Belda
Template:Infobox Indian urban area
Belda (Bengali: েবলদা) is a small town in India, West Bengal located approximately 35 km south of Kharagpur, and belongs to the Midnapore West district. The town is near NH-5 of the famous Golden Quadrilateral. Belda is also well connected by railroad through Contai Road station and also known as the gateway to Orissa. Thus, Belda plays an important role in connecting eastern India with southern India. Due to its easy access from different parts, it is a good business centre.
Contai Road railway station is under the administrative control of the South Eastern Railway. The station is located about 37 km from Digha and is on the Baleswar (Balasore)-Kharagpur rail route. The main train connections include East Coast Express, Tirupati-Howrah Express and Sri Jagannath Express. Computerized reservation facility will be soon provided. The major railhead close to the station is Kharagpur Junction Railway Station.
Schools and Colleges
- Belda Gangadhar Academy
- Belda Prabhati Balika Vidyalay
- Belda College, affiliated to Vidyasagar University.
Getting to Belda
From Kolkata
- By train: From Howrah, one must got to Kharagpur and from here buses can be taken that ply at regular durations.
- By bus: Several buses are available from Howrah to Belda.
From Kharagpur or Midnapore
Long distance trains from Belda/Contai Road
- Dhauli Express (Howrah-Bhubaneshwar)
- Falaknama Express (Howrah-Secuenderabad)
- Jagannath Express (Howrah-Puri)
- Tirupati-Howrah Express
Local Trains
- Bagha Jatin Local
- HWH-puri passenger
- Bhadrak Local
Cultures and Festivals
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/49/Beldapooja.jpg/320px-Beldapooja.jpg)
Belda celebrates most of the common Bengali festivals. Most important fesitval is Durga Puja, which attracts thousands of people. Kali puja is another popular one. Other festivals includes Saraswati puja, Basanti puja. Dasera and Diwali are popular among the Gujrati communities living in this town.