| The
largest metropolis in India, Calcutta is a vibrant city on the move, volatile
and unpredictable. The Gateway to India, till 1912, and the capital of
the Raj in India, it still bears the Victorian imprint on its streets
and structures. A city just about ready to burst at the seams, Calcutta
is home to more than 10 million people. It is the commercial nerve-centre
of the East, with major industrial plants, textile mills and corporate
units. Regal edifices, grubby alleys, bustling bazaars, elegant hotels,
people from all walks of life - Calcutta has it all.
The city is a
hub of fervent activity in the realms of music, theatre, arts, and sports.
Calcutta has always prided itself on the many luminaries it has sent
forth, be it Tagore, Satyajit Ray, or Mrinal Sen. The intense dedication
to the arts manifests itself in a plethora of festivals, dance, music
performances and other cultural events. The Calcuttans are also famous
for their all-consuming passion for sports, especially, football and
cricket.
Calcutta is a
city of baffling paradoxes, a city that leaves its stamp on one's mind
... forever.
What
to See
As
one enters the city of Calcutta, the impressive Howrah Bridge across
the Hooghly river, a huge cantilever structure, supported by two 270
feet high piers, greets the eye. Forming the green heart of the city
is the great stretch of lawns called the Maidan, fringed on one side
by the river, and on the other by an elegant boulevard, the Chowringhee.
The Maidan is the venue for an assortment of events, ranging from football
matches to political rallies. The grounds are also aptly, referred to
as the 'lungs of the city.'
Surrounding the
lawns are a number of famous landmarks. At the southern end is the Victoria
Memorial, an imposing white marble edifice, a museum housing the relics
of the British Empire . The Memorial which took 15 years to build, also
has an Art Gallery within. At the northern end is the Ochterlony Monument,
a 48 metre high column , now known as the Shahid Minar. Just adjacent
to it, are the Eden Gardens, with a picturesque lake and a quaint Burmese
pagoda. The world - renown Eden Gardens Stadium is also located in this
area. The Birla Planetarium, one of the largest in the world, is placed
at the southern end of the vast Maidan, alongwith the Zoological Gardens.
The many museums
in the city, pay testimony to the cultural richness of India's heritage.
The Indian Museum, one of the largest of its kind in India, housing
relics of ancient civilizations,and an art gallery is located in Chowringhee.The
Academy of Fine Arts, Nehru Childrens Museum, Netaji Museum, Birla Academy
of Art and Culture, Birla Industrial and Technological Museum, Rabindra
Bharati Museum and the Ashutosh Museum of Indian Art are some of the
museums that contain invaluable and rare objects d' art.
Calcutta also
has shrines and sites of worship belonging to all faiths. The Armenian
Church (1650), at Brabourne Road, is one of the oldest churches in the
city. The massive Nakhoda Mosque or Rabindra Sarani, modelled after
Akbar's mausoleum in Sikandra, is said to accomodate 10,000 people at
a time. 10 kms from the city is Belur Math, the headquarters of the
Ramakrishna Mission which propagates the neo-Vedantic movement. It has
been built to resemble a temple, a church and mosque.
Around
Calcutta
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.
185 km south
east of Calcutta is Digha, a popular beach resort with a 6 km long beach,
said to be one of the widest in the world. The other popular beach resort
of West Bengal, Bakkhali, lies 132 km from the city. 48 km south of
Calcutta is the beautiful Diamond Harbour, at the mouth of the Hooghly,
an ideal picnic spot. 12 km from the city centre, on the banks of the
Ganga, is the magnificent Dakshineswar Temple, dedicated to Goddess
Kali . 136 km from the city is the one - of - its - kind university
of Shantiniketan, the brainchild of the revered Rabindranath Tagore.
Started as an experimental open air classroom, this university has emerged
as a universal centre of knowledge and academic excellence, for students
and scholars alike.
Festivals
The
one event that all of Calcutta anticipates, with a great deal of zest,
is the Durga Puja (in the month of October) - when the city seems to
don a brilliant garb of vitality and festivity, an atmosphere of bonhomie,
that carries on through Christmas and the New Year. During the 10 day
Pooja, the Goddess Durga is worshipped, her statuesque images are created,
and millions of pandals all over the city come alive to the thunderous
and rousing beat of drums. Basant Utsav, Saraswati Pooja and Holi are
the other festivals that are celebrated with fervour.
How
to Get There
Calcutta
is a major railhead and is well - connected to the rest of the country.
An international
airport, Calcutta is connected to most parts of the world by several
major airlines as well as Air India. Within India, the Indian Airlines
and other domestic airlines link the city with other major cities in
the country.
Where
to Stay
Calcutta
has elegant hotels in the five star deluxe, four star, three star ranges
and also in the economy range. Udyachal, a tourist hotel run by West
Bengal Tourism, offers satisfactory accomodation.
Contact
Government
of India Tourist Office, 'Embassy', 4 Shakespeare Sarani, Calcutta 700071.
Tel:
242-1402, 242-5813
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