Kolkata Important information

Kolkata

Kolkata, the 'Paris of the East' is a medley of moods, styles, cultures, politics, industry and commerce. The East India Company first set up a trading post at Sutanati and built the Old Fort William in 1696. The city went on to become the showpiece capital of the British Raj and the greatest colonial city of the Orient. It became a leading centre of commerce and a port of call for east bound vessels. Kolkata, remained the capital of British India till 1912, but it continued to be a major industrial and cultural centre. The city is a kaleidoscope of various contrasts, which are unseen anywhere else in the world. It is a unique blend of ancient and anon, occidental and oriental styles, skyscrapers and Victorian edifices and a haven of rich as well as poor. The city's rich cultural, literary and religious flavours are reflected in its fine arts, writing, music, dance and theatre. Kolkata, the city of love, hope and joy, is ever fascinating, effervescent and teeming with life and traditions.

Tourist Acctration in Kolkata

• Victoria Memorial
• The Maidan
• BBD Bagh (Dalhousie Square)
• Writers Building
• Fort William
• Shahid Minar (Ochterlony Monument):
• Birla Planetarium
• Academy of Fine Arts
• Rabindra Sadan
• Jorashanko Thakurbari
• Asiatic Society
• Indian Museum
• Marble Palace
• National Library
• Howrah Bridge or Rabindra Setu
• Vidyasagar Setu 
• Science City

Victoria Memorial : This white marble marvel is Kojkata's most distinguished landmark. In 1905, Lord Curzon conceived the idea of its construction and the foundation stone was laid by Prince of Wales (King George V) on 4th Jan, 1906. It was inaugurated by the Duke of Windsor on 21st Dec. 1921 and is now the most prolific reminder of the British rule in India. The majestic 61 m. high white edifice with its formal gardens and water courses sprawls across an area of 26 hectares and is located at the southern end of "The Maidan'. It was designed by Sir William Emerson blending British and Mughal architecture styles. A 4.9 metres black bronze statue of an angel known as Victory, holding a bugle in her hand was placed at the apex of the dome above the memorial. The 4.5 tonnes statue is fixed to its pedestal with ball bearings and rotates when the wind is strong enough. The memorial houses rare memorabilia from the colonial days and over 3,500 exhibits are displayed in its galleries. The evening Sound and Light show is worth seeing.

The Maidan : This huge expanse of green are known as the 'lungs of the city' and is rated as the finest gift of the British to India.

BBD Bagh (Dalhousie Square) : When Kolkata was the capital of the British Raj, Dalhousie Square held a coveted position and was the centre of power. It still is the Kolkata's commercial hub and was renamed as BBD or Benoy-Badal-Dinesh Bagh after the three martyrs of Bengal. The momentous square has a large Lal Dighi tank in the centre, surrounded by several historical buildings.

Writers Building : This 14 storeyed building to the north of BBD Bagh was built in 1880, for the clerks or 'writers' of British East India Company, who worked  and  lived   here.   Today,   it  houses  the  secretariat of West Bengal government.

Fort William : This irregular octagon shaped fort on the banks of river Hugli was built in 1781, after the destruction of the old fort in 1756. There is a museum displaying arms and armours, photographs of the Burma campaign and the Bangladesh Liberation War. It also has a section on the people and handicrafts of north-east India.

Shahid Minar (Ochterlony Monument): The 52 metres tall tower, dominating the Chowringhee skyline, was built in 1828, to commemorate the British East India Company's victory in the Nepal Campaign of 1814 - 1816. In 1968, the minaret was named Shahid Minar in memory of the Indian freedom fighters.

Birla Planetarium : It was established on 29th Sept. 1962 and is one of the largest in the world. Stars and constellations are projected on the domed ceiling of the planetarium.

Academy of Fine Arts : This eminent centre for arts was set up in 193 3, at the initiative of Lady Ranu Mukherjee.

