Places to visit in Kolkata

[sujata]

Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911. Once the centre of modern education, industry, science, culture and politics in India, Kolkata has witnessed intense political violence, clashes and economic stagnation since 1954. Since the year 2000, economic rejuvenation has spurred on the city's growth. Like other metropolitan cities in India, Kolkata continues to struggle with the problems of urbanisation: poverty, pollution and traffic congestion. Kolkata is noted for its revolutionary history, ranging from the Indian struggle for independence to the leftist and trade union movements.

Let's share the places to visit in Kolkata..

[sujata]

Howarh Bridge.

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[sujata]

Victoria Memorial.

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[pritam]

The Victoria Memorial is a famous museum and a place of tourist attraction in Kolkata. The memorial was designed by Sir William Emerson in an architectural style similar to Belfast City Hall. Built between 1906 and 1921, it is a majestic white marble building at the southern end of the Maidan and surrounded by a sprawling garden.

A black bronze Angel of Victory, holding a bugle in her hand was placed at the apex of the dome above the Memorial. It is fixed to its pedestal with ball bearings and acts as a weathercock when the wind is strong enough.

Apart from being a memorial, the monument was intended to serve as a tribute to the success of the British Empire in India. Lord Curzon was the one who envisaged the main idea of the erection of the Victoria Memorial Hall, which was to serve as the architectural culmination of the Kolkata city.

The Victoria Memorial houses a museum, where one finds an amazing compilation of the memorabilia of Victoria, paintings of British rule and other exhibits. The collection includes weapons, sculptors, paintings, maps, coins, stamps, artifacts, textiles, etc. The Royal gallery of the Victoria Memorial houses some splendid portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

[abhishek]

What is the distance between Victoria Memorial and Kolkata Airport? Any idea.

[brajesh]

Facts of Victoria Memorial
Location : Opposite to the Planetarium on the Southern side of Maidan.

Famous as : Raj Era Monument.

Time to visit : From March to October - 10.00 to 17.00 From November to February - 10.00 to 16.00 Sound & Light show - 7.15 to 8 P. M. Victoria Memorial is closed on Monday.

Admission Fee : For Indians - INR. 10.00 For Foreigners - INR. 150.00

How to reach : Local buses and taxis are available from various points of the city. One can also avail the Metro Rail and get down at Maidan. From Maidan one can hop into a local bus or hire a taxi.


Photography charges : Photography is strictly prohibited.

Nearest Railway Station : Howrah

Nearest Metro Station : Maidan
Nearest International Airport : Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

Time required for sight seeing : 2 hours

Parking : Hourly parking charges applicable.

[Madhu]

Kolkata has an amalgam of holy places. The city has been deeply influenced by great reformers and preachers of Indian sub continent. The city houses a diverse population who are followers of major faiths like Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity and Judaism. Find some good temples and hystorical places.

[Madhu]

Belur Math is the most enchanting temple in Belur. In 1897 Swami Vivekananda founded Ramakrishna Mission in loving memory of his Guru Ramakrishna Paramhansa who preached unity of all religions. It is the international head quarters of Ramakrishna Mission. Swami Vivekananda is largely credited with the concept of the Math. This mission has branches all over the country. The architecture of the structure is very interesting. From any angle you look at it the structure is like a temple, a mosque or a church depending on the way you look at it.

The main gate of Belur Math leads to the Ramkrishna Sarada Mandir. The mission was founded by Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) in 1938 and named after his mentor Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa (1836- 1886).
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[Madhu]

The temple at Kalighat as a place of worship for the Sakti cultists was set up by the Sabarna Roy Choudhurys, A famous Brahmin Zamindar family of Barisa in the district of 24 Parganas. This family was one of the foremost Brahmin families in Bengal and still continues to be very highly regarded for the various contributions to the cultural development of Bengal. Different branches of the Sabarna Roy Choudhurys had settled themselves at other villages, namely, Halisahar, portions of Calcutta, Baruipur, etc. It is believed that the swirling wheel of Lord Vishnu had sliced off the corpse of Goddess Sati, when Lord Shiva was performing his menacing dance (Pralay) with her on his shoulders, in a fit of tremendous rage. The slices of her body fell at different places which later turned into pilgrimage centers for the devout Hindus. Kalighat is one such sacred spot where a toe of the Goddess's right foot is believed to have dropped. In the months of Bhadra, Paush and Chaitra (according to Bengali calendar), Kalighat turns into a confluence of devout Bengali and non-Bengali pilgrims.
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[Madhu]

Pareshnath Jain Temple was built by Ray Badridas Bahadur in 1867. He was a connoisseur of art. It is one of the main tourist attractions of Calcutta. Hundreds of tourists and local people come everyday to see its beauty and experience the solemn environment.

