Kalighat: According to the legend, when Lord Shiva’s wife Parvati’s body was cut up, one of her fingers fell here. Rebuilt in 1809, this is an important shrine of Hindu Shakti worship. The temple is in the southern part of the city.
Dakshineswar Kali Temple Belur Math : Built in 1847, on the banks of the Hooghly, north of Kolkata, the temple is associated with Shri Ramakrishna, the eclectic 19th century saint who revived Hinduism during the British Raj. Across the river stands Belur Math, headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission. The Monastery is a haven of peace and religious harmony.

Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture: Commemorates the birth centenary of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Religious discourses and cultural exchanges are held here among international scholars. The institute is located at Golpark.

Nakhoda Mosque: Modelled on Akbar’s tomb in Sikandra, the red sandstone mosque has two minarets 46 mts high, a brightly painted onion shaped dome and can accommodate 10,000 people. Built in 1926 and located on Chitpur Road.

St. John’s Church: Built in 1787 with Grecian columns. The burial ground has the mausoleum of Job Charnok, founder of Kolkata. On the north-west side of Raj Bhavan.

Gurudwara: Elgin Road
 

Come, step into the corridors of Kolkata’s Charm

A walk along Chowringhee Road sets the pace as you set out to unravel the rare beauty of this city. Across the road sweeps a huge, lush green, open parkland called the Maidan, centering around Fort William, the massive and impregnable British Citadel built in 1773. The fort is still in use and retains its well-guarded grandeur. Visitors are allowed in with special permission only.
 
Along St. George’s Gate Road, on the southern fringe of the Maidan, your sight is arrested by a splendid monument in white Makrana marble. Built in Italian Renaissance cum Saracenic style, Victoria Memorial was planned by Lord Curzon and opened by the Prince of Wales in 1921. This British attempt at building a second Taj Mahal, is dedicated to Queen Victoria and houses a fantastic collection of rare memorabilia from Colonial days. A light and sound show recreates history every evening.

The adjoining Race Course, built in 1819, is one of the best in the east and is the scene of much gaiety, especially during the winter season.

Birla Planetarium: Only the second of its kind in the commonwealth and similar to that in London. Regular astronomical shows are presented here with commentaries in different languages. Shows are held on all days excluding Mondays.

Indian Museum: Built in 1875, it is an impressive building in the Italian style of architecture. This is the largest museum in the country. The Museum has six sections : Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Industry (Economic Botany).

Nehru Children Museum: Collection of dolls from all over the world. It is the house of puppets and dolls depicting the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Zoological Garden: The Zoo at Alipore has one of the first collection of bird, animals and reptiles in India. The aquarium in front of the zoo contains many rare species of fish.

Metro Railway: India’s first underground railway system linking the north and the south of the city.

Nandan: A cultural complex with multiple film theatres and the Satyajit Ray Film Archive. This is part of a larger cultural complex housing a number of auditorium and exhibition centres, namely, Rabindra Sadan, Sisir Mancha, Bangla Academy, Gaganendra Shilpa Pradarshashala.

Shahid Minar: The monument is situated on the ‘Maidan’ and was built in honour of Sir David Octerlony who fought the Nepalese War (1812 – 1814) to victory. The 48.16 metre tall monument has been named Shahid Minar since 9th August, 1969.

The mighty river Hooghly beckons at the northern end of the Maidan. At the northern end of the Maidan, towards the river, is the Old British Government house now called Raj Bhavan. Built in 1803, modelled on Lord Curzon’s home Keddleston Hall, Derbyshire, England, this is now the official residence of the Governor of Bengal. There are many rare works of art and other interesting items. Entry is restricted.

A walk across is the Town Hall, built in 1813, in Doric style of architecture. It is now “Kolkata Panorama”, the first high-tech story telling museum in the country.

Between the Town Hall and the Strand is the Kolkata High Court, scene of legendary legal battles. Completed in 1872, the Gothic architectural style was copied from the Staadhans at Ypres, Belgium. The tower measures 55 mts.
Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu) : A miracle of engineering skill, the Howrah Bridge is a huge cantilever bridge supported by two piers 270 ft. high from the road level. The span of the bridge between the piers is 1,500 ft while the total distance between the two sheet anchors is 2,115 ft. There are eight vehicular ways and two footpaths on the 71 ft. wide bridge.

Vidyasagar Setu: A second bridge on the river Hooghly is one of the latest attractions of the city. It has a cable-stayed design in the lines of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco.

