Kolkata
Kolkata is a huge city with several district articles containing sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation listings — consider printing them all.
Kolkata (Bangla:কলকাতা)(formerly Calcutta) is the capital of West Bengal and one of the largest cities in India. It is also the largest city in the historic region of Bengal (today's West Bengal and Bangladesh). Kolkata is an 'in your face' city that shocks and charms the unsuspecting visitor. Long known as the cultural capital of India and home to the Bengal Renaissance, Kolkata continues to spawn generations of poets, writers, film directors and Nobel Prize winners. If your trip only allows for a visit of one or two of India's metropolitan cities, than definitely consider placing Kolkata on your itinerary. Love it or hate it, you definitely won't forget the city on the Hooghly river bank.
Kolkata is the main business, commercial and financial hub of eastern India. Kolkata witnessed an economic decline from the late sixties till the late nineties. The city's economic fortunes turned the tide as the economic liberalization in India during the early nineties reached Kolkata during late nineties. Kolkata is a multicultural, cosmopolitan city. Apart from the diversity of India, there are also Europeans (including Germans, Armenians, and others) and other Asians (including Chinese, Sinhalese, and Tibetans).
Since 1977, a "Left Front" coalition of communist and Marxist parties has continuously ruled the state. This is reflected in street names and memorials in the city. For example there are streets like Lenin Sarani, Ho Chi Minh Sarani, etc. The Left Front regained control of the Municipal Corporation of Kolkata from the Trinamul Congress in the 2005 civic elections, but in 2010, Trinamul Congress again captured the power over Municipal Corporation of Kolkata.
Food At Kolkata
Kolkata was famous for having the best restaurants long before Indians in other cities learned to eat out. Many of the restaurants that line the streets in the Esplanade area have been around for more than a hundred years (unfortunately, many also show their age!). Flury's , on Park Street, was once considered the best English bakery in all of Asia and you can almost imagine Joe Stilwell and Lord Mountbatten arguing over who had command over the allied forces in Burma while enjoying tea, scones, and clotted cream!
But the joy of food in Kolkata is in its Indian foods. Nizam's (at 23-24 Hogg Street), in New Market, is credited with the invention of the famous Kati Kebab roll and still serves up the best of the best. For Mughlai dishes the best place is 'Arsalan'. It has few branches across the city, the fanous being at Park Circus 7 point crossiing.
Street vendors selling egg rolls/chicken rolls abound and their freshly prepared kati rolls are safe to eat and enjoy. Mughali Paratha (a paratha stuffed with minced meat) is a Kolkata speciality and can be found in various 'cabins' off Chowringhee Road ( Best is Anadi Cabin,9A Jawahar Lal Nehru Road(Chowringhee).Try Devilled Eggs at Niranjan Agar 279 B chittaranjan Avenue 'Chops', a sort of deep fried ball stuffed with beet and veggies is another peculiarity that you won't find anywhere else in the world. Fuchka, the Kolkata version of paani-puri,but very different than the ones found in Delhi, is available on the streets but be wary of the water!It never troubles the local people and outsiders can safely taste this delicacy as long as they don't drink too much of the water.A few sips will,of course,not cause any harm.
Bangali sweets are famous all over India. Roshogolla (cheese balls dipped in a sugary syrup), Panthua - a fried variant of the same, Roshomalai- the same cheeseballs dipped in creamy sweetened milk, Mishti Doi (sweet yogurt), Shondhesh (several variations available). Try some shops like K.C. Das, Jugal's, Bhim Nag, Nakur Nandy, Sen Mahasoy, Ganguram and not to forget Mithai. These are cheap and should be eaten fresh.
Kolkata is also the home of Indian Chinese food (now making inroads in far-off New York!). Chinese restaurants are everywhere so try the Indian variant of hot and sour soup and the famous Indian chinese dish of chilli chicken. The best place to have Chinese is to visit China Town near Tangra - EM Bypass. It serve the best of the chinese dishes and you will find plenty of large, small & medium resturants. Other than China Town, you can try Mainland China, a part of the speciality group which serve authentic chinese food.
Bengali food is centered around fish. Macher jhol, literally fish in curry gravy, is a watery fish curry available everywhere and goes well with rice, but Bengalis everywhere swear by the hilsa fish (a variant of shad). Hilsa, lightly marinaded in mustard and steamed is up there with the best fish dishes in the world.
