Kolkata Travel Guides

Overview : Welcome to Kolkata Travel Guides


Kolkata is one of the four major metropolitan cities of India. The capital of West Bengal is also the second-largest city in India after Mumbai. Formally known as Calcutta, the charming city is full of elegant culture, vivid history and a prosperous future. The cultural capital of India has a famous saying, ‘What Bengal Thought Today, India Thought Tomorrow,’ for having originated some of the greatest thinkers, artists, film-makers and writers. This is the land of many famous personalities such as Rabindranath Tagore, Chandra Chatto Upadhyay and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Famous film-maker and writer Satyajit Ray also belonged to the ‘City of Joy. Located on the banks of the Hoogly River, the charming city has sprouted many art, literature, cinema, and theatre ideas that inspire the rest of the country.

This Kolkata travel guide on Kolkata tourism will help you explore the city easily and inform you about the places to visit in Kolkata, Kolkata tourist places, the history and culture of Kolkata, and the best time to visit Kolkata.

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History of Kolkata


Formally known as Calcutta, the city was the capital of India until 1911 during British Era. Before that, Kolkata was a small village and capital of Bengal and Murshidabad. Calcutta was taken over from Siraj Ud Daulah by Robert Clive in the battle of Plassey. According to some scholars, the city got its name derived from the Bengali Word KALIKSHETRA, which means the ground of Goddess Kali. While some others believe the city has got its name from KALIKA, a Bengali word. According to the legends, once an English man asked a farmer about the place, the farmer then misunderstood the question and thought that the English Man asked him when he had cut this paddy. So the farmer replied Cul Kata (means Cut yesterday in Hindi). Hence, the city got its name Culcutta. In the Year 1820 and 1930, the city faced many battles against the British and stood against Lord Curzon’s evil plan of Partition of Bengal.

During British Rule in India, Kolkata served many great leaders like Subhash Chandra Bose, Rabindra Nath Tagore and Swami Vivekanand. After Independence, the capital of India was shifted to Delhi, and in the year 2001, Culcutta has officially renamed Kolkata.

Culture and Traditions of Kolkata

Once, the city was known as the ‘Cultural City of India’ is now one of the culturally rich cities in India. The city is shown with luminaries like Rabindranath Tagore, Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, Vidyasagar, Satyajit Ray, Bankim Chandra, Raja Ram Mohan Ray, etc. The art and craft of the city are well-known that shows the image of its marvelous history.

Kolkata celebrates all the festivals with joy and pleasure, but the city becomes lively during Durga Puja when people worship Goddess Durga. The sound of Dhak, Dhunuchi Nachh, flavors of the city with the fragrance of joy and happiness. Dance and music are the un-detachable part of the city, and many famous Bengali artists have established their names in Bengali Cinema and Bollywood. Rabindra Sangeet, Rabindra Nritya Natya and Nazrul Geeti are also popular in the city. Even Dramas and theatre are essential parts of Bengali cultural life.

Cuisine in Kolkata

Food of Bengal is indeed famous for its aromatic taste and delicious flavors. Bengal is equally inclined to spicy and sweet dishes. The staple food of the Bengalis is fish and rice. Fish may be fried or cooked with gravy. Some of the major Bengali foods are – Macher jhol, Chingri Macher malaikari, Doi Illish, Kochuri and Alurdom, Lucchi. Sweet dishes like Rosogolla, Rasmalai, Sandesh and Misti Doi Cham Cham Kheer will tickle your sweet tooth.

Shopping in Kolkata

If you are planning a trip to Kolkata, do not forget to mention these famous Kolkata travel places for shopping in your itinerary.

1. New Market - It is a pocket-friendly place. One can get innumerable shops selling various kinds of stuff, from footwear to clothes, precious metals, fashion jeweler and stones, toys and electronic gadgets. Availability of all the things makes this place more favorite among the customers of all age groups. The products are cheap and of good quality.

2. Gariahat - The shops on both sides of the market display various items from deco to crockery, material and fabrics to ready-made garments for customers of all age groups. The saree market offers a different forms of sarees according to your budget. Some other places of shopping in Kolkata are Burrabazar market, Hati Bagan and magnificent Malls.

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Kolkata Weather


Language Spoken

Hindi, English

Places to Visit Kolkata


The city of Joy has its beauty lies in its culture, and there are many best places to visit in Kolkata. Victoria Memorial Hall, Howrah Bridge, Eden Garden, Kali Temple, St. Paul’s Cathedral Church, Victoria Memorial Hall, Town Hall, Shaheed Minar, Princep Ghat, and Jorasanko Thajurbari are some of the best Kolkata tourist places. 

Victoria Memorial Hall:

It was built between 1906 and 1921 in the memory of Queen Victoria and is now converted into a museum and one of the best Kolkata travel places. It has paintings and assortments of things from the British Era. The museum houses a notable collection of weapons, sculptors, paintings, coins, stamps, maps, artifacts etc.

Howrah Bridge:

This is one of the major Kolkata tourist places in Howrah, the twin city of Kolkata. It is one of its kind bridge and the sixth largest bridge in the world. Tied above the Hoogly River, it was initially called as New Howrah Bridge as it replaced the pontoon bridge. The bridge has a separate path for pedestrians.

Eden Garden:

It is one of the biggest stadiums in the world, which has a seating capacity of over 90000 people. Some historic cricket matches, like the 1987 World Cup final and the semi-final between India and Sri Lanka, were played here. Currently, the place is featured as the home ground to Kolkata Knight Riders during IPL.

Kali Temple:

The temple, as its name suggests, is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. The temple is considered among the 52 Shakti Peethas in the Kali temple is located in kallighat. The temple is among many such temples where the sacrifice of Goat is still in culture. The temple is visited by thousands of visitors every year. The peculiar painting in the temple is quite among pilgrimages.

Best Time to Visit Kolkata


Kolkata is one of the best places from the point of tourist destinations. One can see various types of climate in Kolkata. Summers here start from March and till May. The weather is very hot as well as humid. Winters can be enjoyed from November to February when the lowest temperature drops to 9 degrees. The best time to visit Kolkata is Monsoon Season, from June to September. During this time, the city is blessed with heavy rains and pleasing breezes.

Getting In Kolkata

BY AIR

The Kolkata International Airport and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport connects you with all major Indian cities and international cities like Doha, Dubai, Bangkok, Dhaka, Kaula Lumpur, etc.

BY ROAD

The well-knitted cluster of roads helps travel you to neighbouring states like Orrisa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim and Assam. The city has a good network of roads.

BY RAIL

Two major Railway stations Howrah and Sealdah, are situated in the city. Both of these railway stations are well connected to all important cities of the country.

Packing

You will love your Kolkata trip, and our Kolkata travel guide will help you out to explore the city and Kolkata tourist destinations. 

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Hoteldekho.com Reviews

  • ( 5 - Excellent Based on 1 review )
  • jeevanc207
  • Jaipur
  • ( On january 10, 2022 )
  • 5 - Excellent

Great service and friendly team

Our Rajasthan trip was very unorganized and from day 1 we need to argue for each committed hotel and details. Driver and hotel were not informed in advance and we need to pay 12000/- for the forceful event at the hotel which was never informed to us.

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