Location : West Bengal
Tourist Attractions : Tagore House, Victoria Memorial, Dalhousie Square
Local Tongue : Bengali, Hindi, Urdu and English
STD Code : (91) - 33
Best time to Visit : October to March
About CalcuttaCalcutta or Kolkata is the commercial capital of east India. The former capital of the British Government in India, the city still bears a reflection of the British influence in each of its aspects. Though a bit untidy in its slum areas, the city in its poshest areas can be counted amongst the most cleanest and well maintained cities of India. The people of this 'city of joy' are known for their lively lifestyles and the love of sports, especially football (soccer) and cricket. Amongst the most sought after tourist destinations in Calcutta are the Victoria Memorial, Marble Palace and the Indian Museum.
Climate & Best time to Visit
Owing to its proximity to the sea, the climate in Calcutta is uniform throughout the year with not much difference in temperature during the summer and winter season, whereas the humidity levels can climb to unbearable heights during summer and monsoon season. The temperature hovers between 12 to 27 degrees during summers and 24 to 38 during winters. The best time to visit the city is between October and March.
Relive History
The 'city of joy' has beautifully preserved its history in the form of a number of museums that vividly describe the life and lifestyle as existed years ago. Besides the opulent Victoria Memorial, other places of note are the Indian Museum, Marble Palace, Asutosh Museum, Birla Industrial & Technological Museum and the Nehru Children's Museum, which houses a huge collection of dolls and traditional puppets.
Tagore House
The birth place of the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, Tagore House is an ancient building situated at jorasanko in the northern part of Calcutta. Later converted into the Rabindra Bharati University, the building now houses the centre for Indian Classical Fine Arts.
Dalhousie Square
Calcutta is known for its beautiful colonial architecture. The Dalhousie Square is one such place, which was once the administrative centre for British in India. The post office is built in an Edwardian style of architecture while the opulent Writers Building is an excellent example of the Gothic fashion.
Dakshineshwar Kali Temple
Situated on the banks of the Hoogly river in northern Calcutta, the huge temple built in 1847 in dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna, the saint who did a lot in reviving Hinduism during the 19th century. The headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, the Belur Math is located across the river.
Nakhoda Mosque
Built in a typical Mughal style of architecture, Nakhoda Mosque is a red sandstone structure, with its construction style based on that of Akbar's Tomb at Sikandara. Consisting of two 46 mts high minarets and a huge dome, the structure was built in 1926 and can accommodate over 10,000 people at a time.
St. John's Church
The ancient church is the burial ground of the founder of Calcutta, Jon Charnock. Constructed in 1787, the church is located adjacent to the Raj Bhawan. Other prominent churches in Calcutta are the St. Paul's Cathedral and the Armenian Church. Ride the Metro Train
The life and blood of transportation in Calcutta, the metro rail is one of the major tourist attractions of the city. Set up in 1995, the metro rail consists of 17 stations and sprawls over an area of 17 kms, connecting all the major destinations of Calcutta. A ride in the metro is the best way to get a glimpse of the city while covering all its major tourist attractions in a short span of time.
Shopping Centres in Calcutta
Traditional Indian sarees, handicrafts items and other clothing material are the popular buys in Calcutta. The major shopping areas in the city include the central cottage industries emporium at Chowranghee, Shreeram market, the area around Oberoi Grand, New Market, College Street and Dakshinapan complex.
Tourist Preferred Hotels in Calcutta
Also known as the 'City of Joy', Calcutta boasts of a number of quality hotels and resorts that provide luxurious and comfortable accommodation facilities. Some of the best hotels in Calcutta include the Oberoi Grand (5 star deluxe, situated on Jawaharlal Nehru Road just 21 km from airport, 4 km from railway station and 1 km from bus stand), Hotel Hundusthan International (5 star, situated on AJC Bose Road just 15 km from airport, 5 km from railway station and 1 km from bus stand), Hotel Rutt Deen (3 star, situated on Loudon Street, just 15 km from airport, 5 km from railway station and 1 km from bus stand), MBD Airport Hotel (5 star deluxe, situated just 1 km from airport, 19 km from railway station and 15 km from bus stand), Hotel King Crown (5 star equivalent, situated on King's Road) and Great Eastern Hotel (4 star equivalent, situated on Old Court House Street just 14 km from airport, 2 km from railway station and 0.5 km from bus stand).
Calcutta Travel (Air/Rail/Road) Information
By Air : Calcutta is conveniently accessible by air. A number of airlines operate regular flights to Calcutta from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Port Blair.
By Rail : Calcutta has two major railway stations at Howrah and Sealdah which link it to other major cities in India. Superfast trains like the Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express link Calcutta with Delhi. The Lal Quila Exp. is a daily train between Delhi and Calcutta which leaves Delhi at 20:55 and arrives Calcutta at 7:15.
By Road : The main bus stand is known as the Esplanade Bus Terminus and is located in the heart of the city. State transport buses link Calcutta with all the major neighbouring cities. Another option of travelling to the nearby cities is to hire a taxi. Calcutta is also connected by road to Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Local Transport : The major means of moving around the city are local buses, metro train, metered taxis, ferryboats, cycle rickshaws and auto-rickshaws.
Distance from Major Cities
- Delhi : 1461 Km
- Mumbai : 1987 Km
- Bangalore 1881 Km
- Chennai : 1676 Km
- Bhubaneshwar : 441 Km
No comments:
Post a Comment