Howrah district, the compact district just west of Kolkata across the Hooghly, is best known for artisan clusters rather than a single GI product: the Uluberia musical-instrument cluster that makes sitars, tablas and harmoniums, the Panchla block's large zari-embroidery textile industry, and the town's jute handicrafts and heritage horn-and-bone craft. It is also a food hub: the giant wholesale fish market near Howrah station is one of the largest in India, and betel leaf (paan) is grown in the district's rural gardens.
