Kolkata is the fourth largest city in India. It is one of the busiest places in the country. It takes its name from “City of the Goddess”- goddess Kali. It is also the city capital of the state of West Bengal. Kolkata has long been known for its literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, Kolkata was the birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought. Kolkatans tend to have a special appreciation for art and literature; its tradition of welcoming new talent has made it a "city of furious creative energy There are lots of directors, theater artists, actors, literary giants and musicians who hail from Kolkata.
Kolkata was the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911. It used to be the centre of modern education, science, culture and politics in ancient India.
The discovery of the nearby Chandraketugarh, an archaeological site, provides evidence that the area has been inhabited for over two millennia. The city's documented history, however, begins with the arrival of the British East India Company in 1690, when the Company was consolidating its trade business in Bengal.
Source: wikipedia / wikitravel
Summer can be hot as the temperature rise up to 40°s C and the winter is milder-about 14 ° C. The best time to visit Calcutta is anytime between October and March. Avoid visiting Kolkata between May and September during the monsoon season. The heavy rains will surely dampen your spirits.
Source: wikipedia / wikitravel
By Air: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport connects Kolkata with South East Asia and receives some flights from Europe(London, Frankfurt). The domestic terminal handles flights from most major cities in India including Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow. Nagpur, Hyderabad, Chennai.
By Road: Esplanade Bus Station is Kolkata's main station for inter-state and inter-city buses.There are numerous bus options between Kolkata and cities in East like Darjeeling, Siliguri, Malda, Bhubaneshwar and also Dhaka in Bangladesh.
By Train: There are two major railway stations in Kolkata - Howrah (not in Kolkata actually, it's in the next city Howrah) and Sealdah. A new terminus station called 'Kolkata' has also started functioning since 2005, but presently it accommodates very few trains. There are various trains from destinations like Bhubaneshwar (Shatabdi Exp), Chennai (Chennai Mail), Delhi(Poorva Exp), Guwahati, Mumbai(Mumbai Mail), Patna to Kolkata.
The Indian Museum: This museum was founded by Dr Nathaniel Wallich-a Danish botanist in 1814. It is a multi-disciplinary institution of national standing and is one of oldest museums in the world. This was the first museum of its kind in Asia. From 1814 to 1878, it was located at the premises of Asiatic Society in Kolkata.
The Victoria Memorial: This is one of the most famous structures in Kolkata, India. It is a memorial of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom who also carried the title of Empress of India. It currently serves as a museum and a tourist attraction. The memorial was designed by Sir William Emerson in an architectural style similar to Belfast City Hall.
The National Library of India: This is the largest library in India and India's library of public record.
St. Paul's Cathedral: St. Paul's Cathedral was built by Bishop Wilson in 1839 and was completed in 1847, in Gothic style with stained glass windows and two frescoes in Florentine Renaissance style. This is an extremely impressive piece of architecture.
Vidyasagar Setu: It is popularly known as the Second Howrah Bridge or Second Hooghly Bridge, a bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It links the city of Howrah to its twin city of Kolkata. The bridge is a toll bridge for vehicles. It is the longest bridge of its type in India and one of the longest in Asia.
Howrah Bridge: It is one of the main structures in Kolkata that has become part of the city’s identical and sentimental landmark. It spans over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It was originally named the New Howrah Bridge but it was renamed to Rabindra Setu (named after Rabindranath Tagore a great poet and the first Indian Nobel laureate).
Marble Palace, The marble palace was the private mansion of Zamindar (Land owner) Raja Rajendro Mullick, who had built this palace in 1835. It is situated on the Muktaram Babu Street in a congested part of the city. A real garden, of may be an acre with a Palladian Mansion set square in the centre. Today this place has an incongruous collection of statues and paintings. There is also a private zoo housing a collection of birds from different corners of the world.
Nakhoda Mosque (the largest mosque in Kolkata)
Kali temple at Kalighat
Park Street Cemetery and Jain temples are the places worth a visit.
Source: wikipedia / wikitravel
Where To Eat:
Kolkata's cuisine is very popular and varied. This city is very famous for its sweets, namely the rasagolla, sandesh and mishti doi (sweet yoghurt) as dessert. Bengal's vast repertoire of fish-based dishes are extremely tasty. Chinese food from China Town in the eastern parts of the city is also quite popular. There are lot of restaurants and fast food centers where one can get any type of cuisine.
Where To Stay:
Since Kolkata is a major city in India, there are many hotels and restaurants here. Kolkata has long had a concentration of budget backpacker hotels in the Sudder Street area and many of these are colonial era gems, albeit decaying ones. Budget hotels can also be found around the station in Howrah. Sudder Street is more centrally located but both are well connected by public transport.There are some 5 star luxury hotels also.
Source: wikipedia / wikitravel
A tourist visa applicable for the entire country (India) is sufficient.
One of the specialties here is the Bengali Saree – a white free flowing drape with red border. One can find many governmental emporia selling handicrafts, souvenirs, beaded jewellery, bronze artifacts etc. You can also pick up a great range of musical instruments like the sitar, table., violins etc.
The Durga Puja is the most notable religious and social festival in Kolkata. Other notable festivals include Diwali, Eid, Holi, Christmas, Poila Boishak (new year), Saraswati puja, Rath Yatra and Poush parbon (harvest festival). Some of the cultural festivals are Kolkata Book Fair, Dover Lane music festival, Kolkata Film Festival and National Theatre Festival.
Kolkata truly represents a variety in culture, traditions and even architecture. Yet, the sense of community here is amazing. One can never be short of visiting places, theater, music work shops and book fairs in the city. It is always pulsating with the life of culture, and zeal of tradition and at the same time it surges ahead with the contemporary waves.
