Kolkata and its charm
The place, which is referred to as the city of joy and lights up differently during the Durga Puja, has many things to offer to the tourists. Even if you look at the past, the city has its significance in history, be it along with the culture or religion. Kolkata holds an important place for art & literature.
The place is no less for the foodies, and it has a wide variety of delicious & lip-smacking food to offer. Travellers won’t get disappointed as you will find the sightseeing, food, activities, events, culture, tradition, and authentic Bengali cuisine, especially the Rasogulla, the unique sweet dish from West Bengal.
It is so much fun to read but it becomes twice when you visit the place. You will find the architectural work belonging to the colonial era, and even beyond that & it complements the modern metropolitan city at its best. Looking into the culture & tradition of West Bengal is a very interesting part, and you can enjoy all this just by making the plan and booking the tickets to Kolkata.
Here are some of the things that you must do and enjoy the time at your best.
Sundarbans
Exploring the wildlife & natural beauty is always among one the most common thing during the vacation and exploring the Sundarbans is the largest river delta and astonishing mangrove forest.
It is formed by the influence of the Brahmaputra, the Ganges & the Meghna River in the Bay of Bengal. The location consists of both close & open forest that is used for different activities like agriculture, some barren lands, mudflats.
In the Sundarbans, four sites are currently protected by UNESCO, which you can enjoy during your trip to Kolkata, and that are the Sundarbans National Park, Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Sundarbans west, Sundarbans south. You will get to experience much endangered flora & fauna, the sighting of the famous Royal Bengal tigers which attracts a lot of tourists.
The Sundarbans is located in the Hoogly River and is open from 7 am till 5 pm & the entry fees cost Rs 15 for the Indians.
Victoria Memorial Palace
The Victoria Memorial Palace is a marble building that is located in central Kolkata. The building was constructed during the 20th century & the palace was dedicated in the memory of Empress Victoria and later converted into a museum.
Victoria Memorial Secret is the largest monument around the globe that is dedicated to the royal. The suggestion to construct the memorial was given by Lord Curzon after the death of Empress Victoria in the year 1901.
The museum has the architectural Indo-Saracenic style that uses the mix of Mughal & British elements along with the Egyptian, Venetian & Deccani influences.
The place consists of 25 galleries which include the royal gallery, portrait gallery, national gallery, arms & armoury gallery, central hall, etc. It also has some of the unique collections of William Shakespeare and many more. The museum is worth visiting and is one of the most famous tourist spots in Kolkata.
Nicco Park
Kolkata won’t let you go dry as it has one of the best amusement parks in Salt Lake City. It is one of the oldest amusement parks that was opened in the year 1991 and from that time, it has been recognized as the ‘Disneyland of West Bengal’.
You can enjoy more than 35 exciting rides like water coaster, flying saucer, moonraker, and the giant cyclone, which is one of Asia’s most significant, it has 7 drops, and it goes high up to 55 feet.
Not only this, you can enjoy the food section as well that serves different cuisines like South Indian, North Indian, Chinese and Bengali food. If you want to experience bowling, it has the option for that as well.
The Nicco Park has a water park as well, along with that it has the 4-D movie theatre and since last two years, skydiver been one of the main highlights of the park.
The park operates from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm, and the entry cost depends on the activities you choose. It is a full-day fun package that makes it worth it.
Kalighat Temple
Kalighat Temple is one of the important places that you will find in Kolkata, which is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali and the temple is among the 51 Shakti Peethas.
It is said that the Kalighat temple is around 200 years old. The idol of Goddess Kali is different from the other idols of Goddess Kali that we see on a regular basis.
You must visit the Dakshineswar Temple & Kalighat Temple for sure as it has its significance, and you will enjoy the fragrance & positivity of spirituality. You can visit the temple from 5 am till 8 pm, and you will get to see a local market around.
Howrah Bridge
As we know, the marine drive in Mumbai same goes with the Howrah bridge in Kolkata. You must have heard the name on the trains, but it is one of the architectural masterpieces in India. The bridge was built over the Hooghly river that was commissioned in the year 1943.
