Calcutta: Calcutta presently called Kolkatta is the 300 year old largest metropolitan city of India. It is a vibrant city, volatile and unpredictable. It still bears the Victorian imprint on its streets and structures. The present capital of west Bengal is the gate way to the eastern part of India. It is referred to as the intellectual capital of India due to its association with many great men and women from Rabindranath Tagore to Mother Teresa, from Satyajit Ray to Amartya Sen and from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to Swami Vivekananda.

PLACES TO SEE

The memorial is built of white marble structure surrounded by lush green gardens. It is the most beautiful monumental legacy of the British India constructed by Lord Curzon in the early 20thcentury in the memory of Queen Elizabeth. Inaugurated by the Prince of Wales in 1921, there are innumerable portrait and statues signifying the legacy of the British Raj in India. It also has art galleries, rare paintings, old armories , portraits and old documents.

Kali mandir

The Temple dedicated to Kali, the Goddess of power and destruction, is -also sometimes referred to as Kalighat. It is from here that the old village Kalighat took it’s name. From the Kali mandir itself the present name Kolkatta emerged.

Zoological garden

The prince of Wales built the foundation of the Zoo in the year 1856 It is considered one of the oldest in India spread over 16 hectares. It is home to a large species of animals and birds. Preserved within the garden is a large variety of fauna from all over the country. In this zoo the tigers and the bears are seen in their natural  habits, a rich reptile house varied species of birds are to be found there. Facilities for undertaking research work to study the behaviour of the animals are also done.

Indian Botanical Garden

Situated on the west bank of the Ganga and covering an area of 273 acres, the garden contains around 12,000 living perennial plants specimen in the herbarium, collected from all over the world. The garden has experimenting facilities on plants like Tea, Cinchona Mahagony as well as jute utilization and improvement of cotton, rubber, bamboo etc. Many exotic gardens have been established since its establishment specially the palm house, the Orchid gardens which are the prominent ones. The prime attraction is the 250year old banyan tree which is the pride of the garden

Writers Building

Built as a residence for the clerical and administrative staff of the British East India Company, the building at present houses the main state secretarial of the state Assembly. Decorated with beautiful tall columns, the building has corridors designed with ornate arches and the pavilions displaying the beauty of British architecture. The writers- building is famous for the Corinthian façade and is a landmark in the history of Kolkatta.

The Howrah Bridge

The magnificent Howrah Bridge stretches 450meters in length and is an example of splendid engineering technique. The Bridge, which took six years to get completed is the marvel of the 20th century. The Howrah Bridge built on the Hooghly River is a relief to 10.000 vehicles and pedestrians who use the bridge regularly. The most striking thing is that the Bridge is built out of a single pier within the river.

The Eden Garden

Created in the year 1840 with a Burmese style pagoda, the park is the playing ground for the international cricket matches and hockey matches in Kolkatta. During the cricket matches the Garden comes to it’s full delight with crackers and fire works all around. It was once the gathering place of the elite class of  Kolkatta

Metro Rail

The metro rail in Kolkatta is the country’s only underground Railway station system. Metro rail links Dum-Dum Airporrt to Tallygunj through Shyam Bazaar, Central Avenue, Esplanade, Park Street and Kalighat.

Shopping

New market

The Sir Hogg Market is better known as new market, it is arguably one of the best shopping centres in Kolkatta. Designed by an East Indian Railway company architect, it was opened in 1874 and named after the commissioner, Sir Huart Hogg. There  are 2000 stalls in seven blocks wherein everything from linen to cakes, fruits to fish, is available at one place. Close to new markets are the Palm House, the Orchid Gardens which are the prominent ones. The prime attraction is the 250 years old Banyan tree which is the pride of the garden.

Treasure Island (A/C mall)

Dakhinapan

Dakhinapan located near Dakhuria flyover and Golpark are the places for handicrafts and handlooms. The open air complex spread over two floors, houses Government Emporiums from different states selling Indian ethnic wears.

Vardaan markets

An air-conditioned building it has a large number of shops spread on three floors selling all kinds of things. These shops sell imported clothes, cosmetics etc in the basement, music and jewelry shops on the ground floor and Indian ethnic wear on the first floor.

Fancy market

Located in the Khiderpore area, it has a huge range of electronic items, clothes, glassware, etc from places like Singapore, Bangkok, and Hongkong. There are good bargains but no guarantee for the goods.