tourism in kolkata

8/10/2019 Tourism in Kolkata

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Kolkata is the capital of the Indian stateof West Bengal. Located on the east bankof the Hooghly River, it is the principalcommercial, cultural, and educational

centre of East India, while the Port ofKolkata is India's oldest operating portas well as its sole major riverine port.The word Kolkata derives from theBengali term, the name of one of threevillages that predated the arrival of theBritish, in the area where the cityeventually was to be established; theother two villages were Sutanuti andGovindapur. Kolkata on the Map of West Bengal.

Kolkata, then Known as Calcutta, was once the British capital of India, and wasconsidered the second most important city in the British Empire after London.

Kolkata is home to three Nobel Laureates and an Oscar Winning Director.

Other names for Kolkata are, "City of Joy", "City of Processions", "City of Palaces" and"The Cultural Capital of India".


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Spread roughly northsouth along the east bank of the Hooghly River,Kolkata sits within the lower Ganges Delta of eastern India; the city'selevation is 1.59 m (530 ft). Much of the city was originally a wetland thatwas reclaimed over the decades to accommodate a burgeoning population.The remaining undeveloped areas, known as the East Kolkata Wetlands,were designated a "wetland of international importance" by the RamsarConvention (1975). As with most of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the soil andwater are predominantly alluvial in origin. Kolkata is located over the"Bengal basin", a pericratonic tertiary basin. Bengal basin comprises threestructural unit: shelf or platform in the west; central hinge or shelf/slopebreak; and deep basinal part in the east and southeast. Kolkata is located

atop the western part of the hinge zone which is about 25 km (16 mi) wide ata depth of about 45,000 m (148,000 ft) below the surface. The shelf and hingezones have many faults, among them some are active.

The Kolkata metropolitan area is spread over 1,886.67 km2. The urbanagglomeration encompassed 72 cities and 527 towns and villages, as of 2006.Suburban areas in the Kolkata metropolitan area incorporate parts of the

following districts: North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah,Hooghly, and Nadia. Kolkata, which is under the jurisdiction of the KMC,has an area of 185 km2. The eastwest dimension of the city is comparativelynarrow, stretching from the Hooghly River in the west to roughly theEastern Metropolitan Bypass in the easta span of 910 km. The northsouth distance is greater, and its axis is used to section the city into North,Central, and South Kolkata.

Skyline of Kolkata from Maidan


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Kolkata, previously known as Calcutta, located in eastern India in theGanges Delta is the capital of West Bengal state. Its climate is very muchinfluence by the sea, Bay of Bengal. The annual mean temperature is about27Comonthly mean temperatures ranges from 19C to 30C. Kolkata isdominated by 3 seasonsnamely-summer, monsoon and winter. The summeris hot and humid with mean temperatures about 30C but during dry spellsthe maximum temperatures often exceeds 40C during April-May with afrequent break by severe thunderstorm/thunder squall duringafternoon/evening hours resulting relief from the humid heat. Thesethunderstorms often depicted elaborately by the Bengali nature poets areknown as Kal baisakhi-the Nor'westers.


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The main seasonal influence upon the climate is the Monsoon. Rain broughtby the Bay of Bengal branch of South-West monsoon. Monsoon arrives inthe first week of June and stay up to first week of October. During themonsoon, maximum rainfall occur in July (350 mm) and the seasonal(monsoon) total is 1248 mm out of annual amount 1640 mm. The two months

October and November of post monsoon season is the transition periodbetween monsoon and winter. During this times days are clear and night iscomfortable. Post monsoon season also experience severe cyclonic stormover Bay of Bengal that gives heavy rainfall in Kolkata.

Winter is the most pleasant time in Kolkata. Effective winter tends to lastfor only about two and a half months, with seasonal lows dipping to 12Cbetween December and January. Early morning mists are common inwinter. Enjoy the sun, the monsoon as well as the spring while you are on a

trip to the city of Joy! From the perspective of Kolkata Weather the besttime to visit this magnificent city is between October and March.

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Talking about Kolkata peak travel time, it can be said that period betweenOctober-march is the best time to visit Calcutta. This is the perfect time tosavor the autumn season that is in its full bloom. Not only the weather ispleasant, but also, it is the time of festivities. Durga puja is a festival that is

celebrated with great pomp and show. Laxmi puja and Diwali follow it.January-February is the period that witnesses the conduct of Calcutta bookfair that acts as a platform for bringing people from all over the worldtogether under one roof. Thus, if you have an option to choose the timeperiod, then plan out your tour during October-March, as it is the ideal

time to visit Calcutta.


