Calcutta,
or Kolkata as it is now called, is seen as the land of the intellectuals.
Communist in ideology and very politically aware, Calcutta was the capital
of British India before Delhi assumed this position.
Calcutta developed from a fishermen village to become one of the largest cities
in the world. The city symbolizes creativity and vibrance with all the modern
amenities available. Calcutta has adapted to the modern trends and techniques
of the world but has not shed the leisurely life style and the calm of its hey
days.
Calcutta has the country's first Metro
railway and some of its buildings are more than a hundred years old. While
Calcutta is a city of enduring charm, it is also a city that evokes extreme
emotions. So be ready to give in to it or hate it completely. .
A city with strong cultural, literary and religious flavours, Calcutta acts
as the gateway to the North-East.
Population: About 14
million .
Climate: Calcutta is located at a point where
the river Hooghly merges into the sea. In fact, the whole region is part the
great Gangetic delta. The climate of Calcutta is largely influenced by the
sea. The daily tidal waves and frequent rains accompanied by high velocity
winds, has now become a part of life in the city. Calcutta has a very
tropical climate with the summers being hot and humid. The temperature
seldom crosses the 43-degree barrier and in winter, rarely goes below 8
degrees. Monsoons are timely and heavy. Winters are the best time to visit.
Best times to visit: Between September and March.
Birla
Planetarium
Located at the top end of Chowringhee, it is the only
planetarium in the country whose dome houses a collection of projectors and
optical equipment imported from East Germany. It is the largest planetarium
in South-East Asia and the second largest planetarium in the world.
Fort William Fort William is sometimes called the
citadel of Calcutta. With the permission of the Nawab of Bengal, this fort
was built between 1696 and 1702 by the British East India Company and named
after King William III of England. In 1756, the fort was taken by the Nawab
of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah. In 1757, the East India Company regained power
and demolished this fort and began reconstructing it. The new fort was
completed in 1773.
Botanical Garden The garden was
founded in 1787 by the East India Company and was formerly known as the
Royal Botanical Garden. It is famous for its huge collection of bamboos,
orchids, palms and the plants of screw pine genus. The garden spreads over
270 acres and more than 1700 plant species can be found here. The Central
National Herbarium of the Botanical Survey of India is here and has
2,500,000 dried plants in its collection. A botanical's dream come true for
sure.
Zoological Garden Laid in 1876, extending over
an area of 16 hectares, the zoological garden has a considerably large
collection of animals. White tigers, reptiles and the Royal Bengal tigers
are the special exhibits. During winter, birds from all over the world
migrate here and are a special attraction during this time.
Eden
Gardens Named after the sister of Alexander, the Eden Gardens used
to be covered by verdant trees and gardens. A major part of the garden gave
way to the construction of one of the largest and beautiful stadiums of
India- the Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium. Eden Gardens has seen history made
and unmade. For more than a hundred years, the magic of Eden Gardens has
held its sway over cricket and cricket lovers in the country.
Nehru Children's Museum. It's a wonderfully entertaining place
for children. Named after the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru, it is located at Jawaharlal Nehru Road (formerly
Chowringhee Road). The stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata have been
depicted nicely with the help of animated dolls. Some science models are
also on exhibition, a must see for the kids.
Howrah Bridge
It one of three bridges on the river Hooghly and is the most famous
landmark in all of West Bengal. This bridge is a marvel of British
engineering. Howrah Bridge is suspended on pillars and never mind how old,
it still stands as strong as ever.
Victoria Memorial One of the oldest museums in Kolkata,
this is a must see for anyone who visits the city.
Indian
Museum The oldest museum in India and one of the most
comprehensive museums in Asia; the archaeology and numismatic sections
contain the most valuable collections.
Nakhoda Mosque
The largest mosque in Calcutta, which can accommodate 10,000
worshippers at a time, this wonder is built in the Indo-Saracenic style.
St. Paul's Cathedral Church. One of the most prominent
churches in the city, it is located between Birla planetarium and Rabindra
Sadan. Constructed by Bishop Willson in 1847, it is the first Episcopal
Church of the East. The Indo-Gothic style of this church is really
impressive.
Kali Mandir, Kalighat. Kali temple of
Kalighat continues to attract a large volume of pilgrims, local, regional as
well as from all over India. A truly impressive sight, this temple is best
visited during the spirited Kali puja festivities.
EXCURSIONS: Digha
It is the nearest sea-beach from Calcutta and is a six-hour bus
journey. Very close to the Orissa border, Digha has been attracting a lot of
tourists. The seven kilometer long beach is has every thing that a sea
loving traveller could possibly need...good surf and sand. Just eight kms
from Digha is the Chandaneshwar Siva Temple across the border in Orissa.
Digha is 185 kms from Calcutta.
Diamond Harbour 51
kms from the city is the old port of Calcutta. From here Hooghly turns south
to merge into the sea and from here, one can take launches to Sagar island
for the famous Ganga Sagar Fair.
Haldia
Calcutta's new port is 96 kms south of the city. This
place was developed as a port to avoid the silting problem in Diamond
Harbour. Today the Haldia Refinery has added value to the place. There are
regular bus services to both the ports from Calcutta.
Barrackpore Not much is left of the place, which was once the
cantonment of the East India Company. 23 kms from the city, the place has
acquired a historical significance. The gardens along the river bank are
very nicely laid and are very charming. The Gandhi memorial attracts a large
number of tourists. Barrackpore was one of the places which was transferred
by the Danish settlement to the East India Company in 1845.
Chandernagore The French trading post was handed over to India
along with Pondicherry in 1951. The French settled here in 1673 and made it
their trade centre. But they lost this place to the British in a conflict.
Today this place along the river Hooghly has some buildings of the French
era and is now famous for the artisans who make clay figurines.
Chandernagore is 39 kms from Calcutta.
Bandel 43 kms
from Calcutta is the site of a Portuguese church and monasteries that were
built in 1599. They were destroyed in 1640 by Shah Jahan but were rebuilt.
Sunderban Wildlife Sanctuary
Towards the South of Calcutta, rivers
Ganga and Hooghly divide themselves into many distributaries and they form
the famous Gangetic deltas. They provide the ideal environment for the
Sundari trees to grow. Spread over an area of almost 10,000 sq kms, now
shared between Bangladesh and India, the Sunderbans are home to many
exquisite animals and birds.
Durga Puja: One of the most important festivals here is
the Durga Puja, a celebration of the victory of good over evil. During the
puja lasting ten days with different rituals, the whole city is decorated
like a bride. Calcutta looks like one big fair with shops lined up with
everything imaginable and streets dotted with people. This is followed by
the Kali puja and Diwali, the festival of lights.
Vasant
Panchami: In spring, the city celebrates Vasant Panchami, a
festival where Saraswati, the Goddess of wisdom and learning is worshipped.
Apart from these, the city celebrates the festival of colour Holi or Dol
Yatra as it is called in Bengal with traditional pomp and gaiety.
Poila Baishak: This is the Bengali New Year that starts with
the worship of Lord Ganesha.
Christmas and New Year celebrations
are also observed with spirit as is Id-ul-Fitr.
HOW
TO GET THERE:By Road: Calcutta is well
connected by major National Highways to almost all parts of the country.
By Air: Calcutta is one of India's busiest International
Airports and is served by a few International Airlines, namely British
Airways, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, KLM and a few others. On the
domestic network, Calcutta is connected by Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and
Sahara Airlines, to most major cities in India by frequent daily flights.
By
Rail: Regular train services connect Howrah and Sealdah stations to
different parts of India. Calcutta also serves as a train gateway to most
parts of North Eastern India.
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India Travel Hotel.
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