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KOLKATA ATTRACTIONS |
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| CITY ATTRACTIONS |
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| KOLKATA EXCURSIONS |
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| RELIGIOUS PLACES |
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KOLKATA CITY ATTRACTIONS |
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| Victoria Memorial |
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A splendid example of British architecture, this building in white marble was built in memory of Queen Victoria and was inaugurated by Prince of Wales in 1921. The project was commissioned by Lord Curzon (infamous for his partition of Bengal) in 1906. The architect was Sir William Emerson. It is based on architecture of the Taj Mahal. Its foundation stone was tapped into place by George V on his princely excursion to Kolkata (Calcutta) in 1906. The monument was finally completed in 1921. Built with white marble from Markana, Rajasthan, it is probably the most graceful structure in Calcutta. Today it’s a museum having various Queen Victoria memorabilia, Raj paintings and other displays.
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| Fort William |
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To consolidate their hold on Bengal and avoid any further attack on the trade establishments the British had built a fort which cost them an awesome 2 million pounds in those days. With the permission of the Nawab of Bengal, this fort was built between 1696 and 1702 by the British East India Company and named after King William III of England. In 1756 the fort was taken by the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-dullah. In 1757 East India Company regained their power and demolished this fort and they started reconstruction of the fort. The new fort was completed in 1773. The forest around this fort was cleared to give a clear shot to the cannons. Strangely enough not a single shot has been fired from the fort. Today the fort stands as the reminder of first steps of British towards establishment of the Indian empire. |
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| Science City |
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Asia’s only venture of the kind, the Science City of Kolkata (Calcutta) stands at the intersection of the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and the Park Circus Connector. Here science and technology have been put to ingenious use to explain scientific principles. Natural phenomena such as earthquakes, quicksand and tornadoes have been simulated. Life size models of dinosaurs and a representation of the interior of a volcano are some of the many displays intended to create a scientific interest in the mind of the layman. There is also a large collection of live birds and insects. Other popular sections deal with travel through time and outer space. The Time Machine transports visitors across aeons, simulating past and future with sights and sounds. The main attraction is the Space Theatre - a circular auditorium with a dome-shaped ceiling which, from the interior, looks like an inverted bowl. Projections are cast on the dome by the novel Astrovision technology for a larger-than-life experience. The audience travels vicariously into the mysteries of space, into the darkness of some remote forest or into the blue oceanic depths. There is a toy train, a ropeway and a playground for children, complete with swings, jungle gyms, etc. A major attraction is the musical fountain, where coloured jets of water dance to the sound of music. The Science City also houses an auditorium. |
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| Marble Palace |
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Marble palace of Kolkata, India is a must visit tourist attraction spot. Built in the year 1835 by Rajendra Mallick, it is an exquisite art gallery. Marble palace houses the marvelous objects of art, sculptures, pictures & oil paintings. Its major highlight includes the Reuben's masterpieces. You can also find the original paintings of Rembrandt, Reynolds and Van Goyen etc. Calcutta marble palace is the one of its kinds and consists of exquisite pieces of art. It also has a zoo, where you can find different kinds of birds and animals. Infact, it has a rare collection of birds. |
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| Birla Planetarium |
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One of the earliest Planetariums in India. The only planetarium in the country, whose dome houses a collection of projectors and optical equipments expensively imported from East Germany. It is the largest planetarium in South-East Asia and the second largest planetarium in the world. It was opened in 1961 and the cost of completion came to about 2 crores. The capacity of the auditorium is 500. There are daily shows in different languages. Inside the planetarium you can relax and gaze at the stars which are better seen here than in the polluted atmosphere out side. The planetarium gives complete information about the Universe and our solar systems. The models and the pictures kept here are special attraction for the children. |
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| Digha |