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Kolkata is well-connected to the rest of India by extensive railway networkof the Indian railways. Two divisions of the Indian railways - the EasternRailway and the South Eastern Railway are headquartered in the city. Thetwo major railway stations of the city are at Howrah and Sealdah. A thirdterminal called Kolkata has recently been constructed. This station is inNorth Kolkata and can be reached by a road opposite to the RG KarMedical College just beyond Shyambazar.

The electrified suburban rail network of the SER and the ER is extensiveand stretches far into the neighbouring districts of North 24 Parganas,South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly etc.

The Circular Rail encircles the entire city of Kolkata, and is at presentbeing extended. A new railway line off-shoot has been built to connect theairport to the lines going to Sealdah.

Howrah Station Howrah Station

Kolkata was the first city in South Asia to have an underground railway

system that started operating from 1984. It is considered to have the statusof a zonal railway. It is run by the Indian Railways. The Metro is a verywell maintained and clean system. The existing Kolkata metro line ismostly underground which makes it different from Delhi Metro andBangalore metro which are mostly overground. The line begins at Noaparain the north and continues south through Park Street, Esplanade in theheart of the city till the southern end in New Garia.


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There are new metro lines being built to serve other parts of Kolkata,including an east west corridor linking Howrah to Salt Lake Sector 5.Trains run every 515 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. from Monday toSaturday and from 2 p.m to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday. Fares are between Rs 5-25.


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The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (IATA code:CCU)at Dum Dum (previously known as Dum Dum airport) is the only airportin the city, operating both domestic and international flights. It is a

gateway to North-East India, Bangkok, and Bangladesh. The number ofpeople using the airport has consistently increased over the last few years.There is a flying club in Behala. After several years of inactivity it hasrecently been restored.

Air India Airplane at Netaji SubhasChandra Bose International Airport

Netaji Subhas Chandra BoseInternational Airport (Top View)

There was no "Kolkata" Railway station till the year 2006, the currentKolkata station was previously called Chitpur Station and was only usedas a Rail Yard and a goods terminal.

Kolkata was the first Indian city to have mass rapid transitsystem/metro train.

Howrah Station is the busiest railway station India, in terms of uniquetrains it handles daily.

The second passenger train in India was from Howrah to Hooghly on15th August, 1854.


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Kolkata is also a major port and together with the Haldia dock systems, theKolkata Port Trust has been amongst top performers in the country.Kolkata Port has regular passenger services to Port Blair from the NetajiSubhas Docks.

Also the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah are connected by local waterferries through the extensive ghats like Fairlie Ghat, Howrah Ghat, ShibpurGhat, Prinsep Ghat, Cossipore Ghat, etc. Small boats are used forrecreational purpose. There are plans to start utilizing the canals runningthrough the city as water-transport network. The first service is scheduledto start from September 2006 - and would cover the Belgachia-Lake Townstretch of Kestopur Canal.

Besides all this mode of transport, like in other Indian cities, walking isvery common way to commute between the workplace and nearest railwaystation or bus stop. Privately owned cars, though less in number and usagecompared to other large cities in India, are growing by leaps and boundsand are slowly becoming the transport of choice for a large number ofpeople being helped by the growing economy, higher per capita income andthe easy availability of loans from financial institutions.

Water transport over Hooghly River between Kolkata and Howrah


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By Air: It is completely accessible by air. There are a number of domesticairlines that connect Kolkata with other major cities of India likeAhmedabad, Bagdogra, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi,Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Port Blair.

By Rail: Kolkata is well linked to other parts of the country by railways.There are superfast trains like Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express thatjoin Calcutta from Delhi and other nearby places. Calcutta consists of twomajor railway stations; one is located in Howrah and the other at Sealdah.

By Road: The city of joy is well linked with almost all the cities of India byroad. The Esplanade Terminus is the main bus terminus that lies in the

heart of the city. The latest development is the starting of Dhaka-Calcuttabuses, which are fully air-conditioned and also very comfortable.


