Densely populated and polluted, Kolkata is often an ugly and desperate place that to many people sums up the worst of India. Yet it's also one of the country's more fascinating centres and has some scenes of  rare beauty. Certainly the people are a friendly bunch and Bengali humour is renowned throughout India.

During the British Raj Kolkata was known as the Jewel of the East and was the capital of the country till 1911. It still bears the Victorian imprint on its streets and structures. Today, it is still the most important city in the east, the nerve center of trade and industry of the State.

Economically, Kolkata is suffering: the port has been silting up, making navigation from Kolkata down to the sea steadily more difficult and limiting the size of ships that can use the port. Electrical power in Kolkata is so on-again off-again that virtually every hotel, shop or small business has to have some sort of standby power generator or battery lighting system.

Despite all these problems Kolkata is a city with a soul, and one which many residents are inordinately fond of. The Bengalis, so ready to raise arms against the British in the struggle for independence, are also the poets and artists of India.

Amongst the squalor and confusion Kolkata has place of sheer magic: flower sellers beside the misty, ethereal Hooghly River; the majestic sweep of the Maidan; the arrogant bulk of the Victoria Memorial; the superb collection of archaeological treasures exhibited in the Indian Museum. They are all part of this amazing city, as are massive Marxist and trade union rallies which can block traffic in the city centre for hours at a time.

History

Kolkata is not an ancient city like Delhi, with its impressive relics of the past. In fact, it's largely a British creation which dates back only some 300 years and was the capital of British India until the beginning of this century.

In 1686, the British abandoned Hooghly, their trading post 38km up the Hooghly River from present-day Kolkata, and moved downriver to there small villages - Sutanati, Govindpur and Kailkata. Kolkata takes its name from the last of those three tiny settlements.

Victoria Memorial

A splendid architectural structure in white marble, modeled on the Taj Mahal, was built in the early 20th century. In memory of Queen Victoria and was formally inaugurated by the Prince of Wales in 1921 who later became King Edward VIII of England. The stately bronze statue of the queen near the entrance, the brass canons, wrought iron street lamps, manicured lawns, gardens and pathways, the magical lighting effect in the evening and a fairy tale 'Fountain of Joy' facing the memorial building create an atmosphere of unforgettable charm.

 

Indian Museum 

This museum was established in 1878 on Jawaharlal Nehru Road. The museum is built in Italian architectural style and is considered as the largest museum in the country and one of the best in Asia. The largest museum in the country, the museum has six sections: Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Industry (economic botany). From the Egyptian mummy to the skeleton of the whale and some rare statues; the museum has every thing. One of the rooms has a collection of meteorites. The museum also has a unique fossil collection of prehistoric animals which includes a giant crocodile and a huge tortoise. The art collection has many fine pieces from Orissa and other temples and superb example of Buddhist Gandharan art.

Eden Garden

In the North-West corner of the Maidan are small & pleasantly laid out Eden Gardens. The gardens were created in 1840 and named after the sister of Lord Auckland, the former governor general. The idea was to make a Biblical - style garden of Eden in India. The expanse dotted with beautiful trees and shrubs is intersected by winding paths, and there is a large artificial lake. Alongside the gardens, is the world famous Eden Gardens cricket stadium. The stadium is supposed to be the largest in Asia with a seating capacity of more than a lakh spectators. The Kolkata cricket ground, where International test & one day matches are held, is also with in the gardens. Near the gardens you can take a pleasant walk along the bank of hoogly river.

Maidan & Fort William

After the events of 1756, the British decided there would be no repetition of the attack on the city and set out to replace the original Fort William, in the Maidan , with a massive and impregnable new fort. First they cleared out the inhabitants of the village of Govindpur and in 1758 laid the foundations of a fort. Around the fort a huge expanse of jungle was cut down to give the cannons a clear line of fire but, as usually happens, the fort has never fired a shot in anger. 

