍 Danish Governor House.
- 🌍 Henry Martin's Pagoda.
- 🌍 Serampore College. It was built in 1818 by the famed Serampore Trio (William Carey, Joshua Marshman and William Ward). The trio had contributed extensively in Bengali literature. They had published Bengali translations of the Bible, Ramayana and Mahabharata, along with Bengali newspapers like Digdarshan and Samachar Darpan. The college compound contains a museum dedicated to William Carey.
- 🌍 Serampore Palace.
Uttarpara
- 🌍 Hind Motor. Hind Motor was the manufacturing site of the iconic Hindustan Ambassador. It was one of the most common car models plying on the streets of several cities in India. However, the popularity of Ambassador has declined with the rise of numerous automobile giants in the country. The production of Ambassador was closed in 2014, thus rendering the plant useless. However, Ambassador cars are still a common sight in the form of yellow taxis in Kolkata.
- Pancharatna Temple. Possibly the only surviving terracotta teme in Uttarpara.
Do
Events
The Ratha Yatra of Mahesh in Serampore is the oldest Ratha Yatra in India after Puri Ratha Yatra. It is said to have been celebrated since 1396. It is a week-long festival and a grand fair is held at that time. People throng to have a share in pulling the long ropes (রস্যি rasyi) attached to the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balarama and Subhadra on the journey from the temple to Mahesh Gundicha Bari (মাসির বাড়ি māsir bāṛi) and back within the eighth day.
Eat and drink
Konnagar has an extensive fruit and vegetable market which is visited by people from the nearby areas. The market is famous for its affordable prices.
Sleep
- 🌍 Denmark Tavern. A heritage café-cum-lodge established in 1786 by British innkeeper James Parr.
Cope
- 🌍 Uttarpara Jaykrishna Public Library. The oldest library in India and Asia. It contains some old and rare volumes of periodicals in both Bengali and English, including the aforementioned Digdarshan.
Nearby
Go next
| Routes through Serampore |
| Hooghly ← Chandannagar ← | N S | → Howrah → Meets at |
| Hooghly ← Chandannagar ← | N S | → Howrah → END |
| Hugli-Chinsurah ← Chandannagar ← | N S | → Howrah → Ends at |