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Kolkata

Kolkata, the Capital city of West Bengal is the 3rd most populous metropolitan city in India as well as the most dense city in the World, and also the most important and busiest place of the Eastern India. It is placed between 22°33'N to 88°20'E in the state of West Bengal and it covers an area of approximately 1480 Sq. km. (200.7 sq. km. is under the Kolkata metropolitan area) on the bank of Hooghly River. Kolkata is the 53rd biggest city in the world with a population of 4,486,678 according to the census of 2011.

Kolkata was known as Calcutta up to 2001 but it was changed by West Bengal Government due to its incorrect pronunciation. The city has a great historical value from the ancient age. During the time period of British rule, Kolkata was the capital city of India up to 1911 and several great freedom fighters of India was born here. At the time of Indian independent Kolkata became the capital town of West Bengal.

kolkata, victoria memorial hall

(Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkatal)

Religions and Festival of Kolkata

Quick Facts
Government Capital of West Bengal
Area 185 km2 (Megacity)
Altitude 1.18m above sea level
Population 4,496,694 (2011)(Megacity)
Temperature Sum: 41.7° max & 38.1° min
Win: 36.3° max & 9.6° min
Rainfall 158.1 cm annually
Clothing Cotton and light dress in summer. Light Woolen and tropical in winter.
Languages Bengali, Hindi and English
Best Season October to March
Currency Indian Rupee(indian rupee)
Electricity 230V/50Hz(Europlug, Type D and M plugs)
Internet 3G and 4G available
STD Code 033
PIN Code 700001 to 700155
Time Zone UTC+5:30

Kolkata is a city where different types (religions) of people live together from the ancient age. The major religions of the city are Hinduism (73 %), Muslims (23 %), Christians (2 %) and the rest are Buddhists and Jains. All types of religion followers in Kolkata city celebrate a number religious festival in their own custom.

The main religious festivals of the city are Kali Puja (Hindu festival), Durga Puja (Hindu festival), Jagadhatri Puja (Hindu festival), Saraswati Puja (Hindu festival), Lakshmi Puja (Hindu festival) Christmas Day (Christian festival), Good Friday (Christian festival), Holi (Hindu festival), Janmastami (Hindu festival), Shivaratri (Hindu festival), Eid ul-Fitr (Muslim festival) and Moharram (Muslim festival).

Beside of these festivals, three more national festivals are also celebrated here with a great enthusiasm. These festivals are – the Independent day of India, The Republic day of India and Gandhi Birthday.

Climate of Kolkata

The weather of Kolkata is unusually the tropical wet-and-dry types. Mainly three type of weather seasons are found here.

The summer season is continued for long time from March to July. In this season the temperature increases extremely high up to 48° C and a destructive storm locally called as Kal-Baishakhi run over the city. It enters from the northern sea of India called Bay of Bengal. The average temperature of Kolkata in summer is approximately 36° C.

The Monsoon season appears at the end of July and continues to mid of September. During this season temperature vary from 25° C to 40° C. The average rainfall of the city is approximately 1,582 mm.

The winter season starts from November and continues to middle of February. The minimum temperature during this season is 12°C and the average temperature of Kolkata in winter is approximately 18° C.

Languages in Kolkata

The people of Kolkata mainly use the Bengali dialect as their spoken Languages. But many other languages are also spoken here. These are Hindi, Urdu, Haryanvi, Rajasthani, Bihari, Tamil, Assamese, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Gujarati. Bengali and English are used as written language as well as official language.

Tourist attractions in Kolkata

Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden commonly known as Kolkata Botanical Garden, located at Shibpur, Howrah, on the western bank of the River Gangas. This is the oldest and biggest botanical garden in South-East Asia, planned and designed by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Kyd of the British East India Company and was built in the year 1787 as the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. This garden surrounded over an area of 109 hectares (270 acres), and has a collection over 12,000 trees of 1,400 shrub species.
A 200 years old banyan tree, commonly known The Great Banyan is the most well-known attraction in the garden, which is also the tree in the world.

Dakshineswar Kali Temple is a Hindu temple, dedicate to Maa Bhavatarini, an aspect of Maa Kali, situated on the eastern bank of river Hoogly (The Ganga river) in Dakshineswar near Kolkata, dates back to the year 1855 was built by Rani Rashmoni. The temple is also the penance ground for Ramakrishna Paramhansadev, one of the notable legendary of Bengali renaissance.

Howrah Bridge, also known as Rabindra Setu, after the name of the great legendary Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, who was the first ever Nobel laureate in India as well as Asia, is a cantilever bridge built in 1943, over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India to link between two adjoin cities Howrah and Kolkata (Calcutta). It is the sixth longest cantilever bridge in the World. It is also the busiest cantilever bridge in the World that carrying a daily traffic more than lakh vehicles.

Kalighat Kali Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, devoted to goddess Maa Kali. According to legend, Sati’s right toe fell at this place, when Lord Shiva performing the Rudra Tandava. This temple is situated on the bank of a small canal called Adi Ganga. Century’s ego the main Hoogly River (the Ganga) was flow from there.
Nearby Nirmal Hriday is another destination for the interested visitors. It is the home for sick and destitute people, was established by Mother Teresa (Sent Teresa of Calcutta).

