Kolkata: A Quick and Handy Travel Guide

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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.

 

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.

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.

 

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.

Getting There                       

Kolkata is well-connected to all major Indian cities by air, rail and road.