Bengal Tourism: Things to do in Kolkata

Kolkata, the original ‘British era’ capital of India is of the most interesting cities to travel. It has an eclectic blend of history, architecture, culture, food and people.

Things-to-do-in-Kolkata

Whether you are in Kolkata on leisure trip or on business trip, here are the 10 must do things to do, when you are in the City of Joy:-

Visit Victoria Memorial

Victoria Memorial is an iconic monument dedicated to Queen Victoria, during the British rule. It is built over an area of 64 acres and stands as the proud symbol of British colonial architecture in India. This iconic monument is now a museum and popular tourist destination in Kolkata. It is a must visit for its grand architecture and beautiful landscaped gardens.

Victoria-Memorial-Kolkata

Watch Bengali Film at Nandan

Kolkata is known for its vibrant arts & music scene and one of the best places to catch the action is at Nandan complex. It is a government sponsored film screening complex and screens some of the best Bengali films.

Nandan-Film-Center

Nightlife at Park Street

Park Street is the hippest nightlife destination when in Kolkata. It has the best and most talked about nightclubs, restaurants, tea houses and pubs in the city. It comes alive, every night but especially during Christmas time , with the whole street lit up and patrons strolling the streets and the various hangouts in droves.

Night-Life-in-Park-Street

Visit Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden, formally known as ‘Acharaya Jagdish Chandra Bose Botanical Garden’ is almost as old as Kolkata; around 250 years old. It is a marvellous garden which conserves and

Botanical-Garden

Watch a show at Birla Planetarium

Birla Planetarium is the largest planetarium in Asia and makes for an interesting experience.Catch a boat ride across river Hoogli – The River Hoogli defines the character of Kolkata and a boat ride along it is a memorable experience. There are traditional boat rides as well as luxury ferry rides available across river and makes for an interesting experience, especially at the time of sunset.

Birla-Planetarium-In-Kolkata

Visit Belur Math and Dakshineshwar Temple

The world famous Belur Math was established by Swami Vivekananda and is situated along the bank of river Hoogli. It is the seat of Ramakrishna Mission and is visited by thousands of devotees and travellers. The Dakshineshwar Temple is one of the most important temples in Kolkata; dedicated to goddess KaLi, it is visited by hundreds of devotees every day.

Dakshineshwar-Temple–Kolkata

Belur-Math–Kolkata

Try Puchkas or Gol Gappa or Pani Puri

If you are in Kolkata and don’t try puckhas, then your visit is incomplete!!! The Kolkata version of the street food gol gappa/puchkas/pani puri available all over India, puchkas are much tangier spicier and out of this world!

Puchkas–Kolkata

Shopping at Gariahat

Gariahat is the shopping hub of south Kolkata. It is a shopaholic’s paradise, being the retail hub of Saris (from West Bengal and all over India), cosmetics, electronics, etc.

Science City

The largest science centre in the country, Science City is one of the most notable post-independence development of the city. It has a number of interesting segments such as Space Odyssey, Science Exploration Hall, Butterfly Park, Convention Centres, etc. A day spent in Science city is full of scientific fun, literally!!

Science-City-in-Kolkata

We have given you all the interesting things to do when in Kolkata, so next time you are there, be sure to experience all the fun!!

Bengal Tourism: Things to do in Kolkata

There are plenty of things to do in Kolkata and almost all travellers will be planning a visit to the famous ancient Kalighat temple and Tagore house, a shrine-like museum to India’s greatest modern poet. We look beyond the guidebooks to find out what else you should do in this vibrant city.

Take part in a night-long celebration in one of the biggest Indian festivals, go tiger spotting in the world’s largest mangrove swamp, spend a day at the race course. October’s great time to travel to Kolkata.

Durga Puja

This is the most important event in Kolkata’s festival calendar. It celebrates Mother goddess Durga. Life comes to a standstill in the city for four days. The atmosphere is like a carnival with all-night crowds, live music sessions, open-air theatre, literary fairs, poetry readings, and lots of food.

Kolkata-durga-puja

Elaborate structures called pandals are constructed all over Kolkata and the idol of the goddess is kept inside these. Go pandal hopping and check out the different styles of Durga idols.

Eid ul Zuha (Bakri Eid)

Celebrate Eid ul Zuha which falls in October with delicious haleem (meat cooked with lentils) at New Aliya restaurant in central Kolkata or with biryani from Arsalan, located at the Park Circus crossing.

Enjoy a city walk

The mild October weather is conducive to long walks around Kolkata. A good place to hang out is Park Street. You can spend the whole day here. Start with the old auction houses that sell old curios. Browse the books at Oxford Book Store. Have cakes and tea at the famous Flury’s cafe. Pick up delicately embroidered bed linen at Good Companions on adjacent Russell Street.

