Kolkata THE CITY OF JOY

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 Calcutta
Calcutta 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.

Tourist Attractions in Calcutta
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. 

Things to Do
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

JAIPUR THE CITY OF ROYAL

Location: Rajasthan 
Famous as: The Pink City 
Ideal time to visit: October- March 
Main Attractions: Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Amer Palace, Palace on Wheels


About Jaipur
A traveller's journey to the land of the maharajahs, Rajasthan, begins from the city of the maharajahs - Jaipur, the capital city of the state of Rajasthan. It was back in the year 1727 when Maharaja Jai Singh, after whom the city is named, laid the foundation of Jaipur city. Known all around the world as the pink city, Jaipur forms the much popular tourist circuit ofGolden Triangle along with the cities of Delhi and Agra. The old city of Jaipur is enclosed within seven gates, the most important of which are Chandpol, Jaipuri and Sanganeri. The city of Jaipur attracts a good number of both domestic and foreign travellers. Being at an easy striking distance of Delhi, Jaipur has become a major hub for tourists visiting northern India.

Major Tourist Attractions in Jaipur
The architectural heritage of Jaipur is the biggest attraction for travellers. If you are a history freak and would like to explore the elements of the Mughal and Rajpur archotecture, Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan is the right place to head towards. Given below are some of the most visited tourist attractions in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

City Palace
The palace is a magnificent blend of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The part of the Palace is still used by the royal family as a residence and the rest portion is converted into a museum. The palace consists of several structures like Badal Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple, Mubarak Mahal, Chandra Mahal and City Palace Museum. The palace also consists of an art gallery with a superior collection of miniature paintings, carpets and royal belongings. The palace is 3.5km.from Jaipur. The best time to make a visit is from October to March. 
Visit Timings : 9.30 - 16:30hrs. 

Hawa Mahal
Sawai Pratap Singh built the Palace of Winds in 1799. Lal Chand Ustad designed this impressive multi layered five-storey structure. It provides some excellent views of the colorful city. The Hawa Mahal was designed for the ladies of the royal house to watch the enchanting life on the street without being observed. 
Visit Timings : 9hrs-17hrs.

Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar a stone observatory was built by Sawai Jai Singh between 1728 and 1734. It was built to measure the local time, altitude, the declination of stars, planets and to determine eclipses. Jantar Mantar is a grand celebration of astronomical science and each instrument here serves a particular function and gives an accurate reading. 

Jal Mahal
Sawai Pratap Singh built the Mahal in 1799 A.D for royal duck shooting parties. This red sandstone palace is located 6.5 kms from Jaipur on the road to Amber is one of the delightful site at the center of the Man Sagar Lake. First four floors of the structure are submerged in water, only the top floor remains outside. It is also a home to large number of migratory birds arrive at the lake during winters. 

Ram Niwas Garden
Located just outside the walled city is the sprawling Ram Niwas Garden. The garden houses the majestic Albert Hall Museum opened in 1887 AD, this impressive building displays a rich collection of paintings, carpets, ivory, stone and metal sculpture among other objects. Visiting timings are 1000-1600hrs

Excursion from Jaipur
During your trip to Jaipur, you can easily enjoy excursions from Jaipur. Don't miss to visit the following tourist spots around Jaipur while you are here and do not mind moving away a few kilometres.

Amber Fort
Amber fort lies at a distance of 11km from Jaipur is a fascinating blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture. Raja Man Singh built it in the 16th century. The fort crowns on top of the hillside, the walls and ceiling of the fort are engrave with ravishing glass mirrors that helps in splashing the sun rays all over the premises. Amber is also known for the marvelous Sheesh Mahal, Jai Mandir, Diwan-i-Aam, Sikh Niwas and the small Kali.

Jaigarh
Jaigarh, or the Fort of Victory, is a rugged fort built in 1726. The world's largest cannon on wheels is preserved here. The spacious parkotas (wallls) watch tower and gateways of Jaigarh are main source of attraction. The fort slso houses a museum, which displays a collection of weapons and cannons, used by the Rajput rulers. There is an excellent view of the Amer Palace from the fort. It is 11km. from Jaipur and visiting timings are 0900-1630hrs.

Bairath
The remnant of Buddhist temple 86km from Jaipur lies at Bairath. A mint constructed by Akbar, a charming Mughal garden and an unprecedented monument with carved and painted walls built by Jahangir. 

Sanganer
Sanganer 40km. from Jaipur, is known for its textile block printing, papermaking and Jaipur blue pottery, besides several temples and an old palace. This small town attracts lot of tourist from all over the world.

Popular Shopping Centres in Jaipur
Jaipur is a shopper's paradise. It is famous for leather shoes, blue pottery, tie and dye sheets, scarves and other exotic wares. Jaipur's craft, especially lacquer bangles are famous all over the world. Main shopping areas in Jaipur include Jaipur Handicrafts, Aravali Bazaar, Johari Bazaar, Mirza Ismail Road and Bapu Bazaar. 

Famous Festivals in Jaipur
Kite festival
Held annually in January, it is the festival of kites with lights in them and fireworks that brighten the night sky.

Elephant festival
The festival is celebrated in the month of March. It is a festival of colors, and various elephant sports. 

Gangaur Fair
Gangaur festival is a unique festival held in April and is celebrated in honor of goddess Guar.

Teej festival
Comes in the month of August essentially a woman festival, it marks the coming of monsoon.

Jaipur Travel (Airport/Railway/Road) Information
Air: Through Sanganer Airport, the city of Jaipur is well connected to all the major cities, that include Delhi, Mumbai, Jodhpur, Udaipur. Indian Airlines flights have also started to Dubai from Jaipur. 

Train: Jaipur is on the Broad Gauge and hence connected to all the metro cities of India. There are daily trains from Delhi in morning Shatabdhi Exp. Luxurious Palace on Wheel train starts on every Wednesday from Delhi. 

Road: Comfortable deluxe and air-conditioned buses are run by Rajasthan Roadways from Delhi (India Gate) to Jaipur. The roads are very good, and it takes around 5-6 hrs from Delhi