Kolkata

Calcutta, Kolkata, The City of Joy- this is a city known by many names and colored in as many hues. The erstwhile capital of British India, Kolkata, is a beautiful collage of the English imperial culture and the traditional Bengali way of life, interspersed with all the elements of a modern metropolis.

A visitor to Kolkata typically reacts to it in one of these two ways- indifference or intrigue. The ones indifferent probably have only noticed the traffic on the roads, the malls, high-rises, slums that are the pockets of poverty and other aspects that make this place no different from any other Indian city. But if you delve deeper, bereft of pre-conceived judgments your experience is sure to be one that will leave a deep impact on you, for Kolkata is a city to be felt, heard and smelled, as much as it is to be seen.

Places not to miss -

Dalhousie Square, Esplanade, Maidan and Park Street. The colonial relic is still intact in the form of architecture of buildings in these areas, names of the streets and of course, the occasional tram and the tramline that you will see in no other city in India.

The Victoria Memorial, the Shahid Minar and the horse-drawn carriages outside the Victoria Memorial. The view of the Raj Bhawan is also something that will leave you fascinated. A visit to the Indian Museum (the largest Museum in the country) and the National Library (largest library in the country) is also a must for the sheer visual pleasure if not to satiate the historian within you. You can also visit the St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Birla and Kalighat Temples, Nakhoda Mosque or the Golmandir Gurudwara that speak of people who pray together, stay together. Kolkata is a city that truly cares. Visit Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity or Nirmal Hriday and see for yourself.

Shopping in Kolkata -

You can shop at Forum or City Centre, two of the many malls springing up in Kolkata and lending to it it’s newly acquired image. But if you want to experience the true feeling of shopping here, dash off to New Market or Gariahat Market. Bargain and shop to your heart’s content- off the streets, from shops, from stores- or just get lost in everything around you!

Traveling around the city -

Travelling around the city is very convenient as you can use the Metro, the tram, buses, autos and cabs, or even walk.

How to Reach Kolkata

By Air : Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (previously known as Dumdum International Airport) which is approximately 20 km from Center of the city. The airport has international and domestic next to each other and handle about 300 passenger flights every day.
By Railways : Howrah and Sealdah are the two main stations in Kolkata which almost covers all major cities of India.