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Kolkata

Kolkata: The Soulful City of West Bengal

Kolkata

Have you ever visited a city where cricket is no less than war? Or even, football matches call for a declared holiday? A destination where summer means carrom matches being played on streets and festivals are like flamboyant marriage celebrations. Where does all this happen? Definitely, in Kolkata the Capital of West Bengal!

It is famous for its Durga Puja celebrations worldwide and bears a charm like no other city in India. From honeymoon destinations to historical sightseeing, the city is packed with every possible flavour of tourism.

Kolkata Tourism involves around visiting parks, museums, historical palaces and monuments and savouring on some lip-smacking sweets of the city. Tourists can also indulge in boating, fishing or learning the nuances of Mesozoic era by visiting science centres.

It was the centre for the great Bengali Renaissance movement during the late 19th century. The city served as the country’s capital till the beginning of 20th century. In 1911, the British moved the capital from Calcutta to Delhi.

Trip to Kolkata is incomplete without tasting the delicious and soft rossogullas, spicy pani puri and misti doi. You can also purchase some soan-papdi, a sweet that is more commonly sold in the local trains of the city.

Following are the main travel attractions of Kolkata:

Victoria Memorial: Set amidst green expansive lawns and standing in white marble, Victoria Memorial is the pride of the city. Designed by William Emerson, President of Royal Institute of British Architects, it is a memorial dedicated to Queen Victoria. It was Lord Curzon’s idea to build this after the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. It was constructed during 1906-1921, costing around 1crore rupees.

It is built in Indo-Saracenic style with a blend of Venetian, Indian, Mughal, British, Egyptian and Islamic style of architecture. The building is 184ft in height and a statue of Angel of Victory sits at the central dome of the building. Pure white marble has been used for the construction and from a distance the museum resembles the Taj Mahal of Agra.

There are 25 galleries in the museum. The royal gallery exhibit portraits of Queen Victoria depicting scenes from important events of her life like her coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey and marriage to Prince Albert. The pianoforte, dating back to her childhood along with her correspondence desk from Windsor castle, still rests at the centre of the room.

It preserves a great collection of western paintings blended with oil, aqua-tints and watercolours as well as Indian paintings, manuscripts, postage stamps, rare books, Mughal miniatures and sketches, belonging to the pre-independence era.


Dakshineswar Kali Temple

Dakshineswar Kali Temple: The ambiance around the temple itself is divine and powerful enough to attract its visitors. Dakshineswar Temple is one of the highly revered temples in Bengal. Pilgrims are seen crowding near the temple almost every day to have a mere glimpse of Goddess Kali, the presiding deity in the temple.

Legend has it that Rani Rashmoni, the founder of the temple was planning for a pilgrimage to Banaras. However, the night before her pilgrimage, she had a dream in which Goddess Kali appeared and ordered her to install a statue of hers in a beautiful temple along the bank of River Ganges.

Rani, without any delay, purchased the land near the river bank and began the construction in 1847. More than 1 lakh brahmins were invited during the idol installation in the temple. Flowers and sweets are available at the entrance of the temple to offer to the deity.


Nicco Park: An important amusement park for children, it is fondly called the ‘Disneyland of West Bengal’. It was inaugurated on October 13, 1991. With more than 35 attractive rides for children, it is definitely a must-visit destination to chill out.

Howrah Bridge: Known as Rabindra Setu, it is one of the busiest bridges in the world. Catering to uncountable pedestrians and 1, 00,000 vehicles every day, this 450m long bridge stands over the Hooghly River.

Indian Museum: Welcome to the oldest and largest museum in India. Lovingly called as Jadughar, this is the ninth oldest museum in the world. The exhibit includes a rich collection of antiques, artefacts, ornaments, skeletons and beautiful Mughal paintings.

It was designed by Walter B Granville, a renowned British architect. The art section of the museum boasts of an exquisite collection of textiles, paintings and art objects from countries like Japan, China, Tibet, Thailand and Java.

Spot textiles like Muslin from Dhaka, Phulkari of Punjab, Kantha of West Bengal, handkerchiefs from Chamba, Persian carpets and Baluchari textile from Murshidabad. Rare musical instruments belonging to tribal and rural part of India are also available.


Eden Garden: Established in 1864, Eden Garden is considered as one of the finest stadiums in the world. With 82,000 seating capacity, this is the largest stadium in India and is ranked as the second largest stadium in the world after the Melbourne stadium in Australia.

It has been called as the “Cricket’s answer to the Colosseum”. The stadium hosted the world cup of 1987 along with other important cricket battles.

 

Excursions from Kolkata: Howrah Bridge (4km), Belur Math (10km), Sunderbans National Park (127 km) and Shantiniketan (160km) are some of the appealing nearby escapes that you can’t resist yourself from exploring.


Kolkata city

Shopping in Kolkata: Welcome to shopper’s paradise! Do explore the cheap markets of Hatibagan, Esplanade, Burrabazar and Gariahat in Kolkata.

Stuff your travel kitty with jewellery made of mud as well as dresses, soft toys, jute bags, leather shoes, cheap cosmetics, designer hair-buns, wooden temples, little statues of Goddess Durga, vibrant hats and a lot more. Kantha stitch, tant saree and mirror-work are also very famous.


When to Reach: Avoid summer as they can be really humid. Plan your trip during October-March when the weather is pleasant and ideal for sightseeing. You can also plan your trip during Durga Puja festival (September-October) and watch how the city crazily celebrates the festival with dhaak, dhunuchi dance and lots of delicious food.

How to Reach:

Air: Dum Dum Airport, 17km away from the city is the international airport that links the city to USA, Kuala Lumpur, Dhaka, Hong Kong, Dubai and almost all the major Indian cities.

Rail: Howrah Junction is the major railhead here that connects the city to almost very important city of the country. Frequent trains run from Bihar, Delhi, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar and Chennai for the destination.

Road: Buses and trams run through the city, connecting it to every part of the state. Hand-pulled rickshaw, which can only be seen here, are also a common mode of transport for travelling short distances in the city.

So book for Kolkata Tour and gear on to explore the city of joy! You never know what’s awaiting you!



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