"Oh! Calcutta!" on the fourth Floor of Forum Mall, Elgin Road, serves authentic Bengali food. The specialities are the boneless Hilsa Fish fillet, steamed in a bannana leaf and served with a Mustard Gravy. Many expats, yuppies and affluent Kolkattans frequent this restaurant. The food is great, though bordering on the expensive, and portions usually small. Makes for an interesting evening out, accompanied by the incessant Bengali chatter, so characteristic of Kolkatta.
While it can be difficult to find a restaurant serving authentic Bengali food, today Kolkata has of as many 10 Bengali restaurants. One of the most authentic is Kewpies, situated behind Netaji Bhavan at 2 Elgin Lane. Here, food is served on terra cotta plates with banana leaves. There's also "Aaheli" at Peerless Inn, or the more reasonably priced "Suruchi" at 89 Elliot Road. There is a wide choice of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes with an emphasis on local fish. Thalis (platters) are also available. Still, being invited back to a local's place for a home-cooked meal is the best way to sample Bengali cooking!
6 Ballygunge Place is stituated in South Kolkata and also offers an assortment of Bengali dishes. Bhjohori Maana has 6 outlets across the city. In South Kolkata, the Hindisthan Road outlet (Gariahat) is the best. Taroparbon is situated in Hindusthan Park, and has a large menu.
Kasturi and Rahhuni are eateries, both offering Bangladeshi food and are situated off Free School Street, near Park Street.
Suruchi is an old eatery, which serves only lunch in simple surroundings, and is run by the destitute women of 'The All Bengal Women's Union' at Elliot Road, off Free School Street.
Kolkata also has many excellent vegetarian restaurants ranging from budget to expensive ones. One can find many outlets of "Haldiram's", "Bhikharam", "Tewari Brothers", "Gupta's" serving vegetarians snacks, chaats and sweets. There are also good South Indian restaurants serving crisp dosas, steaming idlis and hot vadas such as "Anand" on the Central Avenue, nearby "Madras Restaurant", "Jyoti Vihar" on the Ho Chi Minh Sarani, "Super Snack Bar" in Alipore & Upper Wood Street, "Garden Cafe" on the Lee Road & Alipore and many others.
For those looking for vegetarian street foods, one can find ubiquitous Jhal Muri (somewhat similar to bhel puri of Mumbai) a concoction of puffed rice mixed with various spices, vegetables & other ingredients available at street vendors all over Kolkata.
Gurusaday Museum
The Gurusaday Museum – a unique National Treasure of the Folk and Tribal Arts and Crafts of undivided Bengal as well as India. The museum was founded by Bengal Bratachari Society with 2325 exquisite specimens personally collected between 1929 and 1939 by Shri Gurusaday Dutt, I. C. S. (1882-1941), while he was the District Collector in the remote parts of the then Bengal.
In the year 1961, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal - Dr. Bidhan Chandra Ray opened the Museum building, and on the 8th February 1963, Professor Humayun Kabir, the then Union Minister of Education, Govt. of India, declared the galleries open for the people.
Since 1984, Gurusaday Dutt Folk Art Society manages the Museum with the financial support from the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, under an Agreement made on May 23, 1984 between the President of India and the Bengal Bratachari Society.
Presently it has a rich collection of over 3300 exquisite exhibits of folk arts and crafts, which amply reflect the vigour and vitality of the rural life and present a vivid picture of art and social traditions, religious beliefs, practices and motifs, aesthetic assimilation and cultural influences in undivided Bengal as well as in India.
The collections made by Shri Gurusaday Dutt are priceless and unique. No duplicate can be found in any museums in the world.
Science City
Science City, Kolkata is the largest science centre in the Indian subcontinent under National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, is at the crossing of Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and J B S Haldane avenue, Kolkata. It is considered by some people as the most distinguished landmark in post-independence Kolkata. Saroj Ghose, the first director general of NCSM, who is credited with having conceptualized this centre in 1997.
This centre was inaugurated by two parts: the ‘Convention Centre Complex’ was unveiled on 21 December 1996 by Paul Jozef Crutzen in presence of the then chief minister Jyoti Basu and the whole centre was opened by the then prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral on 1 July 1997. On 10 January 2010, prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the second phase of Science City in presence of the then chief minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The centre is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. IST, every day of the year except Holi.
Grand Theater: 2232 seating capacity main auditorium with stage for 100 performers at a time is the largest auditorium in eastern India.
Mini Auditorium: 392 seating capacity, with stage for 30 performers at a time is ideal for smaller conferences and shows.
Seminar Building: Comprising eleven halls, four with seating capacity of 100 persons, two with seating capacity of 40 persons each, two with seating capacity of 30 persons each, two with seating capacity of 15 persons and a meeting room for 12 persons, is ideal venue for conference, seminars, meeting and workshops.
