You have decided to travel to India but you have not chosen what places to see. Think about travel to Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal and India's largest city. Be sure, your travel to Calcutta will be filled with a cosmopolitan atmosphere and unparallel cultures immersed into each other.
The thing is that lying in the eastern end of Gangetic plain, and extending from the magnanimous Himalayan mountains to the Bay of Bengal, West Bengal has been subjected to a variety of influences from diverse cultures. Since time immemorial, the culmination of these varied cultures along with Bengal's very own evergrowing richness has given birth to a unique Bengali culture which can be identified by its colorful and significant contribution to all epochs of traditional and modern society. During the travel to Calcutta you will feel that people there are proud of their culture and their language. In West Bengal most of the people speak Bengali. Atulprasas Sen said about this beautiful language, "Our pride, our hope O our language Bengali."
Travel to Calcutta is travel to a land of varied charms. Right from the mighty Himalayas in the north to the sea-caressed beaches in the south, it will be a wonderful journey over the vardant plains, hilly terrains, forests and the wonderful mangrove forests - the Sunderbans. It will be also a wonder-filled journey through the rich cultural treasures of the state. Sightseeing in Calcutta will not leave you indifferent. Let's look close at some places of interest in Calcutta.
A panoramic view of the city can be obtained from the corner turrets of the building of Judicature, High Court, with a tower 54 meter high, taller than the Octerlony Monument (Saheed Minar). It was built on 1872 in Gothic Style.
Howrah Bridge is a fine specimen of structural workmanship. It connects Calcutta and Howrah over the river Hooghly. It was completed in 1941. Length main span : 450 meter, length of drop in span : 172 meter, height: 82 meter.
Eden Gardens. In 1835, Mrs. Eden, sister of Lord Auckland, laid out Eden Gardens. A nice garden with a Burmese pagoda and a band stand. The place has All India Radio Station (Akashbani Bhawan ) and a cricket stadium which can accommodate 85000 people.
Dalhousie Square (Binoy-Badal-Dinesh Bag). Busy locality full of Govt. offices surrounding a pond, named Laldighi. It is a most important part of Calcutta.
Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA). It is situated near the Birla Temple, at Ballygunge Phari. The gallery is closed on Mondays and daily opens from 2pm to 8pm.
Calcutta Museum (Town hall). Calcutta Museum is a hi-tech story-telling museum in Asia, based on recreated events of historic importance, animated with sound and light, so as to leave a lasting impression on the minds of the visitors. Town Hall is located near High Court and is open to all everyday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. except second and fourth Saturday of a month, Sundays and other official holidays.
One more Botanical Garden, Shibpur. At Shibpur, Howrah, botanical garden was founded in 1786 on the bank of river Hooghly. Located on 270 acre has around 50,000 different kinds of plants, trees, herbs. The oldest banyan tree is 250 years old.
For show lovers there is Birla Planetarium, one of the largest in Asia. It was inaugurated on 29th September, 1962. Internal diameter of the tomb is 82 feet. Air conditioned auditorium has chairs which can be inclined backwards to have a heavenly view. Shows in Hindi, English and Bengali. The auditorium has a capacity of 500.
In one word, your travel to Calcutta will be fascinating, bewitching, and bewildering.