HOOGHLY or HUGLI, a town and district of British India, in the Burdwan division of Bengal. The town, situated on the right bank of the Hooghly river, 24 m. above Calcutta by rail, forms one municipality with Chinsura (q.v.) . Pop. The principal buildings are the Hooghly college (at Chinsura) and a handsome imanibara. In the suburb of Bandel are a Portu guese church, built in 166o, and a monastery formerly occupied by Augustinians.
The DISTRICT, area of 1,188 sq.m. and a population of 1,114,255, is flat, with a gradual ascent to the north and north-west. The scenery along the Hooghly (outside the towns) has a quiet beauty of its own, presenting the appearance of a series of orchards and gardens, villages and temples interspersed with factories. Baidya bati, Champdani, Bhadreswar, Serampore and Rishria-Konnagore are all mill-towns on the bank of the river. The principal rivers, besides the Hooghly, are the Damodar and the Rupnarayan. As in other deltaic districts, the highest land lies nearest the rivers, and the lowest levels are found midway between two streams. There are in consequence considerable marshes ; there are drain age works for the Dankuni marshes, which extend over 27 sq. miles. Rice and jute are the principal crops; a small area is irri gated from the Eden canal. The manufacture of jute gives em ployment to over 5o,000 persons.