Calcutta Information

Location: The City of Joy is the capital of West Bengal, India.
Tourist Attractions: Victoria Memorial, Indian Museum, Fort William, Eden Garden, Birla Planetarium, Kali Mandir, Howrah Bridge, Belur Math, Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, Botanical Garden, Marble Palace, Tagore House, St. Paul's Cathedral.
Best Buys: Silk & Cotton sarees, Handicrafts, Carpets, Jewelry, Shantiniketan style bags, Bengali sweets.
Best Hangouts: Daimond Harbour, Parks & Gardens, Victoria Memorial, Nicco Park.
Should Not Miss : Relish on the cheese based sweets like Sandesh, Rosogolla and Chanar Payesh. Or have some Misti doi (sweetened curd) and Patali gur confectionery (date palm jaggery, only in winters). Also enjoy the spicy Jhalmudi, a speciality of this region.
Best Activities: Have a walk on the Park street or enjoy the chariot ride near Chowranghee.
Festivals: The world famous Durga Puja is observed in October. Saraswati Puja, a celebration for the goddess of learning in February. Other important festivals are Kali Puja and Diwali.
Nearest Tourist Destinations: Shanti Niketan, Bishnupur and Chandernagar.
When to Visit: October to March

About Kolkata
Kolkata, earlier called as Calcutta, used to be the political capital of India before independence. The city does not have a very old history, as what is Kolkata today, was just a collection of three small villages some 300 years ago. The city, now one of the top four metropolitans of India, was developed by the East India company following their policy of expansion. Kolkata has some of the finest buildings during the British rule in India. The city is famous for the Howrah bridge, the largest bridge in India, the first metro train in India, for being the hometown of Mother Teresa in India and the birthplace of Rabindranath Tagore. Kolkata has a mystical medley of the traditions and modernity.

There is so much to see in this incredible city. The city has different connotations for people. People see it as a city of joy as well as a dirty, crowded, and noisy place. A shoppers paradise, the city has good markets which offer unique novelties on sale. Never to be missed is the exotic Bengali cuisine, which specialises in spicy fish and chicken preparations, along with the globally famous sweets like Sandesh, Rosogolla, Chanar Payesh & Misti Doi. Chinese cuisine is equally popular and is available in the restaurants around the city.

Major Tourist Attractions in Kolkata
Victoria Memorial
A fascinating piece of architecture, which has been converted to a museum, hosts the most memorable artifacts and collectibles from the days of British rule. The building was built from the white marbles of Jodhpur as a memorial to Queen Victoria.

Indian Museum
Established in 1814, the building has beautiful structure. The oldest museum in India, it has one of the rarest collections of archeological importance. Some of the coin in the collection are about 2400 years old.

Eden Garden
The oldest cricket ground of India, gets its name from Mrs. Eden, sister of Lord Auckland. The garden has a Burmese pagoda and a band stand. The cricket ground here can accommodate more than 1 lac people.

Birla Planetarium
Its one of the largest planetariums in the world, and a good place to enjoy. Inaugurated on 29th September, 1962, the internal diameter of the tomb is 82 feet. The auditorium has a capacity of 500 and it conducts regular shows in Hindi, English and Bengali.

Howrah Bridge
An excellent example of engineering techniques, the 450 m long bridge hangs without any towers in the river. The bridge is also one of the busiest bridge in the world, catering to around 100,000 vehicles and innumerable pedestrians. The bridge connects Kolkata and Howrah over river Hooghly.

Shanti Niketan
136 km from Kolkata is the place where Rabindranath Tagore lived and established a university.

Getting There
Air: Kolkata is home to the N.S.C. International airport at Dumdum. Regular flights to rest of India and world are available here.
Rail: Howrah and Sealdah are the two major railway station, which are very well connected to the other parts of the country.
Road: Kolkata, being among the top metros of India, is connected to the rest of India by excellent road network.

Accommodation
Like any big city, Kolkata has numerous options for stay. Luxurious star rated hotels, government owned hotels, guest houses, hostels, lodges and budget hotels provide the tourist with variety to chose from.