Eden Garden is a beautiful landscape garden is called after the name of the sister of former Governor General of India, Lord Auckland. It is primarily known for the nearby Eden Gardens cricket stadium which is one of the largest in the World and is credited with being the “Lords’ of Asia”.

Victoria Memorial Hall of Kolkata, West Bengal was built between 1906 and 1921, dedicated to Queen Victoria is a 184 feet tall monument spreads over an area of 64 acres of plush greenery. Initially it was built as a tribute to the success of British Empire in India, and later converted into a museum. The museum houses a gallery dedicated to British period paintings, sculptures, maps, coins, stamps, textiles, etc. The manicured garden outside the structure is perfect to spend a relaxed evening with family and friends. read more...

Alipore Zoological Gardens (Alipore Zoo or Kolkata Chiriakhana) is the oldest zoological park in India. Since 1876, about 18.81 ha (46.5 acres) area, which is the house of 1266 wild animals of 108 different species of Kolkata Chiriakhana, is one of the main attractions in Kolkata, West Bengal. Around 3 million people visits in the Kolkata Chiriakhana annually.
Address: No. 2, Alipore Road, Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700027
Phone: (+91) 33 2439 9391
Timing: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm every days (Thursday closed)Entry Fees: Rs. 20 / - per person (extra Rs. 5 / - will be charged for the aquarium entry)Video Photography Fees: Rs. 250 /- per hour read more...

Marble Palace is a luxurious mansion in North Kolkata was built by Raja Rajendra Mullick in 1835. It is a residential house of the Mullick families and opens to visitors. Main attraction of this mansion is the nineteenth-century architecture, where walls and floors were built with marble and so it is called Marble Palace. It is located at 46, Muktaram Babu Street, Jorasanko, Kolkata 700007.
Contact No: (+91) 33 2269 3310
Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm every days
Entery fee: Free

Kolkata Maidan is a vast open greenery fields in Kolkata, somehow it is known as the "lungs of Kolkata". It is also called as Brigade Parade Ground and it is the largest park in Kolkata. A numbers of stadium, especially Eden Gardens Cricket Ground, several others play grounds, Kolkata Race Course are situated in the Maidan. Owner of this property is the Indian Army.

Nakhoda Masjid is the largest and principal mosque in Kolkata, India, and situated in the crossing of Zakariya Street & Rabindra Sarani, Chitpur of the Burrabazar, Central Kolkata. It was built in the year of 1926 by Abdar Rahim Osman. Approximate 10,000 devotees can perfor their prayer or “Namaj” together at a time here. This mousqe is administered by a thurstee board and now a days it becomes one of the prime tourist attraction in Kolkata.

Rabindra Sarobar is a manmade lake in south Kolkata, having water body around 73 acres (300,000 m2). Now days, Radindra Sarobar Lake and surrounding areas are become very popular as a recreational centre in Kolkata - children's parks, gardens, auditoria and many more developed here. Several trees and plant also surrounded this area – some of them 100 years or older. In the winter, one can spot some migratory birds around the lake.
Address: Southern Avenue, Golpark, Tollygunge, Dhakuria, Lake Gardens, South Kolkata 700029, India
Good for: Nature Lovers Photo Fanatics
Entry Fee: No entry fee
Timings: Day Time

Shaheed Minar was built in 1828 in honour of Major-general Sir David Ochterlony, commander of the British East India Company and named after him, Ochterlony Monument. In August 1969, this monument was dedicated to the respect of the martyrs of Indian freedom fighter and re-named as “Shahid Minar”. It is located at Esplanade in central Kolkata, adjoin with the Esplanade bus-stand.

St. Paul's Cathedral is the oldest and largest church in Kolkata, West Bengal and also the first Episcopal Church in Asia, was built on 1847. This Anglican cathedral is famous for its Indo-Gothic architecture. It was also the first cathedral built in the overseas territory of the British Empire. It is situated on Cathedral Road (extension of old Chowringhee), southern end of the Maidan and on the east of the Victoria Memorial. Nandan, Rabindra Sadan theatre complex, and the Birla Planetarium are also close proximity to the St. Paul's Cathedral.

Vidyasagar Setu also known as the Second Hooghly Bridge is the longest cable–stayed bridge in India with a length of 823 metres (2,700 ft) built across the Hooghly River (the Ganges) in West Bengal, India, connected between two adjourn cities of Kolkata, capital of West Bengal and Howrah. It is a six lanes bridge can carry more than 85000 vehicles per day, was open to the people on 10th October, 1992.

The Writers' Building (Mahakaran) is the secretariat offices of West Bengal State Government. It is also the office of the state Chief Minister and other several Ministers. It was the first three-storey building in Calcutta (Kolkata) and construction started on 1777 by East India Company. Now most of the departments have moved out to another building named Nabanna in Howrah on a temporary basis for facilitating renovation of the Writers', including Chief Minister Office.

Museums in Kolkata

Birla Industrial & Technological Museum
Indian Museum
Mother House & Museum
Nehru Children’s Museum
Rabindra Bharati Museum & Jorasanko Thakurbari
MP Birla Planetarium
Science City
Police Museum
Gurusaday Museum
State Archaeological Museum
Sabarna Sangrahashala, Barisha
Town Hall