Vivekananda Setu

2021-08-21T03:08:23Z

2402:3A80:A5D:DF5E:0:56:FC17:A201:

{{EngvarB|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}

{{Infobox bridge
|bridge_name = Vivekananda Setu
|image = File:Hooghly River1.jpg
|image_size =
|caption = Vivekananda Setu
|official_name =
|carries = Rail cum Road bridge
|crosses = [[Hooghly River]]
|locale = [[Bally, Howrah|Bally]]-[[Dakshineswar]]
|maint =
|designer =
|design =
|material = Steel and Stone
|spans =
|pierswater =
|mainspan =
|length = {{Convert|2960|ft}}
|width =
|height =
|load =
|clearance =
|below =
|traffic =
|begin =
|complete =
|open = {{start date and age|1930 }}
|closed =
|toll =
|map_cue =
|map_image =
|map_text =
|map_width =
|coordinates = {{coord|22.65319|N|88.35326|E|format=dms|region:IN-WB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
|lat =
|long =
}}

'''Vivekananda Setu''' (also called '''Willingdon Bridge''' and '''Bally Bridge''') is a bridge over the [[Hooghly River]] in [[West Bengal]], India. It links the city of [[Howrah]], at Bally, to [[Kolkata]], at [[Dakshineswar]]. Completed on 12 December 1930 & opened on 28 December 1930, it is a multispan steel bridge and was built to provide road and rail links between the [[Kolkata Port Trust|Calcutta Port]] and its hinterland. It is {{Convert|2960|ft}} long having 9 Spans in total. The famous [[Dakshineswar Kali Temple|Dakshineswar Temple]] is situated on the banks of the Hooghly River near the Bally Bridge. The bridge is one of 4 bridges & the 2nd Oldest Bridge linking Howrah and Kolkata.The Bridge is about 90 years old and still standing tall. Since 2007, it's been accompanied by a new bridge, [[Nivedita Setu]], 50m downstream.

==Naming==
The bridge was originally named Willingdon Bridge after Viceroy of India, [[Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon]], who inaugurated it.<ref name=n/> It was eventually renamed ''Bally Bridge'', before officially becoming known as ''Vivekananda Setu''.

==Construction==
[[File:Vivekananda Setu-Bally, Kolkata-West Bengal 700076-DSC 0018.jpg|thumb|Vivekananda Setu sunrise view]]
[[File:Vivekananda Setu bridge during sunset.jpg|thumb|Vivekananda Setu during sunset]]
The erection and [[Caisson (engineering)|Caissoning]] of the bridge was done by noted [[Kutchi people|Kutchi]]-[[Mistris of Kutch|Mestri]] railway contractor and Industrialist [[Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja]].<ref name=n /><ref name=z /> His nameplate can still be seen on each girder of the bridge.<ref name=n/> The construction of bridge started in year 1926 and was completed in year 1932.<ref name=z/><ref name=n/> The fabrication of the bridge was done at works of [[Braithwaite & Co. Ltd.|Braithwate & Company]], Calcutta.<ref name=z/><ref name=n />

The Bridge was built with eight spans laid at distance of 300 ft each. The length of bridge is almost half mile with 10 km approach roads on both sides.<ref name=n/><ref>Conditions and Prospects of United Kingdom Trade in India: (with a Brief Account of the Trade of Burma).Great Britain. Dept. of Overseas Trade ;H.M. Stationery Office, 1928 - India pp:136.</ref> The foundation laid with well-sinking 100 ft down the river beds, [[Girder bridge|girding]], erection of [[abutment]]s, [[arching]] was all done by Jagmal Raja.<ref name=n/> This Railway bridge is also important in annals of History of Railway in India because the Railway for the first time crossed over [[Hooghly River|River Hooghly]] and reached Calcutta at [[Sealdah Station|Sealdah Terminus]]<ref name=n/>

The first train that ran across the bridge was named Jagmal Raja Howrah Express by the British, acknowledging the feat of Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja. The bridge cost over {{INRconvert|1|c}} in those years.<ref name=n/>

==Usage==
[[File:VIVEKANANDA Setu, Kolkata.jpg|thumb|Front View of Vivekananda Setu]]
The bridge serves both road and rail:
* Rail - connects [[Sealdah railway station|Sealdah Station]] to [[Delhi]]
* Road - connects [[Grand Trunk Road]] (Howrah side) to [[Barrackpore Trunk Road]] (Kolkata side)

This bridge has recently handled a daily traffic of 24,000 vehicles.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.indiastravelnews.com/2010/06/29/famous-bridges-of-india-vivekananda-setu.html | title=Famous Bridges of India – Vivekananda Setu | publisher=India Travel News | access-date=6 July 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Vivekananda Setu had become weak as a result of ageing, and with heavy traffic, even repairs became difficult. There was need for a second bridge. [[Nivedita Setu]] was constructed parallel to it and around {{convert|50|m|ft|round=5}} downstream.<ref name="indiastravelnews-nivedita" /> It was opened to traffic in 2007. Vivekananda Setu allows traffic movement upstream (Bally to Kolkata) while Nivedita Setu helps downstream transport (from Kolkata to Bally).

==See also==
* [[Howrah Bridge]]
* [[Vidyasagar Setu]]
* [[Nivedita Setu]]

==References==
{{commons category}}
{{Reflist
|refs=
<ref name=z>[https://books.google.com/books?ei=rmnKTIDtEoO8vQOovojODw&ct=result&id=vYM1AAAAMAAJ&dq=Willingdon+Bridge++Rai+Bahadur+Jagmal+Raja&q=++Rai+Bahadur+Jagmal+Raja#search_anchor] Minutes of proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London 1934 : Willingdon Bridge & Rai Bahadur Jagamal Raja, Volume 235, Part 1, page 83.</ref><ref name=n>Diary of Golden Days at Jharia – A Memoir & History of Gurjar Kashtriya Samaj of Kutch in Coalfields of Jharia – written by Natwarlal Devram Jethwa of Calcutta compiled by Raja Pawan Jethwa published in year 1998 in English. Life sketch of Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja Chauhan pp:33.</ref>
<ref name="indiastravelnews-nivedita">{{cite web| url=http://www.indiastravelnews.com/2010/11/11/famous-bridges-of-india-nivedita-setu.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924034411/http://www.indiastravelnews.com/2010/11/11/famous-bridges-of-india-nivedita-setu.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=24 September 2015| title=Famous Bridges of India – Nivedita Setu| publisher=India Travel News| access-date=6 July 2011}}</ref>
}}

{{Swami Vivekananda}}
{{Kolkata topics}}
{{Hooghly topics}}
{{North 24 Parganas topics}}

[[Category:Railway bridges in India]]
[[Category:Bridges in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Bridges in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Bridges over the Ganges]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Howrah district]]
[[Category:Howrah]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1930]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Howrah]]
[[Category:1930 establishments in India]]

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Vivekananda Setu