[2] The name Chandannagar is composed of two elements, of which the latter, nagar, means 'city' and the former may be: Earlier, the city was known as Farasdanga, from Bengali Faras 'French' and danga 'land'.

[citation needed] Chandannagar came into being during colonial times, proved conclusively by the fact that no mention of the town is found in medieval Bengali texts like Chandimangal and Manasamangal Kāvya.

The First Director of the French East India Company, Boureau-Deslandes paid 40,000 coins to the Mughal subahdar in 1688 to gain control of the area and build a factory there.

At this time the Company establishment consisted of one director, and five members who formed a council, 15 merchants and shopkeepers, two notaries, two padres, two doctors and one Sutradhar.

In 1730 Joseph François Dupleix was appointed governor of the city, during whose administration more than two thousand brick houses were erected in the town and a considerable maritime trade was carried on.

[3] The population of the city reached to be around a lakh (100,000) at this time and the fledgling town of Calcutta was considered to be a poor cousin of Chandannagar.

The town's fortifications and many houses were demolished thereafter, and Chandannagar's importance as a commercial center was eclipsed by that of Calcutta situated down river.

In June 1948, the French Government held a plebiscite which found that 97% of Chandannagar's residents wished to become part of India.

In May 1950, the French allowed the Indian government to assume de facto control over Chandannagar, officially ceding the city to India on 2 February 1951.

The city is bordered by Chinsurah in the north, Bhadreswar in the south, the Hooghly river in the east and Dhaniakhali in the west.

A major urban part of the district along river Hooghly has been brought under the jurisdiction of the commissionerate to ensure better policing.

Most of the city's numerous public and private buildings have a distinct Indo-French style of architecture, similar to that of Pondicherry (now called Pudducherry) and other former French enclaves in India.

[11]The tree-shaded promenade along the river is about 700 m (0.4 mi) in length and 7 metres (23 ft) in width, and there are many buildings of historical importance along the way e.g. Fort D'Orleans with a clock tower.

It is a popular spot for local people and tourists alike, who love to stroll along enjoying the breeze and watching the small boats sail by.

[13] The church stands for over two centuries to mark the beauty of the architecture during the French period – a good place to visit for the historians and tourists alike.

The French Cemetery contains 150 tombs and is located on Grand Trunk Road opposite Lal Dighi (a large lake).

Amongst the remarkable people buried there, one can find the tomb of Duplessis, the founding father of French Chandannagar and also the one of pioneering meteorologist Henry "Storm" Piddington, who is mentioned in Amitav Ghosh's novel The Hungry Tide.

[14] Constructed in 1937, to mark the Fall of Bastille, the gate has the slogan of the French Revolution "Liberté, égalité, fraternité (Liberty, equality fraternity)" etched on it.

There are many fascinating temples devoted to Kali, Shiva and other deities which show marks of brilliant craftsmanship and artistic taste.

[citation needed] The temple is situated near Brahmin para, Boubazar in the western part of railway station.

There mango gardens now privately owned and maintained are popular picnic spots situated west of the railway station near Mankundu.

During the month of November, 10 days after Diwali, Jagaddhatri Puja is held citywide including the neighbouring towns of Bhadreswar and Mankundu.

From Dashami night until the next dawn, all the major puja committees bring their idols with a theme to the world's largest procession after Rio's Samba festival.

Private Bus number 2 (Chunchura Court - Dakshineswar) plies through Chandannagar along Grand Trunk Road.

[16] A newly built overbridge above the railway tracks makes easy to connect East and West parts of Chandannagar City.

The distance from Howrah by rail is approximately 33 km (21 mi) and it takes about 50–55 minutes in all-stop local trains.

Every day, two buses of the West Bengal Transport Corporation leave from Esplanade Bus Stand for Chandannagar, one in the morning and the other in the evening.

Jagaddhatri Puja is a major cultural event in this region, attracting massive crowds from all over the state of West Bengal.

Seeing in this the wish of the Goddess to be established as a puja in Chandannagar too, he left funds for its yearly worship on a permanent basis.

[20] Languages spoken in Chandan nagar city (2011)[21] Chandannagar is famous for its own popular Jolbhora Talsash Sondesh.