Howrah, India
Encyclopedia
Howrah or Haora is an industrial city, a municipal corporation in the Howrah district
, West Bengal
, India. It is the headquarters of the district, and also the headquarters of Howrah Sadar subdivision
of the district. Located on the west bank of the Hoogli River, it is a twin city of Kolkata
. Howrah is the second small district after kolkata. The two cities are connected by the four bridges on river Ganges, named Howrah Bridge
(also known as Rabindra Setu), the Vidyasagar Setu
(also known as the second Hooghly Bridge), the Vivekananda Setu
(also known as Bally Bridge), the Nivedita Setu
(also known as Second Vivekananda Setu and ferry
services between various jetties in the two cities.
Howrah Station
serves as a terminal for two railway zones of India: the Eastern Railway
and the South Eastern Railway
. There are six other railway stations with the city, including the railway junction
at Santragachhi
and the terminal at Shalimar Station
—all the six are part of the South Eastern Railway network. Two national highways—NH 2
and NH 6—are connected to Vidyasagar Setu via Kona Expressway. One endpoint of the Grand Trunk Road
is at the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden
here, where the Great Banyan
tree stands. Bengal Engineering & Science University, over 150 years old, is the prestigious engineering university located in the city.
—Bengali
word for a wetland, which is typically a depression where water and mud accumulates. The word itself was rather used in eastern part of Bengal
(now Bangladesh), as compared to the western part (now West Bengal).
. Venetian
explorer Ceasare de Federici, who travelled India during 1565–79, mentioned a place called Buttor in his journal circa 1578. As per his description, this was the place up to which large ships could travel (in the Hoogli River) and so, it was the dock for loading and unloading goods for those ships. This place is identifiable with the modern day neighbourhood Bator of Howrah. Bator was also mentioned in the Bengali poetry Manasamangal written by Bipradas Pipilai
in 1495.
In 1713, the Bengal Council of British East India Company
, on the accession of the Emperor Farrukhsiyar
, grand son of Aurangzeb
, to the throne of Delhi, sent a deputation to him with a petition for a settlement of five villages on west bank of Hooghly river along with thirty-three villages on the east bank. The list of villages appeared in the Consultation Book of the Council dated 4 May 1714. The five villages on the west bank on Hooghly river were: 'Salica' (Salkia), 'Harirah' (Howrah), 'Cassundeah' (Kasundia), 'Ramkrishnopoor' (Ramkrishnapur), and 'Battar' (Bator): all identifiable with localities of modern day Howrah city. The deputation was successful except for these five villages. By 1728, most of the present day Howrah district was part of either of the two zamindaris: Burdwan or Muhammand Aminpur. After Battle of Plassey
, as per the treaty signed with the Nawab of Bengal Mir Qasim
on 11 October 1760, Howrah district (then part of Burdwan) came under control of East India Company. In 1787, the Hooghly district was formed, and till 1819, the whole of the present day Howrah district was added to it. The Howrah district was separated from the Hooghly district in 1843.
With the establishment of the Howrah Railway Terminus in 1854 started the most important phase of its industrial development. Flour mills were established in 1855, followed by Jute mills and around 1870s, there were five mills near Howrah station. The Howrah–Shalimar Railway Section and the Shalimar Terminus were constructed in 1883.
By 1914 almost every major city in India was served by the Railways and the increased demand for its rolling stocks and repair works resulted in the establishment of railway workshop in Howrah. The light engineering industry grew up after 1914. This industrial boom continued throughout the second world war and brought with it rapid urbanisation phase in unplanned manner creating slums near the industrial establishments.
Today, Howrah is famous for Howrah Station
and Howrah Bridge
.
, Howrah had a population of 1,008,704. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Howrah has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 73%. In Howrah, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
As of 1896 census of British India, Howrah had a population of 84,069, which grew up to 157,594 in 1901 census. This rapid growth was due to abundance of job opportunities, which effected in a 100% increase in male population during this period, whereas the female population grew up only by 60%.
(BSCL, established in 1781), a major company in heavy engineering industry, which is now part of Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam Limited
(BBUNL), has its oldest manufacturing unit located in Howrah. In 1823, Bishop Reginald Heber
described Howrah as the place "chiefly inhabited by shipbuilders". The Howrah plant of Shalimar Paints
(established in 1902) was the first large-scale paint manufacturing plant to be set up
not only in India but in entire South East Asia.
Jute industry suffered during the Partition of Bengal (1947)
, when the larger jute production area became part of East Pakistan
(now Bangladesh). The foundry industry saw a decline in demand due to growth in steel industry.
Often termed as Sheffield of the East, Howrah is known today as a engineering hub, mainly in the area of light engineering industry. There are small engineering firms all over Howrah, particularly around Belilios Road area near Howrah station.
Even though it is the second largest city in the state, it did not undertake appropriate infrastructure development in the last century. As a result, Howrah is continuing to face its perennial problems like traffic congestion, population explosion and pollution. The ratio of roadspace to the population is too low in this city, even comparatively smaller towns like Baharampur
enjoy a better ratio. The emigrant labor force from the rest of the state's rural areas and neighboring states take refuge in the cheaper quarters in Howrah, bringing the already poor infrastructure to the brink of collapse. Many times such migrations reduce a locality to a poor-infrastructure slum. The name of the novel City of Joy
, which has been often the name the Kolkata
metropolis been called, is actually based on one such slum of Howrah.
