The City of joy, Kolkata evolved as a result of the policies of the East
India Company to make it their political Capital under its rule. One of the
four metropolitan cities of India, it stands proud of the Howrah Bridge, the
largest bridge in India. This 300 years old city is the worlds most densely
populated metropolis, drenched with tradition and culture unique to its own.
The present capital of the state of West Bengal is the gateway to the
Eastern part of India. The capital city of India under the British Raj is
also referred to as the intellectual capital of India due to its association
with many great men and women, from Rabindranath Tagore to Mother Teresa,
from Satyajit Ray to Amartya Sen and from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to
Swami Vivekananda.
Climate
Kolkata is at its best during its short winter. The daily temperature
hovers around 27°C, and the markets are filled with fresh vegetables
and flowers. The arrival of the rains in late June brings relief to the high
humidity. October and November are quite pleasant and the best time to visit
the place.
Major Attractions
» Victoria Memorial - The Memorial is built of white
marble structure surrounded by lush green gardens. It is the most beautiful
monumental legacy of the British India constructed by Lord Curzon in the
early 20th century in the memory of Queen Elizabeth. Inaugurated by the
Prince of Wales in 1921, there are innumerable portraits and statues
signifying the legacy of the British Raj in India. Also seen inside are art
galleries, rare paintings, old armories, portraits and old documents.
» Kali Mandir - The temple dedicated to Kali, the
goddess of power and destruction, is also sometimes referred to as Kalighat.
This is from here that the old village Kalikata took its name. From the Kali
Mandir itself the present name Kolkata emerged.
» Zoological Garden - The Prince of Wales laid the
foundation of the Zoo in the year 1856 and it is considered one of the
oldest in India. Spread over 16 hectares, it is home to a large species of
animals and birds. Preserved within the garden are a lot of variety of
popular fauna from all over the country. The speciality are the tigers and
bears that are seen in natural habitats, a rich reptile house with varied
species of birds are to be found there. Facilities for undertaking research
work to study the behaviour of the animals are also done.
» Indian Botanical Garden - Situated on the west
bank of the Ganga and covering an area of 273 acres, the garden contains
around 12,000 living perennial plants and two million dried out plants
specimen in the herbarium collected all over the world. The Garden has
experimenting facilities on plants like Tea, Cinchona, Mahagony as well as
jute utilization and improvement of cotton , rubber, bamboo etc. Many exotic
gardens have been established from its findings specially the Palm house ,
the Orchid Gardens which are the prominent ones. The prime attraction is the
250-year-old banyan tree which is the pride of the garden.
» Writers Building - Built as a residence for the
clerical and administrative staff of the British East India Company, the
building at present houses the main state secretariat of the state Assembly.
Decorated with beautiful tall columns, the buildings has corridors designed
with ornate arches and the pavilions exuding a beauty of the British
architecture. The writers building is famous for the Corinthian facade and
is a landmark in the history of Kolkata.
The
magnificent Howrah Bridge stretches 450 meters in length and is an
example of splendid engineering technique. The Bridge, which took six
years to get completed is a marvel of the 20th century India. The Howrah
bridge built on the Hooghly river is a relief to 10,000 vehicles and
pedestrians who use the bridge regularly. The most striking thing is
that the bridge is built with out a single piers within the river.
North
India States
