Bandel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bandel
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Metro,Urban
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The Bandel Church
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| Nickname(s):
Portuguese city
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 Bandel
Location in West Bengal
Bandel
Location in India
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| Country |  India |
| State | West Bengal |
| District | Hooghly |
| Region | Greater Kolkata |
| Founded by | Portuguese |
| Named for | Derived from Portuguese word which later changed into Bandel |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Hooghly Chinsurah Municipality |
| Area | |
| • Total | 84.9 km2 (32.8 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 1st |
| Elevation | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Population
(356,193 (2011))
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| • Total | 356,193 |
| • Rank | 1st in Hooghly as of 2011 |
| • Density | 4,195.4/km2 (10,866/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Sautal, Portuguese |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Bengali, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN |
712123, 712103, 712104
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| Telephone code | +91 33 |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-WB |
| Vehicle registration | WB |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Hooghly |
| Vidhan Sabha constituency | Chunchura |
Bandel is a city in the Hooghly district of West Bengal, India. It was started by Portuguese settlers a long time ago. Bandel is part of the larger Kolkata region.
It is an important railway station for the Eastern Railway zone. Bandel is about 38 kilometers (24 miles) from Howrah railway station. Did you know that Sir James Brooke, who became the first ruler of the Kingdom of Sarawak, was born here in 1803?
Contents
Where is Bandel?
Bandel is located at 22°55′22″N 88°22′46″E / 22.922743°N 88.379542°E. It sits about 16 meters (52 feet) above sea level. The main river flowing through Bandel is the Hooghly River. The city is in the Gangetic Plain, which is a large, flat area.
What is the Weather Like?
Bandel has a tropical wet-and-dry climate. This means it has long periods of hot and humid weather. The monsoon season, with lots of rain, lasts from early June to mid-September. Winter is shorter, from mid-November to mid-February, and the weather is usually dry then. Summers are humid.
What Does Bandel Do? (Economy)
Bandel has several important industries and markets.
- Bandel Thermal Power Station (BTPS): This power plant started in 1965 and now produces a lot of electricity, about 530 megawatts! It helps power many homes and businesses.
- Jupiter Wagons Limited: This company makes parts for railway wagons, like freight wagons and bogies. It's an important part of the railway industry.
- Bakery Industry: Bandel is known for its many bakeries.
- Bandel Bazar: This is one of the biggest markets in the district. It's a busy place where lots of vegetables, fruits (like mango and watermelon), and rice are bought and sold.
- Banks: You can find many banks in Bandel, including Allahabad Bank, Axis Bank, Bandhan Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, State Bank of India, UCO Bank, and HDFC Bank.
How to Get Around Bandel (Transport)
Train Travel
Bandel has two railway stations: Hooghly railway station and Bandel Junction. Bandel Junction is a very important station for the Eastern Railway. It's about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Howrah station. Trains from the Bandel–Katwa line and the Howrah–Bardhaman main line meet here. There's also a line connecting Bandel to Sealdah railway station and Kolkata railway station. Near Bandel station, there's a place where trains are stored and repaired, and a yard for goods trains.
Roads and Buses
The State Highway 6, also known as Grand Trunk Road, goes right through Bandel. You can also travel by private buses, auto rickshaws, e-rickshaws, and cycle-rickshaws. These are all common ways to get around the city.
- Bus Routes:
* 4 Chunchura Court - Memari * 8 Chunchura Court - Kalna * 23 Chunchura Court - Tarakeswar * 17 Chinsurah to Tarakeswar
Air Travel
The closest airport to Bandel is the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. It's located in Dum Dum, Kolkata.
Fun Times in Bandel (Festivals)
Like other parts of West Bengal, Durga Puja is the biggest and most celebrated festival in Bandel. Kartik Puja is also very popular, especially in the Sahaganj-Bansberia area. Other festivals like Lakshmi Puja, Kali Puja, Viswakarma Puja, Saraswati Puja, Poila Boisakh-Ganesh Puja, Chhat Puja, and Dol Yatra are also widely celebrated.
The Olichandi Mela (fair) is the largest fair in Bandel, held in early summer after the Dol Yatra. Christmas is celebrated with many people visiting the Bandel church. For the Muslim community, Eid is a major festival. There's also a special festival called 'Sitla Puja' unique to Bandel, celebrated a few weeks after Dol Yatra.
Learning in Bandel (Education)
Schools
Bandel has many schools where students can learn and grow:
- Don Bosco School Bandel
- Auxilium Convent School Bandel
- Kendriya Vidyalaya Bandel
- Abbot Shishu Hall
- Bandel St.John's High School
- Hooghly Girls' High School
- Blooming Buds School
- Disha Public School
- Binodini Girls' High School
- Dunlop English Medium School
- Bandel Vidyamandir High School (started in 1953)
- Pearl Rosary School
- Bandel Mahatma Gandhi Hindi Vidyalaya (started in 1956)
- Bandel Branch High School
Colleges for Higher Studies
For students interested in engineering and technical skills, Bandel has these colleges:
- Modern Institute of Engineering and Technology
- West Bengal Survey Institute
- ITI College, Bandel
Places Near Bandel
Debanandapur
Debanandapur is a village about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) west of Bandel Station. It is famous as the birthplace of the Bengali writer Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. You can still visit his old house there! There's also a library called Sarat Smrithi Pathagar, which has a museum room with things the writer used. This village is one of the seven important villages known as Saptagram from the time of the Mughal Empire.
Sahaganj
Sahaganj is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from Bandel station. A factory of Dunlop India Ltd. is located here. Another company, Jupiter, which makes railway parts, is also in Sahaganj.
Tribeni
Tribeni is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Bandel on the Bandel–Katwa line. The name "Tribeni" comes from the meeting point of three rivers: Hooghly (a branch of the Ganges), Kunti, and Swaraswati. The Bandel Thermal Power Station (BTPS), one of the biggest power stations, is also located here.
Other Nearby Places
- Naihati - 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) away
- Mogra - 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) away
- Bansberia - 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) away