However, recently, work has been done on broadening the national highways and several towns roads. These activities are expected to help in improvement of traffic conditions. Of late, Howrah has seen a lot of new industrial proposals like the Kona Truck Terminus, Kolkata West International City
and relocation of the old smoky foundry plants.
Municipality was formed separating it out from Howrah. As per the Howrah Municipal Corporation Act of 1980, Howrah became a municipal corporation, in 1984. The corporation area is divided into fifty wards, each of which elects a councillor. The Mayor-in-council, which is led by Mayor and supported by Commissioner and officers, is responsible for administration of the corporation area. Currently,the CPI(M)-led Left Front is controlling the municipal board.
Howrah station
is a major railway station serving Howrah, Kolkata and the neighbouring districts. It was established in 1854 when railway line was constructed here, connecting it to the coalfields of the Bardhaman
. This station is now part of two zones of Indian Railway: the Eastern Railway
and the South Eastern Railway
and it is connected to most of the major cities of India. It is also part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway
and suburban trains connecting various stations of the districts of Howrah, Hooghly
, Bardhaman, East Midnapore and West Midnapore. Within Howrah city, there are six other stations: Tikiapara, Dasnagar, Ramrajatala
, Santragachhi
, Padmapukur and Shalimar Station
, all serving the South Eastern Railway. The first station after Howrah terminus that serves the Eastern Railway is Liluah
, which is located in the municipal area of Bally
. Tikiapara, Dasnagar, Ramrajatala and Padmapukur are smaller stations of suburban railway. Santragachhi is a railway junction. Shalimar Station served as a terminus for goods trains and hosted a rail yard since its inception in 1883. In recent years, it has been brought into the network of passenger train stations to reduce pressure on Howrah station. Apart from suburban trains, few long-distance trains have been introduced or moved over here (from Howrah station).
Hooghli River flows between the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata. Howrah Bridge
(Rabindra Setu), a cantilever bridge
with one endpoint next to Howrah station, and Vidyasagar Setu
, a cable-stayed bridge
with one endpoint near Shalimar station, connect the two cities. Both the bridges are counted among the longest ones in the world within their types. Also, between various jetties in Howrah and Kolkata, there are ferry
services available, which was introduced in 1970s. The jetties on Howrah side are at Howrah Station, Ramkrishnapur, Shibpur, Shalimar and Nazirganj.
Total road length in Howrah is approximately 300 km. One of the most important road is the Grand Trunk Road
which starts from Indian Botanical Gardens
in Howrah. This road was built by the Public Works Department of the British administration. Work started on it in 1804 to add this connector to the main branch of the road near Chandannagar
. Operational from 1990s, the roads connecting to Vidyasagar Setu from various locations have added up to the roadspace of Howrah. The most important one is 8 km long Kona Expressway, which was built by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority
(KMDA). This road serves as a connector of Kolkata (via Vidyasagar Setu) to National Highway 2 (India)
(NH 2) and hence is part of Golden Quadrilateral
project. At Nibra
town of the Howrah district, Kona Expressway joins with National Highway 6 (India) (NH 6) as well. Along with Diamond Harbour Road, this erstwhile State Highway forms the 133 km long National Highway 117 (India)
(NH 117), connecting NH 6 to the coastal town of Bakkhali
. The Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways accorded National Highway status to these two roads, which formed NH-117 together. However, due to land acquisition issues, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has declared their plan to return these two roads to state government, also pointing out to the heavy traffic on Diamond Harbour Road and to the existence of multitude of underground utilities there.
is a neighbourhood in south Howrah, near Vidyasagar Setu
. Through the centuries it has been synonymous with the Great Banyan
tree. The Great Banyan Tree boasts of having the largest canopy in the world. It continues to grow and covers many city blocks and looks like a forest all by itself. The British established the Indian Botanical Gardens
in 1786 between the Great Banyan Tree and the Hoogly River
. Here there is one end of the Grand Trunk Road
.
The Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur is the second oldest engineering university in India.
There is a famous Rama
Temple in Ramrajatala
area, where Rama is worshiped for 4 months, starting from Rama Navami
to the last Sunday of the month of Shravana
. A big fair is held every year on the last day of worship.
Located near Santragachi Railway Station, the Santragachhi Jheel is a large lake that attracts migratory birds during winter. Lesser Whistling Duck
is the most dominant species visible here. Forest Ministry of the State Government of West Bengal intends to convert the lake to a 'wildlife conservation centre'.
Belur Math
is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission
, founded by Swami Vivekananda
, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located on the west bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India
and is one of the significant institutions in Calcutta.
Gadiara
is a village in Howrah District
.
This place is the point of convergence of the Damodar
, the Rupnarayan
and the Hoogli rivers.Gadiara is a popular picnic and daytrip spot for locals and tourists alike.
