Alipore

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Alipore is the poshest and costliest locality in Kolkata[citation needed]. It is flanked by the Tolly Nullah to the north, Bhowanipore to the east, the Diamond Harbour Road to the west and Budge Budge section of the Sealdah South section railway line to the south.

Home to some of the richest people in the country[citation needed], Alipore also serves as the district headquarters of the South 24 Parganas district.

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[edit] History

One of the most historical and eventful localities of the city of Kolkata, Alipore is nearly as old as the city itself.

It was in the middle parts of the 18th century that the British began exploring the areas outside their settlements of Fort William and the Dalhousie Square area beyond the Race Course. The Belvedere Estate was one of the oldest establishments in Alipore. The then Governor General Warren Hastings built it for himself and it became the Governor's residence until the Government House came up later. It was about this period of time that Alipore started attracting more and more British settlers who built their huge mansions and bungalows with gardens and Alipore came to be more popular.

In 1820, William Carey built the Agri Horticultural Gardens behind the Belvedere Estate and added to the charm of the locality. Also, the Alipore Zoological Gardens was thrown open to the public in 1875.

The locality was also witness to the Alipore bomb case and a spectator to the freedom struggle of the Indian revolutionaries.

Post independence of India, Alipore became popular among the business elite of the city and a large number of them set up home. The Pauls, the Birlas, the Goenkas, the Dalmiyas - all added weight to the place.

In 1952, the Imperial Library (now renamed the National Library) shifted to its present premises on Belvedere Estate. The Alipore Mint was also inaugurated the same year.

By the late eighties and nineties other places like Salt Lake and Ballygunge supplanted Alipore as the poshest areas of Calcutta.

[edit] Transport

Alipore is connected to all parts of the city by extensive bus services.

Alipore is served by the Majherhat and New Alipore railway stations on the Budge Budge section of Kolkata Suburban Railway.

The Jatin Das Park station of the Kolkata Metro is the nearest to Alipore.

Alipore is also served by the tram services of the Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC).

[edit] Medical facilities

  • Woodland's Nursing Home, Alipore Road
  • Calcutta Hospital, Diamond Harbour Road
  • B.M.Birla Heart Research Institute, Sterndale Road
  • Kothari's Medical Centre, Sterndale Road
  • Command Hospital, Alipore Road

[edit] Educational institutions

  1. Kolkata University, Alipore Campus
  2. Women's Law College, Judges Court Road
  3. Viharilal College of Home Science, Judges Court Road

[edit] Places of interest

  • National Library, Belvedere Road
  • Alipore Zoological Gardens, Belvedere Road
  • National Test House, Judges Court Road
  • Alipore Metorological Office, Judges Court Road
  • Alipore Presidency Jail, Judges Court Road
  • Bhavani Bhavan, Belvedere Road
  • Kolkata Mint, Diamond Harbour Road
  • Agri Horticultural Gardens, Alipore Road

[edit] Hospitality

The Taj Bengal Hotel, Belvedere Road

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 22°32′N, 88°20′E

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