Places To Visit In Kolkata
Kolkata is blessed with many sightseeing places that offer a unique experience to every visitor. The city has many interesting places to keep its visitors pleasantly engaged. From refreshing gardens, serene lakes, historical buildings, museums, libraries, sports stadiums to ancient temples and churches, there are umpteen number of places to visit in Kolkata.
Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge is considered to be the busiest bridge in the world and a fine example of 20th century engineering. A popular place to visit in Kolkata, Howrah Bridge stands over the Hooghly River. Around 705 meters long, this bridge connects Kolkata and Howrah.
It was built in 1874 on two 270 feet tall pillars, without the usage of nuts and bolts.
Victoria Memorial
Victoria Memorial is the sightseeing place that one cannot miss when in Kolkata. Built in the memory of Queen Victoria, this memorial was opened to the public in 1921. It was designed by the renowned architect of that period, William Emerson, who was the then President of British Institute of Architects. This place is undeniably one of the finest art museums in the country with a rich collection of paintings on royal Britis.
Indian Museum
Built in 1814, Indian Museum in Kolkata is considered to be the oldest museum of the country. Founded by Asiatic Society of Bengal in Kolkata, its founder curator was a botanist from Denmark, Dr. Nathaniel Wallich. It was opened to the public in 1878. With six main sections and over 60 galleries, this museum is the largest museum in the country. It also boasts of being the ninth oldest museum in the world. A wide collection of Mughal paintings, fossils, armour, mummies etc..
Dakshineswar kali Temple
Dedicated to Devi Bhavatarini, a form of Goddess Kali, Dakshineswar Kali Temple is a place that attracts hordes of devotees every day. Built in 1847 by the Queen of Janbazar, Rani Rashmoni, this temple stands on the banks of River Hooghly. There is both spiritual as well as socio- political significance attached to the history of the temple. When it comes to talking about the architecture, the temple structure was built in traditional ‘nav- ratna’ .
Kolkata Race Course
Many of the horse races are conducted during public holidays and over weekends; however the best time to visit this place is during the months of September to March.The race course is maintained by the Royal Calcutta Turf Club.The polo ground located adjacent to the race course is said to be the best in India. When there are no horse races organized, the elites of the city settle for polo matches organised by the Royal Calcutta Turf Club.
Eden Gardens
With a seating capacity of 68,000, it has undergone many improvements since its construction. The first ever first- class match that was hosted in this stadium was in 1917-18. The first test match in Eden gardens was played in 1934 while the first ODI match was played in 1987. It is indeed a place worth visiting in Kolkata.It is not only the largest cricket stadium in India but the second largest in the world, second to the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.
Kali Ghat
Out of the 51 Shakti Peeths, Kalighat Temple of Kolkata is considered to be one of the most important. It was earlier a ghat on the old course of River Hooghly, which also led to the name of the city. Kalighat is believed to be the place where Goddess Sati’s right foot toes fell off from her burnt body during Lord Shiva's Rudra Tandava.There is mention of Kalighat temple in 15th and 17th century literature too.The temple premises houses a couple of smaller temples, one dedicatede to Shiv called as Nakuleshwar Mahadev Temple ..
Alipore Zoological Gardens
The set up of the zoological garden was successful in 1875, after 3 failed attempts, in 1842, 1867 and 1873 respectively. The very first collections of the zoological garden.The zoological garden is home to around 1266 animals, that are a mix of primates, herbivores and carnivores belonging to 108 different species. Among the avian population, there are exotic pheasants, cockatoos, macaws, storks, and few endangered species like Spoonbill.
National Library
The largest library in India, National Library is an important place to visit in Kolkata. Built with the prime objective to preserve, collect and distribute literary material. This library is now managed by the Dept. of Culture, Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Government of India. Its rich collection consists of books in almost all the prominent languages of the country, varying from Telugu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu and many more. The library also has a separate section for children.
Belur Math
Belur Math, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Mission is a temple for seekers of spiritual fulfilment and makes it a must visit destination as it follows a non- sectarian and spiritual approach .The Math was conceptualized and founded by the chief disciple of Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda during the 20th century. The ideology behind setting up such an institution was ‘selfless service of God in man’. It was Swami Vijnanananda, who designed the Belur Math temple.
Jorasanko Thakurbari
The Thakur Bari, which literally means, ‘House of Tagores’ has now been converted into Rabindra Bharati University and serves as a centre for Indian Classical Fine Arts and quality education. A portion of the building was converted into a museum in 1961 and is called Rabindra Bharati Museum. It exhibits the life and stories of all members of the Tagore family. It is a palatial ‘red brick’ mansion. It just Rabindranath Tagore who was a person of importance in the house.
Birla planetarium
one of the unique features of Birla Planetarium of Kolkata is that there are live lectures during the shows, which helps visitors to gain additional information, mostly trivial, thus giving them an opportunity to interact with industry experts. one of the reasons for the popularity of Birla Planetarium is also because of its location within the vicinity of Maidan area and being in close proximity of the Victoria Memorial and St. Paul’s Cathedral, two most iconic structures of Kolkata.
Science City
Science City in Kolkata, being the largest science centre in the entire Indian subcontinent, is one of the major attractions and is a must visit as it offers one of a kind experience for the visitors. The Science City is a perfect place to experience the blend between Science and Entertainment. It was opened in 1997. The centre which is equally famous among domestic as well as international tourists has a dedicated section for aquatic worlds that houses some of the most exotic fish and insects.
Nicco Park
The Nicco Park is also certified green park and keeping with the green theme, there is a greenhouse with a variety of plants grown and sold by the Indo-American Hybrid Seeds Limited, an organization which also runs the greenhouse. The conception of the idea of an amusement park was made by Rajive Kaul, who is the Chairman of Nicco Group, during the 300th anniversary of the founding of Kolkata.
St. Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul’s Cathedral is a historical building with religious significance. The foundation to this building was laid out in 1839 while its construction was completed after 8 years. Designed by Major William Nairn Forbes, the building of the cathedral was built in Indo-Gothic architectural style. However, due to natural calamities, it was destroyed twice. Later in 1934, St. Paul’s Cathedral was again constructed with an architectural resemblance to Bell Harry Tower of Canterbury Cathedral.
Others Must visit Places
Marble Palace
Birla Mandir
Eco park
Aquatica Water Park
Shaheed Minar
