How to reach here:
By Air: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, located at Dumdum, is 17 km away from the heart of Kolkata.
By Rail: Howrah and Sealdah are two major railway stations in Kolkata. These stations are well connected to all major cities in India.
Best time to visit: October to March.
Languages spoken: Bengali, Hindi, English.
Must eat: Chingri Macher Malaikari, Bhetki Paturi,Chitol Maccher Muitha, Macher jhol, Roshogolla, mishti doi.
Famous Restaurants: Kadai Kitchen, Barbeque nation, Peter Cat, Arsalan.
Places you must visit:
Kalighat is regarded as one of the 52 Shakti Peethams of India, where the various parts of Sati's body are said to have fallen, in the course of Shiva's Rudra Tandava. Kalighat represents the site where the toes of the right foot of Shakti or Sati fell.The image of the deity is incomplete. Only the face of the deity was made first. The hands, made of gold and silver, the tongue, the Shiva statue and all the jewellery were added over the years. On snanyatra day, while giving the divine Mother the ceremonial bath, the priests tie their eyes with cloth coverings.The Kalighat temple in its present form is only about 200 years old, although it has been referred to in Mansar Bhasan composed in the 15th century, and in Kavi Kankan Chandi of the 17th century.
Maidan is situated at the heart of the city and is one of the main attractions of the city.The place is also chosen as the venue for political rallies and meetings. It comprises of around 400 hectares of greenery.
Park Street is officially called Mother Teresa Sarani.One of the most happening places of Kolakata, it is also called the food street and the street that never sleeps. A visit to Kolkata is incomplete without visiting the Park Street. Anyone visiting the city can enjoy their date with it at Park Street savouring the cuisines of Bengal.
Eden Gardens is India’s oldest cricket stadium. This stadium is considered one of the finest in the world and is often termed as the “Lords of Asia”.Presently, the Cricket Association of Bengal owns this stadium that has a seating capacity of 120,000 spectators. Eden Gardens is the second largest stadium in the world just after the cricket ground at Melbourne.
Nandan is a government sponsored centre in Kolkata, India for facilitating film awareness and includes a few comparatively large screens housed in an impressive building. It shares its site with the Rabindra Sadan cultural centre. The complex, besides being a modern cinema and cultural complex, is a popular hang-out for the young and the aged.Commemorating the glorious heritage of the Film Society movement, the Government of West Bengal created Nandan, the West Bengal Film Centre in 1985. Inaugurated by Satyajit Ray, the centre started functioning from the year of its genesis. He designed the logo for the complex as well. It has astounded countless film lovers of all over the world because of its marvellous hanging architecture. Nandan is the symbol of art and culture in the city which is termed as the Cultural Capital of India.
The National Library is the largest library in India. It is under the Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Government of India. The library is designated to collect, disseminate and preserve the printed material produced in India. The Library is the largest in India, with a collection in excess of 2.2 million books. Before independence, it was the official residence of Lt. Governor of Bengal.The rare books section comprises of books, manuscripts that date back to the pre 1860 era. This library not only has a remarkable stock of books and articles but also such a medium which is used as a link for correspondence with the past generation. It is one of the heritage buildings too. The library has separate Indian language division for Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu Languages. Sanskrit language division also collects and process Pali and Prakrit books. English books published in India are also collected under D.B. Act.The collection comprises about 20,00,000 books and 5,00,000 manuscripts. Its gigantic campus encompasses 130 acres of land. At present, the National Library is the 2nd largest public library in Asia for which several notable persons have donated their valuable collections at different times.
This historical town Hall had been the venue of public meetings and social gatherings. The construction of the hall was completed in 1814 in doric style of architecture at a cost of Rs. 7 lakhs by means of public lotteries.
Victoria Memorial was built in Italian Renaissance cum Saracenic style, and was planned by Lord Curzon and opened by the Prince of Wales in 1921. This British attempt at building a second Taj Mahal, is dedicated to Queen Victoria and houses a fantastic collection of rare memorabilia from Colonial days.