, English
or Hindi
. Schools are affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education
, the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE)
and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
.
Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) is second oldest engineering institutions in India. BESU is set to upgrade to be India's first Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology(IIEST). The Bijoy Krishna Girls’ College
or Howrah Girl's College is an important educational institute for women. MCKV Institute of Engineering
is a private engineering college affiliated to the West Bengal University of Technology
.
Howrah Zilla School is a notable higher secondary school. The St. Thomas' Church School, Howrah
is one of the oldest schools in the city.
Howrah District
Howrah district is a district of the West Bengal state in eastern India. It has thousands of years of rich heritage in the form of the great Bengali kingdom of Bhurshut. The district is named after its headquarters, the city of Howrah.-Geography:...
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India. It is the headquarters of the district, and also the headquarters of Howrah Sadar subdivision
Howrah Sadar subdivision
Howrah Sadar subdivision , is a subdivision of the Howrah district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of Howrah municipal corporation and Bally municipality and five community development blocs: Bally Jagacha, Domjur, Panchla, Sankrail and Jagatballavpur. The five blocks contain 67...
of the district. Located on the west bank of the Hoogli River, it is a twin city of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. Howrah is the second small district after kolkata. The two cities are connected by the four bridges on river Ganges, named Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge
The Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city, Kolkata . On 14 June 1965 it was renamed Rabindra Setu, after Rabindranath...
(also known as Rabindra Setu), the Vidyasagar Setu
Vidyasagar Setu
Vidyasagar Setu, also known as the Second Hooghly Bridge, is a bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It links the city of Kolkata to Howrah. The bridge is a toll bridge for all vehicles. At a total length of 822.96 m, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in India and one of the...
(also known as the second Hooghly Bridge), the Vivekananda Setu
Vivekananda Setu
Vivekananda Setu is a bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It links the city of Howrah, at Bally, to its twin city of Kolkata, at Dakshineswar. Built in December 1932, it is a multispan steel bridge and was built to provide road cum rail link between the Calcutta Port and its...
(also known as Bally Bridge), the Nivedita Setu
Nivedita Setu
Nivedita Setu is a cable-stayed bridge over Hooghly River that runs parallel to and around 50 m downstream of the old Vivekananda Setu opened in 1932...
(also known as Second Vivekananda Setu and ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
services between various jetties in the two cities.
Howrah Station
Howrah station
Howrah Station is one of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata railway station in Kolkata. Howrah is situated on the West bank of the Hooghly River, linked to Kolkata by the magnificent Howrah Bridge which...
serves as a terminal for two railway zones of India: the Eastern Railway
Eastern Railway (India)
The Eastern Railway is one of the 17 zones of the Indian Railways. Its headquarters is at Fairley Place, Kolkata, and comprises four divisions: Howrah, Malda, Sealdah, and Asansol. These are the financial departments and each has an assistant divisional financial manager , divisional railway...
and the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (India)
The South Eastern Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Garden Reach, Kolkata. It comprises four divisions:# Adra Railway Division# Chakradharpur Railway Division# Kharagpur Railway Division...
. There are six other railway stations with the city, including the railway junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
at Santragachhi
Santragachhi
Santragachhi or Santragachi is a neighbourhood of Howrah city in West Bengal, India. It has a railway station which is a railway junction on the South Eastern Railway...
and the terminal at Shalimar Station
Shalimar Station
Shalimar Station is the newest of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, in Kolkata, Kolkata Station in Kolkata and Howrah Station in Howrah. Shalimar station is situated in the Shalimar area of Howrah. It is located near Shibpur area of...
—all the six are part of the South Eastern Railway network. Two national highways—NH 2
National Highway 2 (India)
National Highway 2 , commonly referred as Delhi-Kolkata Road is a busy Indian National Highway that runs through the states of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. It constitute a major portion of historical Grand Trunk Road along with NH 91 and NH 1 in India...
and NH 6—are connected to Vidyasagar Setu via Kona Expressway. One endpoint of the Grand Trunk Road
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
is at the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden
Indian Botanical Gardens
The Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden is situated in Shibpur, Howrah near Kolkata. They are commonly known as the Calcutta Botanical Garden, and previously as the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta...
here, where the Great Banyan
The Great Banyan
The Great Banyan is a banyan tree located in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, near Kolkata, India. It was the widest tree in the world in terms of the area of the canopy and is estimated to be about 200 to 250 years old...
tree stands. Bengal Engineering & Science University, over 150 years old, is the prestigious engineering university located in the city.
Etymology
The name came from the word HaorHaor
A haor is a wetland ecosystem in the north eastern part of Bangladesh which physically is a bowl or saucer shaped shallow depression, also known as a backswamp...
—Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
word for a wetland, which is typically a depression where water and mud accumulates. The word itself was rather used in eastern part of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
(now Bangladesh), as compared to the western part (now West Bengal).
History
History of Howrah City dates back to 500 years. But, the district has thousands of years of rich heritage in the form of the great Bengali kingdom of BhurshutBhurshut
Bhurshut was an ancient and medieval kingdom spread across what are now Howrah and Hooghly districts in the Indian state of West Bengal.Bhurshut kingdom grew up in the southern parts of Rarh region. It had a high concentration of Bhurisresthis, a community of traders and as such came to be called...
. Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
explorer Ceasare de Federici, who travelled India during 1565–79, mentioned a place called Buttor in his journal circa 1578. As per his description, this was the place up to which large ships could travel (in the Hoogli River) and so, it was the dock for loading and unloading goods for those ships. This place is identifiable with the modern day neighbourhood Bator of Howrah. Bator was also mentioned in the Bengali poetry Manasamangal written by Bipradas Pipilai
Bipradas Pipilai
Bipradas Pipilai , was a 15th century poet. He was the son of Mukunda Pipilai, the family hailed from Badurya-Batagram in 24 Parganas, now in the Indian state of West Bengal.-The Manasa Vijay:...
in 1495.
In 1713, the Bengal Council of British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, on the accession of the Emperor Farrukhsiyar
Farrukhsiyar
Abu'l Muzaffar Muin ud-din Muhammad Shah Farrukh-siyar Alim Akbar Sani Wala Shan Padshah-i-bahr-u-bar [Shahid-i-Mazlum] was the Mughal emperor between 1713 and 1719. Noted as a handsome but weak ruler, easily swayed by his advisers, Farukhsiyar lacked the ability and character to rule independently...
, grand son of Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
, to the throne of Delhi, sent a deputation to him with a petition for a settlement of five villages on west bank of Hooghly river along with thirty-three villages on the east bank. The list of villages appeared in the Consultation Book of the Council dated 4 May 1714. The five villages on the west bank on Hooghly river were: 'Salica' (Salkia), 'Harirah' (Howrah), 'Cassundeah' (Kasundia), 'Ramkrishnopoor' (Ramkrishnapur), and 'Battar' (Bator): all identifiable with localities of modern day Howrah city. The deputation was successful except for these five villages. By 1728, most of the present day Howrah district was part of either of the two zamindaris: Burdwan or Muhammand Aminpur. After Battle of Plassey
Battle of Plassey
The Battle of Plassey , 23 June 1757, was a decisive British East India Company victory over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies, establishing Company rule in South Asia which expanded over much of the Indies for the next hundred years...
, as per the treaty signed with the Nawab of Bengal Mir Qasim
Mir Qasim
Mir Qasim was Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1764. He was installed as Nawab by the British East India Company replacing Mir Jafar, his father-in-law, who had himself been installed by the British after his role in the Battle of Plassey...
on 11 October 1760, Howrah district (then part of Burdwan) came under control of East India Company. In 1787, the Hooghly district was formed, and till 1819, the whole of the present day Howrah district was added to it. The Howrah district was separated from the Hooghly district in 1843.
With the establishment of the Howrah Railway Terminus in 1854 started the most important phase of its industrial development. Flour mills were established in 1855, followed by Jute mills and around 1870s, there were five mills near Howrah station. The Howrah–Shalimar Railway Section and the Shalimar Terminus were constructed in 1883.
By 1914 almost every major city in India was served by the Railways and the increased demand for its rolling stocks and repair works resulted in the establishment of railway workshop in Howrah. The light engineering industry grew up after 1914. This industrial boom continued throughout the second world war and brought with it rapid urbanisation phase in unplanned manner creating slums near the industrial establishments.
Today, Howrah is famous for Howrah Station
Howrah station
Howrah Station is one of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata railway station in Kolkata. Howrah is situated on the West bank of the Hooghly River, linked to Kolkata by the magnificent Howrah Bridge which...
and Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge
The Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city, Kolkata . On 14 June 1965 it was renamed Rabindra Setu, after Rabindranath...
.
Geography
Howrah is located at 22.59°N 88.31°E. It has an average elevation of 12 metres (39 feet).Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Howrah had a population of 1,008,704. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Howrah has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 73%. In Howrah, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
As of 1896 census of British India, Howrah had a population of 84,069, which grew up to 157,594 in 1901 census. This rapid growth was due to abundance of job opportunities, which effected in a 100% increase in male population during this period, whereas the female population grew up only by 60%.
Industry
Burn Standard CompanyBurn Standard Company
Bern Standard Company Limited is a Public Sector Undertaking of the Government of India. Headquartered in Kolkata, India, BSCL is engaged in civil engineering projects and is a subsidiary of Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam. The company was formed with the merger of two companies — Burn & Company...
(BSCL, established in 1781), a major company in heavy engineering industry, which is now part of Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam Limited
Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam
Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam is a Public Sector Undertaking of the Government of India and is the holding company for four eastern Indian engineering companies — Burns Standard Company, Braithwaite & Company, Bharat Wagon and Engineering Company and Braithwaite, Burn & Jessop Construction...
(BBUNL), has its oldest manufacturing unit located in Howrah. In 1823, Bishop Reginald Heber
Reginald Heber
Reginald Heber was the Church of England's Bishop of Calcutta who is now remembered chiefly as a hymn-writer.-Life:Heber was born at Malpas in Cheshire...
described Howrah as the place "chiefly inhabited by shipbuilders". The Howrah plant of Shalimar Paints
Shalimar Paints
Shalimar Paints is the India's oldest paint company based in Mumbai. The company engaged in manufacturing and marketing of paints, industrial coatings, aviation coatings, marine paints and coatings for metal decoration, and food can lacquers.-History:...
