Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal and located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly, which is an offshoot of the Ganga river. The Kolkata metropolitan area including suburbs has a population exceeding 15 million, making it the third most populous metropolitan area in India and one of the most populous urban areas in the world. As of 2010, it is the eighth largest urban agglomeration in the world.
Kolkata was the capital of India during the British Raj until 1912. Once the centre of modern education, industry, science, culture and politics in India, Kolkata has, since 1954, witnessed intense political violence, clashes and economic stagnation. Since 2000, revised economic policies have spurred on the city's growth. Like other metros in India, Kolkata struggles with the problems of urbanisation: poverty, pollution and traffic congestion. Kolkata is noted for its revolutionary history, ranging from the Indian struggle for independence to the leftist and trade union movements.
The east-to-west dimension of the city is narrow, stretching from the Hooghly River in the west to roughly the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in the east, a span of barely 5 –6 km. The north-south expansion is roughly divided into North, Central and South Kolkata, North Kolkata being the oldest, with 19th century architecture. South Kolkata grew mostly after independence of India and is considered uptown, with Ballygunge, Alipore, New Alipore the posh areas. Salt Lake City (Bidhannagar) area in northeast Kolkata is a nicely planned section of Kolkata.
What to See
Kolkata has many sights for tourists, but reaching those in Central Kolkata is, to put it mildly, tiresome. Taking in the sights using a private taxi is the best option. Some well known sights are: The Victoria Memorial, built by Lord Curzon in memory of Queen Victoria, is a fine huge white-marble structure, in use as a museum; The Howrah Bridge, a 450 m long bridge without any pylon, has the distinction of being the busiest bridge in the world catering to around 100,000 vehicles and innumerable pedestrians; Eden Gardens, which houses the renowned cricket ground by the same name; Fort William, constructed in 1781 and is still in use; The Birla Planetarium; The Marble Palace; The Indian Museum, the oldest museum in India, built in 1874 and Dalhousie Square, renamed Binoy Badal Dinesh Bagh (BBD Bagh).
How to Get There
By Air:
Kolkata has an international airport and is connected to all major destinations in India and more particularly, north-east India. This airport is situated at and called Dumdum,
about 17 km northeast of the city centre. Connection to the city is by Taxi. Buses are also
available, but not worth the hassle.
By Rail:
Kolkata holds the record of the maximum number of passengers that pass through its pair of termini, Howrah and Sealdah. It is connected to every state in the country.
By Road:
Kolkata is connected by road to every possible city in India through extensive networking. Roads around Kolkata are not satisfactory, but are being brought to an acceptable standard. Traffic in the city is chaotic. Cars, buses, minibuses, trams, autorickshaws and hand-pulled rickshaws jostle for space in central Kolkata. The suburbs are better. Kolkata was the first city in India to build an underground metro, even if just 12 km long. Kolkata also boasts of the cheapest public transport in the world, its trams, which charges 1 US cent for 2 km.
Where to Stay
There are ample options for accommodation in Kolkata. They cater to the individual preferences and requirements of all the travellers, there are hotels of all categories. Apart from the luxury hotels, there are several budget hotels, bargain hotels, bed and breakfast hotels, cheap hotels and discount hotels.
The luxury hotels offer elaborate facilities and the services for the guests boarding at the hotel. If you have a deep pocket, make sure to put up a stay at the 5 and 4-star hotels in Kolkata. These hotels offer multi cuisine restaurants, recreational facilities and state of the art business facilities. Some of the popular 5-Star Deluxe Hotels located in Kolkata include Hyatt Kolkata, Sheraton Kolkata, Hotel Taj Bengal Kolkata, Oberoi Kolkata, Hotel Park, Sonar Bangla Sheraton and Towers Hotel. The 4 Star Hotels in Kolkata include Hotel Golden Retreat, Hotel Kenilworth, Hotel Peerless Inn and Senator Kolkata. The Boutique Hotel that is located in the city of Kolkata is the Stadtel Kolkata. This hotel is simply awesome, in more ways than one.
The major 3 Star Hotels in Kolkata include: Camac Plaza, Executive Tower, Royal Garden, Rutt Deen, The Sojourn, Hotel International, Landmark, Lytton, Park Palace and more.
There are several Budget Hotels in Kolkata as well. These include Astoria, Hotel Executive Point, Fairlawn, Himalay, Housez 43, Lindsay, Victorrace, Hotel Airlines, Hotel Aston, International Tower, Shilton Hotel and Ubique Hotel.
Where to Eat
There are over 1,000 restaurants in Kolkata. Bentinck Street is full of Chinese food shacks; Aaheli; Kewpies; Saffron; The Marble Room; Shiraj; Rahamania; Sonargaon; Guchhi; Teej; Amber; Mirch Masala; Peshawari and Honey Da Dhaba are some places you could try out.
