Kolkata
City Information
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 this 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....
Main
Sightseeing of Kolkata
Howrah Bridge : This
Bridge is an 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. The Rabindra
Setu, popularly known as the Howrah
Bridge , is the gateway to the city
of Calcutta.
Victoria Memorial
: The huge white-marble structure
and the most enduring of remains of
the British Raj in India . It has
been now converted in a museum that
houses the most impressive collection
of memorabilia's from the days of
Raj. Though the memorial consists
of numerous hybrid features like its
Italian-style statues, Mughal domes,
use of marble like the Taj and tall
elegant open colonnades along its
sides, the building is a splendid
example of colonial style of architecture,
which combines the European style
and the Indo-Islamic style.
Indian Museum :
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 . The Museum has a
vast repository of paintings, sculptures,
bronzes, metals, coins, textiles and
decorative art. The museum organizes
exhibitions, seminars, lectures, seminars
and mass communication programs.
Fort William : The
Fort was built in 1781 after the unfortunate
happenings of 1756 in which many British
soldiers with their families were
killed by Siraj-Ud-Daula. Large area
around the village of Govindpur was
cleared off the forests and this fort
was constructed, which for some time
also lent its name to the city. The
fort is still in use and visitors
are allowed inside only after getting
special permits.
Eden Garden : The
Garden located in the northwest corner
of the city, is a small and pleasantly
laid-out garden. The place also houses
the renowned cricket ground by the
same name. The World's largest cricket
stadium that can house up to 90,000
spectators is an awe inspiring structure,
Birla Planetarium
: This is one of the largest of its
kind in the world, and a good place
to enjoy oneself. Regular shows in
Hindi and English are held here. For
enthusiasts of Astronomy this is a
place not to be missed. One of the
largest in Asia The planetarium is
a single storeyed, circular structure
constructed in pure Indian architectural
style.The central hall can accommodate
500 persons.
Dakshineshwar Temple :
Built in 1847 by Rani Rasmoni the
place where Ramakrishna attained spiritual
vision while working as a priest of
Kali temple, on the banks of Ganges
, north of Belur Math, is Dakshineswar
Temple . The presiding deity is Goddess
Kali who is surrounded by 12 other
temples dedicated to Lord Siva. It
is one of the famous places of pilgrimage.
Go to Top
Excursions
from Kolkata
Sunderban Tiger Reserve : Just
3 hrs. drive from Kolkata along with
a short cruise will take you into a
different and mysterious world of mangrove
forest on the coast of Bay of Bengal
with its world famous creature The Royal
Bengal Tiger. Two or three nights stay
at the forest lodge with full day cruise
through the creeks of the forest will
certainly meet you with the unknown
feelings ever felt. Stop while you find
the watch towers & search through
the dense forest to meet with the man-eater
along with Deer, Snake, monkey, Wild
Bore, varieties of Birds and many more.
Situated on the lower end of the Gangetic
West Bengal, the Sunderbans comprise
of a land of 54 tiny islands, crisis-crossed
by innumerable tributaries and branches
of the River Ganga and creeks and backwaters
all over.
Shanti Niketan
: Maharshi Debendranath, father
of Rabindranath Tagore, had founded
an Ashram here in 1863 AD. Almost 40
years later, Rabindranath started an
open-air school at Shantiniketan that
gradually developed into an international
university named Visva Bharti where
the cultures of the East and the West
meet in common fellowship and thereby
strengthen the fundamental conditions
of world peace. Shantiniketan is 211
kms from Kolkata and there are regular
bus services.
Bishnupur : Situated
around 100 kms northwest of Kolkata,
is yet another exciting and hitherto
unexplored holiday destination. Bishnupur
houses unique terracotta temples, each
more beautifully embellished than the
other. Once the capital of the Malla
kings, Bishnupur is renowned for its
crafts such as intricate Balucheri saris,
the rare ganijifa (circular Indian playing
card), delicate carving on shells and
bell metal artifacts. Bishnupur is renowned
for its crafts such as intricate Balucheri
saris, the rare ganijifa (circular Indian
playing card), delicate carving on shells
and bell metal artefacts. It has a rich
architecture, music tradition and handicraft
legacy of pottery and weaving. Some
unique terracotta temples can be found
here.
How
to reach Kolkata ?
By Air : Connected
by major international and all domestic
flights.
By Rail : Well connected
railway network from all over India.
By Road : Well road
connection to major Indian cities.