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Key elements of Kolkata's cuisine include rice and macher jhol (fish curry),with Rasgulla as dessert. Bengal's vast repertoire of fish-based dishesinclude various eelish(hilsa) preparations (a favourite among Bengalis) likeeelish shorshe bata, eelish bhap and eelish-er paturi . Street foods like rolls(mutton roll, egg roll, chicken roll, and sometimes in the Park Circus regionbeef roll) and phuchka are very popular. Phuchka (called golgappa inNorth India, and panipuri in West India) is a deep-fried whole-wheathollow crispy ball which is filled with spicy potato filling and spicy, herbedtamarind water when serving. Common accompaniments to Phuchka arethings dishes like Churmur, Ghugni. A Bengali meal is incomplete withoutsweets. Popular sweets include Roshogolla, mishti doi (sweet curd), langcha,

Kheerkadam, sandesh, rajbhog, Kamalabhog, etc.One common feature of Kolkata cuisine today originates from Tibetanregions momo and thuppa. The Elgin Road offshoots have a lot of outletsspecialising in the delicious steamed dumplings (pork, chicken, vegetarian)called momos typically served with a clear stalk soup and often servedwith spicy chutneys. Thuppa is a common accompaniment a clear soupwith noodles, vegetables and other herbs. Due to the high popularity,momos are now available all over the city, and are even served as street

food at some places.


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Birla planetarium of Kolkata, India is one of the largest museums in Asia.It came into existence in the year 1962 and the credit for establishing thiswonderful center of science, communication & environment goes to BirlaEducation Trust. It is situated at the Eastern metropolitan bypass ofCalcutta.Birla planetarium provides a parlance where astronomical presentationstake place. It provides useful piece of information about our solar system,galaxies, life span of stars, space, planets and other heavenly bodies in the

most interactive manner via audio video aids. Usually the lectures aregiven in English, Hindi, and Bengali and occasionally in Oriya, Tamil &Gujarati.Calcutta Birla planetarium is a single storied circular edifice designed inthe typical Indian style. It is a must see place for those interested inastronomy. Its astronomy gallery maintains a huge collection of finepaintings & celestial models of renowned astronomers. It enables you toexplore science outdoors.

Birla Planetarium


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Marble palace of Kolkata, India is a must visit tourist attraction spot. Builtin the year 1835 by Rajendra Mallick, it is an exquisite art gallery. Marblepalace houses the marvelous objects of art, sculptures, pictures & oil

paintings. Its major highlight includes the Reuben's masterpieces. You canalso find the original paintings of Rembrandt, Reynolds and Van Goyen etc.Calcutta marble palace is the one of its kinds and consists of exquisite piecesof art. It also has a zoo, where you can find different kinds of birds andanimals. Infact, it has a rare collection of birds.

Marble Palace Writers Building

The construction of Writers building began as early as in 1690. It got itsname owing to the fact that it served as the dwelling place for the juniorwriters of the East India Company. The original Writers Building ofKolkata, India did not have any architectural beauty. It was on the samesite that another Writers' Building was created later on. This Gothicstructure came into existence during the tenure of Lt. Governor AshleyEden (1877). The present Calcutta Writers' Building is located at the

northern end of Dalhousie Square. Today, it serves as the Secretariat ofWest Bengal Government. This gigantic building is also known as'Mahakaran', where all the important documents and other records of theWest Bengal Govt are preserved.


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Calcutta Victoria memorial hall is a fabulous museum that was establishedin the year 1921. The credit for designing and drawing the plan for thismonument goes to Sir William Emerson, President of the British Institute of

Architects. Victoria Memorial of Kolkata, India is a fantastic place thatwill take you into the world of past history, where you can view the photosand effigies of prominent personalities, who made an incrediblecontribution in the glory of India. Today, Victoria memorial is one of thefinest art museums in Kolkata. It is a 184 ft tall edifice that wasconstructed on 64 acres of land. The museum houses a group of mind-blowing figures above the north porch that epitomize prudence, learningand motherhood.

Victoria Memorial Shaheed Minar

Saheed Minar, situated near Esplanade on the Kolkata Maidan, wasinitially known as Octerloney Monument. It was named after its founder,Sir David Ochterlony. This magnificent monument was established in theyear 1848 so as to mark the founder's victory in the Nepal War (1814-1816).

The construction of Calcutta Saheed Minar follows an architecturalvariety. Its foundation is based on the Egyptian style, whereas the mainShahid Minar in Calcutta and its dome follow Syrian and Turkish designsrespectively. It was in 1969 that the Octerloney Monument got the name'Sahid Minar'. It was renamed in the honor of those who sacrificed theirlives for the freedom of our country. Presently, the political parties convenemeetin s over here.


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tourism in kolkata

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