Rabindra Sadan: a theatre cum concert hall and Nandan, a film centre are located nearby. The Bangla Akademi and the Kolkata Information Centre are also located here.

Jorashanko Thakurbari : This home of Tagores since 18th century, was a major centre for Bengali arts and culture during the 19th century. It has now been converted into the Rabindra Bharati University. A45-minute light-and-sound programme, based on the life and times of the Tagore family is held here in the evenings.

Asiatic Society : It is located at the Park Street and was established in 1784, for promoting the study of Indology, literature and scientific research. The society started a public museum in 1814 and is the first modern museum in Asia. It houses a rich collection of art and antiquities. There is also a huge library.

Indian Museum : This extensive museum popularly known as Jadu Ghar (Magic House) at J. Nehru Road is the oldest institution of its kind not only in India but also in the entire Asia-Pacific region. It was first established at the Asiatic Society on 2nd Feb., 1814. In 1878, it was transferred to this huge classical style building. The museum has over 60 galleries dealing in six departments — Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Botany.

Marble Palace : This Gothic style mansion was built in 1835, by Raja Rajendra Mullick, a wealthy Bengali merchant. It has ornate objects d'art and paintings, studiously collected from auctions and dispossessed households across the globe.

National Library : It is housed in an elegant mlding which was originally the summer house of Prince Azim-us-Shan, the Viceroy of Bengal and Bihar. Lord Curzon officially ^augurated the Imperial Library on 30th ^anuary, 1903, at the Metealfe Hall and was named as National Library in 1948. The fry has over 2 million books and 1A mill'on documents.

Howrah Bridge or Rabindra Setu : It is the major landmark and the gateway to the city of Kolkata. The 97m. high and 705m. long bridge built over river Hugli is the world's busiest bridge.

Vidyasagar Setu  :  It lies to south of Howrah Bridge on the river Hugli. The construction work took 22 years and costedRs. 3.88 billion. The 457m. long and 115m. wide bridge, is supported by 121 wire xcables, and stands on four pylons, on a foundation that is 100 m. deep.

Science City : It is located at the intersection of the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and the Park Circus Connector and is the only venture of its kind in entire Asia. Some of the popular sections are, space theatre, space flight simulator, recreated Jurassic forest, aviary etc.

Tourist Acctration in Kolkata Sacred Sites

• Kalighat Kali Temple
• Belur Math 
• Dakshineswar Kali Temple
• Sitambara Jain Temple
• Nirmal Hriday (the home for the dying)
• Birla Temple
• Armenian Church
• St. Paul's Cathedral
• Nakhoda Mosque

Kalighat Kali Temple : It is one of the most important shrines of goddess Kali and a major site ofShakti worship in the country. The temple was originally built in 1809, at Kalighat on the banks of the river Hugli and enshrines an awe-inspiring black stone idol of goddess Kali decorated with gold and silver.

Belur Math  :  It is the international headquarters of the Ramkrishna Mission. Swami   Vivekananda   established  the shrine in 1899, by placing the ashes of Sri Ramkrishna at this  spot.  The unique architecture of the shrine reflects the message  of religious  fraternity,  as  it represents  a church,  a temple  and a mosque,  when viewed  from different angles. The Sri Ramkrishna Museum was Belur Mattl set up with the assistance of the National Council of Science Museum. It houses articles associated with Sri Ramkrishna, Ma Sarada and Swami Vivekananda.

Dakshineswar Kali Temple : The famous temple built in 1847, by Rani Rashmoni on the other side of Hugli river is associated with Sri Ramkrishna, who attained enlightenment over here. The main shrine known as the Navaratna Temple enshrines a silver lotus with thousand petals, on which is placed the idol of Goddess Kali, standing on the prostrate body of Lord Shiva. The complex also has twelve temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Sitambara Jain Temple : This magnificent temple is dedicated to Sheetalnathji, the 10th Jain tirthankar. It | was built in 1867 and is a collection of four pagoda like |j shrines set in geometrical gardens and ponds.