Shaheed Minar, Kolkata
The Shaheed Minar (Bengali: শহীদ মিনার; English: Martyrs' Monument), formerly known as the Ochterlony Monument (Bengali: অক্টারলোনি মনুমেন্ট), is a monument in Kolkata that was erected in 1825 by Major-general Sir David Ochterlony, commander of the British East India Company, to commemorate both his successful defense of Delhi against the Marathas in 1804 and the victory of the East India Company’s armed forces over the Gurkhas in the Anglo-Nepalese War. The monument was constructed in his memory. It was designed by J.P. Parker and paid for from public funds.
In August 1969, it was rededicated to the memory of the martyrs of the Indian freedom movement and hence renamed the "Shahid Minar," which means "martyrs monument" in both Bengali and Hindi, by the then United Front Government in memory of the martyrs of the Indian independence movement. The present government has decided to illuminate the tower during evenings and allow visitors to the top. The last persons who went up there were former governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and his family
Fort William
Fort William is a fort built in Calcutta on the Eastern banks of the River Hooghly, the major distributary of the River Ganges, during the early years of the Bengal Presidency of British India. It was named after King William III of England and Ireland and II of Scotland. In front of the Fort is the Maidan, which used to be a part of the Fort and is the largest urban park in Calcutta.
Birla Planetarium
The Birla Planetarium in Kolkata is a single-storeyed circular structure designed in the typical Indian style, whose architecture is loosely styled on the Buddhist stupa at Sarnath. Situated at Chowringhee Road adjacent to the Victoria Memorial, St Paul's Cathedral, and the maidan in south Kolkata, it is the largest planetarium in Asia and the second largest planetarium in the world. There are two other Birla Planetariums in India: B.M. Birla Planetarium in Chennai and the Birla Planetarium in Hyderabad.
Popularly known as taramandal, the planetarium was inaugurated in 1963 by the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. It has an electronics laboratory for design and fabrication of science equipment. It has an astronomy gallery that maintains a huge collection of fine paintings and celestial models of renowned astronomers. The Planetarium also has an astronomical observatory equipped with a Celestron C-14 Telescope with accessories such as ST6 CCD camera and solar filter. It offers to the public and students more than 100 astronomical projects dealing with various facts of astronomy, astro-physics, Space Science as well as myths concerning stars and planets. It has a capacity of 500.
Daily programs are conducted in English, Bengali and Hindi from 12:00 to 19:00 hrs. Programs are occasionally conducted in Oriya, Tamil and Gujarati, as well. Extra shows are arranged on holidays.
Indian Museum
The history of the origin and the growth of the Indian Museum is one of the remarkable events towards the development of heritage and culture of India.
Founded in 1814 at the cradle of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (at the present building of the Asiatic Society , 1. Park Street, Kolkata ), Indian Museum is the earliest and the largest multipurpose Museum not only in the Indian subcontinent but also in the Asia-Pacific region of the world.
With the foundation of Indian Museum in 1814, the Museum movement started rolling in India and through the years from then, got a new fillip and great momentum. Since then, it has so magnificently developed and culminated into the fruitful existence of more than 400 museums in the country.
The movement, which was started in 1814, in fact was the beginning of a significant epoch initiating the socio-cultural and scientific achievements of the country. It is otherwise considered as the beginning of the modernity and the end of mediaeval era.
Town Hall
Every city has a central location which is a mute spectator to its growth and prosperity. The Town Hall of Kolkata has been a vibrant participant in all major activities of the city since last two centuries. Constructed in 1813 using wood and bricks, the Town Hall stands in the illustrious company of the Assembly House. The 25 feet high ground floor has an intricate network of numerous small rooms and a central marble hall.
Town Hall displays Palladian Neo-classical Doric style architecture and has been used as the Town Court House as well as the office of Public Services Commission. Numerous community meetings and social gatherings have been organized in front of the town hall of Kolkata.
Howrah Bridge
The Howrah Bridge is a Suspension type Balanced Cantilever bridge that spans the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city, Kolkata (Calcutta). On 14 June 1965 it was renamed Rabindra Setu, after the great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore who was the first Indian and Asian Nobel laureate. However it is still popularly known as the Howrah Bridge.
The bridge is one of the four on the Hooghly River and is a famous symbol of Kolkata and West Bengal. The other bridges are the Vidyasagar Setu (popularly called the Second Hooghly Bridge), the Vivekananda Setu and the newly built Nivedita Setu. Apart from bearing the stormy weather of the Bay of Bengal region, it successfully bears the weight of a daily traffic of approximately 100,000 vehicles and possibly more than 150,000 pedestrians, easily making it the busiest cantilever bridge in the world. The third longest cantilever bridge at the time of its construction, it is currently the sixth longest bridge of its type in the world.
