Located 20 km from the BBD Bagh,  the Botanical Gardens was founded in 1787 by the East India Company. They developed it for the collection of plants, indigenous to the country and for the introduction and acclimatization of plants from foreign parts. The main attraction of the 273-acre gardens is a banyan tree, the world's largest, having a circumference of 330m. There are rows of mahogany trees, an avenue of Royal Cuban palms and an Orchid House. These gardens are the biggest in Asia, and the second largest in the world.  Visitors may drive across the bridge and through Howrah, the industrial extension of Calcutta or take a ferry from Chandpal or Tekta Ghats to the gardens. Timings: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m