Hooghly is a historic town and an erstwhile East India Company trade post, situated 41 km north of
Kolkata, in
West Bengal. Hooghly was founded by the Portuguese in 1537 and in 1651 became the first English settlement in lower Bengal, while in nearby Chinsura the Dutch set up a trading post in 1656. Hooghly and Chinsura became a joint municipality in 1865.
Major point of attraction here is the Imambara, noted for its lofty minarets. Besides this, there are also several other Islamic monuments in the town. Satagon (10 km) and Chandernagore, the erstwhile French outpost, are nearby.
Both Hooghly and Chandernagore lie on the suburban train network from Howrah.
