KOLKATA
Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta is situated on the Eastern part of the country and is the capital of the state Westbengal. It is is fondly called ‘The City of Joy’ and is the work place of Mother Teresa, the Saintly Nobel Prize Winner.
You can get around the city with the help of the conducted tours. The Calcutta trams are also a unique mode of transport in the city and are not found anywhere else in the country. Free from pollution, they run on electricity and makes for a leisurely and enjoyable ride. The underground Metro-rail here was the first to be introduced in the country. It covers the entire city from the North to the South in just about 35 minutes compared to the hours it would have taken by taxi for example.
Places of Interest:
Victoria Memorial Hall: This 184 feet tall edifice built in white marble is one of the famous art museums of India. Designed by Sir William Emerson, this magnificent monument was built in memory of Queen Victoria in 1921.
Indian Museum: is one of the oldest museums in the world and was founded by a Danish botanist called Dr. Nathaniel. It houses several displays art, anthropology, archaeology and zoology. The rare exhibits of a 4000 year old Mummy, fossils of pre-historic creatures and the depiction of stages of evolution of man are not to be missed.
Eden Gardens: This spectacular cricket stadium in Calcutta with a seating capacity of 90,000 was found in 1864 and is considered one of the biggest stadiums in the world. The gigantic stadium is the home ground of the Bengal Cricket Team.
Shaheed Minar: Literally meaning ‘The Tower of Martyrs’ is a monument built by Sir David Ochterlony to mark his victory in the Nepal War (1814-1816). One needs to climb 218 steps to reach its summit. This 48 meters (150 feet) tall monument stands high, illuminating the sky of the Maidan area of the city.
Vidyasagar Setu: Also known as the Second Hooghly Bridge, crosses over the Hooghly River and connects the two cities of Howrah and Calcutta.
Howrah Bridge: One of the busiest bridges of the world, it handles an unbelievable volume of traffic and pedestrians each day. Connecting the cities of Howrah and Kolkata, this bridge provides a spectacular view of the holy river Ganga on both its sides.
Birla Planetarium: The second largest planetarium in the world was opened in 1962. It is a single-storied circular structure with a dome modeled after the Buddhist stupa at Sanchi. It conducts regular shows on astronomy with extra shows on holidays. Besides, it also showcases a collection of paintings, celestial models and works of some famous astronomers.
Marble Palace: This huge Palace was built by Raja Rajendra Mullick in 1835 whose successors still reside here. It is situated in North Kolkata and exhibits a large collection of Western sculpture and Victorian furniture, paintings, and other objects of artistic significance. It also has a zoo adjacent to it.
National Library: is the largest library in the country and is an “Institution of National Importance’ as declared by the Government of India. It aims to preserve all forms of printed material of national origin, including some ephemera. It houses a massive collection of books and magazines in various languages and is spread over 30 acres in the posh Belvedere Estate of the city.
Botanical Gardens: Covering an area of more than 273 acres is home to about 12,000 perennial plants and several dried plant specimens collected from around the world. Its main attraction is a massive banyan tree, which is said to have the second largest canopy in the world. An exotic collection of beautiful orchids and other flowers adorn the garden. There is also a library with an impressive stock of books on botany.
Zoological Gardens: One of the oldest and largest zoos in India, it was established in 1876 by the Prince of Wales. It has several species of flora and fauna. There is a reptile house and a snake house inside and also white tigers, tigons (cross between a tiger and a lion) and other rare breeds of various animals. The zoo has migratory birds which come every year.
Jorasanko: The ancestral house of the Nobel Laureate and world renowned poet Rabindranath Tagore. The museum here conducts a light and sound show depicting the life of Tagore and his family and their influence on the society.
Academy of Fine Arts: One of the oldest of its kind in India, the Academy of Fine Arts is the prime hub of the intellectuals of the city. It exhibits works of artists throughout the year. One of its main attractions is the ‘Rabindra Gallery’ where works of Rabindranath Tagore are showcased. There is also an artists’ studio run by the Academy personnel.
WEEKEND RETREATS FROM THE CITY:
Darjeeling also known as ‘The Queen of the Hills’ is a serene hill station and is a perfect feast for the eyes. The Tea gardens are among the best in the world and the 'Toy Train' ride should be on your must-do list. ‘Toy Train’ is the nickname of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway line from Siliguri to Darjeeling run by the Indian Railways. It was built between 1879 and 1881 and is about 86 kilometers (53 miles) long. The elevation level is from about 100 meters (328 ft) at Siliguri to about 2,200 meters (7,218 ft) at Darjeeling. It is still powered by a steam engine. This train has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site under ‘Mountain Railways of India ’ and described thus on their site “The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the first, and is still the most outstanding, example of a hill passenger railway. Opened in 1881, its design applies bold and ingenious engineering solutions to the problem of establishing an effective rail link across a mountainous terrain of great beauty.”
Sundarbans National Park is another UNESCO world Heritage site in West Bengal and is described thus on the UNESCO site “The Sundarbans covers 10,000 km2 of land and water (more than half of it in India, the rest in Bangladesh) in the Ganges delta. It contains the world's largest area of mangrove forests. A number of rare or endangered species live in the park, including tigers, aquatic mammals, birds and reptiles.”