(established in 1902) was the first large-scale paint manufacturing plant to be set up
not only in India but in entire South East Asia.
Jute industry suffered during the Partition of Bengal (1947)
Partition of Bengal (1947)
The Partition of Bengal in 1947, part of the Partition of India, was a religiously based partition that divided the British Indian province of Bengal between India and Pakistan...
, when the larger jute production area became part of East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
(now Bangladesh). The foundry industry saw a decline in demand due to growth in steel industry.
Often termed as Sheffield of the East, Howrah is known today as a engineering hub, mainly in the area of light engineering industry. There are small engineering firms all over Howrah, particularly around Belilios Road area near Howrah station.
Even though it is the second largest city in the state, it did not undertake appropriate infrastructure development in the last century. As a result, Howrah is continuing to face its perennial problems like traffic congestion, population explosion and pollution. The ratio of roadspace to the population is too low in this city, even comparatively smaller towns like Baharampur
Baharampur
Baharampur is a city in the West Bengal state of India. Baharampur is the sixth largest city in West Bengal and situated in central part of West Bengal. Baharampur is nominated for becoming the municipal corporation...
enjoy a better ratio. The emigrant labor force from the rest of the state's rural areas and neighboring states take refuge in the cheaper quarters in Howrah, bringing the already poor infrastructure to the brink of collapse. Many times such migrations reduce a locality to a poor-infrastructure slum. The name of the novel City of Joy
City of Joy
City of Joy is a novel written by Dominique Lapierre and a 1992 film directed by Roland Joffé.-Plot:The story revolves around the trials and tribulations of a young Polish priest, Stephan Kovalski, the hardships endured by a rickshaw puller, Hasari Pal in Calcutta , India and the experiences of...
, which has been often the name the Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
metropolis been called, is actually based on one such slum of Howrah.
However, recently, work has been done on broadening the national highways and several towns roads. These activities are expected to help in improvement of traffic conditions. Of late, Howrah has seen a lot of new industrial proposals like the Kona Truck Terminus, Kolkata West International City
Kolkata West International City
Kolkata West International City is a satellite township development across with 6,100 bungalows, four highrise residential towers, three IT parks, a club, a 200-bed hospital, two schools and shopping and entertainment zones, in Howrah...
and relocation of the old smoky foundry plants.
Civic administration
Howrah Municipality was established in 1862. From 1896, it started supplying filter water across the city. During 1882-83, BallyBally, Howrah
Bally is a city, municipality in Howrah District, West Bengal, India. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. It is a town of historical importance...
Municipality was formed separating it out from Howrah. As per the Howrah Municipal Corporation Act of 1980, Howrah became a municipal corporation, in 1984. The corporation area is divided into fifty wards, each of which elects a councillor. The Mayor-in-council, which is led by Mayor and supported by Commissioner and officers, is responsible for administration of the corporation area. Currently,the CPI(M)-led Left Front is controlling the municipal board.
Transport
Howrah station
Howrah Station is one of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata railway station in Kolkata. Howrah is situated on the West bank of the Hooghly River, linked to Kolkata by the magnificent Howrah Bridge which...
is a major railway station serving Howrah, Kolkata and the neighbouring districts. It was established in 1854 when railway line was constructed here, connecting it to the coalfields of the Bardhaman
Bardhaman District
'Bardhaman district is a district in West Bengal. The headquarter of the district is Bardhaman, though it houses other important industrial towns like Durgapur and Asansol...
. This station is now part of two zones of Indian Railway: the Eastern Railway
Eastern Railway (India)
The Eastern Railway is one of the 17 zones of the Indian Railways. Its headquarters is at Fairley Place, Kolkata, and comprises four divisions: Howrah, Malda, Sealdah, and Asansol. These are the financial departments and each has an assistant divisional financial manager , divisional railway...
and the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (India)
The South Eastern Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones in India. It is headquartered at Garden Reach, Kolkata. It comprises four divisions:# Adra Railway Division# Chakradharpur Railway Division# Kharagpur Railway Division...
and it is connected to most of the major cities of India. It is also part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway
Kolkata Suburban Railway
The Kolkata Suburban Railway is the rail system for the suburbs surrounding the city of Kolkata . Railways such as this are important and heavily-used infrastructure in India....
and suburban trains connecting various stations of the districts of Howrah, Hooghly
Hooghly District
Hooghly district is one of the districts of the state of West Bengal in India. It can alternatively be spelt Hoogli or Hugli. The district is named after the Hooghly River.The headquarters of the district are at Chinsura...
, Bardhaman, East Midnapore and West Midnapore. Within Howrah city, there are six other stations: Tikiapara, Dasnagar, Ramrajatala
Ramrajatala
Ramrajatala a neighborhood of the city of Howrah, in Howrah district of West Bengal, India. The name of the area comes from the presence of a Mandir dedicated to Rama and the months long worship undertaken by thousands of people every year at the temple...
