Kolkata - City of Buildings OR City of Castles

The cultural nucleus of India, Kolkata - earlier called Calcutta – was the former capital of the British India. In 1698, the British East India Company purchased three villages - Kalikata, Sutanuti and Gobindapur from the Barisha Jamindars (landlords) and these villages eventually went on to become the modern Kolkata.

Much of Kolkata's most enduring developments occurred between 1780 and 1820. Afterwards, in the 19th Century, Bengal became the core of India's freedom movement, and this was precisely why New Delhi was made India’s capital in 1911.

The modern Kolkata is a charming and interesting city. It’s warm and friendly and embraces even the outsiders with open arms. Lately, it has emerged as a lively and tourist friendly destination, like the rest of West Bengal. Actually, no visit to India is believed to be complete without a tour to Kolkata.

Courtesy its great cultural roots and social background, the city has produced a number of great personalities, including Rabindra Nath Tagore. The city shot into limelight when the internationally acclaimed writer Dominique Lapierre wrote a book on it titled "The City of Joy". Later, a film was made on this book which further added to the popularity of the city.

Kolkata Tourist Attractions

Kolkata has a number of lovely tourist attractions which much inspire the visitors. From ancient monuments to architectural marvels left by the British, from sumptuous food to thriving bazaars, from cultural hotspots to spiritual centres, Kolkata has all. In fact, the entire city is dotted with amazing tourist attractions, such as the ‘Howrah Bridge’, ‘Victoria Memorial’ and ‘Writers Building’ and many visitors sometimes are left wondering as to how to really explore all of them on one visit.

When to Visit

A visit to the city is recommended especially during the time of Durga Puja. At that time the entire city; in fact, the whole of West Bengal, look stunningly beautiful and well decorated. Beautiful idols of the goddess, in all shapes and sizes, adorn the thousands of colorful pandals which could be seen all over the city and beyond. People attired especially for the spiritual occasion in colorful dhotis, kurtas, lehengas, and sarees visit the many pandals and pay their obeisance to the goddess who is the leading deity for the Bengalis.

Those who love the rains and can withstand waters everywhere may well visit the city during the monsoons to enjoy is many attractions and wonders in a ‘different’ way. The rain washed streets, lanes, monuments and architectural wonders of the city look sparklingly clean and dazzling even while umbrella holding women and men of the great city, dozing rains and constant pelting of waters, go about their daily routine in a normal way.