Marble Palace situated in Chorbagan, in an artistically laid-out garden, the place is full of rare collection of antiques of immense artistic and historical value. Wonderful curios, China and a couple of paintings by Rubens are only a few to mention of the spectrum of attractions of the palace. The house is basically Neoclassical in style, while the plan with its open courtyards is largely traditional Bengali. Adjacent to the court-yard, there is a thakur-dalan, or place of worship for members of the family. The three-storey building has tall fluted Corinthian pillars and ornamented verandas with fretwork and sloping roofs, built in the style of a Chinese pavilion. The premises also include a garden with lawns, a rock garden, a lake and a small zoo. The house contains large quantities of Western sculpture and Victorian furniture, paintings by European and Indian artists, and other objects d'art. Decorative objects include large chandeliers, clocks, floor to ceiling mirrors, urns, and busts of kings and queens. The house is said to contain two paintings by Rubens, The Marriage of St. Catherine and The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian. There are also said to be two paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds, The Infant Hercules Strangling the Serpent and Venus and Cupid. Other artists said to figure in the collections include Titian, Murillo, and John Opie.
Jorashanko Thakurbari was built in the 18th century by Dwarkanath Tagore, the grandfather of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. This is also the place where Rabindranath was born and passed away. The Thakurbari has mostly been converted into a museum now. The Rabindra Bharati University is also situated inside this complex.
The Nehru Children's Museum located at 94/1 Chowringhee Road is a marvellous gift to the children of Kolkata and India. The museum meant exclusively for children was conceived by a visionary statesman - Late Shri Jugal Srimal.
Gurusaday Museum showcases the rich folk art and crafts of Bengal. The brain behind this museum was a visionary art connoisseur Gurusaday Dutt who was mostly known for his interest and contributions to Bengal's folk art, folk dance and folk music. He started a number of organisations and societies aimed at preserving the elements of folk culture. Exquisite specimens personally collected between 1929 and 1939 by Shri Gurusaday Dutt, I. C. S. (1882-1941), while he was the District Collector in the remote parts of the then Bengal such as Kalighat paintings, patuas’ scrolls, embroidered kanthas, terracotta panels, stone sculptures, wooden carvings, dolls and toys, moulds used for making patterns on sweets or mango-paste etc. Most of the several thousand specimens of folk art and craft he collected, along with other folk artefacts, are on display. Presently the museum has a rich collection of over 3300 exquisite exhibits of folk arts and crafts, which amply reflect the vitality of the rural life and present a vivid picture of art and social traditions, religious beliefs, practices and motifs and cultural influences in undivided Bengal as well as in India.
Birla Academy of Art & Culture is a veritable treasure trove for the art addict. It showcases the Indian modern art and gives an impetus to creativity and talent. Birla Academy of Art & Culture houses the paintings of the medieval period, woodcarvings, archaeological manuscripts, textiles and ancient Indian sculptures.
The Academy of Fine Arts is one of the oldest and finest art societies in the country. The eight galleries on its ground floor together forming the largest gallery space in India, display exhibitions by artists and groups from all parts of India and abroad. It is truly a delight for the eyes, walking through the galleries, viewing new worlds of creation by artists of all ages.The Gallery of Contemporary Art with paintings and sculptures of India from 1900 to the present day, has a good collection of Acharya Abanindranath Tagore and of his brother Gyanendra Nath Tagore, who was the first to introduce cubism in India . The gallery of Old Textiles may be considered among the finer ones in India, with rare pieces of old textiles from many parts of India. The Gallery of Miniature paintings which has, among other works, a unique Ram –Sita series containing 18 fine miniature paintings given to Lady Ranu by her father, Prof. Phani Bhusan Adhikari. This was presented to him by Banaras Hindu University. There is a Ragamala series comprising 33 miniature paintings. Two hundred miniature paintings, a family collection collected by Sir R. N. Mookerjee, were gifted by Sir Biren Mookerjee.The Carpet Gallery is rare, as we do not think there is as yet in India a gallery exclusively for carpets -is from the Late T. L. Martin and other donors.The Gallery of Engravings on India in the 18th and 19th Centuries; eminent painters such as Zoffany , Hodges, the Danielle's, Sir Charles O D'oyly and others are represented there. There is also a Gallery of contemporary Graphics and Line Drawings.
