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Kolkata (earlier known as Calcutta) was born on the banks of river hoogly 300 hundred years ago situated at a altitude 6.00 Meter above mean sea level
There is a story as to how did kolkata get it's name "kolkata" Sati killed herself by self-immolation after her father insulted her husband, Lord Shiva.It is said that Sati’s toe fell at Kali Ghat in the south part of kolkata. Therefore, the city was called Kalikata and later kolkata.
This is one of the largest city of India it reveals itself to be one of the country's most fascinating and congenial cities, the intellectual capital of the nation, and a thriving political and arts arena.
The birthplace of poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Jagdish- Chandra Bose and Subhash Chandra Bose, the great freedom fighter. The people are a friendly bunch and Bengali humour is renowned throughout India
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During the British Raj Kolkata was known as the Jewel of the East It was the the graceful capital of the British India & now this city of joy Is the Capital of West Bangal
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One of the largest city, leading centre of commerce and port of call for east bound vessels ,and became a social cultural capital , a Paris of the East . Gateway to the orient , it is where any journey to the East begins
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Places of
Tourist Interest
Victoria Memorial
This is a memorial dedicated to Queen Victoria A splendid architectural structure in white marble, located on the Maidam . This domed structure, constructed in white marble brought from Rajasthan.
There is a very interesting museum in the memorial with over 3000 exhibits, including the Queen’s piano and study desk.Howrah Bridge
.It is one of three bridges on the river Hooghly and is the most famous symbol of not only Kolkata but also West Bengal .Opened in 1943, this 2590-metric-ton bridge constructed of high-tensile steel is one of the busiest bridges in the world.
Indian Museum
Indian Museum : The palatial building that houses the Indian Museum , built in 1814 follows the Italian style of architecture.It is one of the oldest institutions of India , and is considered as the largest museum in the country and one of the best in Asia . The largest museum in the country,
Kali Temple
An important pilgrimage site.This s the actual temple from which kolkata takes its name. According to legend, when Siva's wife's corpse was cut up, one of her fingers fell here. Since then it has been an important pilgrimage site.
Paresnath Jain Temple
This temple, built in 1867, is ornately decorated with Venetian glass mosaics, chandeliers from Paris and Brussels, a gilded dome, stained glass windows and mirror inlaid pillars
Eden Gardens
This stretch of greenery covering nearly 50 acres of land is a beauty. It is further adorned by a serpentine lake and a pagoda-like Burmese pavilion. Just next to the garden is the Eden Gardens Stadium, the favourite cricket ground of the nation with a seating capacity of over 1,00,000
spectators.
The Netaji Indoor Stadium, the largest indoor stadium in Asia, is also a part of the Eden Gardens complex.Near the gardens you can take a pleasant walk along the bank of hoogly river.
Birla Planetarium
Set amidst trees and lawns, here one finds science out of doors and alive. The second largest of its kind in the world, the Birla Planetarium was set up in 1962. The viewing hall, with 500 seats has a diameter of 23 m. Here, visitors are introduced to the solar world through projections cast on the huge domed ceiling.
Nehru Children's Museum
This small museum, is worth visiting for its models depicting the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata
Nicco Park
Nicco Park is situated at Salt Lake . This Amusement park is the Disneyland of West Bengal, with a variety of unusual games and rides. The Cave Ride is and is the only of its kind in this part of the world.
St John's Church
This church has an aesthetically appealing construction with props to match stain glass windows, florentine frescos, grand altar, a gothic tower and a profusion of grandeur. Admiral Waston, who supported Clive in retalking Kolkata from Siraj-ud-daula, is also buried here.
The overgrown graveyard here has a number of interesting monuments, including the octagonal mausoleum of Job Charnock, founder of Kolkata
National
Library
This library was built in 1700 and contains almost 2 million books and ˝ million documents. The reading room with galleries is thronged by booklovers in thousands.
Missionaries of Charity:
A charitable institution formed in 1950 by Mother Teresa. the place is a home for hundreds of destitutes and "the poorest of the poor"
Marble Palace
The palace houses an incongruous collection of curious standing alongside significant statues and paintings. There are also beautiful chandeliers, European antiques, Venetian glass, old pianos and blue china vases There's a private zoo here.
Nakhoda Mosque
The red sandstone mosque has two 46m minarets and a brightly painted onion-shaped dome is said modelled on Akbar's tomb at Sikandra This Nakhoda Mosquecan accommodate 10,000 people .
Rabindra Sadan
Situated on the southeast corner of the Maidan. The Rabindra Sadan is the seat of Bengali - culture where every evening, drama cultural programmes & exhibitions are held
Belur Math
The Belur Math is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, which was founded in 1899 by Swami Vivekananda, a disciple of Ramakrishna. The temple here, It is supposed to represent a church, a mosque and a temple, depending on how you look at Belur Math
Birla Mandir
It is the latest addition to the places of visit in Kolkata. Built over twenty- two years of painstaking labour, it is an all marble structure with very high quality Rajasthani engravings.
Nalban Boating Complex
Nalban is a beautiful picnic spot for families, The main attraction of the place is the four hundred acre picturesque lake with various kinds of boating facilities like paddle boats, shikaras and rowing boats. A unique added attraction is the newly installed hovercraft
Zoological Gardens
The Zoological Gardens at, have one of the finest collections of birds, animals, and reptiles. Within the Gardens, there is also a childrens' Zoo. The aquarium in front of the Zoological Gardens contains sea-fishes of rare varieties.
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The best time to visit :-
The best time to visit
Kolkata is between October and March.
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