Howrah Bridge

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Everytime I spot a photo of the Howrah Bridge , it evokes memories of going away on holiday . This is because we had to cross the bridge to get to Howrah Station to catch whatever train we were taking . As our taxi turned into Strand Road , the great bridge would loom into view and a surge of excitement would course through my body . Our taxi would invariably end up behind a slow moving tram and thus would commence a 15 minute journey through the 705 meter long cantilever bridge with the Hoogly river , brown and muddy flowing underneath.  The huge steel  girders held together by rivets as large as my palm passing by overhead generated a power and energy of its own , supporting and dutifully bearing a daily traffic volume of more than 80,000 vehicles , 1,000,000 pedestrians and  large numbers of cattle and other animals . Even though it was named Rabindra Setu way back in 1965 , I doubt anyone ever called it that . It will always be known as Howrah Bridge . This engineering marvel is one of the best examples of cantilever technology of the time and even though it was built by British engineers,  most of the 25,000 tonnes of steel used was of Indian origin supplied by Tata Iron and Steel.  This bridge represents a gateway to the city of Calcutta and will always remain a favourite landmark of all Calcuttans .