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• Howrah Bridge • Fort William • Bellur Math • St. Paul's Cathedral • Eden garden • BBD Bagh • National Library                             • Indian Museum • Birla Planetarium • Victoria Memorial • Jaldapara Wildlife • Marble Palace • Science City • Botanical Gardens                     • Dakshineshwar Kali Temple

Victoria Memorial
Victoria Memorial Hall is a museum having an assortment of Victoria memorabilia, British Raj paintings and other displays. As night descends on Calcutta, the Victoria Memorial Hall is illuminated, giving it a fairy tale look. It is interesting to note that the Victoria Memorial was built without British government funds. The money required for the construction of the stately building, surrounded by beautiful gardens over 64 acres and costing more than 10 million was contributed by British Indian states and individuals who wanted favors with the British government. At the top of the Victoria Memorial is a sixteen foot tall bronze statue of victory, mounted on ball bearings. It rotates with wind. While browsing through these exhibits, one will be able to trace the unrest that preceded Indian Independence and will be filled with pride to get a glimpse of their past especially in relation to the history of Calcutta. The Victoria Memorial Hall was conceived by Lord Curzon and he sure was a visionary at that as presently it is the finest and most prominent building and art museum of Calcutta, India, under the Department of Culture, Government of India. The Victoria Memorial, Kolkata (Calcutta) is the largest treasure trove in India, when it comes to a visual history of Calcutta. The Memorial houses a major collection of paintings, sculptures and manuscripts from the British period.
Fort William	Top^
Fort William is one of the most impressive examples of European fortification in the East. Roughly octagonal in shape , with six principal gates, it was designed bye Captain John Brohier in 1757. It took 13 years to complete at a staggering cost of over 2 million pounds. It replaced old Fort William, which lay slightly to the north. Modelled on Vauban's 17th century defensive concepts, the work was finished by Archibald Campbell after Brohier was charged with fraud and absconded from custody. The construction of the Fort altered the whole plan of Calcutta and generated a wave of rebuilding. A huge open space, the MAIDAN, was cleared to give an unrestricted field of fire. Excellent views of the outer ramparts and the fosse may be obtained from the Maidan, which, with its numerous tanks, offers a pleasant retreat with shaded walks and distant vistas of Government House and the Victorian Memorial. Today this fort is the property of the Indian Army with a provision to accommodate 10,000 army personnel. The fort still stands as before, except the St. Peter’s Church which no longer exists. The fort is built in a shape of an octagon. A telephone office, recreation club, canteen, cinema hall, restaurant, swimming pool and wide moat surround it. A museum inside the fort consists of arms and armors, swords, muskets and machine guns kept on display for the visitors.
St. Paul's Cathedral	Top^
Calcutta St. Paul's Cathedral is the first Episcopal Church of the Orient. Bishop Wilson patronized the construction of this beautiful church in 1839. The credit for the awesome designing of this Indo-Gothic architecture goes to Major W.N. Forbes. The work of establishing the St. Paul Cathedral of Kolkata, India got completed in 1847. It is situated at the southern end of the Maidan. One of the prized possession of the Cathedral is the "Communion Plate" which Queen Victoria bestowed upon Bishop Wilson. The stained glass of the western window, designed in 1880 by Sir Edward Burne Jones is indeed marvelous and during the sunset the reflection through the window is truly ethereal. The Cathedral also has beautiful Florentine frescoes, which are of outstanding quality. For devout Christians and people with an interest in art and architecture, a visit to this majestic Raj-era cathedral is indeed very inspiring.
BBD Bagh	Top^
The BBD Bagh stretches two sq. kms and is located in Central Kolkata, where we find manyBBD Bagh old British era buildings. The colonial legacy that the place has inherited is evident from the structures and the history associated with it and it is also declared as an endangered world heritage. The planning of the square was in a way to reflect the stronghold of the British colonial power in India. BBD Bagh and its surrounding roads and areas like Netaji Subhash Road, Biplabi Trailakya Maharaj (formerly Brabourne) Sarani, Lyons Range, India Exchange Place, Mission Row, R.N. Mukherjee Road and Fairlie Place form the older commercial hub of the city.
Bellur Math	Top^
In 1897 Swami Vivekananda founded Ramakrishna Mission in loving memory of his Guru Ramakrishna Paramhansa who preached unity of all religions. The International Head quarters of this Mission is located on the west bank of Hoogly, where the edifice is supposed to represent the three different religions in a single structure. Swami Vivekananda is largely credited with the concept of the Math. There are now branches of Ramakrishna Mission all over India. Belur Math, the movement?s international headquarters, was founded in 1899. The architecture of Belur Math combines the features of a church, a temple and a mosque, to embody the spirit of religious fraternity. The main gateway leads to the Ramkrishna Sarada Mandir. The mission was founded in 1938 by Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) and named after his mentor Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886). The Ramakrishna Mission is famous for its missionary work and has branches all over the world. The main temple in Belur Math incorporates the various architectural styles of the different religions of India. The headquarters of the Ramkrishna Order, the Belur Math, was set up on 14th January 1938, as homage to the memory of Sri Ramkrishna, the 19th century monk and seer. His most eminent disciple, Swami Vivekananda, who placed the ashes of Sri Ramkrishna at this spot, marked the spot where the Math stands. Another attraction for visitors is the Sri Ramkrishna Museum, set up with the assistance of the National Council of Science Museum. Items owned by Sri Ramkrishna, Ma Sarada and Swami Vivekananda are kept as souvenirs, and made to recreate the bygone ambience of blessed serenity. This International tourist attraction is located near Belur in Howrah district. Its sprawling prayer hall with a statue of Ramakrishna is remarkable. People from different parts of the country and abroad visit these places. Its peaceful and calm atmosphere is befitting the gravity of the place. The Mission runs among other things, an art college, an industrial school and charitable dispensary.
