Places To Visit In Kolkata

 

Victoria Memorial

Victoria Memorial, Kolkata Overview 

Another relic of the British Raj in India, the Victoria Memorial is situated in the core of Kolkata, in West Bengal. This white marbled lavish structure was inherent memory of Queen Victoria to commend her 25 years of rule over India and is right around a reproduction of the Victoria Memorial in London. Victoria Memorial is a notable structure that is inseparable from the city of happiness! 

The remembrance is encircled by a lavish green and very much looked after nursery, which spreads more than 64 sections of land and has various sculptures and figures in it. A sixteen-foot tall bronze sculpture of triumph, mounted on metal rollers at the head of the commemoration, serves to elevate the general allure and loftiness of the whole unpredictable. Victoria Memorial is amazing and great, particularly around evening time, when it is lit up. The Sound and Light shows that happen at night are an additional enjoyment, and an unquestionable requirement watch. With everything taken into account, the spot is an absolute necessity visit for individuals to wish to remember the quintessence of the Victorian period in the current world.

Fort William Kolkata

Post William, Kolkata Overview 

The powerful structure of Fort William is arranged in the city of Kolkata, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River. Underlying the year 1696, the post is named after King William III and was the primary fortress of the British in the nation. The eminent structure is spread over 70.9 sections of land and is adorned with many curved windows that neglect rich green nurseries. Careful stonework decorates the outside of the structure and it took insofar as took ten years to arrive at finish. In any case, it was before long understood that the structure had a couple of provisos, and another octagonal structure was developed whose establishment was laid by Sir Robert Clive. 

Through the span of its reality, Fort William has filled various needs, every one of which was as an unmistakable difference to the next. At first, it contained wings and an internal stronghold where detainees were pulled which is the reason it was known as 'the dark gap of Calcutta'. Today, Fort William is the property of the Indian Army and has a limit of obliging up to 10,000 armed force faculty. It additionally fills in as the base camp of the Eastern Command. Because of its significance concerning Indian knowledge, admittance to the insides of the stronghold is restricted to armed force faculty and their family members. Nonetheless, you can visit the royal residence for its dazzling engineering.

Belur Math

Belur Math, Kolkata Overview

Belur Math in Kolkata is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Sprawling over forty acres of land on the west bank of the Hooghly River, it is visited by people from all over the world, irrespective of their religious beliefs.

The temple is known for its distinctive architecture, which fuses Hindu, Christian and Islamic motifs as a symbol of unity of all religions. Founded by Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, the temple is at the heart of the Ramakrishna Movement. The temple complex also houses a museum and several other affiliated educational institutions. The evening Aarti takes place 5:30 PM, at which an evening bell is rung to indicate that visitors are not allowed to loiter on the Math grounds and are also not allowed to visit any temple other than Sri Ramakrishna temple. The Aarti songs sung are hymns of praise to Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Sarada Devi. The Aarti here is different from those at other places of worship since one is expected just to sit and meditate. There is no religious offering made. Flowers and sweets are not offered.

Howrah Bridge

Howrah Bridge, Kolkata Overview

An iconic landmark of Kolkata, Howrah Bridge is a massive steel bridge constructed over the Hooghly River. It is considered to be among the longest cantilever bridges in the world. Also known as Rabindra Setu, it connects Howrah and Kolkata. It carries daily traffic of over 100,000 vehicles and countless pedestrians and is as historic as it is grand. The opulence of the bridge, however, comes alive in the night time as it is all lit up. You can also take a ferry ride as it runs between Kolkata and Howrah, from the launch ghat. The view of the city from the ferry, especially in the night, is priceless, to say the least.

Howrah Bridge was the third-longest cantilever bridge at the time of its construction, but now it is the sixth-longest one of its types. It was renamed as Rabindra Setu on June 14, 1965, after the name of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It spreads about 1500 ft over the Hooghly River and is 71 ft wide. There is a total of 8 lanes of strand road, bicycles, and pedestrians. What makes this bridge unique is the fact that it was built without a single nut or bolt and is held together by rivets.

Birla Planetarium

Birla Planetarium, Kolkata Overview

Situated at the famous Chowringhee Road right in the proximity of Victoria Memorial and St. Paul's Cathedral Birla planetarium is the largest planetarium in Asia and the second largest in the world! Situated in the city of joy - Kolkata, Birla Planetarium is a magnificent edifice set up by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 2nd July 1963. It is one of the three planetariums present in India. Also known as Taramandal, the Birla Planetarium regularly holds many shows and programs are in various languages including Hindi, English, Bengali, and other regional languages. In addition to being a planetarium, Birla Planetarium also has an electronics laboratory and an astronomy gallery that has a collection of paintings and astronomical models.

A visit to the Birla Planetarium is an exciting way to ignite your interest in science and the motion of planets. People, especially astronomy lovers, arrive from all over the world to experience the amazing shows organized here. A trip here includes a tour of the planets, where interesting details about them and the other fascinating celestial bodies present in our universe are discussed. Silence rings loud while the show goes on, which in itself is a testament to the mesmerising effect of the shows here. Pictures of famous astronauts and other celestial bodies are put on display in the hallway. One can have a look at them after attending the show.

Indian Museum

Indian Museum, Kolkata Overview

The ninth oldest museum of the world and largest in India, the Indian Museum is located in the city of joy - Kolkata. The foundation stone of the Indian Museum was laid down in the year 1814 and has been a centre of multidisciplinary activities ever since. Popularly known as 'Jadughar', it has the finest collection of contemporary paintings, sacred relics of Buddha, Egyptian mummies and ancient sculptures. In addition to these, the Indian Museum boasts of some of the most exquisite collections of ornaments, fossils, skeletons, antiques, armours, and stunning Mughal paintings.

Presently, the museum has 35 galleries which have been divided into six categories namely Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Economic Botany. For those inquisitive about history, there is also a library and bookshop present within the museum premises. Indian Museum recently celebrated its bicentennial anniversary with great fervour in February 2014. With its splendid collection, the museum takes you back in time to witness our fascinating past.