Come, step into the corridors of Kolkata’s Charm
A walk along Chowringhee Road sets the pace as you set out to unravel
the rare beauty of this city. Across the road sweeps a huge, lush green, open parkland
called the Maidan, centering around Fort William, the massive and
impregnable British Citadel built in 1773. The fort is still in use and retains its
well-guarded grandeur. Visitors are allowed in with special permission only.
Along St. George’s Gate Road, on the southern fringe of the
Maidan, your sight is arrested by a splendid monument in white Makrana marble. Built in
Italian Renaissance cum Saracenic style, Victoria Memorial was planned by Lord
Curzon and opened by the Prince of Wales in 1921. This British attempt at building a
second Taj Mahal, is dedicated to Queen Victoria and houses a fantastic collection of rare
memorabilia from Colonial days. A light and sound show recreates history every evening.
The adjoining Race Course, built in 1819, is one of the best in
the east and is the scene of much gaiety, especially during the winter season.
Birla Planetarium : Only the second of its kind in the
commonwealth and similar to that in London. Regular astronomical shows are presented here
with commentaries in different languages. Shows are held on all days excluding Mondays.
Indian Museum : Built in 1875, it is an impressive building in
the Italian style of architecture. This is the largest museum in the country. The Museum
has six sections : Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Industry (Economic
Botany).
Nehru Children Museum : Collection of dolls
from all over the world. It is the house of puppets and dolls depicting
the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
Zoological Garden: The Zoo at Alipore has one of the first
collection of bird, animals and reptiles in India. The aquarium in front
of the zoo contains many rare species of fish.
Metro Railway: India’s first underground railway system linking
the north and the south of the city.
Nandan: A cultural complex with multiple film theatres and the
Satyajit Ray Film Archive. This is part of a larger cultural complex
housing a number of auditorium and exhibition centres, namely, Rabindra
Sadan, Sisir Mancha, Bangla Academy, Gaganendra Shilpa Pradarshashala.
Shahid Minar : The monument is situated on the
‘Maidan’ and was built in honour of Sir David Octerlony who fought the Nepalese
War (1812 – 1814) to victory. The 48.16 metre tall monument has been named Shahid
Minar since 9th August, 1969.
The mighty river Hooghly beckons at the northern end of the Maidan. At
the northern end of the Maidan, towards the river, is the Old British Government house now
called Raj Bhavan. Built in 1803, modelled on Lord Curzon’s home Keddleston
Hall, Derbyshire, England, this is now the official residence of the Governor of Bengal.
There are many rare works of art and other interesting items. Entry is restricted.
A walk across is the Town Hall, built in 1813, in
Doric style of architecture. It is now “Kolkata Panorama”, the first
high-tech story telling museum in the country.
Between the Town Hall and the Strand is the Kolkata
High Court, scene of legendary legal battles. Completed in 1872, the Gothic
architectural style was copied from the Staadhans at Ypres, Belgium. The tower measures 55
mts.
Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu) : A miracle of engineering skill,
the Howrah Bridge is a huge cantilever bridge supported by two piers 270 ft. high from the
road level. The span of the bridge between the piers is 1,500 ft while the total distance
between the two sheet anchors is 2,115 ft. There are eight vehicular ways and two
footpaths on the 71 ft. wide bridge.
Vidyasagar Setu : A second bridge on the river Hooghly is one of
the latest attractions of the city. It has a cable-stayed design in the lines of the
Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco.
But turn back to your trail of discovery. Dalhousie Square was
the administrative centre for British India. On one side is the General Post Office,
a majestic specimen of Edwardian architecture. It is built on the site of the original
Fort William. On the other side stands Writer’ Building, a massive Gothic
structure with lonic pillars – still the house of political power.
The dulcet whispers of history echo through the old mansions of Hindu
aristocrats in North Kolkata. One such old house, Tagore House, at Jorasanko, is
the birth place of Rabindranath Tagore, India’s greatest modern poet. Converted to
Rabindra Bharati University, it is now a centre for Indian Classical Fine Arts.
Marble Palace : Situated in an artistically laid-out garden, the
place is full of rare collection of antiques of immense artistic and historical value.
Wonderful curios, china and a couple of paintings by Rubens are only a few to mention of
the spectrum of attractions of the palace. The Marble Palace is situated on Muktaram Babu
Street, off Chittaranjan Avenue. Open on all days except Mondays and Thursdays.
National Library : Built in Italian Renaissance style, the
Belvedere was the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. The National
Library is now housed here. It is the largest library in India with a collection of more
than one million books. Open to scholars from 8 am to 8 pm.
Asiatic Society : On January 15, 1784, in a meeting at Fort
William of thirty leading European citizens of Calcutta, presided over
by the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Chambers of the Supreme Court, a
proposal of founding a Society for antiquities, arts, science and
literature of Asia was passed. Thus the Asiatic Society was born with
Warren Hastings as Patron and William Jones, as President. The
Institution, eventually grew into the leading centre of Indological
studies in the world. The Asiatic Society has been declared an
institution of National importance in its bicentenary year. The
Society’s collections of manuscripts, about 30,000, is an epitome of
India’s achievements in different spheres of learning.
Science City:
Situated in Eastern Bye-Pass, Park Circus connector. You would find a
space theatre, space flight, time machine, recreated jurassic Park
aviary and butterfly corner and much more at this expositions park.
Ticket : Rs. 15/-
Nicco Park: Nicco Park, situated in Salt
Lake. It is a family entertainment center for all ages. Here you enjoy
with Toy train, Paddle boats, Striking cars, Cable cars, Water coaster
and so many other rides.
Swabhumi: The heritage park on the E.M. Bypass across the Salt
Lake Stadium. Showcases the culture and heritage of India and is divided
into four zones – amphitheatre, shopping complex, the village artisans
and a food court offering cuisine from all over India.
The Missionaries of Charity is a new order formed in 1950 by Mother
Teresa. Their vow ‘to give wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the
poor’ was put into action with the setting up of several homes.
