Things to do in Shibpur & Botanic Garden

Shibpur, south of Howrah station, has the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, authorised by the East India Company in 1787 and now run by the Botanical Survey of India. Its 109 hectares hold more than 12,000 plant specimens and the Great Banyan, a single tree whose canopy is over 330 metres around. It suits a slow winter morning rather than an event. Avani Riverside Mall on Jagat Banerjee Ghat Road, Howrah's first mall, has a four-screen multiplex and hosts the district's mall events. The IIEST engineering campus brings student festivals. There is no metro here; take a bus or cab from Howrah Maidan.