There are four temples here. The main temple is dedicated to the 10th Jain Avtaar (incarnation of God) Sri Sital Nath Ji. The gateway of the temple is a pleasant spectacle to behold.Its structure has mirror-inlay pillars, the windows made of stained glass and the marble floors has a floral design. Its garden has blocks of glass mosaics and European statues, painted with silver paint.
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[Madhu]

Built over twenty- two years of painstaking labour, it is an all marble structure with very high quality Rajasthani engravings. The total cost incurred for the construction was Rs. 180 million. Spread over an area of 44-katha land and extending to a height of 160 feet, the temple has been modeled on the Lingaraj Temple at Bhubaneshwar, popularly known as Laxmi Narayan temple. This marvelous and imposing structure in white, attracts huge crowds everyday and is one of the best fascinating tourist spot of Kolkata.
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[Madhu]

Built in 1764, designed in the early 18th century, the Armenian Church is today the oldest extant church in Kolkata. The interiors of the church are decorated with marble, and the overhead gallery contains mural tablets. The altar has a cross, the gospels and 12 candlesticks symbolizing Christ and his Apostles. There is a staircase leading to an overhead gallery whose walls are full of mural tablets. Three oil paintings - 'The Holy Trinity', 'The Last Supper' and 'The Enshrouding of Our Lord' - by the English artist A E Harris also adorn the altar. Remains of the Armenian cemetery can be seen in the premises.http://www.azad-hye.net/media/b1/armenian-church-in-dhaka-02.jpg

[Madhu]

Opinions differ about the date of construction of Thanthania Kalibari. Some say it was built in 1703 whereas some regard it as 1803. On the stone structure in the temple wall is inscribed, '1110' (Bengali calendar). Going by this, the date of the foundation of the temple should be 1703 according to English calendar.

This temple was built by Sankar Ghosh. The deity is worshipped as Siddheswari Mata'. The temple has an idol of the Mother Goddess. The image is of clay and is renovated every year. It is very popular tourists spot which attracts a lot of people from all over the world.
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[Madhu]

St. John's Church was built by the grave of Job Charnock, the founder of Kolkata (Calcutta). It was constructed between 1884-1887, popularly known as the 'stone church'.

This was constructed following the Greek architectural pattern at a cost of Rs. 2 lakhs. The floor of the church was made with stones obtained from Ganda. Stones were also obtained from Chunar. The stone tower is 174 ft. high. Job Charnock was buried here. His sculpture was made by his son-in-law Sir Charles Ayar around 1695. The sculpture is a unique specimen of art. There is a dome with a pitcher appended to it. There are also the tombs of the daughters of Charnock. Au reste, there are the sculptures of British Admiral Watson who subjugated Calcutta in 1757, Lord Brabourne, Lady Canning and several distinguished persons.
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[Madhu]

In the past it was a small mosque. In 1926, a resident of Cutch, Abdar Rahim Osman built the present mos que, the biggest in Kolkata.It has been built in the style of Akbar's tomb at Sikandra-an exam ple of Indo-Saracenic architecture.

The total cost incurred for the construction was Rs. 15 lakhs. About 10,000 men can perform the 'Namaaz' in the stupendous prayer hall of the mosque. In between is a dome and two minarets which are 151ft. high. There are 25 tiny pillars beside these which are 100ft. - 117ft. tall. The gateway of this mosque is an ersatz of the Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri. For this purpose granite stones were brought from Tolepur. Inside is a superb exhibition of exquisite ornamentation and artistic extravaganza.
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[Madhu]

St. Paul's Cathedral was the first 'Episcopal Cathedral Church' in an oriental country. Bishop Wilson patronized the construction of this church which was designed after Indo-Gothic pattern at a cost of Rs. 5 lakhs. The foundation stone was laid in 1839. Major Forbes of the Bengal Engineers' Association made the blueprint. It was completed in 1847. A massive earthquake led to the collapse of this tower. It was renovated but in another earthquake of 1934, it was adversely affected again.

St. Paul's Cathedral has many well-preserved memorials, one of which is a stained glass panel of the west window, designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones in 1880 to honour Lord Mayo assassinated in the Andaman Islands.
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[Madhu]

Dakshineswar temple is dedicated to goddess Kali. The temple, in conventional Nava-ratna style, measures 46 feet square and rises over 100 feet high. It is one of the largest temples of Kolkata.

The main attraction of the temple is that the Ganga (Hooghly river) flows beside the temple. The 12- spired temple with its enormous courtyard is surrounded by 12 other temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is a world famous place of pilgrimage and it was here that the famous religious thinker Rama Krishna Paramahamsa achieved his spiritual vision and preached the unity of all religions. He was an worshipper at this temple and he used to live in the temple premises. His room is open to the visitor.
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[Madhu]

This is the place of worship for the Jews. Previously, this place saw the existence of a temple of the Jews named as 'Nevch Salome' Later on, that gave way to the 'Makhan David' Synagogue. Built by Mr. Elias David Joseph Esra to perpetuate the memory of his father, Mr. David Joseph Ezra who died in 1882. This is the largest Synagogue in the East and is magnificent in architecture and design. It was opened to the public in 1884. The tower of the synagogue offers a splendid view of the city.

