Kolkata Sightseeing, Quick Facts, History, Packages, Tours & Excursions

More Sightseeing:

The Indian Musuem off-Park Street is one of the oldest and largest museums in India. Founded in 1814 in the Asiatic Society Building, the museum was later shifted to its present venue. Designed by Walter Granville, the impressive building holds the country's largest repository of artefacts from the 2500 BC Indus Valley Civilization; Gandhara sculptures dating to the 3rd century, and 5th century coins from the Gupta dynasty. It also displays the 2000-year old Bharhut Railings from the Bharhut Stupa, carved with episodes from Buddhist scriptures and events from Buddha's life.

Kalighat is Kolkata's oldest pilgrimage site with a temple of Goddess Kali, it is especially packed with visitors on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The place is considered to be the origin of the famous Kalighat pats, a distinct style of Bengal painting done on paper with water-based paints and depicting scenes from daily life. Mother House is the headquarters of Missionaries of Charity, set up by Mother Teresa. The unassuming building is also the final resting place of the saint.

The grand Marble Palace built in 1835 by Raja Rajendra Mullick, a connoisseur of the arts, exhibits a blend of European and Indian architecture. The magnificent marble mansion is built around a central courtyard with almost 100 varieties of marble used on the floors itself. The three-storeyed building has Corinthian pillars, huge iron gates and a carved marble fountain inside. It also has treasures such as Venetian chandeliers, Ming vases, Egyptian paintings, sculptures, furniture, and antique curios.  The descendants still occupy a portion of the palace.

Jorasanko, the ancestral brick-red home of the famous Bengali poet, Rabindranath Tagore is the seat of Bengali art and culture. The house has been converted into Rabindra Bharati University and Rabindra Bharati Museum where an interesting collection of Tagore's paintings are on display.

Popular Hangouts:

College Street is the intellectual hub of Kolkata with prestigious colleges and schools. The Presidency College established in 1817 is one of the great educational institutions in India, producing eminent personalities such as Amartya Sen and Satyajit Ray. Yet another attraction is the bookstalls lined along the pavements selling everything from rare books to classics and exam guides at nominal cost. Just across this road is Indian Coffee Home where people from all walks of life meet over a hot cup of coffee.

Maidan in the heart of the city is spread over 988 acres of green lawns stretching from the river in the west to Chowringhee in the east. Every evening people come here to eat street food, and enjoy the river breeze that cools the city. Fort William stands on the east banks of the river. The octagonal structure was built in 1773 by cutting down a dense forest, after the earlier mud fort was destroyed. The fort now houses the headquarters of Indian Army's Eastern Command. Eden Gardens to the north of the fort is the ground for international cricket matches. Shahid Minar is the memorial dedicated to Sir David Ochterlony.

Other places of interest are the St. Paul's Cathedral with its beautiful stained-glass window and the Race Course. With Oberoi Grand, one of the most opulent hotels since the 19th century, the New Market with its oldest Jewish confectionary, Nahoum's and Asiatic Society's Museum and Library stocking rare Sanskrit manuscripts, Chowringhee or Jawaharlal Nehru Road is a magnet for tourists and locals alike.

Other Activities:

Shopping in Kolkata's old-fashioned bazaars and streets is an experience in itself. New Market on Lindsay Street is the city's favourite shopping hub with over 2500 shops where you can get everything from Chinese sausages to cookies and Tibetan curios. Gariahat, Bhowanipore, Maniktola and Bowbazaar are the other known shopping areas.

Kolkata is known for its unique hand-woven cotton saris, including dhakai and kantha saris. The best places for saris are Ananda, Meera Bose and Kundahar. Handicrafts such as terracotta items, jute bags and cane products can be bought from Bengal Home Industries, Craft Council of West Bengal and Sasha.

Book lovers can head straight to College Street with its innumerable bookstores selling all time classics and rare books, while music buffs can find record albums of Elvis Presley and Beatles at Free School Street. Other must haves include savouring the famous Bengali sweets such as sandesh and rosogulla. The well known sweet shops in Kolkata are KC Das & Sons, Nakur Nandy and Girish Chandra Dey.

Culture lovers can visit Rabindra Sadan Complex and Academy of Fine Arts for exhibitions, musical events and drama; while Nandan is where films of renowned directors are screened. Birla Academy of Fine Arts and Culture, CIMA Gallery and Chitrakoot Gallery exhibit works of well known artists. Temporary memberships for Tollygunge Club are available where you can enjoy indoor and outdoor sports besides relaxing in the well-stocked bar.

The erstwhile capital of British India till 1911, Kolkata or Calcutta as it was known earlier, is one of India's most intriguing cities with a rich past and a vibrant present. The 'City of Joy' as it's often referred to, is a fascinating blend of extremes, where traditional hand-drawn rickshaws coexist with the modern underground metro, not to forget the snake-like trams which have been plying since 1902, making Kolkata the only city in India to operate this mode of transport.

Volatile yet vibrant, overcrowded yet exciting, Kolkata is a city of many charms. A distinct colonial flavour pervades its bustling streets; splendid Victorian buildings and mansions rub shoulders with new apartment blocks. A vibrant cultural, literary and intellectual scene is reflected in fine arts, dance, music and theatre. Home to eminent Noble laureates, Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray, it's easy to understand the cultural heritage which Bengalis boast of.

The Howrah Bridge over the Hooghly River, is the first link to this city as you approach it by train. The city centre starts from along the waterfront, the Strand, spreading over to the sprawling 988-acre Maidan, considered to be the 'Lungs of Kolkata'. Chowringhee on the other side of the park bustles with shops, hotels and offices. The southern part of the city is quite cosmopolitan while the northern area is older and traditional, with narrow lanes exploding with houses and shops.

The city came into being some three hundred years ago when Job Charnock, an English merchant established a trading post in the riverside village of Sutanuti in 1690, which along with the two sleepy villages of Gobindapur and Kolikata grew into the present day Kolkata. In the next two hundred years, Kolkata not only emerged as a commercial hub, but also witnessed a Renaissance in Bengali art and literature. It now holds a world record of having the longest serving democratically elected Communist government.

Tourism Info:

West Bengal Tourist Bureau  

3/2 Benoy Badal Dinesh Bagh (East)

Kolkata

Telephone: 033-22488271-72

Kolkata Colonial Monuments:

Of all the imperial monuments which dot the city of Kolkata, Victoria Memorial is by far the most impressive and the most famous landmark. Located on the southern end of the Maidan, near Chowringee, Victoria Memorial is constructed fully out of white marble. Set in the beautiful garden grounds, it was built by Lord Curzon in memory of Queen Victoria. Designed by William Emerson, the domed structure was completed in 1921. Today, the memorial houses a museum with 25 galleries spread over two floors of the building. A marble statue of Queen Victoria stands tall in the centre, while a colossal bronze statue topped with a moving angel, faces the Maidan. The museum contains a superb collection of Raj memorabilia, such as a rosewood piano of Queen Victoria and impressive oil paintings at the Calcutta Gallery among others.