The bridge was renamed after the great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore as Rabindra Setu, but still, it is famously recognized as the Howrah Bridge. You might have seen this bridge in many movie scenes, and for a very long time, this location has been used in the films as it describes Kolkata’s landmark very well.
You can take a walk on the bridge and enjoy the street life of Kolkata, which is a must.
State Archaeological Gallery
If you are fond of experiencing old & historical things, this is one of the best locations for you. The Archaeological Gallery was founded in the year 1962, it is home to the collection of many objects from the early, middle, & late stone ages and many other things from the archaeological sites, proto-historic, and objects from the era of Pala, Maurya, Gupta, Shunga, Kushana times.
The museum also has a collection of old terracottas, wood carvings, manuscripts, and textiles. You can see the journey of the evolution from being an early man to the modern man, and the place charges very nominal charges that is Rs 2 for adults, and it is free for the children.
The Marble Palace
Structures and architecture depict a lot about creativity, and the Marble Palace is one of the remains of an important place from the 19th century. The palace is one of the most preserved houses from the 19th century.
It is recognized for its architecture, the marble walls, the sculptures, and the floors, and from all these, you can understand why it is famous as the Marble Palace. It follows the neoclassic architecture style along with the Bengali traditional style of open courtyards.
The palace consists of a rock garden, lake, small zoo and lawns which you can visit. Along with that, it has a collection of western sculptures, Victorian types of Furniture, and many antique decorative items. It has a lavish display of artefacts.
If you are exploring the city, don’t miss the chance to visit the Marble Palace and also it is free of cost & it is open from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm for the tourists.
The Indian Museum
Kolkata has many things to offer and especially if you are fond of exploring & knowing about the antiques and artefacts. The Indian Museum which is also known as the Imperial Museum, is the oldest and largest museum in India and stands in the 9th position for the oldest museum across the world.
In the museum, you can experience some of the rarest & oldest collections of mummies, antiques, ornaments, fossils, Mughal paintings, and many more. The museum was established in the year 1814 by the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
It has many fossils and Egyptian exhibits. It is one of the famous tourist spots in Kolkata, and you must visit the Indian Museum on your trip.
The museum operates from 10 am till 5 pm, and the entry cost is around Rs 20.
Mother Teresa House
Mother Teresa, a name that became the synonym of humanity for the world, lived for humanity and devoted her life to a noble cause. The place is now considered as a pilgrimage more than a tourist spot and every tourist is allowed at the place.
The place is the headquarters of the missionaries of charity that pulls many visitors from all around the world. The house was established in the year 1950 to serve humanity towards the needy & underprivileged.
The place carries the beliefs & ideologies of Mother Teresa and every traveller wants to visit the house to feel the presence of Mother Teresa and her blessings.
Fort William
The fort has its presence from the early times of the Bengal Presidency of British India. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Hooghly, which is the major tributary of the Ganges river. The fort is expanded over an area of 70 hectares and in front of the defence, you can see the largest part of the country.
The Black Hole of Calcutta was the interior guard room and now it serves at the headquarters for eastern command in the Indian Army.
If we take a look, there are two fort Williams, the original one was built in the year 1696 with the permission of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Today the fort is under the control of the Indian Army and also a place of accommodation for ten thousand army personnel.
Birla Temple
Kolkata is one of the ideal destinations if you are looking for a family vacation as it has temples, museums, and all. One of the famous temples is the Birla Temple which is devoted to Lord Krishna and was built by the Birla family.
One of the interesting things is it took 26 years to complete the entire construction of the temple, it was started in the year 1970 & the whole construction was supervised by the Sompuras themselves. The place has a very pleasant environment as well as architecture.
The craftsmanship and the design are some of the best you can experience. The Birla temple is located in the Ballygunge, Kolkata, and even it is best if visit it early morning.
Belur Math
The Belur Math was founded by Swami Vivekanand and is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission & Ramakrishna Math. At the Belur Math, you can experience the perfect fusion of Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, and Christian architecture.
