Hello Everyone!
Let me start by saying this- ‘I love Kolkata’! This is the The city where I have spent my childhood, my school and college days! Even if you do not belong to a particular place, you tend to have a soft corner for the place you are brought up in. Kolkata has that special place in my heart. Whether it is the people, or the great street food, the ‘mishti’ sweets of Bengal, the Durga Pujo festivities, the trams, the metro, the river banks, the yellow colored ambassador cabs, the hand pulling rickshaw, the ethnicity, the music- Kolkata has the feel of the entire Indian culture. Kolkata offers a wide range of picturesque beauty and a welcoming smile to all the tourists.
Let me start by saying this- ‘I love Kolkata’! This is the The city where I have spent my childhood, my school and college days! Even if you do not belong to a particular place, you tend to have a soft corner for the place you are brought up in. Kolkata has that special place in my heart. Whether it is the people, or the great street food, the ‘mishti’ sweets of Bengal, the Durga Pujo festivities, the trams, the metro, the river banks, the yellow colored ambassador cabs, the hand pulling rickshaw, the ethnicity, the music- Kolkata has the feel of the entire Indian culture. Kolkata offers a wide range of picturesque beauty and a welcoming smile to all the tourists.
Here I am going to list down a few places that you must
visit if you are visiting the ‘City of Joy’ for a few days.
The Victoria Memorial- you cannot miss this place as it sits
right in the middle of the city. The former British Treasure was built in the
memory of Queen Victoria. The magnificent architecture, the lush green lawns,
the paintings of the Royal British families and the historic artifacts, take
you back to the Victorian era. It is open to visitors from 5:30 a.m. till 7:00 p.m.
on all days including holidays. My suggestion would be to visit the memorial in
the evening, and then move on to witness the beautiful, colorful extravaganza,
bang opposite to the memorial known as ‘The Fountains of Joy’. This is
Kolkata’s very own musical fountains, dancing to the symphony of melodious
music every day from 6p.m to 8 p.m. It adds to the pride of Bengal with a
perfect blend of Water, Music and Lights. This area is close to two of the
famous hotspots in Kolkata- the Maidan and Park Street.
The Victoria Memorial
Maidan is a large stretch of land, a vast field and is a hub
for people who come to exercise, take an evening walk or clubs for cricketing
practice. It is also home to Eden gardens, Fort William and the Kolkata Racecourse.
The street food of Maidan is extremely famous and one should try the ‘Puchka’
or ‘Paani puri’ and the yummy Kolkata Chaat.
Maidan is close to Park Street which gives you the feeling
of being in Times Square, New York! Park Street is famous for its variety of
restaurants and Kolkata’s night life hub, Moulin Rouge, Blue Fox, Waldorf,
Sourav’s to name a few!
River Hoogly under the Howrah Bridge
The two amazing bridges in Kolkata- one is the Old Howrah
Bridge, also known as Rabindra Setu and the other is a fairly new addition, The
Vidyasagar Setu or the new Hooghly Bridge, as it is over the Hoogly River. The
Howrah Bridge is considered to be one of the busiest bridges in the world with
a number of vehicles and pedestrians going about their everyday chores. If you
are cruising on the Hoogly River in the evening, you can get a breathtaking
view of the Howrah Bridge as well as the Vidyasagar Setu.
You must have visited many museums across the nation, but
the Indian Museum of Kolkata is a different sight. It is the oldest and the
largest museum in India. It has a huge variety of exhibits from Dinosaur
fossils, to a collection of antiques, Mummies, ornaments, paintings, skeletons,
weapons etc. It has over 60 galleries and such a huge collection, making an
entire day seem less!
For those who would like to go on a religious expedition,
The Birla Mandir, Kalighat and the Dakhshineshwar Kaali Temple are a must
visit. Birla Mandir is world famous for its architecture, built of white marble
and clean surroundings. Kalighat is one of the oldest and famous temples in
South Kolkata, dedicated to Goddess Kali. The Dakhshineshwar Temple is also
dedicated to Goddess Kali and is located on the banks of the Hoogly River. It
is a much bigger temple than Kalighat and known for its red brick architecture,
often visited by tourists.
The Beautiful Dakhshineshwar Temple
Photo Courtesy: http://www.worldpain2013.com/about_kolkata.html
The Mother House, Nirmal Hriday, located at Chowringhee in
Kolkata is where visitors come to pay respect to Mother Teresa. One can see the
Mother’s tomb and also the place where she stayed. It is a place to experience
peace and to give back something to the world.
The Ramkrishna Temple located at Belur Math, another
spiritual place, was founded by Swami Vivekananda. It follows the Ramkrishna
Mission as Swami Vivekananda was his ardent follower. The temple shows the
unification of Hindu, Christian and Islamic culture situated on the banks of
River Ganga.
A visit to the Science city, if you have kids, is
recommended. It is the largest science center in India, open from 9 a.m. to 9
p.m. and has everything from Space Odyssey to Evolution Park to Time Machine to
3d theatres- basically everything related to science in one place!
Mouth watering 'Mishti Doi' or Sweet Yogurt!
Photo Courtesy: http://bengalicuisine.net/2009/mishti-doi/
What not to miss in Kolkata?
- The Kolkata famous street rolls- A variety of Veg and Non veg rolls, simply delicious! Bedouin is one of the famous joints for rolls and is spread across Kolkata.
- Flury’s at Park Street is a famous hangout for oven fresh cakes, desserts or a leisurely breakfast.
- The famous sweets of Bengal, ‘Mishti Doi’ and ‘Rossogolla’, just to name a few!
- Shopping for local handicrafts and souvenirs from New Market or Gariahat. Chamba Lamba is a famous shop in New Market offering local handicrafts and silver ornaments.
- An Early morning visit to Howrah Bridge where you can catch people bathing at the ghats of the Hoogly. Sip hot tea and have hot samosa’s while enjoying the scenic beauty Kolkata.
Yummy Desserts @ Flury's
Photo Courtesy: http://www.westbengaltourism.gov.in/web/guest/restaurants