 The fort is still in use today and visitors are only allowed inside with special permission. Even the trenches and deep fortifications surrounding the fort's massive walls seem to be out of bounds.

 The area cleared around Fort William became the Maidan, the 'lungs' of modern Kolkata. This huge green expanse stretches three km north to south and is over a km wide. It is bound by Strand Rd along the river to the west and by Chowringhee Rd, lined with shops, offices, hotels and eating places, to the east. The stream known as Tolly's Nullah forms its southern boundary, and here you will find a racecourse and the Victoria Memorial. In the north-west corner of the Maidan is Eden Gardens, while Raj Bhavan overlooks it from the north.

Ochterlony Monuments

Now officially renamed the Shahid  Minar, this 48m column tower over the northern end of the Maidan. It was erected in 1828 and named after Sir David Ochterlony, who is credited with winning the Nepal  War. The column is an intriguing combination of Turkish, Egyptian and Syrian architectural elements.
    There's a fine view from the top of the column, but permission to ascend must be obtained from police headquarters, which is on Lal Bazaar St. It's only open Monday to Friday and you should simply ask for a 'monument pass' at the Assistant Commissioner's office on the 2nd floor.

St Paul's Cathedral

Built between  1839 and 1847, St Paul's Cathedral is one of India's most important churches. It's east of the Victoria Memorial at the South end of the Maidan. The steeple fell during an earthquake in 1897 and was redesigned and rebuilt. Inside there's some interesting memorials and stained glass, including the west window by Sir Edward Burne-Jones.

Excrusion

Botanical Gardens :

( 19 km ) An impressive oasis of green trees and plants especially noted for its gigantic over 200 years old Banyan tree at the Dakshineshwar. Kali Temple is famous for its associations with Sri. Ramkrishna.
 

Sunderbans Tiger Reserve

( 166 km ) Sunderbans is a large unbroken swamp criss-crossed by a network of rivers, Channels and creeks at the mouth of rivers, the Ganga and the Brahmputra rivers. Sunderbans covers a vast area of 1,629 sq. km and was declared a reserve between 1928 and 1943. the tiger leads an almost amphibious life in Sunderbans. Sunderbans' estuaries support a variety of marine life which include the salt water crocodile and the Olive Ridley turtle. Leopards and fishing cats are also found in fair numbers in Sunderbans. Accommodation is available at Forest Lodge at Sajankhali.

Digha

( 185 km ) A beautiful beach and a popular holiday resort with a 6 km long beach, is said to be one of the widest in the world. It is a five hours drive from Kolkata which is well-connected with Kolkata by good motorable road. Shankarpur is another virgin beach, 10 km from Digha. Frazergani is entirely a different  beach. It is pure and holds the charm of a unspoilt beach. It can be accessed from Kolkata. It is also famous for the migratory birds that can be sighted over here.
 

Shantiniketan

Maharshi Debendranath, father of Rabindranath Tagore, had founded an Ashram here in 1863 AD. Almost 40 years later, Rabindranath started an open-air school at Shantiniketan that gradually developed into an international university named Visva Bharti where the cultures of the East and the West meet in common fellowship and thereby strengthen the fundamental conditions of world peace.
    Shantiniketan is 211 km from Kolkata and there are regular bus services.

Ganga Sagar

A Culturally and religiously important destination it also has an exceptionally good beach for tourists. Situated on the island in the Sunderbans, it holds the charm of a completely unspoilt beach on the estuary of the mighty Ganga. It can be approached from Kolkata by bus.

 

Gandhi Ghat

( 25 km ) A memorial to Mahatma Gandhi on the banks of the Hoogly river.

Diamond Harbour

( 51 km ) The Hoogly river turns here towards the sea. Bakkhali ( 132 ) is famous for gold beach.

Krishnagar

( 100 km ) Krishnagar can be reached by road or rail from Kolkata ( 100 km ). The town on the banks of the Jalani river, is famous for its toy  and clay models. The Krishnanagr Palace and the Roman Catholic Church are