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The largest metropolis in India, Kolkota is a
vibrant city on the move, volatile and unpredictable. The Gateway to India, till
1912, and the capital of the Raj in India, it still bears the Victorian imprint
on its streets and structures. A city just about ready to burst at the seams,
Kolkota is home to more than 10 million people. It is the commercial
nerve-centre of the East, with major industrial plants, textile mills and
corporate units. Regal edifices, grubby alleys, bustling bazaars, elegant
hotels, people from all walks of life - Kolkota has it all.
The city is a hub of fervent activity in the
realms of music, theatre, arts, and sports. Kolkota has always prided itself on
the many luminaries it has sent forth, be it Tagore, Satyajit Ray, or Mrinal
Sen. The intense dedication to the arts manifests itself in a plethora of
festivals, dance, music performances and other cultural events. The Kolkotans
are also famous for their all-consuming passion for sports, especially, football
and cricket.
Kolkota is a city of baffling paradoxes, a city
that leaves its stamp on one's mind ... forever.
What to See...
As one enters the city of Kolkota, the
impressive Howrah Bridge across the Hooghly river, a huge cantilever structure,
supported by two 270 feet high piers, greets the eye. Forming the green heart of
the city is the great stretch of lawns called the Maidan, fringed on one side by
the river, and on the other by an elegant boulevard, the Chowringhee. The Maidan
is the venue for an assortment of events, ranging from football matches to
political rallies. The grounds are also aptly, referred to as the 'lungs of the
city.'
Surrounding the lawns are a number of famous
landmarks. At the southern end is the Victoria Memorial, an imposing white
marble edifice, a museum housing the relics of the British Empire . The Memorial
which took 15 years to build, also has an Art Gallery within. At the northern
end is the Ochterlony Monument, a 48 metre high column , now known as the Shahid
Minar. Just adjacent to it, are the Eden Gardens, with a picturesque lake and a
quaint Burmese pagoda. The world - renown Eden Gardens Stadium is also located
in this area. The Birla Planetarium, one of the largest in the world, is placed
at the southern end of the vast Maidan, alongwith the Zoological Gardens.
The many museums in the city, pay testimony to
the cultural richness of India's heritage. The Indian Museum, one of the largest
of its kind in India, housing relics of ancient civilizations,and an art gallery
is located in Chowringhee.The Academy of Fine Arts, Nehru Childrens Museum,
Netaji Museum, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Birla Industrial and
Technological Museum, Rabindra Bharati Museum and the Ashutosh Museum of Indian
Art are some of the museums that contain invaluable and rare objects d' art.
Kolkota also has shrines and sites of worship
belonging to all faiths. The Armenian Church (1650), at Brabourne Road, is one
of the oldest churches in the city. The massive Nakhoda Mosque or Rabindra
Sarani, modelled after Akbar's mausoleum in Sikandra, is said to accomodate
10,000 people at a time. 10 kms from the city is Belur Math, the headquarters of
the Ramakrishna Mission which propagates the neo-Vedantic movement. It has been
built to resemble a temple, a church and mosque.
Around Kolkota...
Located 8 kms from Kolkota on the west bank of
Ganga are the famous Botanical Gardens.The highlight of the Gardens is the 200
year old banyan tree, said to be the largest in the world.The tree is 26 metres
high with a circumference of approximately 900 feet. The world's largest
estuarine forest in the world, the Sunderbans, the habitat of the Royal Bengal
Tiger, which also houses the estuarine crocodile, wild boar and several
varieties of birds and snakes, is within easy reach of Kolkota. This famous
Project Tiger Reserve can be approached only via the waterways.
185 km south east of Kolkota is Digha, a
popular beach resort with a 6 km long beach, said to be one of the widest in the
world. The other popular beach resort of West Bengal, Bakkhali, lies 132 km from
the city. 48 km south of Kolkota is the beautiful Diamond Harbour, at the mouth
of the Hooghly, an ideal picnic spot. 12 km from the city centre, on the banks
of the Ganga, is the magnificent Dakshineswar Temple, dedicated to Goddess Kali
. 136 km from the city is the one - of - its - kind university of Shantiniketan,
the brainchild of the revered Rabindranath Tagore. Started as an experimental
open air classroom, this university has emerged as a universal centre of
knowledge and academic excellence, for students and scholars alike.
Festivals
The one event that all of Kolkota anticipates,
with a great deal of zest, is the Durga Puja (in the month of October) - when
the city seems to don a brilliant garb of vitality and festivity, an atmosphere
of bonhomie, that carries on through Christmas and the New Year. During the 10
day Pooja, the Goddess Durga is worshipped, her statuesque images are created,
and millions of pandals all over the city come alive to the thunderous
and rousing beat of drums. Basant Utsav, Saraswati Pooja and Holi are the other
festivals that are celebrated with fervour.
How to Get There?
Kolkota is a major railhead and is well -
connected to the rest of the country.
An international airport, Kolkota is connected
to most parts of the world by several major airlines as well as Air India.
Within India, the Indian Airlines and other domestic airlines link the city with
other major cities in the country.
Where to Stay?
Kolkota has elegant hotels in the five star
deluxe, four star, three star ranges and also in the economy range. Udyachal, a
tourist hotel run by West Bengal Tourism, offers satisfactory accomodation.
Contact
Government of India Tourist Office, 'Embassy',
4 Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkota 700071.
Tel: 242-1402, 242-5813 |
