At a glance Called Calcutta in British times, Kolkata still conjures up images of squalor, poverty and urban disaster. Don't believe the hype. India's third-largest city is defined not by its poverty but by the energy, imagination and zest for life of its people.
About the city A city of love and warmth, sorrow and despair, dreams and hopes, poverty and squalor, grandeur and glory. Calcutta is compelling, effervescent, teeming with life and traditions - a medley of moods, styles, cultures, politics, industry and commerce.More than 300 years ago, Job Charnock, an English tradesman set up a trading post on the banks of the Ganga along the three-village nucleus. Gradually Europeans started setting up business and trade establishments, the moneyed class taking interest in banking and usury. The East India Company steadily encroached into matters of state.The fate of the Nawabi rule was sealed in the Battle of Plassey and the English went ahead to seize power, a grip which loosened only 250 years later when power was transferred from the British Empire to the Indians. Independent India has crossed 50 years and these five decades have seen many miracles. Calcutta has grown, remains a city of contrasts, a mix-up of light and shade, a strange medley of ancient and modern, skyscrapers and Victorian edifices, haven of the rich and the poor as seldom found anywhere in the world. There is so much to see in thiscalcu2.jpg (6143 bytes) incredible city. A million people from every corner of India stream across the massive Howrah Bridge, swarm around the Hooghly river, flock along the busy avenues, through its narrow lanes. Then you arrive at the great expanse of the Maidan, the heart of Calcutta.Fort William, Victoria Memorial, Raj Bhavan, Palladian villas and the Botanical Gardens, the busy streets of Shyambazar, College Street and Kalighat, bookshops, art galleries, coffee houses - all are part of Calcutta's varied and vibrant shades, the birthplace of Rabindranath Tagore and cradle of the Indian Renaissance.Calcutta's fascination defies analysis. It is an addiction, an affair of the mind and heart. Anyone who has lived here can never be happy anywhere else in the world...
How to reach Rail Rail: The two most important stations are Howrah and Sealdah. The Howrah Station is divi8ded into two blocks. I to 16 comprise of the main building and 17 to 22 belong to the new annex building. Tourist Railway booking Office is on the 1st floor at 6 Fairlie Place near BBD Bagh. The office remains open from Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm, 1:30 to 4 pm and on Sunday between 9am and 2 pm. Road Road: Buses commute between Kolkata and other major cities of India. Local Transport: Bus, taxis (yellow- non ac and blue arrow-air conditioned) and trams (still unique to Kolkata) help tourists to commute in Kolkata. Hand driven and cycle rickshaws, and auto rickshaws are relatively cheap. The metro railway is Kolkata's pride and is and is increasingly becoming an important mode of transport.
Distances 39 km from Chandannagore 185 km from Digha 182 km from Murshidabad 215 km from Shantiniketan 131 km from Sunderbans 200 km from Bishnupur 128 km from Burdwan
Best Seasons Kolkata sits just 6m (21ft) above sea level on the banks of the broad, slow-flowing Hooghly River. In summer (April to June) temperatures soar to over 30º C (86ºF), remaining high during the drenching monsoon that lasts from June to September. The best time to visit is from October to February, when the streets come alive with fairs and festivals and the weather behaves itself, for the most part, with modest temperatures and limited rainfall.
Places in and around Botanical Gardens Shibpur The haven of Kolkata's Botanical Gardens is a welcome respite from the choking noise and crowds. Kali Temple Kalighat Sacrificial Site The Kali Temple or Kalighat is believed to be the original temple from which the village of Kolikata. Victoria Memorial Amongst the must visit places of Kolkata is the Victoria Memorial. It is a huge white-marble structure and the most enduring of remains of the British Raj in India. The structure, which is now floodlit in the night, gives a fascinating site. It has been now converted in a museum that houses the most impressive collection of memorabilia's from the days of Raj. Then there is the Indian Museum of Calcutta that was built in 1874., The museum is a place to see for its beautiful structure. The oldest museum in India, it has one of the rare collections of archeological. The entrance to the museum houses an original Lion Capitol, the national symbol of India. While in Calcutta you must visit the Eden Gardens. The gardens are located in the northwest corner of the Kolkata, is a small and pleasantly laid-out garden. The place also houses the renowned cricket ground by the same name. Birla Planetarium is one of the largest of its kind in the world, and a good place to visit while in Kolkata. Regular shows in Hindi and English are held here. Howrah Bridge Howrah Bridge is another place to be seen in Calcutta. It is excellent example of engineering techniques of the early 20th century. The whole bridge is 450 m long without any pylon in the river. The bridge also has the distinction of being the busiest bridge in the world catering to around 100,000 vehicles and innumerable pedestrians. Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission is another tourist attraction of Calcutta. The place was founded in 1899 and houses a structure that was designed to be a church, temple, and mosque all in one. Other important sites that can be visited are Fort William, Maidan, BBD Bagh, Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, Botanical Garden, Marble Palace, Tagore House, Church of St John, Nakhoda Mosque, Raj Bhawan, Town Hall, and St. Paul's Cathedral. Museums Asiatic Society The first modern museum of India set up in 1814, today it has a modest collection of Tibetan tangkha paintings and a Ashokan rock edict, The library inside has approximately 20000 volumes inclusive of 8000 rare Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian and Hindi manuscripts. It is also rich with archaeological relics, geological and ethnological specimens, if you are a museum addict this is simply a must see. The museum is open 8 am-7 pm, Monday to Friday. Indian Museum Locals call it the jadu ghar (house of magic), why and how it has got this name is a mystery, someone still has to crack that ! but this place has by far the richest collection of coins 50,000 of them. Believe it or not the museum houses 60 galleries within it, has a 4,000 year old Egyptian mummy, has a fine set of Pala statues and interesting examples of Buddhist Gabdharian art and Kalighat pats (painting) that apart it is one of the best examples of Italianate architectural styles. You really can't miss this one, it's a stone throw away from Victoria memorial on Sudder street. The timings are 10 am-5 pm, all days except Mondays. MP Birla Planetarium Chowringhee This planetarium is one of the largest in the world.