National Library of India
The National Library of India (Bengali: ভারতের জাতীয় গ্রন্থাগার) at Belvedere, Kolkata, is the largest library in India by volume and India's library of public record. It is under the Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Government of India. The library is designated to collect, disseminate and preserve the printed material produced in India. The library is situated on the scenic 30 acre (120,000 m²) Belvedere Estate, in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). The Library is the largest in India, with a collection in excess of 2.2 million books. It is India's only Category 6 library and is one of the four depository libraries in the country where publishers are required, under The Delivery of Books And Newspapers (Public Libraries) Act, 1954, "to supply books published in India, by Indians abroad or any title that might be of interest to Indians". It is also India's sole repository library where all books, publications and official documents in its custody have to be stored in perpetuity.
Belur Math
Belūr Maṭh or Belur Mutt is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located on the west bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India and is one of the significant institutions in Calcutta. This temple is the heart of the Ramakrishna Movement. The temple is notable for its architecture that fuses Hindu, Christian and Islamic motifs as a symbol of unity of all religions.
Outram Ghat
Kolkata is located by the side of water bodies. There are several ghats (riversides) in the city, of which a popular one is the Outram Ghat. The history and glory of this particular ghat can be traced back to times of the British reign in India. In those days, this place was a perfect place for rendezvous and evening jay walkers. It was also a preferred port of call for many foreign cargo vessels. In fact, most of the British gentry and quintessential Bengali people preferably used this ghat, due to its strategic location. The place is named after Sir James Outram, a brave General of the British Army.
Even today, Outram Ghat is one of the most preferred, silent and sober riverside entertainment spots in the Calcutta. With its strategic location, near the colossal Howrah Bridge and Babu Ghat, Outram Ghat makes a perfect destination for an early morning and evening walk. The gentle sweep of the mystic river Hooghly below also adds to its beauty. Apart from being a means of casual time pass, this place is also a center of several religious rituals. From holy baths, birth and death rituals to idol immersions, lots of religious activities are performed here. On Durga Pooja, the place is overcrowded with enthusiastic devotees.
Dakshineswar Temple
The construction of the temple started in 1847. Queen Rasmani the renowned queen of Janbazar, had founded this temple. It is believed that she was instructed by Goddess Kali in her dream to construct this temple.
The construction work was completed in 1855. It cost an estimated Rs. 9 lakhs of which, Rs. 2 lakhs was spent on the day of inauguration. The temple and its adjoining areas stand on 25 acres of land. Queen Rasmani purchased the required land from some Mr. Hasti.
Dakshineswar temple is dedicated to goddess Kali. The temple, in conventional Nava-ratna style, measures 46 feet square and rises over 100 feet high. It is one of the largest temples of Kolkata.
The main attraction of the temple is that the Ganga (Hooghly river) flows beside the temple. The 12- spired temple with its enormous courtyard is surrounded by 12 other temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is a world famous place of pilgrimage and it was here that the famous religious thinker Rama Krishna Paramahamsa achieved his spiritual vision and preached the unity of all religions. He was an worshipper at this temple and he used to live in the temple premises. His room is open to the visitor.
The temple is a large elongated building standing on a high platform with a flight of stairs. The three-storeyed south-facing temple has nine spires distributed in upper two storeys. The roof of the spires is beautifully ridged resembling Pirhas. A narrow covered verandah serves the purpose of an audience-chamber attached to the sanctum where the goddess Dakshina Kali stands on the breast of Shiva. There is a long spacious Natmandir (Dancing hall) in front of the temple. There are other subsidiary shrines on this temple compound.
The colossal kali temple is known to be one of the rare temples of Indian origin, having world renowned fame.
Nakhoda Mosque
In the past it was a small mosque. In 1926, a resident of Cutch, Abdar Rahim Osman built the present mosque, the biggest in Kolkata.It has been built in the style of Akbar's tomb at Sikandra-an example of Indo-Saracenic architecture.
The total cost incurred for the construction was Rs. 15 lakhs. About 10,000 men can perform the 'Namaaz' in the stupendous prayer hall of the mosque. In between is a dome and two minarets which are 151ft. high. There are 25 tiny pillars beside these which are 100ft. - 117ft. tall. The gateway of this mosque is an ersatz of the Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri. For this purpose granite stones were brought from Tolepur. Inside is a superb exhibition of exquisite ornamentation and artistic extravaganza.
