The entire tourism industry is saying 'Look East' and what better place to visit than the 'City of Joy' Calcutta or modern man's Kolkata. A city which has something to offer to everyone from history to rich literature, music and most importantly an everlasting joyous environment. The erstwhile capital of British India Kolkata was once regarded as the ' Jewel of the East'The modern day Kolkata is city fast changing metropolis but unlike other mega cities the old and the new have a symbiotic coexistence here. From Victoria Memorial to the river bank across Hoogly, Kolkata is a travellers delight. The ever romantic ride in a tram leaves a mesmerising impression on the mind of any visitor to the city. Some of the must visit spots in the city are:
Victoria Memorial
Victoria Memorial is perhaps the most renowned landmark of the city, a monument people in the city swear by. This magnificent structure was designed by Sir William Emerson in 1921. Victoria Memorial is regarded as one of the finest art museums in the world.
Birla Planetarium
The second largest planetarium in India the Birla Planetarium Kolkata was built in 1962. It is the centre of the space science, technology and communication. Astronomical shows are a must see here providing information about the solar system, galaxies, space, planets, life span of stars.
Nicco Park
Kolkata's own version of the Disneyland this amusement park provides a modern touch to the classical city. Situated in the northern part of the city it attract lots of youngsters everyday . One of the biggest attractions in this amusement park is the River Cave Ride.
Fort William
Situated at the banks of the river Hoogli it is named after King William III of England. It was established during the tenure of British Raj in 1696. It has served as the seat of military power from the time of the British Raj and is currently the headquarters of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army.
National Library
The largest library in the country it is situated in a 30 acre estate. It was established in the year 1836 and houses a collection of more than 1000000 books making it one of the largest libraries in the world. The library is currently digitising most of its rare books and journals.
Howrah Bridge
A rare cantilever bridge on the river Hoogli in 1874 after which even a movie is named. Considered to be one of the busiest bridges in the world it connects Howrah to Kolkata. Rechristened as Rabindra Setu the 270 feet high bridge sees more than a hundred thousand vehicles pass under it everyday.
Hospitality
Kolkata has hotels and restaurants for every pocket. The city has some of the best hotels in Eastern India including Taj Bengal, Hayat Regency, Oberoi, Grand, Lytton and Hindustan International. Other than these there are hundreds of budget hotel and lodges around the city catering to thousands of people arriving at this magnificent city everyday.
Kolkata is a place to eat and Bengalis take pride in their cuisine. The taste here varies from a variety of fish curries to the rosogolla, sandesh and sweet curd. The city also has great eateries like Kewpie's Kitchen, Tung Fong, Arsalan, and Tamarind which serve mouth watering dishes. A must visit would be Aminia and Shiraz famous for their biriyani. The street food in Kolkata can be just defined a awesome.
Aviation
Kolkata is connected via flight from all major hubs in India and the world. The Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport serves as a major transit point to the countries in far east. It is located 17kms from the central business district of the city. It connects Kolkata to 26 destinations in the domestic sector and 14 international destinations.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is carrying a major face-lift of the airport and building a fourth terminal in it. The modernisation plan also include the lengthening of the runways for bigger jets like Airbus A380 to land at the airport. Recently the airport has been linked by a suburban railway system connecting it to major parts of the city. The airport currently has a capacity to handle 350 flights per day.
Some of the surrounding tourist destinations around Kolkata are Bandel, Sreerampur, Dakshineswar Kali Bari and Chandannagar. Kolkata today is fast changing but the fact remains the 'City of Joy' still has something to offer to everyone.
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