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Howrah Bridge, a photographer's delight for 75 years

Last updated on: February 07, 2018 05:00 IST

The engineering marvel defines the Kolkata skyscape and inspires countless photographs every day.

Howrah bridge 75 years

A farmer and his oxcart trudge past the girders of the Howrah Bridge in Calcutta, circa 1950.
The bridge opened in February 1943.
Photograph: Three Lions/Getty Images.

 

Howrah bridge 75 years

The bridge over river Hooghly connects Howrah and Kolkata.
Photograph: Jayanta Shaw/Reuters.

 

Howrah bridge 75 years

It was the third-longest cantilever bridge -- a bridge that stands suspended with support on only one end -- at the time of construction, and is now the sixth-longest bridge of its type in the world.
Photograph: Timothy Neesam/Flickr.

 

Howrah bridge 75 years

The Howrah Bridge is also believed to be the busiest cantilever bridge in the world.
Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters.

 

Howrah bridge 75 years

The bridge was first called the New Howrah Bridge as it replaced a pontoon bridge at the same location.
It soon became the Howrah Bridge, and that is how it is still known and recognised despite being renamed as the Rabindra Setu in 1965.
Photograph: @shubhrojyotisarkar/Instagram.

 

Howrah bridge 75 years

Fun fact: The bridge was constructed using 26,500 tonnes of tensile steel, 23,500 tonnes of which came from Tata Steel.
Lights on at Howrah Bridge!
Photograph: Jayanta Shaw/Reuters.

 

Howrah bridge 75 years

Every detail of the bridge, which doesn't have any nuts and screws (only riveting), is fascinating to photographers...
Photograph: Pooja Joshi Chaphalkar/Flickr.

 

Howrah bridge 75 years

Photographers -- both amateur and professional -- love to capture the bridge from every angle.
This one was shot by a Rediff reader. You can share your #India-Photos too! 
Photograph: Debmalya Majumder.

 

Howrah bridge 75 years

At different times of the day...
Photograph: @itshardknok/Instagram.

 

Howrah bridge 75 years

... And under different weather conditions.
Photograph: Parth Sanyal/Reuters.

 

Howrah bridge 75 years

Vidyasagar Setu (Second Hooghly Bridge) in the foreground and Howrah Bridge in the background.
The river Hooghly now has four bridges... 
Photograph: Jayanta Shaw/Reuters.

 

Howrah bridge 75 years

But nothing captures the imagination and the wandering cameras of both tourists and residents of Kolkata more than the iconic Howrah Bridge.
Photograph: @patralekhaa/Instagram.
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