Outside the mosque, every day except Sunday, you can buy attar, which is perfume made from essential oils and flower fragrances.
This mosque is decorated gracefully during the Muslim festivals or 'parabs'. In Muharram days, the whole area dazzles with a fair-like atmosphere. The mosque is governed by a board of trustees at present.
St John’s Church
St. John’s Church, originally a cathedral, was among the first public buildings erected by the East India Company after Kolkata became the effective capital of British India. Located at the North – Western corner of Raj Bhavan construction of the St. John’s Church started in 1784, with Rs 30,000 raised through a public lottery, and was completed in 1787. St. John’s Church is the third oldest church in Calcutta (Kolkata) only next to the Armenian and the Old Mission Church. St. John’s Church served as the Anglican Cathedral of Calcutta (Kolkata) till 1847 when it was transferred to St. Paul’s Cathedral. St. John's Church was modeled according to the St Martin-in-the-Fields of London.
Kolkata (Bangla:কলকাতা)(formerly Calcutta) is the capital of West Bengal and one of the largest cities in India. It is also the largest city in the historic region of Bengal (today's West Bengal and Bangladesh). Kolkata is an 'in your face' city that shocks and charms the unsuspecting visitor. Long known as the cultural capital of India and home to the Bengal Renaissance, Kolkata continues to spawn generations of poets, writers, film directors and Nobel Prize winners. If your trip only allows for a visit of one or two of India's metropolitan cities, than definitely consider placing Kolkata on your itinerary. Love it or hate it, you definitely won't forget the city on the Hooghly river bank.
Kolkata is the main business, commercial and financial hub of eastern India. Kolkata witnessed an economic decline from the late sixties till the late nineties. The city's economic fortunes turned the tide as the economic liberalization in India during the early nineties reached Kolkata during late nineties. Kolkata is a multicultural, cosmopolitan city. Apart from the diversity of India, there are also Europeans (including Germans, Armenians, and others) and other Asians (including Chinese, Sinhalese, and Tibetans).
Victoria Memorial
Since 1977, a "Left Front" coalition of communist and Marxist parties has continuously ruled the state. This is reflected in street names and memorials in the city. For example there are streets like Lenin Sarani, Ho Chi Minh Sarani, etc. The Left Front regained control of the Municipal Corporation of Kolkata from the Trinamul Congress in the 2005 civic elections, but in 2010, Trinamul Congress again captured the power over Municipal Corporation of Kolkata.
Food At Kolkata
Kolkata was famous for having the best restaurants long before Indians in other cities learned to eat out. Many of the restaurants that line the streets in the Esplanade area have been around for more than a hundred years (unfortunately, many also show their age!). Flury's , on Park Street, was once considered the best English bakery in all of Asia and you can almost imagine Joe Stilwell and Lord Mountbatten arguing over who had command over the allied forces in Burma while enjoying tea, scones, and clotted cream!
But the joy of food in Kolkata is in its Indian foods. Nizam's (at 23-24 Hogg Street), in New Market, is credited with the invention of the famous Kati Kebab roll and still serves up the best of the best. For Mughlai dishes the best place is 'Arsalan'. It has few branches across the city, the fanous being at Park Circus 7 point crossiing.
Street vendors selling egg rolls/chicken rolls abound and their freshly prepared kati rolls are safe to eat and enjoy. Mughali Paratha (a paratha stuffed with minced meat) is a Kolkata speciality and can be found in various 'cabins' off Chowringhee Road ( Best is Anadi Cabin,9A Jawahar Lal Nehru Road(Chowringhee).Try Devilled Eggs at Niranjan Agar 279 B chittaranjan Avenue 'Chops', a sort of deep fried ball stuffed with beet and veggies is another peculiarity that you won't find anywhere else in the world. Fuchka, the Kolkata version of paani-puri,but very different than the ones found in Delhi, is available on the streets but be wary of the water!It never troubles the local people and outsiders can safely taste this delicacy as long as they don't drink too much of the water.A few sips will,of course,not cause any harm.
Kolkata is also the home of Indian Chinese food (now making inroads in far-off New York!). Chinese restaurants are everywhere so try the Indian variant of hot and sour soup and the famous Indian chinese dish of chilli chicken. The best place to have Chinese is to visit China Town near Tangra - EM Bypass. It serve the best of the chinese dishes and you will find plenty of large, small & medium resturants. Other than China Town, you can try Mainland China, a part of the speciality group which serve authentic chinese food.