Fun-in-the-streets-of-Kolkata

Play some games

Good weather also means Kolkata’s ardent street chess and carrom players will begin coming out of the woodwork.

Kolkata-chess

Join in and play a game by the roadside, with strangers. Head to Gariahat flyover after sunset for a game of chess.

Mangroves and tigers

Take a trip to the Sundarbans mangrove, home of a number of endangered species including the Royal Bengal Tiger. The mangroves are open to visitors from October, after the monsoon is truly over.

Kolkata-mangroves

The creeks are home to the estuarine crocodile, salvator lizard, water monitor, dolphin and a host of birds like kingfishers, herons, egrets, sandpipers, whimbrels and plover. Foreign nationals have to get a permit in Kolkata from the Wildlife Department or the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) office.There are a number of cruise options for sightseeing on the mangroves.

Other 10 Things to do in Kolkata

1. Cruise down the Hooghly

It is said that great rivers spawn great civilizations. The Hooghly is a perfect example and a cruide down this tributary of the Ganga is great way to see the many influences Bengal has had down the ages. You will come across several pilgrimage spots like Dakhineshwar and Belur (set up in 1899 by Swami Vivekananda, it is the headquarters of Ramkrishna Math and Mission); as well as European colonial towns like Bandel, Plassey and Chandannagore. So get to Millenium Park, buy a ticket for one the many water taxis and embark on a cruise down the river. You can take your pick from long and short cruises.

2. Art matters

Check out an art show at the Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA). They have a shop selling some interesting stuff from prints, art on t-shirts and coasters, as well as some clothing, jewellery and accessories.

3. Idol walks

Spend an afternoon walking around the narrow lanes of potters townships – Kumartuli and Potuapara. Here the potua (potters) community can be seen making idols of various gods and goddesses throughout the year. The lanes come alive in August-September, the months before Durga Puja, Kolkata’s biggest festival. Hundreds of idols in different sizes, and stages with half finished heads and arms and bodies present a rather surreal picture. A lot of the idols are exported to countries abroad.

Kolkata-potters-village

4. High tea at Flurys

Flurys is a Kolkata institution that is a must-do. If you are in the Park Street area between four and five in the evening, head down to Flurys for a cup of Darjeeling tea. Have it with their excellent and iconic Baba pastry, a concoction made of almonds, cashews and cherries that dates back to the days when butter was Re 1 a kilo. It belongs to the ‘heritage category’ of the menu at Flurys. Or ask for their dessert platter. Also recommended are their excellent Englsih tea sandwiches.

5. Take a ride on a tram

Boarding at the Esplanade, crawl through the green canopies of the Maidan, head north on Bidhan Sarani. You’ll have enough time to take in sights as the tram literally crawls through traffic and stops frequently.

Kolkata-tram

6. Take a bibliophile’s tour of Kolkata

When in Bengal, do as Bengalis do – hang out with a book at one of the bookstores and stalls in the city. Visit the excellent Seagull Book Store in Bhowanipore; the old College Street book lanes (though they have somewhat lost their sheen with most selling only adcademic books); and Oxford Book Store on Part Street which also has a cha bar serving great tea.

7. Sample chimney soup at Chinatown

Kolkata used to have a sizeable Chinese community at one time. It has dwindled somewhat but the city still has the only Chinatown in India at Tangra where, for the past 50 years, restaurants owned by mostly Hakka people (a Chinese community tracing its origins to the Han ethnic group) have served up delicious Chinese food. At the shops here, you can also pick up momo steamers, jasmine tea, shiitake mushrooms and Chinese sauces from shops in the area. If you are an early riser, try the morning breakfast fare of dumplings, noodles, and soups on weekends.

8. Get a taste of decadent Kolkata

Marble Palace, the home of the Mullick family, houses a strange and kitschy mish-mash of sculpture, Victorian furniture, and paintings by European and Indian artists, large chandeliers, clocks, and busts of kings and queens. The collection is supposed to have two paintings by Rubens and works by John Opie. In his book Calcutta, Geoffrey Moorhouse says it looks “as if they had been scavenged from job lots on the Portobello Road on a series of damp Saturday afternoons.”

Kolkata-marble-palace

9. Try a sambusa at Nahoum’s

Take a side trip to this Jewish bakery in New Market. The Nahoum family came to Kolkata from Baghdad bringing the cheese-filled delight to the shores of Kolkata.

Sambusa-in-Kolkata

10. Watch the sunset at Princep Ghat

Your images from Kolkata will be incomplete without an iconic shot of the sunset and Howrah Bridge from Princep Ghat on Strand Road. It was built in 1841 as a memorial is a memorial to James Princep, a scholar who was the secretary of The Asiatic Society.

Kolkata-howrah-bridge