Established by an East India Company officer Colonel Robert Kyd in 1787, this botanical garden was an initial investment to help distinguish plants that would contribute to commercial trade. Over the years, the garden has been titled ‘The Royal Botanical Garden’ and ‘Indian Botanical Gardens’ before finally being named after noted Indian physicist, botanist and biologist Archarya Jagadish Chandra Bose in 2009. The garden is spread across a stunning 109 hectares and is the oldest and largest of its kind in South East Asia. With over 12, 000 different varieties of plants to browse through, you would need an entire day to even skim the surface of all that this has to offer. A must-see is the The Great Banyan Tree which is said to be the largest tree in the world. The collection of different palms is also worth visiting. Situated at Shibpur, Howrah, the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Botanical Garden can be easily reached via the Vidyasagar Setu. You can also catch a bus from Howrah Station to the B. Garden stop. The gardens are usually visited by groups of college students that come here to spend the entire day, equipped with water and snacks to keep them going.
The roots of Alipore Zoological Gardens lie in a private menagerie once owned by Governor General Lord Wellesley in the 1800s. However, it was only many years after he returned to England, that a formal 'Zoological Gardens' was established in Alipore. Inaugurated in 1876 by Sir Edward VII, the Alipore Zoological Gardens was the first of its kind in the country; African Buffalo, Zanzibar Ram, Four-horned sheep, Hybrid Kashmiri Goat, Indian Antelope, Indian Gazelle and Sambar Deer were among the first breeds held here. The zoo was famous for housing the Aldabra Giant Tortoise 'Adwaita' which died in 2006, after 250 years! In the 1900s, the zoo was reputed as a pioneer in captive breeding processes; the Sumatran Rhinoceros was one of the successful breeding projects. However, over the years, it received a lot of criticism for its poor maintenance of animals and the 'Panthera Hybrid Program' (lion and tiger hybrids). Today, Alipore Zoo or Zoological Gardens remains a major attraction of the city, and houses species like Royal Bengal Tiger, African Lion, Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, Reticulated Giraffe, Dromedary Camel and Indian Elephant. Spread across 45 acres of land, the zoo also features a Reptile House, Primate House, Panther House and Elephant House. It may take you anywhere between an hour to a day to tour the zoo in its entirety; National Library, Agri Horticultural Gardens and Alipore Jail are in close vicinity. Photography is allowed after a charge of INR 250.