It is 140 ft. in length and 82 ft. in width. The tower bears a marvelous sight with a clock fitted to it. This followed the design which became popular in the post-Renaissance period.

The original temple is 92 ft. in length and 33 ft. in width. There is separate arrangement for ladies to sit and worship. One can reach the gallery by climbing the stairs. Coloured glasses are fitted to the windows.
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[Atanu]

West Bengal's capital Kolkata. Since the beginning of independence, this city is still standing on equal footing with its prehistoric monuments.

In the battle of historic Palashi in 1757, with the final defeat of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah of Bengal, to the British East India Company, the establishment of complete colonial power on Calcutta started. In 1793, gradually, British power was going to bring their kingdom from Murshidabad to Calcutta, Kolkata became the capital of British India.
Let us take a look at some special tourist spots in Kolkata (https://www.bongdunia.com/50-hang-out-places-to-visiting-kolkata/) that have been attracting tourists from the past evenly since the past.

Calcutta Fort William: According to King William III of England, the East India Company named it 'Fort William' by the name of William William This fort was once played in the clash of Bengal Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula and English power. 2 square km of Kolkata Maidan The eastern part of the fort is now used as headquarters of the army. To reach here, you will have to go straight to Fort William at any minibus, Dharmatala-47 or 47 bus in the park.
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Victoria Memorial: This attractive building made of marble stones at the junction of Red Road and Queens Way was built to commemorate the empress Victoria of England. Here are some of the beautiful beautiful architecture and images of ancient India and abroad. Here too, many notable monuments and libraries used in the British period will be seen. The Victoria Memorial is open for the remaining 6 days of the week except Monday. There are also arrangements for hiking the horse carriage to see the field. To reach here, you will have to go to the Planetarium with any bus from Rabindrasadan from Dharmatala. To enter here with Church Gate.
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Princep Ghat: Nine nineteenth century variations still exist in this ghat named by famous James Princep. More than 150 years old this place is decorated with flowers and lamps on the bank of the Ganges. The diversity of the night attracts more and more strangers. To reach here, you will have to go straight to Princep Ghat by taking any bus from Babughat. Tourists can go from Dumdum to even if they want.
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Nicco Park: This park, located in Salt Lake, is a very delightful place for children. There are many types of rides to ride here. Aside from Ride, the water park and water rides are also here. Park is open from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm, all year round except holi time. To reach here, you will have to take any buses from Nicco Park to Dharmatla. In addition, from Ultodanga to the front of the Niko Park directly in auto or in a small carriage.
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National Library: The National Library Building of Calcutta used to be the bungalow and office of the lieutenant governor of Bengal during British rule. The most proud thing is that the Calcutta National Library is considered as one of the world's best libraries. Previously the name was 'Imperial Library'. It is located near the Alipore Zoo. To reach here, you will have to go from Dharmatla to any of the Thakurpukur buses in front of the Alipore Zoo.
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Nandan: Located near Rabindra Sadan ‘Nandan’ is basically a cultural center and cinema hall. There are many Bangali rallies every day to watch movies. There are also occasional film world events organized here. In addition to the common people, many distinguished and noble people are gathered here. To reach here you will have to go to Ravindra Sadan by taking bus or car from Dharmalla.
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Eden Garden: In 1840, the foundations of Lord Auckland's sister Miss Eden were named after 'Eden Garden'. There are many people in India and the world's first-class famous cricket stadium. Here you will see a Burmese pagoda among the spectacular objects. It is situated on the southern side of the High Court. To reach here you have to go to Babughat or Akashbani.
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Alipore Zoo: In 1876, this zoo was built on 45 bighas of land in Alipura, Kolkata. This is a suitable place to spend a day with the family. Like Nicco Park, it is also a delightful tourist center for children. Here you can see tigers, lions, deer, giraffes, kangaroo, zebra, elephants, white banners, Nilgai etc and many more attractive and indigenous and colorful birds. This place is open all week except Thursday. To reach here, you will have to found the bus from Dharmatla toThakurpukur.
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Science City: It is one of the special attractions among the various tourist centers of Kolkata. Here are various types of science-based exhibitions. There are space theater, time machine and more variety of science exhibitions. There is also a very large auditorium here. This museum is located near Bypass and Park circus. There are buses to reach here from Dharmatala.
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Howrah Bridge: The Rabindra Bridge situated on the Hooghly River is the bridge connecting between Kolkata and Howrah. In 1945, this bridge was built by breaking the old Paltan bridge connecting Kolkata-Howrah. This Bridge is the fourth Cantilever Bridge in the whole world. Howrah Bridge is ready to bear any kind of storm. This bridge carries more than 10 million pedestrians and more than 80 thousand vehicles daily. Any bus out of Dharmatala can be reached here.
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