Kolkata - till recently Calcutta - is a thriving city that keeps reinventing itself. One of the four largest metros in India, the people of Calcutta are passionate about art, literature, music, dance, theatre, and sports. Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal is the perfect gateway to tours of Eastern and North- Eastern India and to the far East. The city is home to Nobel Laureates- Ronald Ross, Rabindranath Tagore, Mother Teresa and Amartya Sen. Popularly called the City of Joy, Kolkata is simply an irresistible holiday destination.
Climate
Being next to the sea, the weather in Kolkata is usually hot and sultry. The best time to tour Kolkata on a holiday is between November and March when the weather is pleasant.
Tours and Attractions in Kolkata
Victoria MemorialThe memorial, a huge white marble structure and the most enduring of the remains of the British Raj in India, is now a museum that houses a fascinating collection of the memorabilia of the era. The structure floodlit at night, is a sight to behold. Inside the memorial, there are art galleries, rare paintings, old armories; portraits, old documents, statues etc. are kept to display. A holiday in Kolkata is never complete without a visit to this incredible heritage building.
Indian MuseumBuilt in 1874, this oldest museum in India stores a rare collection of the archeological, and has six main sectors as- Art, Anthropology, Archaeology, Geology, Industry and Zoology. There is a 4,000-year-old Egyptian Mummy and a gallery dedicated to meteors and meteorites. Some of the wonders here include a splendid collection of 50,000 coins, a 12 feet long fossil of a crab, Mughal Emperor Shahjahan's emerald cup and also the remains of Lord Buddha.
Eden GardensLocated in the northwestern corner of the city, Eden Gardens is a mecca for cricket lovers. It is also one of the most pleasant and picturesque cricket fields in the world with a gigantic stadium which can take a crowd of nearly 100,000 spectators.
Madhav Prasad Birla PlanetariumThe Birla Planetarium, located at the intersection of Chowringhee and Theatre Road, is one of the largest kinds in the world. Regular shows in Hindi and English are held here.
Kalighat TempleAn important shrine of Hindus dedicated to the goddess of destruction, Kali, it was rebuilt in 1809 in 180-acre zone.
Howrah BridgeAn excellent example of engineering technique of the early 20th century, the entire bridge is 450 meters long without any pylon in the river. This engineering marvel also has the distinction of being the busiest bridge in the world catering to around 100,000 vehicles and innumerable pedestrians.
Vidyasagar SetuThe largest cable bridge in Asia, the Vidysagar Setu or the second Hoogly Bridge that connects Rabindra Sadan with Howrah is a modern day engineering marvel. It took 22 years to build and cost the state a whopping Rs 388 crore. 457.20 meters long, 115 meters wide, the bridge hangs midair with the support of only 121 wires. Its foundation is 100 feet deep and its nine lanes handle 85,000 vehicles a day.
The Zoological Garden
Inaugurated by the Prince of Wales in 1856, the zoo is one of the oldest in India. Spread over 16 hectares, it is home to a large number of animals, birds and reptiles. Every winter a lake sanctuary within the gardens is home to migratory birds.
Belur MathThe headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission, the Math founded by Swami Vivekanand, on the western banks of the Hooghly River, is an important pilgrimage place that includes the main monastery and several temples.
Botanical GardensThe largest of its kind in India, the Botanical Gardens situated on the West bank of the Ganga, are home to about 35000 varieties of flora and fauna and 15000 trees. The main attraction is a 250-year-old banyan tree with one of the widest canopies in the world.
The Marble PalaceFormerly called the Palace of Arts, it was named Marble Palace by Lord Minto. A fantastic piece of architecture, the palace has a long colonnaded carriage porch and billiards room. The floors, walls and tabletops are made of marble and have etched Venetian glass panes on the doors.
ST. Paul's CathedralThe first Cathedral Church in India, the St. Paul's Church is an imposing structure built in the Indo-Gothic style. The Cathedral had the unique distinction of being endowed with the first stained glass window - East Window - in the city. It also houses many paintings and a small library of antiquarian books.
The National LibraryEarlier called the Imperial Library, it is the largest library in the country. nt Governor's Palace. It has 17,00,000 books, 19,144 journals and 5,00,000 documents. The daily readership roll is 93,000.
Places NearbyShanti NiketanShanti Niketan, the place where the Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore live and established the Vishwa Bharati University is situated 136 kms. of the city. BishnupurThis is an unexplored Tourism destination, situated 100kms northwest of Kolkata. It houses the unique terracotta temples, each more bewitchingly embellished than the other. The city is renowned for its crafts such as the intricate Balucheri saris, the rare ganjifa(circular Indian playing card), delicate carvings on shells and bell metal artifacts. Chander NagarAbout 35kms away from the city is the former French settlement that still abounds in buildings from the period of history. The must visit places in this city are the Quai Dupleix, Eglise Du Sacre, and image of Joan of Arc.
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