The place conducts various activities like work for women, medical services, education, work for the backward classes, and many more.
Explore the dishes
Every trip is incomplete without exploring the local cuisines and the special dishes. Rasgulla is very one of the very famous sweet dishes, but apart from that, you must try other street foods like Kathi rolls, telebhaja, Sandesh, mishti bhoj, luchi aloor dum and many more.
It has many dishes for the non-vegetarians also, fish & rice is the most famous among those. You must try to explore the street food and the locals can tell you best about which place to have the particular type of dish and don’t miss the ‘Poochka’, it is the heart of the whole nation but you must try it once in Kolkata.
Ferry Ride
While you enjoy the walk on the Howrah bridge, experience the ferry ride too as it gives an astonishing view of the lights, city, and the bridge. A place away from the land & splash of water along with the sound of flowing water.
The view at night is just magical, you can stop and enjoy the environment, the cold breeze. It is good to visit the place in the morning but it is best at night time. As it is said that everything can not be seen in the daylight, it suits the place for a visit.
Rabindra Sarovar
The lake was earlier known as the Dhakuria Lake but later, it was renamed Rabindra Sarovar. It is a paradise for bird watchers. The location covers a huge area, like around 192 acres is just covered with lush greenery, and the lake occupies 73 acres.
The place has around 110 species of birds, among which 14 are local migrants, 69 are residents, 23 are long-distance migrants, and along with that, it has 13 species of dragonflies. The place has more than eleven thousand trees, and around seven thousand of them are more than 75 years old.
So these are some of the places and things you must explore during your trip, and it is more preferred if you visit Kolkata during the winters as it has a pleasant temperature and for the shopping sprees, it has huge markets and that too in the reasonable prices, what else you need.
Don’t forget to enjoy the street food like Phuchka, Jhalmuri, Ghugni Chaat, Mughlai Paratha and many more the list won’t end. You can also plan to trek in the coastal area, go for jungle safaris, and you will enjoy the memories you will take along with you.
The place, which is referred to as the city of joy and lights up differently during the Durga Puja, has many things to offer to the tourists. Even if you look at the past, the city has its significance in history, be it along with the culture or religion. Kolkata holds an important place for art & literature.
The place is no less for the foodies, and it has a wide variety of delicious & lip-smacking food to offer. Travellers won’t get disappointed as you will find the sightseeing, food, activities, events, culture, tradition, and authentic Bengali cuisine, especially the Rasogulla, the unique sweet dish from West Bengal.
It is so much fun to read but it becomes twice when you visit the place. You will find the architectural work belonging to the colonial era, and even beyond that & it complements the modern metropolitan city at its best. Looking into the culture & tradition of West Bengal is a very interesting part, and you can enjoy all this just by making the plan and booking the tickets to Kolkata.
Here are some of the things that you must do and enjoy the time at your best.
Sundarbans
Exploring the wildlife & natural beauty is always among one the most common thing during the vacation and exploring the Sundarbans is the largest river delta and astonishing mangrove forest.
It is formed by the influence of the Brahmaputra, the Ganges & the Meghna River in the Bay of Bengal. The location consists of both close & open forest that is used for different activities like agriculture, some barren lands, mudflats.
In the Sundarbans, four sites are currently protected by UNESCO, which you can enjoy during your trip to Kolkata, and that are the Sundarbans National Park, Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Sundarbans west, Sundarbans south. You will get to experience much endangered flora & fauna, the sighting of the famous Royal Bengal tigers which attracts a lot of tourists.
The Sundarbans is located in the Hoogly River and is open from 7 am till 5 pm & the entry fees cost Rs 15 for the Indians.
Victoria Memorial Palace
The Victoria Memorial Palace is a marble building that is located in central Kolkata. The building was constructed during the 20th century & the palace was dedicated in the memory of Empress Victoria and later converted into a museum.
Victoria Memorial Secret is the largest monument around the globe that is dedicated to the royal. The suggestion to construct the memorial was given by Lord Curzon after the death of Empress Victoria in the year 1901.
