Bandel

Understand

History

Bandel's history can be traced to the heydays of Saptagram (সপ্তগ্রাম Saptagrām) or Satgaon (সাতগাঁও Sātgāno), a major port town in medieval Bengal. It is mentioned in various literary works at the time, including Manasāmaṅgal. However, the port town lost its significance by the late 16th century and eventually had to be abandoned in the 17th century, because of the silting up of the Saraswati River. Despite this, Saptagram has become more relevant in the 21st century due to the presence of an engineering college there. In 1580, after founding the colony of Hooghly, Portuguese captain Pedro Tavares obtained the full permission from Mughal Emperor Akbar to preach the Catholic faith publicly, and erect churches. Thus, the Bandel Church was built in 1599, which is one of the oldest churches in West Bengal. The Mughal governor of Bengal later expelled the Portuguese after a political disorder in 1629, and the Bandel Church was also burnt down. A newer church was built over the ruin in 1660 by Gomez de Soto.

Getting there

By plane The nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU IATA) in Kolkata.

By train 1 Bandel Junction HWH (BDC). The main station and the junction of Howrah–Bardhaman main line, Bandel–Katwa line and Bandel–Naihati line. Many express trains on these lines stop at Bandel. Curiously, the station's main exit is at the opposite of the main city and you have to go through an underpass by road to get to the main city. The road meets the Grand Trunk Road at Bandel More. If visiting from Howrah railway station, take a for ₹10 directly from either station. It is important to know that all of the local trains stop at each station in between, so you can take express trains as they almost always stop at Bandel Jn. All express trains travelling on Howrah–Barddhaman line arrive at this station unless it's travelling on the Howrah–Barddhaman chord line in which it does not arrive at Bandel. (updated Feb 2025)

By car Bandel is connected with Kolkata by the Grand Trunk Road and Old Delhi Road. Old Delhi Road is preferable whenever possible because the GT Road is consumed by local traffic, and it is a daunting task to drive through the potholed roads. Another important road is Bandel Station Road which starts from a little above Bally More and ends at Rajhat More connecting Chinsurah-Bansberia Road with Delhi Road. Bandel Station Rd is obviously named after Bandel Station. It is about 5 km in length.

Getting around

Auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are available from Bandel Junction to the attractions.

Buy

Bandel Bazar. One of the biggest and most important markets in the Hooghly district. It's the hub of agricultural imports and exports. Vegetables, fruits (especially mango and watermelon) and rice are exported from the market. (updated Oct 2022)

Eat

New Haji Biryani House, Bandel Station Road (Near Bandel More). An iconic biryani house in Bandel More. The restaurant is not very big and has few seats. Chicken biryani is ₹110, and mutton biryani is ₹130. Aloo biryani is also available. ₹80-160. (updated Mar 2025)