According to clothingexpress, Kolkata (or, as we are accustomed to call this city, Calcutta) is the cultural center of modern India and a very colorful and contrasting city. Street poverty sits next to some of the world’s best golf courses, and shabby colonial-era buildings sit next to rich, well-dressed gentlemen betting at the local posh hippodrome.
The local population is very hospitable and cheerful, despite the poverty, and Bengali cuisine is one of the most original in the world. True, to enjoy it, you will have to try and find an air-conditioned restaurant, and this can be difficult.
How to get to Kolkata
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (20 km from the center) receives flights from all over the world. This is not the most attractive Indian airport, which has never been updated since the 1950s. As for the terminal that accepts domestic flights, the opposite is true here, this is one of the best terminals in India. The easiest way to get to the city is by taxi (340-400 INR). A railway line connecting the airport with Dum Dum station has recently opened, but there are still quite a few trains running on it.
The city’s main railway station is located to the west of the river, while the airport and tourist attraction are to the east. Four important lines converge at Howrah Station: Kolkata – Delhi, Kolkata – Mumbai, Kolkata – Chennai and Kolkata – Guwahati. Another major railway hub where trains arrive from Darjeeling and the entire northeast is Sealdah Station, which is located on the east bank of the river.
You can get from the station to the city center either via the Rabindra Setu Bridge by taxi, or simply by crossing the road and getting to the ferry pier. Where for a penny you can get to the opposite shore to the nearest pier Fairlie Ghat and Babu Ghat.
Transport Kolkata
Kolkata is the only city in India with a tram. A large tram station is located at the northern end of Chouringji Road, the main street of the city.
The Calcutta metro is unattractive, but on certain stretches of the path it is convenient. For example, from the Victoria Memorial (Rabindra Sadan and Maidan stations) to R. Tagore’s house-museum (Girish Park station). Trains leave every 10-15 minutes, fare 5-20 INR (depending on distance).
Entertainment and attractions in Kolkata
Being the capital of West Bengal and earlier British India, Calcutta was influenced by European civilization for a long time, managed to maintain its originality, becoming the largest cultural and political center of India. The city will surprise you with its Gothic, Romanesque, Indo-Islamic and even Baroque architecture, captivate with national art exhibitions and interest in the world’s largest book fairs.
It is worth starting your trip to Calcutta with a visit to the Museum of India, which will acquaint you with the history of not only this amazing city, but the country as a whole.
The largest museum in India consists of six thematic sections that combine unique exhibits: works of art, ancient clothes and jewelry, the remains of prehistoric animals, and even an ancient Egyptian mummy. The geology sector, equipped with the latest technology, includes a huge collection of meteorites.
Next to the museum is the mission of Mother Teresa. In Calcutta, a Catholic nun taught for about 20 years at a women’s school, helped the poor and disadvantaged regardless of their nationality and religion, and here she founded the monastic community “Missionary Sisters of Love”. The Mission of Mother Teresa has a small museum, a prayer hall and a chapel with a tomb of the blessed.
Head to the Victoria Memorial, a grand architectural masterpiece modeled after the famous Taj Mahal. The memorial was erected in the early 20th century in honor of Queen Victoria. Now the palace is a museum of the history and arts of British India, it stores masterpieces of English painting, historical documents and photographs of the city. The building is decorated with gardens with manicured lawns, ancient cannons and a bronze statue of the queen.
The snow-white Victoria Memorial occupies a place of honor in the southern part of the picturesque Maidan Park. The park itself is quite an interesting place, it hosts football and cricket games, political meetings and yoga classes. Here is located Fort William, which gave rise to the city. Until the 19th century, the fortress was used as the residence of the Governor General of India, now the fort is occupied by the Indian army. Tourists are rarely allowed to enter here, although it is rather curious to look at this building from the inside.
Leave some free time and look around the building of the Supreme Court.
This original building in the Gothic style was built in 1872 by the British architect W. Grandwill.
As in any Indian city, Kolkata has many Hindu temples. The temple of the goddess Kali, located on the banks of the Ganges, makes a special impression. In the temple, built in 1855, the famous preacher of Hinduism, the most revered religious figure in India, Ramakrishna, spent most of his life. This was one of the reasons why the Kali temple is a center of pilgrimage in West Bengal, but not the only one. According to another version, the temple was erected on the spot where the finger of the deceased goddess Kali, the wife of the god Shiva, fell.
In Bengal, Kali is revered as the slayer of demons, destroying ignorance, maintaining world order. The festival in honor of the goddess takes place here in early September.
Another Hindu temple in Calcutta is considered to be Belur Math, which houses the “Society” and the Ramakrishna Mission. In honor of this, a museum was opened at the temple. The building itself is distinguished by its original architecture uniting three religions: Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. It is also interesting that the main historical road connecting the city with the rest of the country, the Great Elephant Way, starts from here.
The Howrah Bridge or the Gateway to Calcutta bears several proud titles at once. Firstly, it is one of the largest bridges in the world with a length of 500 meters and a width of at least 25, and, secondly, one of the most exploited, transporting more than 2 million people daily. But this is not the most important thing, because, first of all, it is a grandiose historical building erected in the city in 1943.
In the vicinity of the city there are a great many religious centers, including the famous Mahabodhi Mandir temple, the sacred place of the Jains of Pavapuri, the sacred place of the Gaya Hindus and the Sikh temples in Patna. The resort area of Darjeeling is also popular.
