Bandel was founded by the Portuguese settlers in the 15th century, during the mogul rule. The name of the town is believed to have come from the local term for port, i.e. Bandar. Bandel is situated in the Hooghly district of West Bengal and is easily reachable from Kolkata. It is particularly famous for the old Portuguese church that is now known as the Bandel Church. It is also a busy railway junction and is governed by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) partially.