Kolkata

Kolkata – The City Of Joy











Kolkata is not only the capital of West Bengal but the heritage and cultural hub of India. This city is a beautiful blend of the vintage and the modern. A flourishing metropolis, it has preserved its essence in the form of music, dance and literature. The presence of beautiful buildings, museums, eateries, markets, temples, churches, fort, and theatres makes Kolkata a place where a visitor would always feel that they are short of time.

Travellers come to Kolkata from all parts of the world to soak in this city’s heritage into their soul. Kolkata, West Bengal located on the East Bank of Hooghly river has many wonderful attractions that are just situated in the middle of the city.

The history of Calcutta goes back to two millennia when Kalkata was only a small fishing village. The remains of the old villages and settlements are still found all around the banks of Hooghly River. The city’s recorded history started in the year 1690 when East India Company arrived and started operating from here. Before them, Calcutta State was a subsidiary of the Mughals. The presence of Hooghly river provided an easy commute for inland water transport and during this time, Kolkata was nothing but a collection of three villages that used the river as a source of their livelihood.


Best Places To Visit In Kolkata

Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge is the sixth largest bridge in the world and an important landmark in tourist monuments of India. This bridge is an engineering marvel that hides an entire world inside its massive plates. Close to Howrah Station, this legendary bridge provides commute option to millions of people on a daily basis. A visit to Howrah Bridge is a journey into the vintage side of Kolkata. Many markets located here are paradise for explorers and photographers


Victoria Memorial
Spread across 57 acres of land, Victoria Memorial is one of the stunning iconic landmarks of the city that offers a glimpse into its splendid past. For a travelling soul, Victoria Memorial presents one with a number of delightful sections including over 24000 artefacts to gaze upon, 21 lush green gardens to wander and click photos, and more than 3500 paintings that are 200 years old. Among all the tourist places in Kolkata, Victoria Memorial is considered to be the most beautiful.

Travel tip: Hire a Kolkata tourist guide to learn interesting stories about the building and the artefacts.

Festivals Of Kolkata
Kolkata and Durga Puja are synonymous to each other. The city celebrates this festival with great fervour and enthusiasm. Durga Puja is dedicated to the goddess of power and wisdom, Durga who is known as the annihilator of all forces of evil. Calcutta’s Bengali folks wait for Maa’s arrival for months and start preparing to welcome the mother goddess in different ways. On 9 nights of the festival the city is bedecked with beautiful pandals hosting the statue of the Goddess showcasing her war with demon king Mahishasura. Durga Puja is one of the most unique aspects about Kolkata and tourist flock to the city in large numbers to witness the grand celebration.

Kolkata has a huge community of Anglo Indians who stayed here after the Independence and celebrate Christmas in Kolkata The city is decorated with lights and many bakeries prepare Christmas special delicacies. Kolkata tourism also encourages visitors to come to the city during this time as they organize many festivals and fairs in different areas where travellers can join in and be a part of the celebration.