The botanical garden is situated at Shibpur area of Howrah District. It was laid out in 1786 and administered by Colonel Kyd. This is the oldest of all the Botanical Gardens in India. Its cover area is 270 acres. Inside is an incredible variety of about 50,000 trees. The pivotal attraction here is the giant banyan tree which covers about 404 metres of land. It has 157 offshoots hanging down from the original tree. Au reste, there are innumerable orchids and colourful flowers. Boating takes place regularly on the lake. There is a precious library in the garden which comprises a rare collection of books on Botany. It remains opened from sunrise to sunset. This ethereal ambience is ideal for fun, fiesta and frolics. It was from these gardens that the tea now grown in Assam and Darjeeling was first developed. Trees of the rarest kinds, from Nepal, Brazil, Penang, Java and Sumatra can be found here. There are towering Mahogany trees, an avenue of Cuban Palms and an Orchid House. Mango and Tamarind trees shade the grassy lawns. But the main attraction of the garden is the 200 year old Banyan Tree, claimed to have the second largest canopy in the world. It is the world’s largest, having a circumference of 330m.