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India Tourism --» Kolkata Tourism Directory
Kolkata Tourism

The largest metropolis in India, Kolkata is a vibrant city on the move,
volatile and unpredictable. The Gateway to India, till 1912, and the capital
of the Raj in India, it still bears the Victorian imprint on its streets
and structures. A city just about ready to burst at the seams, Kolkata
is home to more than 10 million people. The Ganges (called the Hooghly in
Kolkata) is still the inspiration, as it was to Job Charnok, East India
Company agent, who reached the shores in August 1690, to found the city.
Kolkata, after London, was the British Empires second city.
Kolkata, on-the-Hooghly, retains the aura of days long gone, weaving
the past and the present, the intense and the funloving into a charming
fabric.
Home to four Nobel laureates - Ronald Ross, Rabindranath Tagore, Mother
Teresa and Amartya Sen, Kolkata is the nerve centre of intellect and
human values, where many modern movements began in art, cinema and theatre,
science and industry. Indias quest for freedom began here.
Kolkata is the gateway to Eastern India. A city with a rich heritage,
bustling streets and bewildering variety of facets. From October to March,
Kolkata wears a radiant look. Sunshine, mild winter, lights, colours,
fairs, festivals, galas and excursions, the mood is infectious and spirit
sweeping.
It is the commercial nerve-centre of the East, with major industrial
plants, textile mills and corporate units. Regal edifices, grubby alleys,
bustling bazaars, elegant hotels, people from all walks of life - Kolkata
has it all.
The city is a hub of fervent activity in the realms of music, theatre,
arts, and sports. Kolkata has always prided itself on the many luminaries
it has sent forth, be it Tagore, Satyajit Ray, or Mrinal Sen. The intense
dedication to the arts manifests itself in a plethora of festivals, dance,
music performances and other cultural events. The Kolkatans are also
famous for their all-consuming passion for sports, especially, football
and cricket.
Places of Interest
Howrah Bridge
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.
Eden Gardens
Named after Lord Aucklands sister, this picturesque garden has a tiny
Burmese pagoda set in a small lake. It also houses Calcuttas Cricket
Stadium.