But turn back to your trail of discovery. Dalhousie Square was the administrative centre for British India. On one side is the General Post Office, a majestic specimen of Edwardian architecture. It is built on the site of the original Fort William. On the other side stands Writer' Building, a massive Gothic structure with lonic pillars – still the house of political power.

The dulcet whispers of history echo through the old mansions of Hindu aristocrats in North Kolkata. One such old house, Tagore House, at Jorasanko, is the birth place of Rabindranath Tagore, India’s greatest modern poet. Converted to Rabindra Bharati University, it is now a centre for Indian Classical Fine Arts.

Marble Palace: Situated in an artistically laid-out garden, the place is full of rare collection of antiques of immense artistic and historical value. Wonderful curios, china and a couple of paintings by Rubens are only a few to mention of the spectrum of attractions of the palace. The Marble Palace is situated on Muktaram Babu Street, off Chittaranjan Avenue. Open on all days except Mondays and Thursdays.

National Library: Built in Italian Renaissance style, the Belvedere was the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. The National Library is now housed here. It is the largest library in India with a collection of more than one million books. Open to scholars from 8 am to 8 pm.

Asiatic Society: On January 15, 1784, in a meeting at Fort William of thirty leading European citizens of Calcutta, presided over by the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Chambers of the Supreme Court, a proposal of founding a Society for antiquities, arts, science and literature of Asia was passed. Thus the Asiatic Society was born with Warren Hastings as Patron and William Jones, as President. The Institution, eventually grew into the leading centre of Indological studies in the world. The Asiatic Society has been declared an institution of National importance in its bicentenary year. The Society’s collections of manuscripts, about 30,000, is an epitome of India’s achievements in different spheres of learning.

Science City: Situated in Eastern Bye-Pass, Park Circus connector. You would find a space theatre, space flight, time machine, recreated jurassic Park aviary and butterfly corner and much more at this expositions park. Ticket : Rs. 15/-

Nicco Park: Nicco Park, situated in Salt Lake. It is a family entertainment center for all ages. Here you enjoy with Toy train, Paddle boats, Striking cars, Cable cars, Water coaster and so many other rides.

Swabhumi: The heritage park on the E.M. Bypass across the Salt Lake Stadium. Showcases the culture and heritage of India and is divided into four zones – amphitheatre, shopping complex, the village artisans and a food court offering cuisine from all over India.

The Missionaries of Charity is a new order formed in 1950 by Mother Teresa. Their vow ‘to give wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor’ was put into action with the setting up of several homes.

Visit Mother Teresa’s tomb at the Mother House (54A, A.J.C. Bose Rd. Kolkata-16) and witness the generosity of her spirit at Nirmal Hriday (home for the dying),(at 251 Kalighat Rd. Kolkata-26) Shanti Nagar (for lepers) and Nirmala Shishu Bhavan (the children’s home).

Surroundings of Kolkata – one day trip:

After your tryst with the city, proceed along the Hooghly to experience the myriad charms of the settlements along the river.

Northwards, 8 km away, is the Botanical Garden, at Shibpur. Enjoy the 110 hectare freedom of space filled with rare trees and orchids.

The beautiful Dakshineswar Kali Temple is 10 km away. Across the river is Belur Math, headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission. Join in with the devotees to watch the evening aarti (light ceremony).

5 km further is the interesting waterfront of Serampore, originally a Danish colony. Across the river is the old British settlement of Barrackpore.

The strand at Chandannagore, 39 km, is enchanting. You can also visit the Clock Tower, among many other heritage buildings. The Octagonal Dutch Church and settlement is at Chinsurah, 45 km away. The Portugese settlement at Satgaon and Hooghly was founded in 1577 and stormed by Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor, in 1632. The Hooghly Imambara and the Portugese monastery and church at Bandel, 48 km away, are places worth visiting.

The Hanseshwari temple with unusual carvings and unique structure and the Basudeva temple located at Bansberia, is 47 km away.

South along the banks of the Hooghly, is the holiday resort at Raichak and 48 km away is Diamond Harbour, where the Hooghly flows into the Bay of Bengal.

Places like Gadiara, Garchumuk, Geokhali, Panitras, Antpur, Mayapur, Haldia and Barrackpur are also the attractive places where you can find the different kinds of historic elements.

Sunderbans - Situated on the lower end of the Gangetic West Bengal, 22.000 N-89.000 E, is this world's largest delta covered by mangrove forest and vast saline mud flats. The Tiger Reserve covering an area of 2585 sq. km. has one of the largest tiger population of any of the Indian parks, 269 Royal Bengal Tigers.

You can access all these places by rail and road, but a ferry ride will make it an unforgettable experience.