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Kolkota, the capital of West Bengal is also know as
the city Joy and city of palaces. It was the capital of British India till
1912 and so has its colonial signature. It was called as Calcutta but it got
its oringnal name in 2001.The city is a perfect blend of modern and
traditional cultures. Kolkata is located in the banks of Hoogli river and
the Howrah bridge on the river make it unique. It the largest city of India
has largest population i.e. more that 4,500,000 people. Kolkota has so many
adventure and recreational activities, it is a metropolitan city and has so
many gardens, amusement parks, palaces, monuments, museums, art galleries,
temples, churches, stadiums, sports clubs, restaurants, hotels, pubs, bars,
discos and much much more. All the these things makes the city of Joy a
perfect holiday destination.
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HOW
TO REACH
By Air - Kolkata is has both international and domestic airports. It is well
connect with frequent flights to all the major cities like Delhi, Mumbai,
Chennai, Patna, Varanasi, Lucknow, etc. and International destinations.
By Rail - Kolkata is well connected to the other parts of India by trains.
There are super-fast trains like Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express
connects it from Delhi and the other express like Bokaro and Rourkela.
Coromandel Express and Gitanjali Express connect Kolkata to Chennai and
Mumbai respectively. The city has two major railway stations-one at Howrah
and the other at Sealdah.
By Road - Kolkata is connected with most of the Indian cities by road. The
Esplanade Terminus in the heart of the city is the main bus terminus. A new
development is the starting of Dhaka-Kolkata bus service. The buses are
colorful, air-conditioned, and comfortable.
WHEN TO GO
Best time to travel Kolkata is between October to March.
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WHAT TO SEE |
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The Victoria Memorial - Next to the Maidan,
stands the neo-classical attempt at building the Taj, an enormous
paean in marble to the Grand Empress - The Victoria Memorial. The
failed attempt although, a cross between classical western and Mughal
style, yet reveals the global attraction for the monument of love even
in those days. It was opened on 1921. There are enormous oil paintings
in the Royal Gallery, illustrating episodes from queen Victoria's
long, eventful life and reign, an impressive collection of the British
colonial period.
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Dalhousie Square - The erstwhile Dalhousie
Square with a lake at the centre – is the administrative nerve centre
of Kolkata. Writer's Building on the north side of the square dates
from 1880 represents Gothic-style architecture and is now the
administrative office of the ruling Marxist Government. You can visit
the West Bengal tourist office on the eastern side of the square. The
General Post Office, with its majestic dome and Corinthian columns is
another masterpiece of colonial legacy. It is built on the same site
as the original Fort William.
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Academy of Fine Arts - The city's cultural
attractions begin with the Academy of Fine Arts. Established in 1933,
the latest and arguably the greatest works of contemporary artists are
exhibited here throughout the year. Other vibrant and cutting edge
Group theatres and dance programs happen everyday in a hall inside.
Solely dedicated to the greatest cultural son of Bengal, the Rabindra
gallery exhibits manuscripts, paintings and personal belongings of
Tagore.
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The Asiatic Society - The society was founded by
Sir William Jones in 1784 with Warren Hastings as its first
patron.Located at 1, Park Street (in the junction of Park Street and
J.L.Nehru Road) it contains a library inside that has approximately
20000 tomes including 8000 rare Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian and Hindi
manuscripts. It also houses invaluable archaeological relics,
geological and ethnological specimens.
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Asutosh Museum of Indian Art - This museum has
rare and valuable collections including Bengal patachitra paintings, 'katha
shilpo' art etc. Its location within Centenary building of University
of Calcutta makes the highest art very accessible to the youth.
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Birla Academy of Art and Culture - Patronized by
an eminent industrial family of India , it has an excellent collection
of paintings and sculptures . Situated at Rabindra Sarobar at south
Calcutta, you can also witness regular exhibitions here.
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Birla Planetarium - One of the largest
Planetarium in Asia, it gives a ringside view of the astral play of
celestial bodies. The internal diameter of the tomb measures 82 feet
and you can recline to get the finest views. Choose from Hindi,
English and Bengali shows.
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Indian Museum - which is the largest and
the best museum in the country. Established in 1814, commonly known as
'Jadughar’, it is also one of the oldest in Asia. The museum preserves
more than 54000 coins which are more than 2400 years old. |
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WHERE TO EAT
Kolkota has so many options for restaurants and bars. You can choose the
local Bengali restaurant to have the regional cuisine or you can try the a
wide of Indian and international chain of restaurants. All the luxury hotels
has their own special restaurants.
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