Bengali food is centered around fish. Macher jhol, literally fish in curry gravy, is a watery fish curry available everywhere and goes well with rice, but Bengalis everywhere swear by the hilsa fish (a variant of shad). Hilsa, lightly marinaded in mustard and steamed is up there with the best fish dishes in the world.
"Oh! Calcutta!" on the fourth Floor of Forum Mall, Elgin Road, serves authentic Bengali food. The specialities are the boneless Hilsa Fish fillet, steamed in a bannana leaf and served with a Mustard Gravy. Many expats, yuppies and affluent Kolkattans frequent this restaurant. The food is great, though bordering on the expensive, and portions usually small. Makes for an interesting evening out, accompanied by the incessant Bengali chatter, so characteristic of Kolkatta.
While it can be difficult to find a restaurant serving authentic Bengali food, today Kolkata has of as many 10 Bengali restaurants. One of the most authentic is Kewpies, situated behind Netaji Bhavan at 2 Elgin Lane. Here, food is served on terra cotta plates with banana leaves. There's also "Aaheli" at Peerless Inn, or the more reasonably priced "Suruchi" at 89 Elliot Road. There is a wide choice of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes with an emphasis on local fish. Thalis (platters) are also available. Still, being invited back to a local's place for a home-cooked meal is the best way to sample Bengali cooking!
Kasturi and Rahhuni are eateries, both offering Bangladeshi food and are situated off Free School Street, near Park Street.
Suruchi is an old eatery, which serves only lunch in simple surroundings, and is run by the destitute women of 'The All Bengal Women's Union' at Elliot Road, off Free School Street.
Kolkata also has many excellent vegetarian restaurants ranging from budget to expensive ones. One can find many outlets of "Haldiram's", "Bhikharam", "Tewari Brothers", "Gupta's" serving vegetarians snacks, chaats and sweets. There are also good South Indian restaurants serving crisp dosas, steaming idlis and hot vadas such as "Anand" on the Central Avenue, nearby "Madras Restaurant", "Jyoti Vihar" on the Ho Chi Minh Sarani, "Super Snack Bar" in Alipore & Upper Wood Street, "Garden Cafe" on the Lee Road & Alipore and many others.
For those looking for vegetarian street foods, one can find ubiquitous Jhal Muri (somewhat similar to bhel puri of Mumbai) a concoction of puffed rice mixed with various spices, vegetables & other ingredients available at street vendors all over Kolkata.
Gurusaday Museum
The Gurusaday Museum – a unique National Treasure of the Folk and Tribal Arts and Crafts of undivided Bengal as well as India. The museum was founded by Bengal Bratachari Society with 2325 exquisite specimens personally collected between 1929 and 1939 by Shri Gurusaday Dutt, I. C. S. (1882-1941), while he was the District Collector in the remote parts of the then Bengal.
In the year 1961, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal - Dr. Bidhan Chandra Ray opened the Museum building, and on the 8th February 1963, Professor Humayun Kabir, the then Union Minister of Education, Govt. of India, declared the galleries open for the people.
Since 1984, Gurusaday Dutt Folk Art Society manages the Museum with the financial support from the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, under an Agreement made on May 23, 1984 between the President of India and the Bengal Bratachari Society.
Presently it has a rich collection of over 3300 exquisite exhibits of folk arts and crafts, which amply reflect the vigour and vitality of the rural life and present a vivid picture of art and social traditions, religious beliefs, practices and motifs, aesthetic assimilation and cultural influences in undivided Bengal as well as in India.
The collections made by Shri Gurusaday Dutt are priceless and unique. No duplicate can be found in any museums in the world.
Science City
Earth Exploration Hall
This centre was inaugurated by two parts: the ‘Convention Centre Complex’ was unveiled on 21 December 1996 by Paul Jozef Crutzen in presence of the then chief minister Jyoti Basu and the whole centre was opened by the then prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral on 1 July 1997. On 10 January 2010, prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the second phase of Science City in presence of the then chief minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The centre is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. IST, every day of the year except Holi.
Grand Theater: 2232 seating capacity main auditorium with stage for 100 performers at a time is the largest auditorium in eastern India.
Mini Auditorium: 392 seating capacity, with stage for 30 performers at a time is ideal for smaller conferences and shows.
Seminar Building: Comprising eleven halls, four with seating capacity of 100 persons, two with seating capacity of 40 persons each, two with seating capacity of 30 persons each, two with seating capacity of 15 persons and a meeting room for 12 persons, is ideal venue for conference, seminars, meeting and workshops.
