Kolkata city guide

Formerly known as Calcutta, Dominique Lapierre’s ‘City of Joy’ Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Kolkata is located in the eastern India on the east bank of the river Hooghly and is the fourth largest metropolitan in India. The city is more than 300 years old and has witnessed numerous developments from past till date. It is an ideal mirror to the India’s growth and development and presents a perfect amalgamation of traditional and modern Indian values and culture.

Kolkata was the first capital of the British in India. It was established in 1686 when the British shifted their operations to the small villages of Govindpur, Sutanati and Kalikata from their trading port of Hooghly. The British capital flourished till the time Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula in 1756 attacked the town and threw the British rule away. But the British took over Kolkata again and it was then ruled by Lord Clive till 1911. Being under the British rule for so long, Kolkata boasts of a unique cultural heritage that is difficult to find in any other Indian city.

Kolkata is therefore a place of interest not only for the Indians but also for people across the world. The city takes pride in its several exclusive attractions such as the Victoria Memorial, a magnificent white marble structure that was built by Lord Curzon in the memory of Queen Victoria. At present the grand structure serves as museum that houses the most impressive collection of memorabilia from the days of British raj.
The most popular landmark of Kolkata is its old Howrah Bridge. The bridge is 450 m long but without any pylon in the river and is the busiest of all bridges in the world that caters around 100,000 vehicles and numerous pedestrians. The bridge is a paradigm of dexterous techniques of the engineers in early 20th century.

Eden Garden is another pleasant experience in Kolkata. It’s a small and beautifully laid out garden that once served as a gathering place of the social elite. Today it serves as a big and famous cricket ground where several matches have been played so far. Another famous attraction is the Kali Temple, also known as Kalighat which is dedicated to the Goddess of destruction (Kali) and is a place worth visiting for young as well as the old. Not to forget in Kolkata are the world-class pulls like the Birla Planetarium which is a single storied circular structure that is one of the largest of its kind in the world; the age old Fort William; the Indian Museum which was built in 1874 and is the oldest museum in India; the Dalhousie Square that is a hub of West Bengal’s administration and commerce.
There are also some famous tourist excursions in Kolkata such as the Shanti Niketan, the Belur Math, the Dakshineshwar Temple, the Botanical Gardens and the Bishnupur.

If you have been enticed enough and are getting desperate to visit this distinct Indian city, depending on the distance and your pocket decide the means of transport that will take you there. Kolkata is well connected with direct domestic airlines services to and from Kolkata to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Patna, Varanasi, Lucknow etc. There are also some direct flights to most of the countries in the Southeast Asia. Trains from other parts of the country also connect Kolkata.
Getting around the city is not at all a daunting task. You can hire a cab or enjoy metro train or bus to travel from one picturesque joint to another. If you are a bookworm, it would be best to visit Kolkata during the first two months of the year because that time the Kolkata Book Fair is held. It is the largest book fair in Asia and provides ample of opportunities to explore the fascinating world of books.