Berachampa

Berachampa is a small town on the outskirts of Kolkata, West Bengal, in eastern India. The town is roughly between the towns of Barasat and Basirhat, approximately 34 kilometres from Kolkata.The town is a trade center for goods such as rice, legumes, Jute, sugar cane, potatoes and coconuts. This town is also famous for business of livestock. Cotton weaving and Jute Marketing is common in Berachampa, along with metalworking. Near Berachampa, there is the ancient archaeological site of Chandraketugarh, circa 300 BC.Many busy roads pass close to or through the town; SH 2 and the Taki road both pass through Berachampa. Haroa Road, Prithiba Road and Baduria Road are other important roads.HistoryNear Berachampa, there is the archeological site of Chandraketugarh, thought to be a part of the ancient kingdom Gangaridai that was first described by Ptolemy. The history of Chandraketugarh dates back to almost the 3rd century BC, during the pre-Mauryan era. Artefacts suggest that the site was continuously inhabited and flourished through the Shunga-Kushana period, onwards through the Gupta period and finally into the Pala-Sena period. Archaeological studies suggest that Chandraketugarh was an important town and a port city. It had a high encircling wall complete with a rampart and moat. The residents were involved in various crafts and mercantile activities. Although the religious inclinations of the people are unclear, hints of the beginning of some future cults can be seen in the artefacts. Some of the potteries carry inscriptions in Kharoshthi and Brahmi scripts.