One of the oldest museums in Asia, the Indian Museum was founded in 1814. Fossils, coins, stones, Gandhara art, meteors and much more that go to make up this museum. There is a 4,000-year-old mummy here as well. Also on display is an urn said to contain the Buddha's ashes. One just needs to ask anybody on the road for the way to the "Jadughar".
Alipore Zoo, the oldest in India and set up over a sprawling area, was the creation of Sir Richard Carnac Temple, the then Governor of Bengal from 1874 to 1877. It was opened on Jan 1st 1876, by the Prince of Wales. The 16 hectare ground houses a wide species of animals & birds including the rare white Bengal Tiger. There is a separate reptile house and a children's zoo. Migratory birds, even from Siberia, find a safe roosting place in the zoo every winter. The aquarium in front of the Zoological Gardens contains sea-fishes of exquisite varieties.
Indian Botanical Gardens of Kolkata is the haven for nature lovers, where they are innumerable species of flora, amidst the natural habitat for the growth and development.It was established originally in 1786.Botanical Gardens was conceptualized by Colonel Kyd, which houses nearly 12,000 plants and dried out plant specimen of about 2.5 million. These specimens have been collected from various parts of the world. This is the oldest Indian botanical garden and has a wing that works on the development of tea that grows in Darjeeling and Assam.A house of rare Orchids inside this garden covered by Cuban Palm avenues and very tall Mahogany trees can also be found. There are Tamarind and Mango trees providing shade to the grass lawns stretched throughout the garden.The purpose of this garden was to foster the production of various species of native plants.The main attraction of this garden is a renowned Banyan Tree, which is assumed to be the oldest Banyan tree in the world. It covers an area of 404 sq. m, and has a huge circumference of 330m. In the year 1945, the main trunk of this tree was removed as it got infected, but all its supporting branches that are about 1573, lend support to the tree.
Howrah Bridge is the World’s fourth busiest Cantilever bridge is situated on the River Hooghly and connects the western bank of Kolkata to the eastern bank of Howrah. This bridge acts as the lifeline of Kolkata city and offers its best view from the centre of the river, although photography is restricted here.This bridge, which handles a regular traffic of roughly 60,000 vehicles and uncountable pedestrians, is now popularly called Rabindra Setu after Rabindranath Tagore. In 1939, the construction of this bridge began, owing to the communication problem between Howrah and the-then three villages of Sutanuti, Kolkata and Gobindopur.This structure was redesigned and made into the Howrah Bridge in 1942, which was opened to the public for use since February 1943. An approximate figure of Rs. 333 crore was invested to create the strong structure of Howrah Bridge.The length of the bridge was 1528 ft. and its width was 62 ft. There are two 7 ft. wide pavements on both sides of the bridge for the pedestrians and the 48 ft. road with 8 lanes allows passage of traffics and serves commuters 24 hrs.
Science City is one of the newest and most popular tourists’ attractions of Kolkata.The main attractions of Science City are Space Theatre, Time Machine, 3D shows, Dynamotion, Natural Science Park, Dinosaurs Complex and Evolution Theme Park. Maintained by the National Council of Science Museums, Science City is known to be the largest of its kind in the south Asian sub-continent. The Space Theatre also known as Space Odyssey is the first Large Format Film Theatre of India.Dynamotion Hall imparts knowledge about light, speed and electricity through simple experiments. The Convention Centre at the science park houses a seminar hall building, a large mini theatre and an open air ground for hosting exhibitions and other shows.
Belur Math,constructed in the honour of Ramakrishna Paramhansa, is the international head quarters of Ramakrishna Mission. The concept of the Math was entirely designed by Swami Vivekananda.Housed inside the Math is the Ramkrishna Sarada Mandir where regular prayers take place. This is the place where Swami Vivekananda resided and died on 4th July, 1902. A monument commemorated in his memory stands within the Math premises right beside River Hooghly. The rooms where he resided have now been transformed into a museum exhibiting the clothes and articles he used.Belur Math houses the Sri Ramakrishna Temple, the Old Shrine, Swami Brahmananda Temple, Holy Mother Temple, Swami Vivekananda Temple, the Samadhi Enclosure, Old Math and the Ramakrishna Museum. The museums have on display the articles and clothes used by Sri Sarada Devi, Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda.
