Prinsep Ghat - one of the oldest recreational spots of Kolkata

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Prinsep Ghat is a Ghat built during British Raj, along the river bank of Hooghly and on its bank on Kolkata side. The Palladian porch in the memory of eminent orientalist James Prinsep, famous for deciphering the inscriptions of Ashoka, was designed by W. Fitzgerald and constructed in 1843.

It is located between the Water Gate and the St George's Gate of the Fort William. It was built in 1841 and named after James Prinsep, the Anglo-Indian scholar and antiquary. The monument rich in Greek and Gothic inlays, was restored by the state's public works department in November 2001 and has since been well-maintained. In its initial years, all the royal British entourages used the Prinsep Ghat jetty for embarkation/disembarkation.

Prinsep Ghat is one of the oldest recreational spots of Kolkata and people come here in evenings on weekends to have stroll along the bank, with many food-stalls selling variety of road-side foods. There also is an more than 40 year old ice-cream cum fast-food joint on the ghat, which is popular among the crowds, especially the youngsters. People can also have a ride in the river on the boats. A two kilometer stretch of the beautified riverfront from Princep Ghat to Babughat was inaugurated on 24 May 2012. The beautified stretch includes, illuminated and landscaped gardens and pathway, fountains and renovated ghats.

Vidyasagar Setu also known as the Second Hooghly Bridge, is a toll bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India, linking the cities of Kolkata and Howrah.

With a total length of 823 metres (2,700 ft), Vidyasagar Setu is the longest cable--stayed bridge in India and one of the longest in Asia. It was the second bridge to be built across the Hooghly River; the first, the Howrah Bridge (also known as Rabindra Setu) 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) to the north, was completed in 1943. Named after the educationist reformer Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, it cost Indian Rupees 3.88 billion to build.

Source : Wikipedia

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