Shaheed Minar, Kolkata
The Shaheed Minar (Bengali: শহীদ মিনার; English: Martyrs' Monument), formerly known as the Ochterlony Monument (Bengali: অক্টারলোনি মনুমেন্ট), is a monument in Kolkata that was erected in 1825 by Major-general Sir David Ochterlony, commander of the British East India Company, to commemorate both his successful defense of Delhi against the Marathas in 1804 and the victory of the East India Company’s armed forces over the Gurkhas in the Anglo-Nepalese War. The monument was constructed in his memory. It was designed by J.P. Parker and paid for from public funds.
Shaheed Minar
In August 1969, it was rededicated to the memory of the martyrs of the Indian freedom movement and hence renamed the "Shahid Minar," which means "martyrs monument" in both Bengali and Hindi, by the then United Front Government in memory of the martyrs of the Indian independence movement. The present government has decided to illuminate the tower during evenings and allow visitors to the top. The last persons who went up there were former governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and his family
Fort William
Fort William-Kolkata
Fort William is a fort built in Calcutta on the Eastern banks of the River Hooghly, the major distributary of the River Ganges, during the early years of the Bengal Presidency of British India. It was named after King William III of England and Ireland and II of Scotland. In front of the Fort is the Maidan, which used to be a part of the Fort and is the largest urban park in Calcutta.
Birla Planetarium
The Birla Planetarium in Kolkata is a single-storeyed circular structure designed in the typical Indian style, whose architecture is loosely styled on the Buddhist stupa at Sarnath. Situated at Chowringhee Road adjacent to the Victoria Memorial, St Paul's Cathedral, and the maidan in south Kolkata, it is the largest planetarium in Asia and the second largest planetarium in the world. There are two other Birla Planetariums in India: B.M. Birla Planetarium in Chennai and the Birla Planetarium in Hyderabad.
Daily programs are conducted in English, Bengali and Hindi from 12:00 to 19:00 hrs. Programs are occasionally conducted in Oriya, Tamil and Gujarati, as well. Extra shows are arranged on holidays.
Indian Museum
The history of the origin and the growth of the Indian Museum is one of the remarkable events towards the development of heritage and culture of India.
Founded in 1814 at the cradle of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (at the present building of the Asiatic Society , 1. Park Street, Kolkata ), Indian Museum is the earliest and the largest multipurpose Museum not only in the Indian subcontinent but also in the Asia-Pacific region of the world.
With the foundation of Indian Museum in 1814, the Museum movement started rolling in India and through the years from then, got a new fillip and great momentum. Since then, it has so magnificently developed and culminated into the fruitful existence of more than 400 museums in the country.
The movement, which was started in 1814, in fact was the beginning of a significant epoch initiating the socio-cultural and scientific achievements of the country. It is otherwise considered as the beginning of the modernity and the end of mediaeval era.
Town Hall
Town Hall displays Palladian Neo-classical Doric style architecture and has been used as the Town Court House as well as the office of Public Services Commission. Numerous community meetings and social gatherings have been organized in front of the town hall of Kolkata.
Howrah Bridge
The Howrah Bridge is a Suspension type Balanced Cantilever bridge that spans the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city, Kolkata (Calcutta). On 14 June 1965 it was renamed Rabindra Setu, after the great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore who was the first Indian and Asian Nobel laureate. However it is still popularly known as the Howrah Bridge.
National Library of India
Belur Math
Outram Ghat
Kolkata is located by the side of water bodies. There are several ghats (riversides) in the city, of which a popular one is the Outram Ghat. The history and glory of this particular ghat can be traced back to times of the British reign in India. In those days, this place was a perfect place for rendezvous and evening jay walkers. It was also a preferred port of call for many foreign cargo vessels. In fact, most of the British gentry and quintessential Bengali people preferably used this ghat, due to its strategic location. The place is named after Sir James Outram, a brave General of the British Army.
Even today, Outram Ghat is one of the most preferred, silent and sober riverside entertainment spots in the Calcutta. With its strategic location, near the colossal Howrah Bridge and Babu Ghat, Outram Ghat makes a perfect destination for an early morning and evening walk. The gentle sweep of the mystic river Hooghly below also adds to its beauty. Apart from being a means of casual time pass, this place is also a center of several religious rituals. From holy baths, birth and death rituals to idol immersions, lots of religious activities are performed here. On Durga Pooja, the place is overcrowded with enthusiastic devotees.
Dakshineswar Temple
The construction of the temple started in 1847. Queen Rasmani the renowned queen of Janbazar, had founded this temple. It is believed that she was instructed by Goddess Kali in her dream to construct this temple.
