explore kolkata places - food - budget hotels
TRANSCRIPT
Kolkata-At a glance
1. Best Time To Visit: October to March
2. Official Language: Bengali
3. Languages Spoken: Bengali, Hindi, English
4. Climate: Tropical
5. Main Attractions: Victoria Memorial, Howrah
Bridge, Fort William, Indian Museum, Nicco
Park
#1 Victoria Memorial
Located by the banks of Hooghly
river on the Jawaharlal Nehru
Road, the Victoria Memorial is a
museum and a renowned tourist
spot. A classic example of the
imperial architecture, this building
is dedicated to the memory of
Queen Victoria. This marble
facade has two galleries namely
the Royal Gallery and the Calcutta
Gallery. Beautiful Gardens
covering an area of 64 acres of
land surrounds the memorial and
imparts a picturesque sight.
Tip: Watch out for the art
exhibitions that take place in the
memorial.
#2 Howrah BridgeHowrah Bridge is a cantilever
bridge with a suspended span over
the Hooghly River. It has 8 lanes on
which round the clock traffic and
numerous pedestrians commute
everyday making it easily the
busiest cantilever bridge in the
world. It is 705 meters long -
making it the sixth longest bridge in
its category. Howrah Bridge has
stood the test of time and has
emerged as the identity of Kolkata.
Featured in numerous movies,
Howrah Bridge is a symbol of
cultural richness of Kolkata.
Tip: Visit the Howrah Bridge in the
early morning hours to absorb the
serenity of the River Hooghly and to
avoid the traffic rush.
#3 Fort William
Fort William is a fort built by
the Britishers on the eastern
banks of River Hooghly. There
are two Fort Williams: Old and
New. The fort is a brick and
mortar construction in shape
of an irregular octagon with an
area of 5 square kilometers.
The headquarters of the
Eastern Command of the
Indian Army is based at Fort
William. Civilian entry to the
fort is restricted. It can
accommodate 10,000 army
personals.
#4 Indian Museum
The Indian Museum is the
largest and the oldest museum
of India. Located in
Chowringhee, this multifarious
museum has six sections
comprising thirty five galleries
of cultural and scientific
artifacts. It has rare collections
of antiques, armour and
ornaments, fossils, skeletons,
mummies, and Mughals
paintings.
#5 Nicco Park
Nicco Park is an amusement
park located in the Salk Late City,
Kolkata. It is spread over an area
of 40 acres and is referred to as
the Disney Land of West Bengal.
It is a joint venture of the state
government with Nicco Group.
The park provides Educational
recreation along with thirty five
thrilling rides. The rides include
Toy Train, Tilt-a-Whirl, Magic
Carpet, Paddle Boat, Water
Chute, Water Coaster, Flying
Saucer, Pirate Ship, River Caves,
Cyclone and Moonraker.
Eco Tourism ParkEco Tourism Park (also called
the Prakriti Tirtha) is an urban
park located in New Town in
Rajarhat, Kolkata. It is spread
over an area of 480 acres. It is
divided into three zones or areas:
ecological zones like (wetlands,
grasslands, and urban forest),
theme gardens and open spaces
and urban recreational spaces.
The proposed plan will have
different areas like wild flower
meadows, a bamboo garden,
grasslands, tropical tree garden,
bonsai garden, tea garden,
Cactus Walk, a heliconia garden,
a butterfly garden, a play area
and an amphitheatre.
Kali Temple
There are two prominent Kali
Temples in Kolkata, one at
Kalighat and another at
Dakshineswar. The Kalighat
Kali Temple is one of the 51
Shakti Peethas of India. The
present temple is 200 years old
but it is referred to in historical
texts of 15th century as well.
The idol of Goddess Kali is
unique. The Dakshineswar Kali
temple is comparatively new as
it was built in circa 1855. It is
located on the eastern bank of
River Hooghly. Both the
temples are revered by the
devotees.
Birla Temple
Birla Temple is a Hindu
temple on Asutosh Chowdhury
Avenue, Ballygunge, built by
the industrialist Birla family.
The main temple houses the
idols of deities Radha and
Krishna. The left side has an
idol of Goddess Durga while
right side houses an idol of
Lord Shiva. The temple is
spread over an area of 44
Kathas of land and is built with
white marble.
Tip: Visit this temple on the
occasion of Janmashtami for
cultural delight as huge
celebrations takes place on
that day.
Durga Puja
Durga Puja is an annual Hindu
festival which is a mega event in
Kolkata. The festival continues for
five days starting on the sixth day of
Ashwina shukla paksha and
culminates on the tenth day of
Ashwina Shukla paksha
(September-October). The
atmosphere is electric during this
time of the year as the city is
subdued in prayers and
celebrations. People put on their
new clothes and visit the pandals
for prayers. Delicious food is served
in these pandals. Everyone, from
the young to the old is involved in
the celebrations.
Puchka and Churmur
Puchka and Churmur are the
trademark street foods of Bengal.
Puchka is panipuri filled with mashed
potato and cooked peas and served
with tamarind water which imparts the
tangy flavor to it. Churmur is in the
form of chaat where the ingredients are
mashed together and served. The
Bengalis relish these delicacies and so
do most of the tourists. These are
readily available at every nook and
corner of the streets of Kolkata
Telebhaja
Telebhaja is a street food of
Bengal and is relished all over.
Different vegetables like onion,
brinjal, potatoes, etc are mixed
with gram flour batter and deep
fried in mustard oil. These are
usually served with green chillies
and chutney or sauce. It is a
staple snack of Kolkata and a trip
to the city is incomplete without
tasting this mouth watering
snack.
Dimer Devil
These are made with half hard
boiled eggs, wrapped with
potato mixture, dipped in batter,
coated with bread crumbs and
then deep fried. It is a street
food which is easily available at
snack outlets. It is an extension
to the famous telebhaja. A
snack worth tasting if you are in
Kolkata.
Shopping Street Kolkata has many of street
markets, some of them are:
• Chowringhee Road:
Pavement vendors
Chowringhee Road from
Park Street to New
Market, selling just about
everything under the sun.
• College Street: Known
for its book market.
• Gariahat Road: Famous
for its textile outlets.
• Swabhumi: A perfect
place to buy a momento
to take home
New Market
The name is a misnomer as
it is one of the oldest market
of Kolkata. Also known as
Hogg Market, it is a street
market where you can get
almost anything. From
designer clothes to
electronic gadgets, the
outlets in the labyrinth street
of New Market has every
conceivable item you may
desire. The products
available here are cheap
and affordable and are
subject to bargaining.
Tip: New Market is open till
2:30 pm on Saturdays and is
closed on Sundays.
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