Location : West
Bengal
Tourist Attractions : Tagore House, Victoria Memorial,
Dalhousie Square
Local Tongue : Bengali, Hindi, Urdu and English
STD Code : (91) - 33
Best time to Visit : October to March
About
Calcutta
Calcutta or Kolkata is the commercial capital of east India. The former
capital of the British Government in India, the city still bears a
reflection of the British influence in each of its aspects. Though a bit
untidy in its slum areas, the city in its poshest areas can be counted
amongst the most cleanest and well maintained cities of India. The people of
this 'city of joy' are known for their lively lifestyles and the love of
sports, especially football (soccer) and cricket. Amongst the most sought
after tourist destinations in Calcutta are the Victoria Memorial, Marble
Palace and the Indian Museum.
Climate & Best time to Visit
Owing to its proximity to the sea, the climate in Calcutta is uniform
throughout the year with not much difference in temperature during the
summer and winter season, whereas the humidity levels can climb to
unbearable heights during summer and monsoon season. The temperature hovers
between 12 to 27 degrees during summers and 24 to 38 during winters. The
best time to visit the city is between October and March.
Tourist Attractions in Calcutta
Relive History
The 'city of joy' has beautifully preserved its history in the form of a
number of museums that vividly describe the life and lifestyle as existed
years ago. Besides the opulent Victoria Memorial, other places of note are
the Indian Museum, Marble Palace, Asutosh Museum, Birla Industrial &
Technological Museum and the Nehru Children's Museum, which houses a huge
collection of dolls and traditional puppets.
Tagore House
The birth place of the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, Tagore House
is an ancient building situated at jorasanko in the northern part of
Calcutta. Later converted into the Rabindra Bharati University, the building
now houses the centre for Indian Classical Fine Arts.
Dalhousie Square
Calcutta is known for its beautiful colonial architecture. The Dalhousie
Square is one such place, which was once the administrative centre for
British in India. The post office is built in an Edwardian style of
architecture while the opulent Writers Building is an excellent example of
the Gothic fashion.
Dakshineshwar Kali Temple
Situated on the banks of the Hoogly river in northern Calcutta, the huge
temple built in 1847 in dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna, the saint who did a
lot in reviving Hinduism during the 19th century. The headquarters of the
Ramakrishna Mission, the Belur Math is located across the river.
Nakhoda Mosque
Built in a typical Mughal style of architecture, Nakhoda Mosque is a red
sandstone structure, with its construction style based on that of Akbar's
Tomb at Sikandara. Consisting of two 46 mts high minarets and a huge dome,
the structure was built in 1926 and can accommodate over 10,000 people at a
time.
St. John's Church
The
ancient church is the burial ground of the founder of Calcutta, Jon
Charnock. Constructed in 1787, the church is located adjacent to the Raj
Bhawan. Other prominent churches in Calcutta are the St. Paul's Cathedral
and the Armenian Church.
Things to Do
Ride the Metro Train
The life and blood of transportation in Calcutta, the metro rail is one of
the major tourist attractions of the city. Set up in 1995, the metro rail
consists of 17 stations and sprawls over an area of 17 kms, connecting all
the major destinations of Calcutta. A ride in the metro is the best way to
get a glimpse of the city while covering all its major tourist attractions
in a short span of time.
Shopping Centres in Calcutta
Traditional Indian sarees, handicrafts items and other clothing material
are the popular buys in Calcutta. The major shopping areas in the city
include the central cottage industries emporium at Chowranghee, Shreeram
market, the area around Oberoi Grand, New Market, College Street and
Dakshinapan complex.
Tourist Preferred Hotels in Calcutta
Also known as the 'City of Joy', Calcutta boasts of a number of quality
hotels and resorts that provide luxurious and comfortable accommodation
facilities. Some of the best hotels in Calcutta include the Oberoi Grand (5
star deluxe, situated on Jawaharlal Nehru Road just 21 km from airport, 4 km
from railway station and 1 km from bus stand), Hotel Hundusthan
International (5 star, situated on AJC Bose Road just 15 km from airport, 5
km from railway station and 1 km from bus stand), Hotel Rutt Deen (3 star,
situated on Loudon Street, just 15 km from airport, 5 km from railway
station and 1 km from bus stand), MBD Airport Hotel (5 star deluxe, situated
just 1 km from airport, 19 km from railway station and 15 km from bus
stand), Hotel King Crown (5 star equivalent, situated on King's Road) and
Great Eastern Hotel (4 star equivalent, situated on Old Court House Street
just 14 km from airport, 2 km from railway station and 0.5 km from bus
stand).
Calcutta Travel (Air/Rail/Road) Information
By Air : Calcutta is conveniently accessible by air. A
number of airlines operate regular flights to Calcutta from Delhi, Mumbai,
Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Port
Blair.
By Rail : Calcutta has two major railway stations at
Howrah and Sealdah which link it to other major cities in India. Superfast
trains like the Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express link Calcutta with
Delhi. The Lal Quila Exp. is a daily train between Delhi and Calcutta which
leaves Delhi at 20:55 and arrives Calcutta at 7:15.
By Road : The main bus stand is known as the Esplanade
Bus Terminus and is located in the heart of the city. State transport buses
link Calcutta with all the major neighbouring cities. Another option of
travelling to the nearby cities is to hire a taxi. Calcutta is also
connected by road to Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Local Transport : The major means of moving around the
city are local buses, metro train, metered taxis, ferryboats, cycle
rickshaws and auto-rickshaws.
Distance from Major Cities
- Delhi : 1461 Km
- Mumbai : 1987 Km
- Bangalore 1881 Km
- Chennai : 1676 Km
- Bhubaneshwar : 441 Km
