From the execution of Mangal Pandey in suburban Barrackpore
to the Direct Action Day riots of 1946, Calcutta, now Kolkata, has many stories
to tell. It is a city seeped in history, where the old and the new, the past
and the present, come together in unexpected ways and create a vibrant culture
that manifests itself in the city’s many passions— theatre, art, politics,
football and food.
The City: Then and Now
The history of Calcutta began when Job Charnock, an official
of the East India Company, arrived at the small fishing villages of
Sutanuti, Kalikata and Gobindapur in 1690, and convinced the Company to start
building its trading base in Bengal. Thereafter the city, then no more than a
cluster of fishing villages, grew in leaps and bounds till it was made the
capital of the British Empire. During India’s struggle for independence,
Calcutta came to the forefront as the epicenter of anti-British activities.
Today, Kolkata is home to over 4.5 million people, and is
often called the ‘cultural capital’ of the country. Deftly straddling its
colonial heritage with its new, growing economy, Kolkata is a city that defies
definitions and yet, entices Passionate tourists from all over the world.
The tram, a
relic of Kolkata’s colonial past, is now the only
public tram system in the country.
Photo courtesy : Google
Things to Do While You’re Here
To really get a ‘feel’ of the city —and trust me, this
city is all about feeling—don’t leave before you:
Do: No trip to Kolkata is complete without a visit to
the city’s epitome of colonial heritage: the Victoria Memorial, an
architectural marvel built in Queen Victoria’s name. Don’t forget to see the
incredible museum inside.
If you’re looking for romance, enjoy a sunset cruise on
the Hooghly River, under the iconic Howrah Bridge a la
Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore in Amar Prem.
Set aside a day to explore the outskirts of the city, from a
trip to Barrackpore to see the Mangal Pandey Park to a
visit to the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, built on the banks of
the Ganga.
Photo courtesy : Google.
For lesser-known treasures in Kolkata, take a trip to the
Armenian Church in the Old China Bazaar, or to Bow Barracks, a narrow lane that
houses one of the oldest communities of Anglo-Indians in the country.
The
Victoria Memorial, with its marble lion sentry at the entrance.
Eat: Kolkata is a Street- food lover’s paradise. Try
Kolkata’s famous Kathi rolls at Kusum’s on Park Street or the
melt-in-your-mouth Calcutta Biriyani at Arsalan. Seafood is at
its best in Kolkata; don’t miss the Bhetki Paturi, fish fillets
smoked in banana leaf. And where would a Bengali be without his sweet tooth?
Try Mishti Doi, Rosogolla, Shondesh and Jilipi while
you’re here.
Buy: For a quintessentially Kolkata experience, go to
New Market, a relic of the colonial era, that is now a thriving market and
sells everything from fresh produce to handcrafted silver. Walk down Sudder
Street to buy curios, old gramophone records and junk jewellery. Pay a visit to
the famous College Street to pick up almost any second-hand book on the planet,
or drop by Dakshinapan Market to shop for handicrafts.
Thank You..
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