Indian Museum	Top^
Indian Museum, was established at the Asiatic Society, the initial learned body in the country on 2nd February 1814. Transferred to the present building in 1878 with two galleries, the Museum has now over sixty galleries of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Botany sections, spreading over ten thousand square feet area. Many rare specimens both Indian and Trans - Indian origin relating to Humanities and Natural Science are conserved and displayed in the galleries of these sections. The Art Section comprises Tibetan temple banners, metal images, enamelled wares, bidriwares, ornaments, silver wares, glass wares, pottery, ivory and bone work, wooden sculptures, leather objects, lacquered toys. The Archaeological Section displays stone-age artifacts from India and abroad, pre-historic antiquities from Mohenjodaro, Harappa The Anthropological Section displays numerous objects of material cultures of both tribal and non-tribal peoples of India. The extensive Geological Section has over 80,000 specimens, displayed in four galleries showing varieties of meteorites, precious stones, ornamental building stones, rocks and minerals and fossils.
Howrah Bridge	Top^
Howrah Bridge is a bridge that spans the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. It was originally named the New Howrah Bridge because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city, Kolkata (Calcutta). On 14 June 1965 it was renamed Rabindra Setu, after Rabindranath Tagore a great poet and the first Indian Nobel. The bridge is one of the four on the Hooghly River and is a famous symbol of Kolkata and West Bengal. The other bridges are the Vidyasagar Setu (popularly called the Second Hooghly Bridge), the Vivekananda Setu and the newly built engineering marvel Nivedita Setu. Apart from bearing the stormy weather of the Bay of Bengal region, it successfully bears the weight of a daily traffic of approximately 80,000 vehicles and, possibly, more than 1,000,000 pedestrians. It is the sixth longest bridge of its type in the world.
Eden Garden	Top^
In the North-West corner of the Maidan are small & pleasantly laid out Eden Gardens.The gardens were created in 1840 and named after the sister of Lord Auckland, the former governer general. The idea was to make a Biblical - style garden of Eden in India. The expanse dotted with beautiful trees and shrubs is intersected by winding paths, and there is a large artificial lake. Alongside the gardens, is the world famous Eden Gardens cricket stadium. The stadium is supposed to be the largest in Asia with a seating capacity of more than a lakh spectators. The calcutta cricket ground, where International test & one day matches are held, is also with in the gardens. Near the gardens you can take a pleasant walk along the bank of hoogly river Eden Gardens boast of a capacity of 1,20,000. Witnessing a cricket match at Eden Gardens jam packed with spectators is any cricket lover’s dream come true. The mammoth score board and the flood lights just add to the cricket zing. One may get a glimpse of the stadium upon request to the chowkidar, otherwise entry is restricted to the stadium.
Marble Palace	Top^
Marble palace houses the marvelous objects of art, sculptures, pictures & oil paintings. Its major highlight includes the Reuben's masterpieces. You can also find the original paintings of Rembrandt, Reynolds and Van Goyen etc. Calcutta marble palace is the one of its kinds and consists of exquisite pieces of art. It also has a zoo, where you can find different kinds of birds and animals. Infact, it has a rare collection of birds. Built in 1855 with Italian marbles by one of Bengal's richest landlord Raja Rajendra Mullick Bahadur, this art gallery personifies the earliest effort at collecting by a private individual. This architectural masterpiece is made from the extensive use of Italian marble. The lush green lawn in front of it is clad with statues of Hindu Gods, The Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, the great explorer Christopher Columbus, Lord Buddha and some lions. The Marble Palace in Kolkata was named so by Lord Minto as 126 different types of marbles, accumulated from different corners of the country were employed to give shape to this one of a kind architectural delight.
