Nawabganj is a small residential town under Barrackpore subdivision

Barrackpore subdivision

Barrackpore subdivision , is a subdivision of the North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of sixteen municipalities , one Cantonment Board ,...

 located 25 kilometers north 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...

, and in the district of North 24 Parganas, 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

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. This small town is situated beside the Hooghly River and it is surrounded by Palta Water Works, Barrackpore Air Force Station

Barrackpore Air Force Station

Barrackpore Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force base located at Barrackpore in the state of West Bengal, India. Barrackpore is one of the oldest stations in the IAF, operating transport units.-History:...

 and Ishapore Rifle Factory

Ishapore Rifle Factory

The Ishapore Rifle Factory is an Arms manufacturing plant located at Ishapore, in the Indian sub-division of Barrackpore, outside Calcutta in West Bengal....

. The town is densely populated where the majority of the population are Bengalis and is well connected with Kolkata and nearby cities by highways and railroads with adequate public transportation facility.

Origin of name

The name Nawabganj was originated from the word "Nawab" which means King. It is believed that in early days, the Nawabs built their residence in this area because of its scenic beauty and easily accessible trade route through the Hooghly river. The literal meaning of the name is "King’s treasures".

History

Though there is no clear evidence that gives an idea about the time when this town was first established but there is no doubt that this area is one of the oldest part among the surrounding neighborhoods. Lots of early 18th centuries buildings are still be found across this town. Some historical canons also have been kept inside the Ichapore Rifle Factory premises remembering the age old history of this area.

Roads and transport

By road: Nawabganj 25 km (15.5 mi) by road from Kolkata via State Highway 1. Taxis and buses are easily available from Kolkata.
By rail: Local trains from Sealdah

Sealdah

Sealdah is one of the major train stations serving Kolkata in India, the others being Howrah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata Railway Station. Sealdah is one of the busiest rail stations in India and an important suburban rail terminal...

 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...

 main line run very frequently (in every 10 or 12 minutes). The nearby stations are Palta and Ichapore.
By air: Nearest airport is at Kolkata (Kolkata Airport), which is air linked with all major Indian and international cities. Nawabganj is only 30 km (18.6 mi) by road from the airport.
By water: Nawabganj is also connected to Champdani, the other side of the river, by a ferry service. The frequency is 15–20 minutes.

People

Most of the population here are Bengalis and the native language is Bangla. People are very friendly in nature and spend a peaceful life.

Culture and festivals

Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Bengalis and this town is also not an exception. Local societies put up their pandals almost each and every locality of this area and decorates with lights and sounds. This festival continues for 4 days and everyone becomes part of it. Jagadhatri Puja is another biggest festival in this area. In terms of decorations and celebrations, it also attracts lot of outside visitors and continues for 4 days just same as Durga Puja. Another festival that also an integral part of the culture of this town is Jhulan Mela. This social fair is celebrated in the occasion of Lord Krishna’s birthday and continues for 10–15 days.

Education

This small town is also a major hub of quality education with various primary, secondary and higher secondary schools. The literacy rate in this area is very high with many engineers, doctors, teachers and professionals.

List of some schools

• Sridhar Bansidhar High School
• Nawabganj Girls High School
• Ichapore Nawabganj High School
• Kendriya Vidyala
• Bhibhukinkar High School
• Vivekananda Vidyamandir
• Kamalkali Vidyamandir

Geography

Nawabganj is located at 22.79°N 88.35°E. It has an average elevation of 12 m (39.4 ft).