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It the nearest sea beach from Kolkata (Calcutta). Beach-on-the-bay of West Bengal, Digha, has the whispery, languid, soft-focus, charm which is so graciously bengali; sighing casuarinas, ponies nodding on the beach, prolonged meals in the flavoursome sweet-&-salt idiom of the state and timeless days and nights of nothing to do but unwind and find yourself. The placid sea waters make it a haven for bathing. Embraced by Casuarina groves, it is a fine getaway from the maddening crowd. This very wide beach of clean sand is unusual in its view of unhindered openness. The beauty of this place was discovered as early as the days of Warren Hastings. Today’s Digha was known as Beercool at that time. The sea at Digha is calm and shallow for about a mile from the beach making it quite safe for swimming. Digha is very close to Orissa border. The seven kilometer long beach is being developed as the “Brighton of the East”. Digha has every thing which a sea loving traveler will require - good surf and sand. Just eight kilometer from Digha is the Chandaneshwar Siva Temple across the border in Orissa. Digha is 185 kms from Kolkata (Calcutta). It takes a six hour bus journey to reach this place |
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| Botanical Garden - Shibpur |
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Located 8 kms from Calcutta on the west bank of Ganga are the famous Botanical Gardens.The highlight of the Gardens is the 200 year old banyan tree, said to be the largest in the world.The tree is 26 metres high with a circumference of approximately 900 feet. The world's largest estuarine forest in the world, the Sunderbans, the habitat of the Royal Bengal Tiger, which also houses the estuarine crocodile, wild boar and several varieties of birds and snakes, is within easy reach of Calcutta. This famous Project Tiger Reserve can be approached only via the waterways. |
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| Belur Math |
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The Ramkrishna mission established by Swami Vivekanand has its head Quarters here at Belur Math. The math was established in 1899. The Indian Philosopher Ramkrishna who preached unity among all the religions died in 1897 and his follower Swami Vivekanand (1863-1902) established the mission in 1938 to preach the teachings of his Guru. The mission was named after his mentor Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886). |
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| Darjeeling |
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Given its exotic geographical location, the origins of Darjeeling has to do with more than just a mundane thing like tea. Darjeeling the Queen of the Hills has the highest Race Course in the World. Darjeeling the Dream Land of the East, it has been a popular hill station since the British period. The tourist flow to this place has been increasing day by day. Due to the proximity with three international borders, this place is strategically very important.
Darjeeling is surrounded by lofty mountains. Except for the monsoon months and if weather is clear then the Kanchenjunga peak can be seen. Down below in the valley flow the rivers swollen by rain water or melting snow. Darjeeling is a fascinating place rich in natural beauty and surrounded by the Buddhist monasteries. Its beauty surpasses any other hill station.
Darjeeling has some of the lovely tea plantations (estates) in the country. One can visit these plantations and watch tea being processed. Darjeeling is a place where one feels as if being in the lap of mother nature. Due to the vast and abundance of natural splendor, Darjeeling is called Queen of Hill Stations. Darjeeling is also a trekkers paradise and the Gorkha hill council has provided ample trekking facilities for the adventure loving people. Situated at an altitude of 2590 m (8,482 ft) and 11 km from the town, the Tiger Hill has earned international fame for the fabulous view of the Sunrise over “Kanchenjunga” and the great Eastern Himalayan peaks that can be seen from here. On a clear day even Mt. Everest is visible. The golden glow of the rising Sun changes the colour of the snow capped peaks to crimson, pink and shining gold as one watches from the observation desk. |
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| Sundarban Wildlife Sanctuary |
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For six thousand years the rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra, carrying millions of tonnes of silt, gifted the world this unique mosaic of 54 islands. In the early 16th century the Ganga changed its course eastwards; taking with it the fresh-water flow. The western Sundarbans became vulnerable to the back-lash of the Bay of Bengal, coverting the rivers of this area into a labyrinth of tidal channels and creeks. The mangrove eco-system is an aquaterrestrial system where food chains of both land and water are interlinked. Tigers (Royal Bengal Tigers) are the biggest predators of the Sundarbans, occupying the foodweb pinnacle of both the aquatic as well as terrestrial eco-systems. The cat fish, predatean scally fish are preferred food for Crocodiles and Water Monitors (salvator lizard) and palatable food for tigers. Tigers also feed on fish, crabs and turtles, apart from it major terrestrial prey animals like wild boar, spotted deer and monkeys. Thus, the preservation of tigers in the Sundarbans could take care of the entire gamut of plant and animal life of both the forests as well as the creeks.
The pristine beauty of nature is made alive by the variety of the flora and fauna. It is one of the world's prized wetlands.
