Located 50 kms from Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal is this small town of Kalyani. It’s part of the Nadia district and situated by the Hooghly River.
This place has immense historical significance as Kalyani served as an American airbase during the World War II. Back then it was called Roosevelt Town or Roosevelt Nagar. In the year 1950, under the then chief minister of W.B, Mr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, Kalyani was developed as a planned town with underground sewage system, paved roads which form rectangular grids within the town, trees lining the avenues and community parks. The town is divided into 4 blocks, block A, block B, block C and block D with further sub – blocks. All these were initiated to accommodate the increasing population of the main city of Kolkata.
There’s an industrial zone as well. Block D hosts many small and medium – sized industries. Various government owned and private schools are present and with two prominent universities, University of Kalyani and Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, three engineering colleges, one medical college and other centres for higher education and research, Kalyani is a very important education hub. It’s well connected to Kolkata by a vast train network and also via road through the Kalyani Expressway.
Kalyani is a haven to many retired individuals. This city being well organized with all the amenities easily available attracts this group of people who want to spend their days of retirement in peace and quiet. Block A and B are the major residential areas with the presence of commercial markets, post office, industrial training institute and other institutions.
There are three stations within the city, Kalyani Silpanchal, Kalyani Ghoshpara and Kalyani Simanta, the last one being just a two – way rail track where at a time just one train can arrive in one and depart from the other. We can hope that this peaceful and quaint city would have many more feathers in its glorious cap in the years to come.