The museum has the architectural Indo-Saracenic style that uses the mix of Mughal & British elements along with the Egyptian, Venetian & Deccani influences.
The place consists of 25 galleries which include the royal gallery, portrait gallery, national gallery, arms & armoury gallery, central hall, etc. It also has some of the unique collections of William Shakespeare and many more. The museum is worth visiting and is one of the most famous tourist spots in Kolkata.
Nicco Park
Kolkata won’t let you go dry as it has one of the best amusement parks in Salt Lake City. It is one of the oldest amusement parks that was opened in the year 1991 and from that time, it has been recognized as the ‘Disneyland of West Bengal’.
You can enjoy more than 35 exciting rides like water coaster, flying saucer, moonraker, and the giant cyclone, which is one of Asia’s most significant, it has 7 drops, and it goes high up to 55 feet.
Not only this, you can enjoy the food section as well that serves different cuisines like South Indian, North Indian, Chinese and Bengali food. If you want to experience bowling, it has the option for that as well.
The Nicco Park has a water park as well, along with that it has the 4-D movie theatre and since last two years, skydiver been one of the main highlights of the park.
The park operates from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm, and the entry cost depends on the activities you choose. It is a full-day fun package that makes it worth it.
Kalighat Temple
Kalighat Temple is one of the important places that you will find in Kolkata, which is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali and the temple is among the 51 Shakti Peethas.
It is said that the Kalighat temple is around 200 years old. The idol of Goddess Kali is different from the other idols of Goddess Kali that we see on a regular basis.
You must visit the Dakshineswar Temple & Kalighat Temple for sure as it has its significance, and you will enjoy the fragrance & positivity of spirituality. You can visit the temple from 5 am till 8 pm, and you will get to see a local market around.
Howrah Bridge
As we know, the marine drive in Mumbai same goes with the Howrah bridge in Kolkata. You must have heard the name on the trains, but it is one of the architectural masterpieces in India. The bridge was built over the Hooghly river that was commissioned in the year 1943.
The bridge was renamed after the great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore as Rabindra Setu, but still, it is famously recognized as the Howrah Bridge. You might have seen this bridge in many movie scenes, and for a very long time, this location has been used in the films as it describes Kolkata’s landmark very well.
You can take a walk on the bridge and enjoy the street life of Kolkata, which is a must.
State Archaeological Gallery
If you are fond of experiencing old & historical things, this is one of the best locations for you. The Archaeological Gallery was founded in the year 1962, it is home to the collection of many objects from the early, middle, & late stone ages and many other things from the archaeological sites, proto-historic, and objects from the era of Pala, Maurya, Gupta, Shunga, Kushana times.
The museum also has a collection of old terracottas, wood carvings, manuscripts, and textiles. You can see the journey of the evolution from being an early man to the modern man, and the place charges very nominal charges that is Rs 2 for adults, and it is free for the children.
The Marble Palace
Structures and architecture depict a lot about creativity, and the Marble Palace is one of the remains of an important place from the 19th century. The palace is one of the most preserved houses from the 19th century.
It is recognized for its architecture, the marble walls, the sculptures, and the floors, and from all these, you can understand why it is famous as the Marble Palace. It follows the neoclassic architecture style along with the Bengali traditional style of open courtyards.
The palace consists of a rock garden, lake, small zoo and lawns which you can visit. Along with that, it has a collection of western sculptures, Victorian types of Furniture, and many antique decorative items. It has a lavish display of artefacts.
If you are exploring the city, don’t miss the chance to visit the Marble Palace and also it is free of cost & it is open from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm for the tourists.
The Indian Museum
Kolkata has many things to offer and especially if you are fond of exploring & knowing about the antiques and artefacts. The Indian Museum which is also known as the Imperial Museum, is the oldest and largest museum in India and stands in the 9th position for the oldest museum across the world.