, Santragachhi
Santragachhi
Santragachhi or Santragachi is a neighbourhood of Howrah city in West Bengal, India. It has a railway station which is a railway junction on the South Eastern Railway...
, Padmapukur and Shalimar Station
Shalimar Station
Shalimar Station is the newest of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, in Kolkata, Kolkata Station in Kolkata and Howrah Station in Howrah. Shalimar station is situated in the Shalimar area of Howrah. It is located near Shibpur area of...
, all serving the South Eastern Railway. The first station after Howrah terminus that serves the Eastern Railway is Liluah
Liluah
Liluah is a neighbourhood of Bally municipality in Howrah district, West Bengal, India. It has a railway junction, which is the first station after Howrah on the Eastern Railway .-Location:...
, which is located in the municipal area of Bally
Bally, Howrah
Bally is a city, municipality in Howrah District, West Bengal, India. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. It is a town of historical importance...
. Tikiapara, Dasnagar, Ramrajatala and Padmapukur are smaller stations of suburban railway. Santragachhi is a railway junction. Shalimar Station served as a terminus for goods trains and hosted a rail yard since its inception in 1883. In recent years, it has been brought into the network of passenger train stations to reduce pressure on Howrah station. Apart from suburban trains, few long-distance trains have been introduced or moved over here (from Howrah station).
Hooghli River flows between the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata. Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge
The Howrah Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city, Kolkata . On 14 June 1965 it was renamed Rabindra Setu, after Rabindranath...
(Rabindra Setu), a cantilever bridge
Cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...
with one endpoint next to Howrah station, and Vidyasagar Setu
Vidyasagar Setu
Vidyasagar Setu, also known as the Second Hooghly Bridge, is a bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It links the city of Kolkata to Howrah. The bridge is a toll bridge for all vehicles. At a total length of 822.96 m, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in India and one of the...
, a cable-stayed bridge
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
with one endpoint near Shalimar station, connect the two cities. Both the bridges are counted among the longest ones in the world within their types. Also, between various jetties in Howrah and Kolkata, there are ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
services available, which was introduced in 1970s. The jetties on Howrah side are at Howrah Station, Ramkrishnapur, Shibpur, Shalimar and Nazirganj.
Total road length in Howrah is approximately 300 km. One of the most important road is the Grand Trunk Road
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
which starts from Indian Botanical Gardens
Indian Botanical Gardens
The Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden is situated in Shibpur, Howrah near Kolkata. They are commonly known as the Calcutta Botanical Garden, and previously as the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta...
in Howrah. This road was built by the Public Works Department of the British administration. Work started on it in 1804 to add this connector to the main branch of the road near Chandannagar
Chandannagar
Chandannagar, formerly known as Chandernagore or Chandernagar , is a small city and former French colony located north of Kolkata, in West Bengal, India. It is head quarters of a subdivision in Hooghly District. It is one of the 6 municipal corporations in West Bengal. It is a part of the area...
. Operational from 1990s, the roads connecting to Vidyasagar Setu from various locations have added up to the roadspace of Howrah. The most important one is 8 km long Kona Expressway, which was built by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority
Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority
Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority is the statutory planning and development authority for the Kolkata Metropolitan Area in the state of West Bengal, India. The organisation was previously known as Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority and still retains the previous logo...
(KMDA). This road serves as a connector of Kolkata (via Vidyasagar Setu) to National Highway 2 (India)
National Highway 2 (India)
National Highway 2 , commonly referred as Delhi-Kolkata Road is a busy Indian National Highway that runs through the states of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. It constitute a major portion of historical Grand Trunk Road along with NH 91 and NH 1 in India...
(NH 2) and hence is part of Golden Quadrilateral
Golden Quadrilateral
The Golden Quadrilateral is a highway network connecting India's four largest metropolises: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, thus forming a quadrilateral of sorts. Four other top ten metropolises: Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Surat, are also served by the network...
project. At Nibra
Nibra
Nibra is a census town under Domjur police station in Sadar subdivision of Howrah district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Nibra is located at . It has an average elevation of .-Demographics:...
town of the Howrah district, Kona Expressway joins with National Highway 6 (India) (NH 6) as well. Along with Diamond Harbour Road, this erstwhile State Highway forms the 133 km long National Highway 117 (India)
National Highway 117 (India)
National Highway 117 , is a National Highway in India that runs entirely within the state of West Bengal. The north-western terminal is in Kona, near the town of Nibra, Howrah district and the southern terminal is in the coastal town of Bakkhali in South 24 Parganas district. The length of this...
(NH 117), connecting NH 6 to the coastal town of Bakkhali
Bakkhali
Bakkhali is seaside resort in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. It is located on one of the many deltaic islands spread across southern Bengal. Most of the islands are part of the Sunderbans, barring a few at the fringes. Some of these are joined together with bridges over narrow...
. The Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways accorded National Highway status to these two roads, which formed NH-117 together. However, due to land acquisition issues, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has declared their plan to return these two roads to state government, also pointing out to the heavy traffic on Diamond Harbour Road and to the existence of multitude of underground utilities there.
