Indian Botanic Garden

শিবপুর বোটানিক্যাল গার্ডেন

Also known as Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden.

A 1787 garden at Shibpur, home of the Great Banyan.

About Indian Botanic Garden

Founded in 1787 by Colonel Robert Kyd of the East India Company to grow commercial plants, the garden introduced tea cultivation to India’s hills and went on to become one of the great botanic gardens of Asia. It covers about 270 acres on the west bank of the Hooghly, with lakes, palm avenues and thousands of species. Its star is the Great Banyan, more than 250 years old, whose aerial roots form a grove so wide that it looks like a forest; the original trunk decayed and was removed in 1925, and the tree lives on.

Why visit

Long shaded avenues, river breeze and a single tree the size of a wood.

What to see and do

The Great Banyan
The palm avenues and the giant water lilies
The lakes and riverside paths

Plan your visit

Area: Howrah & the West Bank, Hooghly Riverfront & Howrah
Nearest landmark: Shibpur, Howrah
Best time: Morning or afternoon. November to February.
Time needed: About 3 hours
Cost: Usually under ₹100 a head
Entry: Open to the public with a ticket. Ticketed entry; closing day, hours and price are not currently verified.
Getting there: Buses run from Howrah station and Esplanade to B. Garden.
Walking: A lot of walking
Photography: Good for photography.

Tip

It is very large: allow half a day and carry water. Morning-walk entry and day-visitor entry are ticketed differently.

Nearby and related places

Rail Museum, Howrah: Old locomotives and a toy train beside Howrah station.
Santragachi Jheel: A lake beside a railway station that fills with migratory ducks each winter.
Belur Math: The headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, on the west bank.

More guides

Last checked on 2026-10-02. Each place was checked to exist and its position confirmed. Timings, closing days and ticket prices are shown only where known and can change: confirm before you travel.