The construction work was completed in 1855. It cost an estimated Rs. 9 lakhs of which, Rs. 2 lakhs was spent on the day of inauguration. The temple and its adjoining areas stand on 25 acres of land. Queen Rasmani purchased the required land from some Mr. Hasti.
Dakshineswar temple is dedicated to goddess Kali. The temple, in conventional Nava-ratna style, measures 46 feet square and rises over 100 feet high. It is one of the largest temples of Kolkata.
The main attraction of the temple is that the Ganga (Hooghly river) flows beside the temple. The 12- spired temple with its enormous courtyard is surrounded by 12 other temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is a world famous place of pilgrimage and it was here that the famous religious thinker Rama Krishna Paramahamsa achieved his spiritual vision and preached the unity of all religions. He was an worshipper at this temple and he used to live in the temple premises. His room is open to the visitor.
The temple is a large elongated building standing on a high platform with a flight of stairs. The three-storeyed south-facing temple has nine spires distributed in upper two storeys. The roof of the spires is beautifully ridged resembling Pirhas. A narrow covered verandah serves the purpose of an audience-chamber attached to the sanctum where the goddess Dakshina Kali stands on the breast of Shiva. There is a long spacious Natmandir (Dancing hall) in front of the temple. There are other subsidiary shrines on this temple compound.
The colossal kali temple is known to be one of the rare temples of Indian origin, having world renowned fame.
Nakhoda Mosque
In the past it was a small mosque. In 1926, a resident of Cutch, Abdar Rahim Osman built the present mosque, the biggest in Kolkata.It has been built in the style of Akbar's tomb at Sikandra-an example of Indo-Saracenic architecture.
The total cost incurred for the construction was Rs. 15 lakhs. About 10,000 men can perform the 'Namaaz' in the stupendous prayer hall of the mosque. In between is a dome and two minarets which are 151ft. high. There are 25 tiny pillars beside these which are 100ft. - 117ft. tall. The gateway of this mosque is an ersatz of the Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri. For this purpose granite stones were brought from Tolepur. Inside is a superb exhibition of exquisite ornamentation and artistic extravaganza.
Outside the mosque, every day except Sunday, you can buy attar, which is perfume made from essential oils and flower fragrances.
This mosque is decorated gracefully during the Muslim festivals or 'parabs'. In Muharram days, the whole area dazzles with a fair-like atmosphere. The mosque is governed by a board of trustees at present.
St John’s Church
St. John’s Church, originally a cathedral, was among the first public buildings erected by the East India Company after Kolkata became the effective capital of British India. Located at the North – Western corner of Raj Bhavan construction of the St. John’s Church started in 1784, with Rs 30,000 raised through a public lottery, and was completed in 1787. St. John’s Church is the third oldest church in Calcutta (Kolkata) only next to the Armenian and the Old Mission Church. St. John’s Church served as the Anglican Cathedral of Calcutta (Kolkata) till 1847 when it was transferred to St. Paul’s Cathedral. St. John's Church was modeled according to the St Martin-in-the-Fields of London.
Pareshnath Jain Temple
Pareshnath Jain Temple is located in the north-east of Kolkata. The temple is decorated with mirrors, colored stones and mosaics made of glass. It has a beautiful garden around it. It has blocks of glass mosaics and European statues, painted with silver paint.
Construction of the Pareshnath Jain Temple of Kolkata was done by Ray Badridas Bahadur in 1867. The aesthetic beauty and serenity attracts tourists from all across the globe. Thousands of tourists as well as the people of Kolkata visit this holy place in search of peace.
Pareshnath Jain Temple of Kolkata is actually a complex of 4 temples. The main shrine is dedicated to the 10th Jain Avtaar (incarnation of God) Sri Sital Nath Ji. The temple gateway is really worth seeing.
There you can see a small stream having on its sides a wide variety of flowers which gives you a heavenly feel. In the north, Pareshnath Jain Temple of Kolkata has got the greeting room and a museum. If you want to reach the veranda of the temple you will have to climb 13 marble stairs.
Another notable feature of Pareshnath Jain Temple in Kolkata is a lamp which burns with ghee and never extinguishes. To the south of the temple of Sri Sitala Nath Ji, is the temple of Sri Chanda Prabhujidev. It was constructed by Ganeshlal Kapoorchand Jahar in 1895. You can find still another temple towards your right in which Dadaji Garu and Kushalji Maharaj are worshiped. The fourth temple to the north, is dedicated to Mahavira.
The temple celebrates Paryushan in Bhadrav month that is in between 16 August and 15 September. Jains believe in ahimsa or peace and are committed to charitable deeds.
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