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Constructed in 1781, Fort William today is the headquarter of the Indian Army's eastern operation wing. Also known as the Eastern Army Command the Fort is named after King William III.Sprawling over an area of five square kilometres, this octagonal area is surrounded by Hoogly River on three sides and land on the rest five. There are six entrances to the fort: Water Gate, Chowringhee, St Georges, Plassey, Calcutta and the Treasury Gate.Fort William has been a witness to several historic battles having its roots in the independence movement of India. In 1757, during the battle of Plassey, the British were attacked and defeated by the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj Ud Daulah. A large part of the fort was destroyed in the war, which was rebuilt by Robert Clive in 1780.Displaying an octagonal shape, the fort today houses offices, accommodation, training and several recreational facilities of the Indian Army. Starting from swimming pool to boxing arena and a firing range one can witness everything under one boundary here.
Nicco Park is the oldest amusement park of Kolkata. Spread over an area of 40 acres the park is situated in the Salt Lake region of the city. Often regarded as the Disneyland of the City of Joy, the park is known for its adventure rides.The park was opened in 1991 when it was named as Jheel Meel. Full of entertainment and adventure options for all age groups Nicco Park is one of the biggest amusement parks in India.There are a wide variety of activities for children and young people. Rides like Cable Car, Water Chute, Pirate Ship, Tilt-a-Whirl, Toy Train, Flying Saucer, Moonraker and Water Coaster are popular among people of all age groups. The special attraction of Nicco Park is the Cave Ride.
Raj Bhavan or earlier known as the Government House has been the seat of power from the era of British Raj till today. This historic building has been the residence of Viceroy and Governor General of India until 1912 and now acts as the residence of West Bengal’s Governor.An officer of Bengal Engineers, Captain Charles Wyatt made the original blueprint of this three-storied majestic building that has a big central area of halls, surrounded by curved corridors leading to detached wings. The entire structure of Raj Bhawan bears resemblance with the Derbyshire’s Kedleston Hall, but is grander than its British counterpart.Raj Bhawan has four suites in this area named after Lord Wellesley, Dufferin, Anderson and Prince of Wales, of which the last suite is used for official dignitaries. Other places that might interest the visitors are ground floor’s Marble Hall that is used for meetings, Blue Drawing Room, Council Chamber, Brown Drawing Room, banquet Hall, the Throne Room, where the Princes were welcomed and durbars were organized and the Ballroom. stretched across an area of 27 acres, Raj Bhawan has a floor space of 84000 sq. ft and 6 entrances that have wrought iron gates with intricate designs. On the top of the entrances there are huge lions standing in a royal position and below there are two half human – half lion creature in a squatting position. On the north gate there is a dragon on which a gun is placed. As a tribute to the Treaty of Nanking, this was received from the Chinese. This building completed its 200 years in the year 2003.
Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is a haven for wildlife such as the elephants, rhinoceros, deer and a variety of small animals and birds such as partridges, Jungle fowl and Pallas’s fishing eagles, pythons, deadly cobras and monitor lizards. It is a scenic drive to the sanctuary meandering through green hills, aromatic tea gardens and sloping fields. The sanctuary also provides an opportunity to study the animals in their natural habitat, living free yet remain in a safe environment.
Princep Ghat is one of the oldest recreational spots of Kolkata. On the banks of the River Hooghly stands this memorial built for James Princep who was famous for deciphering inscriptions of the Ashoka era. The structure, renovated in 2001 is a unique one built in Greek and Gothic style.Tourists come here to see the sunrise and sunset and the magnificent Vidydasagar Sethu across the river forms a beautiful backdrop to the Memorial. As a part of renovation completed in 2012, a 2 km stretch of the riverfront from Princep Memorial to Baje Kadamtala Ghat has been beautified. There are illuminated landscaped gardens and pathways where all age groups can spend evenings.
Netaji Bhawan or Netaji's Residence, is a memorial of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It is housed at 38/2, Lala Lajpat Rai Road (Elgin Road). Managed by the Netaji Research Bureau, Netaji Bhawan has a museum, archives and library.Netaji Bhawan was the ancestral house of Subhas Chandra Bose, who had lived here until he escaped to Berlin in 1941, following a house arrest. He organized the Indian National Army, and fought against British Raj with Imperial Japanese Army for India's freedom.The major attractions of Netaji Bhawan are the relics of the work related to the freedom struggle as well as his own footprints, which are exhibited at this museum.