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RELIGIOUS PLACES IN KOLKATA |
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| Kalighat Temple |
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The Kalighat Temple is one of the pithasthans of Hindus in India. The legend says that the little toe of Sati, wife of Lord Shiva, fell in this place. Since then it has been an important pilgrimage site. But the temple is dedicated to the destructive side of Shiva which takes the form of Kali. She requires sacrifice daily to satisfy her blood lust so every morning goats are sacrifices on the alter of the temple. The present Kali temple was built in 1809 by the Subarna Roychowdhury family on the site of an ancient temple. It is also known as the Kalighat temple. |
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| St. Paul's Cathedral |
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St. Paul's Cathedral in Kolkata is one of the most important religious places of Kolkata. The church took a much longer time to be completed. After about 8 years of construction the building was finally finished in 1847. The building architecture of St. Paul's Cathedral in Kolkata was magnificently designed by Major William Nairn Forbes. He took the assistance of another architect named CK Robinson. The architecture is unique in its style. People who come all across the globe and have a glance of the church get astonished at its beauty.
The tower and spire of St. Paul's Cathedral in Kolkata are mostly the results of the inspiration that the architects got from the Norwich Cathedral. Unfortunately there was a massive earthquake in 1934. The calamity affected the then Kolkata very mercilessly. St. Paul's Cathedral of Kolkata was no exception to the others. It could not resist the tremor and its tower got crashed. However, the tower could be rebuilt following the lines of Bell Harry at Canterbury.
St. Paul's Cathedral in Kolkata is very well maintained. The premise is a serene and peaceful one. The Cathedral has no prejudice regarding religion or caste and is meant for people of all religious belief. Service is held here in regular basis. The Church takes a festive look during the Christmas. People in Kolkata gather here in large numbers to experience the joy and happiness. The field surrounding the cathedral is also a beauty. Its southern part has one-story building, which is often used for marriage ceremonies. This is undoubtedly a way of collecting funds for the maintenance of the premises. |
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| Birla Mandir |
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Located adjacent to the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club, not far from Gariahat market, it is one of the latest addition to the city’s list of tourist spots. It took 26 years and 180 million rupees to build. The gates were opened to the public in 1996. Sandstone has been used on the exterior of the temple, and marble for the interiors. Traditional artistry, coupled with modern technology, has lent uniqueness to the architecture. Sculptors were brought in from Agra, Mirzapur and Muzaffarpur to execute the intricate patterns on the walls. There are artefacts made of silver and Belgian glass. Messages from the Bhagavad Gita have been carved on marble. Inside this 48.7m high temple are idols of Radha, Krishna, Shiva and Durga. |
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| Parasnath Jain Temple |
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Pareshnath Jain Temple is located in the north-east of Kolkata. The temple is decorated with mirrors, colored stones and mosaics made of glass. It has a beautiful garden around it. It has blocks of glass mosaics and European statues, painted with silver paint.
Construction of the Pareshnath Jain Temple of Kolkata was done by Ray Badridas Bahadur in 1867. The aesthetic beauty and serenity attracts tourists from all across the globe. Thousands of tourists as well as the people of Kolkata visit this holy place in search of peace.
Pareshnath Jain Temple of Kolkata is actually a complex of 4 temples. The main shrine is dedicated to the 10th Jain Avtaar (incarnation of God) Sri Sital Nath Ji. The temple gateway is really worth seeing. There you can see a small stream having on its sides a wide variety of flowers which gives you a heavenly feel. In the north, Pareshnath Jain Temple of Kolkata has got the greeting room and a museum. If you want to reach the veranda of the temple you will have to climb 13 marble stairs. Another notable feature of Pareshnath Jain Temple in Kolkata is a lamp which burns with ghee and never extinguishes. To the south of the temple of Sri Sitala Nath Ji, is the temple of Sri Chanda Prabhujidev. It was constructed by Ganeshlal Kapoorchand Jahar in 1895. You can find still another temple towards your right in which Dadaji Garu and Kushalji Maharaj are worshiped. The fourth temple to the north, is dedicated to Mahavira. The temple celebrates Paryushan in Bhadrav month that is in between 16 August and 15 September. Jains believe in ahimsa or peace and are committed to charitable deeds.
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| Dakshineswar Temple |
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The famous Dakhineshwar Temple, located in Dakhineshwar was built in 1847 and completed in 1855 by Rani Rashmoni (1793-1861). This temple is associated with one of India’s greatest religious philososphers - Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (Gadadhar Chattopadhyay - 1836-1886). It is where he attained his enlightenment. The main temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali. The main temple is called the Navaratna Temple. Here there is a silver lotus with a thousand petals. The Kali temple is surrounded by 12 other temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Panchavati, a congregation of five ancient trees, is a spot for peaceful meditation. |
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