The Indian Botanic Garden previously known as Royal Botanic Garden with the famous Banyan tree is comprised of 285.05 acres of land is about 1000 bighas and lies on the bank of the River Hooghly just outside the Municipal area of Howrah bordering its southern boundary line and adjoins the compound of the Shibpur Engineering College (Now known as Indian Institute of Engineering, Science & Technology) on the south.
This green belt is considered to be the lungs of the highly industrial and urbanized city of Howrah. Use of plastic materials has been banned in the Garden Campus.
In the Garden, beside the great banyan tree we have a fair collection of rare indigenous and exotic plants, beautiful Amazon lilies, climbing plants, varieties of palm, delicate orchids and all sorts of large trees – mahogany, teak, walnut etc. We also find here a nursery (not open to the public), a Conservatory, a palm House, a Herbarium, an Orchid conservatory. We have also a second large Banyan tree. Besides we can find in the Garden the following Monuments and buildings:- Wallich’s Monument, Kyds’ Monuments, Griffiths Monument, Jack’s Monument, Kurze’s Monument, Roxburg’s monument, Palmyra Bridge, Superintendent’s Office, Curator’s Office, Ladies Cloak Room, Gentelmen’s Cloak Room, Residence of Assistant Curator, Residence of Curator of Herbarium, a large Pavilion, a small Pavilion.
The founder of this Garden was one Colonel Robert Kyd who was one of the Engineers of the East India Company.