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A Trip4India > Destinations India > Calcutta / Kolkata Tourism

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Calcutta / Kolkata Tourism

Area: 187 sq km
Population: 14 million
Country: India
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +5.5
Telephone Area Code: 033

The general climate of Kolkata still remains full of optimism, buoyancy and expectation, yet, its roots lie in the European expansion of the 17th century.Victoria Memorial, Kolkata The showpiece capital of the British, Calcutta was the greatest colonial city of the Far East. A city of enduring charm has adopted to the modern trends and techniques of the world but has not shed the leisurely life style and the calm, which it has accumulated since ages.

Kolkata is a city with strong cultural, literary and religious flavors. The most happening place in India when it comes to fine arts, music, dance, theatre and writing. This is a state where artistic endeavour is held in higher esteem, than political and economic success. The city also acts as the gateway to the Northeast states and has been coming up as a major commercial city in the nation.

Kolkata can be easily termed as 'Shopping Destination' for the variety of good buys and its colourful and often quaint markets. The 'Tant' sarees are the specialty of West Bengal because of their unique appearance and color and Calcutta provides you the best market for the purchase of these sarees. Among the typical handicrafts to look out for, are metal dokra items from the Shantiniketan region located in the northwest zone of the city. In this craft, objects such as animals and birds are roughly cast by a lost-wax process to give them a rough wry look.

This huge metropolis of Calcutta is a fascinating conglomerate of styles and influences with a variety of impressive matching skylines. The Maidan stretches from the area known as Esplanade in the north to the racecourse in the south, is bordered by Chowringhee Rd. in the east and strand & the river in the west, is one of the largest parks in the world. Esplanade, is having a 46-metre column of Shahid Minar or Martyers Memorial, which towers over the busy bus terminus and market stalls at the north east corner of the Maidan.

tours and travel in india, tourism in india, Kolkata tours travel, travelling in india, kolkata travel, travel package in india Beneath its Gothic red-brick clock tower, the single storey New Market is located in the centre of the cosmopolitan Kolkata. The Chowringee Rd. has got a long line of colonial villas & palaces and the unscathed Victorian Grand Hotel. Indian Museum is known as the oldest museum in India, founded in 1814, housing a huge variety of exhibits from sculpture to natural history. Victoria Memorial is a splendid example of British architecture, built in the memory of Queen Victoria and was inaugurated by Prince of Wales in 1921. The Memorial is based on architecture of the Taj and is built in marble.

Birla Planetarium is one of the earliest planetariums in India. The planetarium was opened in 1961 and the cost of completion came to about 2 crores. Shahid Minar, built in 1828 and was named after Sir David Ochterlony who won the Nepal war of 1814, this monument is a combination of Turkish, Egyptian and Syrian architectural elements. Although Howrah is a separate town, Kolkata's industrial hub is an integral part of the city. Howrah Bridge is Calcutta's biggest landmarks and is 97m high and 705m long, spanning the River Hoogly in a single giant leap, making it world's largest cantilever bridge.