Dankuni

Howrah (HOW-rrah) is on the western bank of the Hooghly River opposite Kolkata. There has been much debate regarding the origin of the name "Howrah". Some say that the name is derived from "Harirah" (হাড়িড়া Hāṛiṛā), a village existed in the early 18th century. Others claim that the name "Howrah" is related to mud or water, considering the city's geography. Although the modern city is developed largely under British rule, Howrah is preceded by a major trading centre called Betor (বেতড় Betaṛ), which was mentioned in the Bengali poem Manasāmaṅgal (1495) as well as in the journal of Venetian explorer Cesare Federici (1578). In 1713, the East India Company sought permission from Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar for five villages on the west bank of Hooghly River, namely Salica (Salkia), Harirah, Cassundeah (Kasundia), Ramkrishnopoor (Ramkrishnapur) and Battar (Betor), which eventually merged into the single city of Howrah.