Bally Bridge which is popularly called Vivekananda Setu or the Willingdon Bridge, serves both rail and road.Bally Bridge stands across the Hooghly River and is known as the 2nd Hooghly Bridge.Entrepreneur Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja Chauhan and contractor Kutchi Mistri constructed the Bally Bridge, which was completed in 1932. Every girder on the Bridge has the nameplate of its builder.The length of this Bridge is 880 m, which were constructed to create a rail cum road link from Calcutta to near and far areas.
Birla Industrial Museum Kolkata was established in the year 1959. It was started with the aim to foster the masses, the popularity of Science and technology by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.This museum bears the name of the Birlas as the grounds on which this museum stands that belongs to family of the Birlas. Special events like science exhibitions, seminars and symposiums are regularly organised in this museum.
Dedicated to Lord Krishna, the ISKCON Temple Kolkata is the hub of devotees and spiritual seekers.Set up by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, it was the first ever centre of ISKCON.ISKCON centre in Kolkata has carved an altar out of wood. Granite and marble are used for the construction of the centre. The ISKCON in India organised the first ratha yatra in Kolkata in 1972. This has become a regular affair now. There is a well-maintained vegetarian restaurant with an outdoor garden in the centre.
Digha Beach is a popular beach destination for the people of Kolkata, the best way to enjoy this destination is by taking a stroll along the Casuarina tree-lined beach, early in the morning to enjoy the sun rise.Marine Aquarium and Research Centre (MARC), the largest inbuilt marine aquarium in India, is located near the beach and is a must visit while in Digha Mandarmani and Shankarpur Beach are two other beaches located nearby which can be easily reached from Digha. Digha Beach also offers adventure sports like wind surfing, water skiing, and sailing, as well as activities like dolphin spotting cruises and snorkelling.
South Park Street Cemetery in Kolkata is one of the earliest non-church cemeteries in the world. Also one of the largest Christian cemeteries outside Europe and America, the cemetery is now a heritage site protected by the Archeological Survey of India.Opened in 1767, there are over 1000 memorial tombs in the cemetery that include high government British officials, officers of the British East India Company, and members of their families.The memorials are architecturally impressive, some with ornate designs and beautifully written epitaphs. The tombs are a mixture of Gothic and Indo-Saracenic style, a few with tall pyramids and huge columns. Grave tablets from the once existed and now demolished North Park Cemetery are preserved and mounted on a wall in this cemetery.
Dakshineswar Temple was constructed under the supervision of Rani Rasmani of Janbazar. A popular story says that in her dreams she was asked by Goddess Kali to build this temple. The temple sprawls over an area of 25 acres housing the main Kali temple and adjoining prayer halls and Shiva temples.This is one of the oldest and the largest temples of the city that reflects the Navaratna style of architecture. One of the prime attractions of the temple, the Ganga River that flows by the temple is the place for all the visitors to take a holy dip. Standing opposite to the main temple are the 12 temples of Lord Shiva.Dakshineswar received its prominence after Ramakrishna Paramahamsa achieved spiritual enlightenment here and started spreading the words of Goddess Kali. He lived in this temple for years and remained as the main priest here.
St. Paul's Cathedral was built in 1839. This is the first 'Episcopal Cathedral Church' that was constructed in a non Christian country.The church was damaged severely twice in two massive earthquakes, but was reconstructed to preserve the age old artifacts that the museum within the church houses.The cathedral was designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones in the memory of Lord Mayo. The main gate leads to a large hall displaying wooden chairs, stained glass windows and bright artworks of intricate designs.The walls of the cathedral adorn paintings and photographs that depict the work and life of St. Paul. The underground chamber houses the coffin of Bishop Wilson. The delegation plate bestowed on him by her Majesty Queen Victoria is on display in the church. During prayers the main hall of St. Paul's Cathedral can accommodate more than 500 people.On the east and west of the Cathedral stand two tall stained glass windows. While the Great West Window was a gift to the church in memory of Lord Mayo by the Government of India, the Great East Window illustrates the life of Lord Jesus.
