Explore Kolkata: The City Of Joy
Kolkata, the city of Joy, is the city with the treasures of beautiful heritage, awesome food and an immensely authentic culture and heritage. The city is mainly known because of its inexpensive cost of living as well as the Bengali sweets that it offers. You would find the people of this city very warm and friendly. Bengali, being the language of this city is sweet and understandable even if you are an alien. Dance, songs and art are a favorite of this city. Culturally speaking, you could enjoy the unique songs of Rabindra Sangeet which is not found anywhere. Let’s take a view at what are the treasures of this city.
Places of Interest:
Howrah Bridge:
The logo of Kolkata, the Howrah Bridge popularly known as the Rabindra Setu is the sixth longest bridge in the whole world. One of the oldest, this is a cantilever bridge which is constructed all by riveting without using any nuts or bolts. The bridge connects the district of Howrah to the city of Kolkata. The bridge is also the busiest of its own types taking the load of around millions of people and vehicles on a per day basis. The crowded bridge build over the river Hooghly would give you the pleasure of cool wind as you walk across it. The pedestrian footpath is constructed on both the sides of the bridge allowing the people to walk over from Howrah to Kolkata. For the visitors, you can get the view of this bridge as soon as you come out of the Howrah station. The bridge looks more majestic during the night time with the lightings all over it. Even at a distance, the view of this bridge would allure you.
Victoria Memorial:
This beautiful architecture with its well maintained garden is an eye catching place in the city. There is also a pond at the centre of the garden. The monument is 184 feet tall spread across an area of 64 acres of land. The white colored palace was built in the memory of Queen Victoria of England and was actually the office where the Britishers conducted their meetings before the independence, Kolkata being the capital at that time. The marble architecture with its carved doom depicts this place as being a heritage monument for the city. Inside the place, you would find one of the finest art museums of the country. The museum has a lot of pictures and models of eminent personalities. You would also find different kinds of exhibitions depicting the colonial history of Bengal and its culture and traditions in the past. Whether you want to stroll outside the palace or explore the history inside, you wouldn’t stop praising the pride of Kolkata.
Eden Garden:
It is located in the Dharamtala locality of Kolkata. The garden comprises of a variety of plants, trees and flowers. This bounty of nature gives you a relaxing place to take your morning and evening walk. The park is well maintained, quiet and kept clean. Just adjacent to the garden is the famous Eden Garden stadium. This stadium which has a capacity of around 1.2 lacs of spectators is the hangout place for the cricket lovers. Some place close is the famous Babughat from which you can take a ferry ride to the various other ghats like Howrah.
St. Paul’s Cathedral:
This large and airy cathedral would remind you of a cathedral that you see in US, UK or other foreign place. It was constructed in the year 1847. The tranquility and the serenity of the place would add to the charm This place tries to depict the life of St Paul through its pictures carved all over the walls. The architecture of the building conforms to the Gothic Revival style with beautifully carved floral designs on the wall and stained glass window. The cathedral quiet and peaceful in environment is well maintained and a place worth giving a visit. The only thing that you regret is that you are not allowed to take pictures inside the holy place.
Birla Planetarium:
To add to the crown, the Birla planetarium is the largest Planetarium in Asia and the second largest in the whole world. The architectural design draws its inspiration from the Buddhist Stupa in Sanchi. The central dome has a diameter of around 20 meters and can accommodate around 500 people. The air-conditioned planetarium is equipped with all modern astronomical observatory telescopes, video cameras and solar films. The show that is conducted here is basically related to solar system and the celestial bodies in mainly three languages i.e. Hindi, English and Bengali. The first timers would find the show quite interesting, especially for the ones who have not visited planetariums earlier.
Birla Industrial and Technological Museum:
This museum is a science museum concentrating basically on the spread and awareness of science through its various shows and architectural models. This place is most suited for people interested in science especially students and children. The popular events in the museum are the Taramandal shows and the 3D shows. Various scientific models are also depicted like the coal mine. The museum which is an initiative of National Council of Science Museums provides you all the adventure at very reasonable prices. This is must go for those who have interest in science and technology.
Science City:
When you want a place which is blend of both science gallery and the amusement park, then science city should be your first choice in the city. Science city which is unique in its theme has Space Odyssey which is the first Large Format Film Theatre in India. Some of the popular joints of the place are the Space Theatre, Time Machine, Dyna-motion, Dinosaurs complexes, Natural Science Park, etc. This place is mostly popular among children as it encourages innovation and awareness in the field of science. Apart from the science adventure, you have some nice parks and food joints to spend a relaxing day.
The Unique Mode of Commuting: The Pride of Kolkata
The Trams:
The trams in Kolkata are a unique mode of commuting in Kolkata which cannot be found in any other part of the country. This treasure heritage has its looks of that of an era of early 1900s. Not variedly used as the metro rail or local trains, the experience of travelling in tram is one of its own kinds. At some places in the city as in Esplanade, this is still one of the major modes of conveyance. The speed of trams is relatively slow as compared to other vehicles but it’s a joy ride. And the people of Kolkata take pride in its possession.
Kolkata Metro Rail:
Kolkata Metro Rail is considered yet another pride of Kolkata. For those who have already taken a ride in Delhi metro would find it a bit slower and older in architecture, but Kolkata was the first one to introduce underground metro in India. The metro rail covers almost all the densely populated areas of the city. For people who struggle through the traffic at peak hours of city, the metro rail has proved to be a big relief. This air-conditioned hassle free mode of commuting is still a charm even if you have experienced the Delhi Metro. The fare is also not too much hiked, the minimum fare being just 4 INR.
The Food:
Food is a specialty of Kolkata. There is nothing like the food of the city. From the sweet deserts of Rosogolla and Sondesh to the spicy Jhal Muri and fish curry, you get the taste of varied ranges. The Misti Doi (sweet curd) and the sweets are the most famous of Kolkata. You get the best fish curries over here with a variety of flavors. The street food are very much popularized in the city and among the famous ones are the rolls, pav bhaji, pani puri, etc.
The Shopping and Hangout Addas (as they call it):
Esplanade:
From the big showrooms to the cheap stuffs across the street, you get all that you want in Esplanade. Especially a favorite among women, this place attracts all kinds of shoppers from the one who wants to spend thousands to the ones who would just shell a few hundreds. Showrooms like Big Bazaar, Sree Leathers, Mochi, and A/c Markets which are some of the big brands for shopping can be easily found here. But the real thrill is shopping across the streets where you can bargain and buy stuffs for a cheaper price. A kurti for 150 INR, a hand purse for 60 INR, a hand bag for 150 INR are some of the nominal rates of this market. You also have some very good food outlets in and around the locality ranging from the street foods to restaurants.
Park Street:
Located in the heart of the city, you could find here lavish restaurants, big malls, street foods, good music centre, etc. Park Street is the most happening place in the evening. It is one of the busiest streets of Kolkata with the crowd of office goers as well as the people finding some good hangout places. You would find hotels like The Park and The Peerless Inn in one side of the road as well as the mouth-watering street food on the other side. So, people who love hanging around must visit this locality to get the essence of the city.
Image Souce: Wikipedia
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