Nirmal Hriday (the home for the dying) was established by Mother Teresa at Kalighat, for the destitutes. It is run by the Missionaries of Charity, a new order formed by the Mother in 1950. Also visit the tomb of Mother Teresa

Birla Temple : The beautiful temple near Gariahat market was built in 26 years at a cost of about 1 80 million rupees and inaugurated in 1996. Its excellent architecture blends traditional artistry with modern technology.

Armenian Church : It was built in 1724, by Cavond, an Armenian and is one of the oldest churches in Kolkata.

St. Paul's Cathedral : The city was built between 1839 and 1847 in Indo-Gothic style. Other important churches are, St. Andrew's Church, St. John's Church etc.

Nakhoda Mosque : It is located to the north of BBD Bagh and is the largest mosque in Kolkata. The present structure was built by Abdur Rahim Osman in 1 942 .

Gardens, parks & Theme Parks

• Botanical  Gardens  
• Eden Gardens
• Horticultural Gardens
• Rabindra Sarobar
• NICCO Park 

Botanical  Gardens   :   The  famous  garden  at Shibpur,   10 kms.  south of Haora station was established in 1786, by Colonel Kyd and is the oldest botanical garden in the country. It sprawls across an area of 273 acres and has over 35,000 varieties of fruits and flowers, besides 15,000 other plant specimens. But, the star attraction is the 240 years old Banyan tree, which reaches upto a height of 24.5 metres and is spread over a circumference of 420 metres, making it the world's largest banyan tree.

Eden Gardens : It sprawls over an area of 50 acres and was named after Emily and Fanny Eden, sisters of Lord Auckland. The beautiful garden to the north-west corner of the Maidan has a a tiny Burmese pagoda set amidst a small lake. It has several species of local trees. The famous Eden Gardens Stadium also lies within the garden.

Horticultural Gardens : The garden in the midst of Alipore was established in 1 820, by William Carey. An annual flower show is held here in February. Zoological Gardens : This extremely popular Zoo is about 3 kms. south of Park Street in Alipore. It was founded in 1876 and has a large collection of birds and animals.

Rabindra Sarobar : This pleasant picnic spot is located south of Chowringhee. It also has an artificial lake where water sports are held.

NICCO Park (9 kms.) : It is located at Salt Lake and provides mind-boggling fun and entertainment to childrens as well as adults.

KOLKATA - FAIRS & FESTIVAL

• Durga Puja

Durga Puja : This most important Bengali festival is held in the month of Aswin (Oct./Nov.). Images of the ten-armed goddess are worshipped in houses and atpandals, erected specially for the Puja. After the four-day ceremony, these images are immersed in the river.

The festival that follows is Deepavali, the festival of lights,. The worship of goddess Kali is marked by display of fireworks and crackers. Other important festivals are -Rathjatra of Lord Jagannath, organised by ISKCON, Holi, Id and Christmas.

The Maidan literally becomes a fair-ground after November. Textile Fair, Art & Handicrafts Fair, Leather Exhibition and the famous Kolkata Book Fair.

MESEUMS OF KOKLATA 

Kolkata's rich heritage is well preserved in its 25 museums. Apart from Victoria Memorial, the Indian Museum and the Marble Palace, the prominent ones are the Asutosh Museum at Kolkata Univ., displaying the rich artistic legacy of eastern India. Nehru Children's Museum, with a rich collection of dolls from all over the world. Birla Academy of Art & Culture and Birla Industrial & Technological Museum, with a good collection of sculptures and modern art. Netaji Museum, exhibiting personal items of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Academy of Indian Coins & History, housing a comprehensive gallery of ancient Indian coins and Postal Museum, near GPO displaying a rich collection of artefacts and stamps.

REACHING THERE

Airport: Kolkata has a domestic and international airport,

Railhead: Well connected.

Road: Well connected by road.