Kolkatta Attractions and Accommodation

Attractionsto the Hindu goddess, Durga, thus the most famous
Fort William, named after King William III of England isreligious places in Kolkatta are the temples dedicated
situated on the banks of River Hooghly. It wasto various Hindu goddesses, such as the Kalighat
constructed during the British rule and specialtemple and the Dakhineshwar temple.
permission is required to go inside the fort. A massiveSunderban National Park can be accessed from
land near the fort is used for exhibitions and sale. TheKolkatta through a ferry or a boat. This delta is
Howrah Bridge set over the Hooghly connects thefamous for its Royal Bengal tigers. Situated
main Kolkatta city to Howrah and is one of the busiestapproximately 8 kilometres from the city and spread
road bridges in the world.over an area of 273-acres is the Botanical garden of
The Marble Palace was constructed by RajendraKolkatta. The highlight of this garden is the massive
Mallick in the year 1835. It houses numerous paintings,Banyan tree. Shantiniketan, founded by Rabindra Nath
sculptures and other artefacts. The Marble Palace isTagore is a university set in a serene landscape
also famous for its display of original paintings fromcovered with green fields and forests. Vishnupur is a
Van Goyen and Reynolds. It also has a mini zoo in itsgreat place to shop for silk textiles and see the
vicinity. Writers Building, originally catered to the writersnumerous temples. Situated approximately 185
of East India Company, and now a Secretariat shouldkilometres from the main city is Digha, this six-kilometre
be visited for its colonial architecture.long beach with shallow waters makes a perfect
The Victoria memorial hall, spread over 64-acres wasgetaway from the city. Kolkatta has easy accessibility
constructed in the year 1921. Today, it's a magnificentto the scenic North Bengal hills, such as Darjeeling.
museum housing numerous effigies, sculptures, photosThere are also buses leaving for Phuentsholing, the
and paintings. It has a nice garden surrounding it, withborder town of Bhutan.
small ponds covered with water lilies and is often usedThe Stay
as a picnic spot. In close proximity to the VictoriaKolkatta, being a metropolitan city provides a diverse
memorial hall is the racecourse. Saheed Minar, locatedchoice of accommodation. The five stars in Kolkatta
in the Kolkatta Maidan has a mix of Turkish, Syrian andinclude the Taj Bengal, ITC Shonar Bangla, Oberoi
Egyptian architecture. The monument was constructedGrand, Hindustan International, The Park Kolkatta and
in the year 1848 and is dedicated to the freedomHyatt Regency Kolkatta. The five stars will cost
fighters of Indian independence.anywhere between Rs 10,000 to Rs 35,000. There are
National Library spread over 30 acres is the biggestmany mid-range hotels, which cost approximately Rs
library in India. However the College Street Book1500 to Rs 2000 per day, such as Hotel Rutt Deen
market is a great place to search for books too. In aand Hotel Royal Garden. The city has end number of
nation, where cricket is a religion, a cricket stadiumbudget hotels, which cost as low as Rs 300 per day.
called the Eden Gardens has its own significance. ItHowever cleanliness can be an issue with such hotels.
has been a witness to so many historical moments inFairlawn hotel, a heritage hotel is also a very good
cricket.option and it would cost approximately Rs 2500 per
Kolkatta has a number of museums, such as Asutoshday. In Sunderban the best accommodation option is
Museum of Indian Art famous for its Bengali paintings.the Sunderban Tiger camp, a jungle lodge that can
The Indian Museum has a huge collection of itemscost anywhere between Rs 2500 to Rs 4000.
from ancient and medieval times. From ancient coins,Kolkatta has number of restaurants specializing in
fossils, relics from Mohenjodaro and Harappa to adifferent types of cuisines, however
4000-year old mummy and an urn that is believed toKolkatta is famous for its fish curries and sweet dishes
contain ashes of Buddha, you will find everything here.made of cottage cheese. It is also famous for its junk
The other museums include Asiatic Society, Nehrufood sold in the streets. The city has numerous cafes
Children Museum and Calcutta Museum. Science Cityand bakeries, most of the old coffee shops have
however is a unique concept that caters to theretained the same old architecture and charm that it
scientific discoveries and aspects. The Academy ofused to have when it was established. The city also
Fine Arts serves as an art gallery for contemporaryhas numerous pubs and night clubs, most of them are
art. It also has a display of sculptures, paintings andlocated in Park Street.
textile. Apart from this the place also holds theatre andThe city of joy, the gateway to North East India, the
dance performances. The two other famous centrescultural capital of India are just some of the nick names
of art and culture in Kolkatta are the Birla Academy ofthat Kolkatta has got in the past. It is a magnificent city
Art and Culture and Centre of International Modern Art.that has balanced its history of colonial rule, its own art
Kolkatta has numerous religious places. Kolkattaand culture and modernization.
transforms into a carnival during the festival dedicated