Santragachhi

Santragachi, or Santragachhi, is a residential neighbourhood in Howrah, Howrah district, West Bengal, India. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Santragachi Junction in Santragachi is one of the five intercity railway junctions of Howrah-Kolkata, which serves as a railway junction-cum-terminus for the South Eastern Railway. Kona Expressway in Santragachi is one of the major and fastest roads to enter Kolkata.

Santragachi also has sizeable railway colonies along with minor industries, including a privately owned railway goods wagon making unit and a railway cabin. Santragachi is also popular for its large lake, known as ''Santragachhi Jheel'', which attracts migratory birds in the winter months. Santragachhi is under the jurisdiction of Jagacha Police Station and Santragachhi Police Station of Howrah City Police.

History

In the early twentieth century, Santragachhi was a large village, with a part within Howrah Municipality. According to a legend, the principal family there, the Choudharys, who were ''Barendra brahmins'', started staying here 300 years from now. Inspired by them, other Barendra families moved to the place. The railway station of Santragachhi was named after this place, though this place is closer to another railway station at Ramrajatala. The Ramrajatala area was considered a quarter of the area under this village.

The first vernacular school of the Howrah district was established in Santragachhi in 1857 with the help of a government grant. Afterwards the school was amalgamated with "Santragachi Madhya Engreji School" making it an English and Bengali dual medium school and later in 1925, the school transferred to Santragachi Kedarnath Institution. The first girls' school of the Howrah district with Indian management was established in Santragachhi in 1863, with a small grant from the government.

Santragachhi produced good quality of arums (''ol'': bn, ওল). There is a variety of ''Amorphophallus paeoniifolius'' (elephant-foot yam of arum family) which is named ''Santragachhi'' after this place.

Education

High schools

There are several secondary and higher secondary schools for boys and girls. Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee laid the foundation stone of Santragachi Kedarnath Institution, whilst Jagacha High School is another notable school in this area.
Other government schools include Santragachi Bhanumati Balika Vidhyalaya, S.E. Railway Mixed Higher Secondary School, Santragachi Mixed High School, Santragachi Railway Colony High School, Baksara High School, Surendranath Girls' School . Private schools include St. Marys Convent School, Maria's Day School. There is also a branch of Kendriya Vidhyalaya, which is affiliated to CBSE Board.

Colleges

Colleges in the area include Dr. Kanailal Bhattacharya College and Bijoy Krishna Girls' College.

Santragachi Jheel

Santragachi Jheel is a large lake, located next to the Santragachi railway station. It has Chhottodal Club at one end while the Wagon Factory (Reymon) at the other end adjacent to Sneha Birds View, a residential complex. One of the bank has local markets and railway station adjacent to Baksara bazar while the other bank mostly consists of residential complexes. This lake attracts large number of migratory birds in the winter months, particularly in December and January. The number has increased in recent years, as migratory birds have started to avoid destinations like the lakes in Alipore Zoo, Kolkata. Birds like sarus crane from North America and Australia, gadwall, northern shoveller, northern pintail, garganey from north of the Himalayas and many other local migratory birds such as cotton pygmy goose and knob-billed duck are spotted here during this season. However, the lesser whistling duck is the most dominant species visible here.

The lake area is owned by South Eastern Railway, though the Forest Department of West Bengal also looks after the place. Every year before the migratory birds are expected to arrive, the Forest department cleans Water hyacinth

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