Kolkata The City of Joy. Kolkata is the capital city of West Bengal in India which is a city of special importance in terms of cultural and natural heritage. Located on the banks of the Hooghly River, this capital city bears the imprint of tradition and witness to various events in every architectural landmark. Kolkata is now on the list of preferred cities of Bangladeshis for shopping, treatment, and foreign travel at a low cost. There are numerous historical and famous places of interest scattered around the city and city of Kolkata. And so it is better to visit Kolkata with plenty of time to see everything. Making a plan of what to see before your trip will make your trip easier and more enjoyable.
Sights of Kolkata
Known as the “Queen of the City” by Kolkata residents, this city is known as “Ananda Nagar” by all. What is not in this city? Scattered around are various attractions for the wanderlust. Sometimes by bus, sometimes on foot, or sometimes by metro rail, you can visit various places of interest in the city.
Museum of Calcutta
Indian Museum
The Indian Museum, established by the Asiatic Society, is one of the most important ancient museums in Asia. If you want to have a direct view of Egyptian mummies, dinosaurs, or fossil skeletons, you should visit this Indian Museum in Kolkata.
Birla Industrial Museum
Birla Industrial Museum is located at 19 Gurusday Road in South Kolkata. Young and old will love this museum to know and understand the unknown of science.
Rabindra Bharati Museum
Located on Chittaranjan Avenue near Girish Park is the famous Rabindra Bharati Museum also known as “Jorasako Thakurbari” originally the house of Rabindranath Tagore. The Rabindra Bharati Museum in Kolkata is an integral part of the university and a repository of all the works of Rabindranath Tagore, which anyone would love.
Mother Wax Museum
India’s first wax museum modeled after Madame Tussauds, was established in 2014 in New Town, Kolkata. There are wax figures of more than 50 famous people in this museum.
Nehru Children’s Museum
One of the best places to take children is the Nehru Children’s Museum. There are different types of galleries which include doll gallery, toy gallery, Ramayan, and Mahabharata gallery. Mainly children’s entertainment as well as learning materials will be seen in this museum.
Ashutosh Museum
Established in 1937 under the University of Calcutta, it is one of the leading museums in India that houses a variety of Indian art and archeology.
Some historical places of Kolkata
Calcutta Marble Palace
Raja Rajendra Mallik Bahadur, an avid zamindar of Bengal, built a palace-like building in 1835, which tourists will surely love to see.
Victoria Memorial
A unique edifice of white marble built in the style of the Taj Mahal in memory of Queen Victoria, the craftsmanship will reawaken the imagination of any tourist.
Howrah Bridge
A bridge known as “Rabindra Setu” is a bridge of exquisite artistic craftsmanship popular with the people of Kolkata. It is one of the bridges connecting the cities of Kolkata and Howrah across the Hooghly River.
Princess Ghat
Built-in 1881 in memory of James Prinsep, this ghat on the Hooghly River is popular with tourists. It is one of the oldest attractions in Kolkata.
Fort William
Fort William is a fort located on the banks of the Hooghly River in the city of Kolkata. The largest monument of British military power in the East, this huge building is an interesting place in Kolkata.
Rabindra Sadan
Rabindra Sadan is a unique meeting place for Bengali theater and cultural activities. Rabindra Sadan is a major source of entertainment for Bengali society where plays, cultural programs, and various entertainment shows can be seen.
Calcutta Race Course
India’s largest racecourse built in 1820 is the famous horse racing arena. India’s most prestigious horse races such as the Calcutta Derby and the Queen Elizabeth Cup are regularly held here.
Many parks in Kolkata
- Nico Park holds the distinction of being the best amusement park in the world.
- Science City Park To learn about science and technology, you can visit this Science City.
- Knollball Boating Complex is the most beautiful picnic spot but there is also an opportunity to experience the joy of boating in various types of boats.
- Clown Town is a kid-friendly entertainment center designed with kids in mind. It is the first children’s garden in Kolkata.
- Aquatica is an aquatic garden or water park located in Rajarhat’s Kochpukur.
- Fun City is an amusement park with all kinds of great rides that everyone will love.
Collection of garden and animal birds in Kolkata
Botanical Garden
On the banks of the Hooghly River at Shivpur, a stunning botanical garden adorned with flowers has been developed under the initiative of the West Bengal State Government to protect the ecological balance.
Zoological Garden
The Zoological Garden of Kolkata is the first in Asia with a large collection of animals. Anyone will love to explore the large area and see the animal show.
Alipore Zoo
This zoo built in Alipur has various types of animals and birds.