Neighbourhoods and places of interest
ShibpurShibpur
Shibpur is a residential area located in the city of Howrah, West Bengal, India. It is well known for being the location of the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, the Bengal Engineering College and the Hazar Hath Kaali Temple. The famous Bengali linguist Suniti Kumar Chatterji...
is a neighbourhood in south Howrah, near Vidyasagar Setu
Vidyasagar Setu
Vidyasagar Setu, also known as the Second Hooghly Bridge, is a bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It links the city of Kolkata to Howrah. The bridge is a toll bridge for all vehicles. At a total length of 822.96 m, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in India and one of the...
. Through the centuries it has been synonymous with the Great Banyan
The Great Banyan
The Great Banyan is a banyan tree located in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, near Kolkata, India. It was the widest tree in the world in terms of the area of the canopy and is estimated to be about 200 to 250 years old...
tree. The Great Banyan Tree boasts of having the largest canopy in the world. It continues to grow and covers many city blocks and looks like a forest all by itself. The British established the Indian Botanical Gardens
Indian Botanical Gardens
The Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden is situated in Shibpur, Howrah near Kolkata. They are commonly known as the Calcutta Botanical Garden, and previously as the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta...
in 1786 between the Great Banyan Tree and the Hoogly River
River Hooghly
The Hooghly River or the Bhāgirathi-Hooghly, is an approximately long distributary of the Ganges River in West Bengal, India. It splits from the Ganges as a canal in Murshidabad District at the Farakka Barrage...
. Here there is one end of the Grand Trunk Road
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
.
The Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur is the second oldest engineering university in India.
There is a famous Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
Temple in Ramrajatala
Ramrajatala
Ramrajatala a neighborhood of the city of Howrah, in Howrah district of West Bengal, India. The name of the area comes from the presence of a Mandir dedicated to Rama and the months long worship undertaken by thousands of people every year at the temple...
area, where Rama is worshiped for 4 months, starting from Rama Navami
Rama Navami
Ram Navami also known as Sri Ram Navami is a Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya of Ayodhya. Ram is the 7th incarnation of the Dashavatara of Vishnu. Years later Lord Rama was married to Sita on the...
to the last Sunday of the month of Shravana
Shravana
Shravana is the 22nd nakshatra or lunar mansion as used in Hindu astronomy and astrology. It belongs to the constellation Makara or Capricorn....
. A big fair is held every year on the last day of worship.
Located near Santragachi Railway Station, the Santragachhi Jheel is a large lake that attracts migratory birds during winter. Lesser Whistling Duck
Lesser Whistling Duck
The Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica, also known as Indian Whistling Duck, is a small whistling duck which breeds in South Asia and southeast Asia...
is the most dominant species visible here. Forest Ministry of the State Government of West Bengal intends to convert the lake to a 'wildlife conservation centre'.
Belur Math
Belur Math
' or Belur Mutt is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located on the west bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India and is one of the significant institutions in Calcutta...
is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission
Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement. The Ramakrishna Mission is a philanthropic, volunteer organization founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on...
, founded by Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located on the west bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India
Belur, West Bengal, India
Belur is a neighbourhood in Bally Municipality, West Bengal, India. It is located in Howrah district, on the west bank of the Hooghly River. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority....
and is one of the significant institutions in Calcutta.
Gadiara
Gadiara
Gadiara is a village in Howrah District of West Bengal, India.This place is the point of convergence of the Damodar, the Rupnarayan and the Hoogli rivers. Gadiara is a popular picnic and daytrip spot for locals and tourists alike.-History:...
is a village in Howrah District
Howrah District
Howrah district is a district of the West Bengal state in eastern India. It has thousands of years of rich heritage in the form of the great Bengali kingdom of Bhurshut. The district is named after its headquarters, the city of Howrah.-Geography:...
.
This place is the point of convergence of the Damodar
Damodar River
Damodar River originates near Chandwa village, Palamau district, on the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the Jharkhand state in eastern India, and flows eastward for about 592 km through the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal to the estaury of the River Hooghly...
, the Rupnarayan
Rupnarayan River
The Rupnarayan River is a river in India. It begins as the Dhaleswari in the Chhota Nagpur plateau foothills northeast of the town of Purulia. It then follows a tortuous southeasterly course past the town of Bankura, where it is known as the Dwarakeswar river. Near the town of Ghatal it is...
and the Hoogli rivers.Gadiara is a popular picnic and daytrip spot for locals and tourists alike.
Education
Howrah's schools are either run by state government or by private institutions. The medium of instruction is BengaliBengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
or Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
. Schools are affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education
West Bengal Board of Secondary Education
The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education is the West Bengal state government administered autonomous examining authority for the Standard 10 examination of West Bengal, India. The examination for the 10th standard is called the Madhyamik Pariksha or secondary examination...
, the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE)
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education or ICSE examination is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private, non-governmental board of school education in India, for class 10, i.e., grade 10...
and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
National Institute of Open Schooling
The National Institute of Open Schooling , is the Board of Education for open schools in India. It was established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India in 1989 to provide education inexpensively to remote areas...