In the museum, you can experience some of the rarest & oldest collections of mummies, antiques, ornaments, fossils, Mughal paintings, and many more. The museum was established in the year 1814 by the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
It has many fossils and Egyptian exhibits. It is one of the famous tourist spots in Kolkata, and you must visit the Indian Museum on your trip.
The museum operates from 10 am till 5 pm, and the entry cost is around Rs 20.
Mother Teresa House
Mother Teresa, a name that became the synonym of humanity for the world, lived for humanity and devoted her life to a noble cause. The place is now considered as a pilgrimage more than a tourist spot and every tourist is allowed at the place.
The place is the headquarters of the missionaries of charity that pulls many visitors from all around the world. The house was established in the year 1950 to serve humanity towards the needy & underprivileged.
The place carries the beliefs & ideologies of Mother Teresa and every traveller wants to visit the house to feel the presence of Mother Teresa and her blessings.
Fort William
The fort has its presence from the early times of the Bengal Presidency of British India. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Hooghly, which is the major tributary of the Ganges river. The fort is expanded over an area of 70 hectares and in front of the defence, you can see the largest part of the country.
The Black Hole of Calcutta was the interior guard room and now it serves at the headquarters for eastern command in the Indian Army.
If we take a look, there are two fort Williams, the original one was built in the year 1696 with the permission of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Today the fort is under the control of the Indian Army and also a place of accommodation for ten thousand army personnel.
Birla Temple
Kolkata is one of the ideal destinations if you are looking for a family vacation as it has temples, museums, and all. One of the famous temples is the Birla Temple which is devoted to Lord Krishna and was built by the Birla family.
One of the interesting things is it took 26 years to complete the entire construction of the temple, it was started in the year 1970 & the whole construction was supervised by the Sompuras themselves. The place has a very pleasant environment as well as architecture.
The craftsmanship and the design are some of the best you can experience. The Birla temple is located in the Ballygunge, Kolkata, and even it is best if visit it early morning.
Belur Math
The Belur Math was founded by Swami Vivekanand and is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission & Ramakrishna Math. At the Belur Math, you can experience the perfect fusion of Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, and Christian architecture.
The place conducts various activities like work for women, medical services, education, work for the backward classes, and many more.
Explore the dishes
Every trip is incomplete without exploring the local cuisines and the special dishes. Rasgulla is very one of the very famous sweet dishes, but apart from that, you must try other street foods like Kathi rolls, telebhaja, Sandesh, mishti bhoj, luchi aloor dum and many more.
It has many dishes for the non-vegetarians also, fish & rice is the most famous among those. You must try to explore the street food and the locals can tell you best about which place to have the particular type of dish and don’t miss the ‘Poochka’, it is the heart of the whole nation but you must try it once in Kolkata.
Ferry Ride
While you enjoy the walk on the Howrah bridge, experience the ferry ride too as it gives an astonishing view of the lights, city, and the bridge. A place away from the land & splash of water along with the sound of flowing water.
The view at night is just magical, you can stop and enjoy the environment, the cold breeze. It is good to visit the place in the morning but it is best at night time. As it is said that everything can not be seen in the daylight, it suits the place for a visit.
Rabindra Sarovar
The lake was earlier known as the Dhakuria Lake but later, it was renamed Rabindra Sarovar. It is a paradise for bird watchers. The location covers a huge area, like around 192 acres is just covered with lush greenery, and the lake occupies 73 acres.
The place has around 110 species of birds, among which 14 are local migrants, 69 are residents, 23 are long-distance migrants, and along with that, it has 13 species of dragonflies. The place has more than eleven thousand trees, and around seven thousand of them are more than 75 years old.
So these are some of the places and things you must explore during your trip, and it is more preferred if you visit Kolkata during the winters as it has a pleasant temperature and for the shopping sprees, it has huge markets and that too in the reasonable prices, what else you need.
Don’t forget to enjoy the street food like Phuchka, Jhalmuri, Ghugni Chaat, Mughlai Paratha and many more the list won’t end. You can also plan to trek in the coastal area, go for jungle safaris, and you will enjoy the memories you will take along with you.
edited and proofread by nikita sharma
