The Great Banyan at Howrah

The botanic garden at Shibpur, on the Howrah side of the Hooghly, dates from the late eighteenth century and holds the Great Banyan, a tree that no longer looks like a tree. Aerial roots dropped from its branches have thickened into thousands of trunks, so the canopy now stands on a forest of its own making and covers well over a hectare of ground. The original central trunk was removed after disease early in the twentieth century, which means the whole living structure is supported entirely by its own descendants. A path runs around the perimeter. The rest of the garden is large, green and far less visited.

What you actually see

• The banyan's prop roots - thousands of descended roots thickened into trunks holding up one canopy.
• The perimeter path - a circuit around the tree, the only way to grasp how much ground it covers.
• The palm and orchid collections - older plantings spread across a big, quiet garden.
• The garden lakes - ponds and waterways with plenty of birds, especially early in the day.

When to go

November to February is the dry, mild season and by far the most comfortable; from March the humidity in Kolkata becomes hard work. Mornings are cooler and better for photographs under the canopy. The garden is large, so allow travel time for the crossing, which can take an hour each way in bad traffic.

Honest expectations

Maintenance is patchy: paths flood after rain, signage is limited and parts of the garden feel neglected. The banyan is fenced, so you circle it rather than walk inside it. Crossing to Howrah is slow, and the area around the gate is industrial and unappealing. Beyond the tree itself, little else here is unmissable.

Nearby

The Howrah Bridge and the flower market beneath it are on the way back into central Kolkata.