Agri-Horticulture Garden
It is a horticultural garden. There is a huge collection of trees and plants.
Other places within the city
Garden of Eden
Cricket is a famous stadium in the world. There is also a Burmese pagoda. Everyone will love to explore the entire Garden of Eden.
College Street
A pilgrimage for book lovers. From textbooks to best sellers all new and old books will be found here.
National Library
This National Library is the largest library not only in Kolkata but also in India.
Belur Monastery
Located on the banks of the Hooghly River, Belur Mutt houses the home of Swami Vivekananda and the tombs of many saints. There is also a display hall where one can see how the Ramakrishna Mission was built and gained fame all over the world.
Hanseswari Temple
Kolkata is a pilgrimage site for Hindus. Hanseshwari Temple is a magnificent temple built in a royal atmosphere. It is the nearest and most popular temple in Kolkata city.
Coffee house
College Street Coffee House or Indian Coffee House is a coffee house or restaurant located opposite Presidency University on College Street in North Kolkata. Which is the most famous branch of Indian Coffee House in Kolkata. A traditional Bengali hangout, this coffee house is one of the oldest coffee houses in Kolkata. It has long been a regular hangout and a famous meeting place for intellectuals and students (and alumni) of Presidency College, Calcutta University, and other institutions on College Street. It has played an important role in the cultural history of Kolkata.
Tram Museum and Tram Tour
This museum is about the history and details of the day when trams started in Kolkata. The only tram museum in the country. There are fun experiences of traveling by tram which one does not want to miss when visiting Kolkata.
There are also temples like Bangla Academy, St. Paul’s Church, and many other things to see.
Where will you stay
There are many hotels and guest houses to stay in Kolkata. Kolkata has many hotels in Newmarket, Marquis Street, Park Street, Sadar Street, and Rafi Ahmed Road. You can stay in any hotel according to your budget and your choice. Generally a decent non AC room fares between 800-1200 rupees and AC hotel fares above 1400 rupees. However, during the peak season or on special festival days, the pressure of tourists is high, so the fare is also high.
Low-cost hotel
If you want to stay in a hotel within a budget and want to stay at a very low cost, then there are several hotels on Marquis Street and Mirza Ghalib Street where you can stay at a relatively low cost. Apart from this, you can arrange accommodation in various guest houses and dorms within the budget. Apart from that, if you rent a room by sharing to reduce the cost, the cost of living will be reduced a lot. Some low-cost hotels like Hotel Afra on Marquis Street, Hotel Paradise Guest House, Gulshan Lodge Hotel Pushpak on Mirza Ghalib Road, Central Guest House, Hotel Green Star, etc. But check yourself before booking the hotel.
Eat and drink
Calcutta residents love to eat sweet food. So you will find many types of sweets in the city of Kolkata, but Rasgulla and Sandesh are particularly notable.
A variety of Indian street food can be found here at “Nizams”. Every dish here is very popular. The stick roll is particularly noteworthy. The Mughlai cuisine of “Shiraz Golden Restaurant” is always on the favorite list of gourmets.
Apart from Park Street’s delicious rolls, pao bhaji, momo, and pani puri are notable among the street food. Also, the food at Bibadi Bagh Stock Exchange and Fairly Place, Anadi Cabin’s Mughlai Parata, Tiwari Brothers’ Tea, Singara, Momos at Rabindra Sadan Metro Station, Aslam’s Biryani, Wow Mamor “Mom”, China Town Chinese Food, Kalika’s Vajapora Do not forget to take.
Kasturi, Radhuni, and Dhansindi food in the hotel is quite interesting. And you will love any store-bought potatoes and small loads of tea for breakfast.
You can also try Beef Chap and Bahari Sweets on Zakaria Street. And if you want to finish the meal at a low cost then you can try some food stalls on Marquis Street.
Shopping
New Market is the oldest and famous market of Kolkata which is also known as “Hogs Market”. This market is one of the attractions for shopping lovers. Quest shopping mall is one of the most preferred markets for buying branded products.
Visit College Street, Park Street, and Bara Bazaar for shopping. Besides, South City Mall, Adi Dhakeswari Textiles, Priya Gopal Abhiyi, C Paler Chhata, Adi Mohini Mahan Kanjilal, and SREELEATHERS are must-go places for shopping.
Some tips for traveling to Kolkata
- Booking the hotel in advance online will reduce the cost.
- Depending on what you want to buy, shopping will be beneficial.
- It will be convenient to visit the tourist spots within the city by hiring a taxi for a day.
- There are various types of package tours to go to Darjeeling, Jaipur, Kerala.