.
Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) is second oldest engineering institutions in India. BESU is set to upgrade to be India's first Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology(IIEST). The Bijoy Krishna Girls’ College
Bijoy Krishna Girls’ College
Bijoy Krishna Girls’ College is an undergraduate women's liberal arts college in Howrah, India affiliated to the University of Calcutta. It is the largest girls college in Asia.The college is a study centre for IGNOU.-History:...
or Howrah Girl's College is an important educational institute for women. MCKV Institute of Engineering
MCKV Institute of Engineering
MCKV Institute of Engineering is an Engineering college, founded in 1999, affiliated to West Bengal University of Technology. The institute is located in Liluah, Howrah, West Bengal, India.-Institute:...
is a private engineering college affiliated to the West Bengal University of Technology
West Bengal University of Technology
The West Bengal University of Technology, commonly referred to as WBUT or UTech, is a public state university located in the suburban satellite township of Salt Lake City, Kolkata, West Bengal, India...
.
Howrah Zilla School is a notable higher secondary school. The St. Thomas' Church School, Howrah
St. Thomas' Church School, Howrah
St. Thomas' Church School, founded between 1860 and 1865, by Rev. Dr. William Spencer, Chaplain of St. Thomas' Church, for education of Anglo-Indian children of Howrah, is one of the largest and most famous schools in Howrah...
is one of the oldest schools in the city.
Notable residents
- Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya - Scholar
- Narayan DebnathNarayan DebnathNarayan Debnath is the creator of popular Bengali comics including Batul The Great, Handa Bhonda and Nonte Phonte. Having contributed to the early development of Bangla comics and its growth in a career spanning more than fifty years, he is still read in West Bengal, India and Bangladesh...
comic writer - Mani Shankar MukherjeeMani Shankar MukherjeeShankar, real name Mani Shankar Mukherjee, and generally known in English-language literature as Sankar is a very popular writer in the Bengali language...
- writer - Suniti Kumar ChatterjiSuniti Kumar ChatterjiSuniti Kumar Chatterji was an Indian linguist, educationist and litterateur. He was born on 26 November 1890 at Shibpur in Howrah...
- educationalist - Tulsi ChakrabartiTulsi ChakrabartiTulsi Chakrabarti was a virtuoso comic actor in Bengali cinema in 1940s and 1950s. His most notable role could be the lead role in Parash Pathar, directed by Satyajit Ray.-Childhood:Chakraborty was born on 3rd March, 1899 in the small village called Goari...
- Actor - Kanan DeviKanan DeviKanan Devi was an Indian actress and singer. She was among the early singing stars of Indian cinema, and is credited popularly as the first star of Bengali Cinema...
- Actress - Sisir BhaduriSisir BhaduriShishir Kumar Bhaduri or Sisir Kumar Bhaduri stage actor and theatre founder, was born on at Ramrajatala in Howrah district in West Bengal. He passed the Entrance examination in 1905 from Bangabashi School, graduated in arts from Scottish Church College in 1910, and did his MA in English...
- Actor - Rudranil GhoshRudranil GhoshRudranil Ghosh is an Indian Bengali actor of TV and films.-Awards:* 2007: BFJA - Best Supporting Actor Award for both Kantatar and Refugee* 2011: Zee Bangla'r Gourab - Best Actor in a Negative Role for Byomkesh Bakshi-Filmography:...
- Actor - Purnendu PatriPurnendu PatriPurnendu Patri was an Indian poet of Bengali origin. He was born in Howrah in West Bengal. He was a noted short-story writer and a critic. One of his story collection is known as 'Staliner Raaa' and a book on Rabindranath is titled 'Amar Rabindranath'. Patri was also known as an illustrator and...
- Film-maker - Mahendralal SarkarMahendralal SarkarMahendralal Sarkar was a conventional-turned-homeopath doctor, social reformer, and propagator of scientific studies in nineteenth-century India...
- Doctor - Sudip ChatterjeeSudip ChatterjeeSudip Chatterjee , nicknamed Tulu, was an Indian international football player. He started his career as a centre back and then moved to the right back position before switching to the midfielder role...
- footballer - Manoj Tiwary - cricketer
- Shyama ShawShyama ShawShyama Shaw is a former Test and One Day International cricketer who represented India. She is a left-hand batsman and bowls left-arm medium pace. She has played three Tests and five ODIs for India.-References:...
- cricketer - Shreevats GoswamiShreevats GoswamiShreevats Goswami is an Indian cricketer. he is a left-handed batsman and wicketkeeper. He was born in Kolkata. His father’s name is Pratyush Goswami. He started playing cricket at the age of 11. He plays domestic cricket for Under-19 Bengal team...
- cricketer - Laxmi Ratan Shukla - cricketer
- Sourasish Lahiri - cricketer
- Kamal Basu,(of old 366, GT Road) - social activist,congress worker,government school teacher
- Krishna Basu,(of galpo holeo satty,atithi,sadhak kamalakanta,mahateertha kalighat) - actress
- Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay - First woman recipient of the Santi Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Excellence in Science, 2010.