Headquarters of
Hooghly District, Chinsurah is a historic Dutch colonial town on the banks of the
river Hooghly. It was a Dutch settlement from 1656 to 1825. 45 km from
Kolkata, Chinsurah covers an area of 17 sq km and has some remains of its past glory.
Chinsurah is closely associated with the work and lives of famous persons such as Bankim Chandra Chatterjee,
Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. The prominent attractions are Fort Gustavus, Octagonal Dutch Church, Bandemataram House, Imambara, Shandeswara Temple, Circuit House, Rabindra Bhavan, Anna Maria Tomb and Mahisasurmardini Temple.
Chinsurah Railway Station is a regular stop on the
Howrah-Burdwan main line by train. There are also ferry services across the Ganges.
