
City in West Bengal, India
Photo: Arpan Sarkar, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Bandel (ব্যান্ডেল Byānḍel) is a former Portuguese colony at the Hooghly River, in the Hooghly district of West Bengal.
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Bandel Basilica, Basilica of the Holy Rosary
One of the oldest churches in West Bengal, standing as a memorial to the Portuguese settlement in Bengal. It is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. The present church and monastery are said to be built in 1660 by Gomez de Soto, having the keystone of the old church bearing the date 1599 over the eastern gate of the Monastery. In front of the church stands a ship's mast, which was presented by the captain of a vessel which had encountered a storm in the Bay of Bengal and was allegedly saved by the grace of the Virgin Mary. There is the statue of "One Lady of Happy Voyage" in the middle of the church. The church has three altars, a small organ and several tombstones.
The birthplace of Bengali novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (1874–1938). He had written several novels and short stories, and most of them were translated into other languages and even brought to silver screens. There also is a library named Sarat Smriti Pathagar, which includes a museum room containing the things used by the famous writer.
Adharalay
The temple is known for its architecture and environment, and was built in 2003 on the philosophy of Yogiraj Shyamacharan Lahiri. It is open to all visitors regardless of creed and caste. The temple has blended the Rajasthani and South Indian temple architectures. The gopuram at the entrance is magnificent. There are numerous temples other than the main temple in the ashram area. Not only that, there are separate prayer rooms for Christians and Muslims. The campus is full of ancient mango trees and flower gardens on both sides.
A medieval mosque in Saptagram, built in 1529, and it happens to be the only medieval remains of the flourishing port. The mosque was built by Syed Jamaluddin, son of Sayyid Fakhruddin of Amul. It is a brick-built structure complete with intricate terracotta ornamentation. As Islam provides the use of animal and human figures, the ornamentation is restricted to floral and geometric patterns. The roof of the mosque has long collapsed, and nothing much can be ascertained about the original structure. The mosque has four minarets on the four corners, and the interior contains two stone pillars.
An iconic biryani house in Bandel More. The restaurant is not very big and has few seats. Chicken biryani is ₹110, and mutton biryani is ₹130. Aloo biryani is also available.
One of the biggest and most important markets in the Hooghly district. It's the hub of agricultural imports and exports. Vegetables, fruits (especially mango and watermelon) and rice are exported from the market.
By train
By car
Bandel is connected with Kolkata by the Grand Trunk Road and Old Delhi Road.
Auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are available from Bandel Junction to the attractions.
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