National Library	Top^
National Library began with the formation of Calcutta Public Library in 1836. That was a non-governmental institution and was run on a proprietary basis. People contributing Rs. 300/- in subscription became the proprietors. Prince Dwarkanath Tagore was the first proprietor of that Library. Rs. 300/- at that time was a significant amount, so poor students and others were allowed free use the library for some period of time. Today the National Library is the biggest public library which has a collection of 22,70,954 books along with a huge collection of manuscripts, newspapers and periodicals. This Library forms the nucleus of Kolkata`s intellectual craving. National library has a huge collection of books and periodicals received from different parts of the country. Here, you can find books in almost all the Indian languages. There are separate language divisions that process the information for their readers in their respective native languages. Some of the language divisions that maintain their own collection consist of Hindi, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Sindhi, Telugu and Urdu. Also, these language divisions help in solving the reference queries of their readers. There is a separate division for children that cater to their information and recreation needs
Botanical Gardens	Top^
Botanical Gardens is a welcome respite from the choking noise and crowds. The gardens were founded in 1786 and extend along the west bank of the Hooghly River. It was in these gardens that India's famous black teas were first developed after cuttings were spirited down from tribal regions in Assam. The prime attraction is a 250-year-old banyan tree, which offers a cooling canopy of shade stretching 400m (1300ft) across from side to side. The palm house in the centre of the garden is also worth a look. Open from dawn until dusk, the gardens are accessible by ferry from Babu Ghat (near Eden Gardens) - otherwise it's a slow taxi ride along the west bank of the Hooghly. Entry is free. Thus the scrumptious Assam and Darjeeling teas trace their roots to this garden. Apart from the regular Indian species it is also possible to be amongst some rare breeds straight from the Amazon and Congo basins, Brazil, Sumatra as well as Java. The grand sight of soaring Mahogany trees, enchanting and natural Orchid House and the glorious Cuban Palms is a memory of a lifetime.
Birla Planetarium	Top^
This planetarium, near the government of India tourist office, is one of the largest in the world and is located on Calcutta's Eastern metropolitan bypass. There are shows in English everyday. This 21st century marvel of science, communication and environment is the first and only institution of its kind in India. Set amidst trees and lawns, here one finds science out of doors and alive The Planetarium owns an astronomical observatory equipped with a Celestron C-14 Telescope with accessories such as ST6 CCD Camera, Solar Filter etc. An Electronics Laboratory for design and fabrication of scientific equipment is also present inside the planetarium. The laboratory has now developed an Automation System for executing special effects and visuals during a planetarium show. The planetarium organizes special shows during solar and lunar eclipses.
Dakshineswar Kali Temple	Top^
Kolkata is renowned for its holy temples and monasteries. The entire city breathes celebration, festival, religion and spiritualism. Goddess Kali is worshipped here, in her various forms, with immense devotion and faith. Umpteen temples dedicated to the Goddess can be found in every nook and corner of the city. One of the most renowned Kali Mata temples in Calcutta is the Dakshineswar Temple. The temple is also renowned for it association with the great saint Sri Ramkrishna Paramhans. The temple compound, apart from the nine-spired main temple, contains a large courtyard surrounding the temple, with rooms along the boundary walls. There are twelve shrines dedicated to the aspects of Shiva, Kali's companion, along the riverfront, a temple to Radha-Krishna, a bathing ghat on the river, a bookshop, a shrine to Rani Rashmoni. The chamber in the northwestern corner just beyond the last of the Shiva temples, is where Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa spent a considerable part of his life.
Science City	Top^
Science City, the largest science centre in the sub-continent, under the National Council of Science Museums (the apex body of science museums/centres in India), consists of two facilities, the Science Centre and the Convention Centre. The Science Centre complex comprises Space Odyssey, Dynamotion, Evolution Theme Park, Maritime Centre and a Science Park. The Space Odyssey houses India’s first Large Format Film Theatre, Time Machine, 3-D Vision Theatre, Mirror Magic and exhibits on space science, motion, electricity and virtual reality. The Dynamotion Hall has a Butterfly Corner, Aquaria, an exposition on giant robotic insects and host of interactive exhibits on science & technology for both education and entertainment of the visitors. The main auditorium of the Convention Centre complex can accommodate over 2000 people, while the mini auditorium has a capacity of about 400. There are 8 seminar halls complete with latest audio-visual systems. Open on all weekdays except Mondays the Science city is one place to get lost in the cycle of evolution with roaring dinosaurs, mammoths, sabre tooths and many other Jurassic life size creatures. Hold your breath all these activities can be undertaken within a budget of Rs 100/- per head, just make sure that you reach early so that you don’t regret the lack of time for not being able to do justice to each section.
Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary	Top^
The Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary is situated in the Alipur Duar subdivision of Jalpaiguri District, in north Bengal. The sanctuary covers an area of 216 sq. kms with forest, swamps and grass lands. The river Torsha runs through this area. Established in 1941 for the protection of wild animals in particular for rhinos, Jaldapara has the largest concentration of one-horned rhino in India after Kaziranga. Spread over 114 sq km of area, Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary holds the largest expanse of terai grasslands in North Bengal intersected with riverine forests, dry-mixed forests and wet-forests. This sanctuary was established in the year 1941 for the protection of one-horned rhinos. The one–horned rhino, tiger, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, wild elephant, deer, bear, sambar, barking deer, hog Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal deer, leopard, wild pig, bison and various other birds can also be seen here. Elephant safaris can be enjoyed at the Sanctuary. The best time to visit the sanctuary is between October and May. The nearest airport is situated at Bagdogra. Jaldapara is connected by road with Darjeeling and Siliguri. The Madarihat is the nearest railway station which is only 7 kms from the Sanctuary.