OrangeSmile Tours Best destinations around the world - Travel Guide

Sightseeing in Kolkata - what to see. Complete travel guide

It is safe to say that Kolkata is one of the most authentic and contrast cities in India. This is a true cultural center of the country that is also the capital of West Bengal State. Having arrived in this Indian city, you will be shocked and charmed at the same time. Perhaps, it is hard to find another city in the world where misery and richness are in such a striking contrast. That being said, local people are very friendly and hospitable despite their hard life. The city itself looks like it is centuries back in time and the Indian government forgot about it. Tourists still try to visit this city and see its marvelous landmarks, even though some of them are in poor condition.
Settlements existed on the site of modern Kolkata and its surroundings already more than 2,000 years ago. However, Kolkata as a city started actively developing at the end of the seventeenth century when the British East India Company started working in the region. Reportedly, Job Charnock was the founder of the city, but the Calcutta High Court stated in 2003 that the city didn’t have a founder. During the British reign, the city was the capital region of British India. It maintained this status until 1911. Thanks to this, the Indian settlement is now quite a large scientific, political, and cultural center.
In the mid-19th century, the territory of Kolkata was conventionally divided into two parts, an Indian and British one. Starting from the 50s of the 19th century, the city has been developing at a fast pace. This is particularly true about its industrial side. Kolkata became a center of jute and textile production. The division of Bengal had a negative impact on the life of the city. It was decided to move the capital to another city, New Delhi. The former capital lost its power and, as the following events prove, became forgotten. World War II was one more hard challenge for this region. Japanese aircraft tried to wipe the city off the surface, sending multiple bombs to houses of peaceful locals. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
Massive reconstruction of Kolkata started only in 2000. Nowadays, this Indian settlement is a popular tourist destination due to its numerous attractions. The Victoria Memorial is one of the main landmarks in the city. Nowadays, the building hosts the exhibition of the museum of history dedicated to the past of British India. The name of the gorgeous building speaks for itself. The construction works started in 1906 and were finished in 1921. Lord Curzon decided to make this memorial after the death of Queen Victoria. This is also a gorgeous monument of British India.
In 1906, Prince of Wales put the first stone in the foundation of the future memorial. The building features Italian-inspired architecture with some decent eastern motifs. The top of the Victoria Memorial has a decoration, a bronze Angel of Victory that looks like he is flying above the city. Would you like to learn more about the culture of Kolkata? Visit the museum that exhibits paintings of various British artists. The paintings depict India and the city in different periods. Visitors can see who was fighting for the independence of the Indian nation and can admire numerous gravures, documents, and photographs of the everyday life of British India.
Goddess Kali is very popular in Kolkata and West Bengal State in general. To praise the goddess and immortalize her name, it was decided to build a shrine dedicated to her. Kalighat Kali Temple was built in the 19th century. Nowadays, the temple is a building with numerous cupolas that make it somewhat reminiscent of Orthodox Christian cathedrals. The gray and white building is very tall. Its height is almost nine meters.
Local people enjoy telling various scary legends about Kalighat Kali Temple. According to some of them, there were human sacrifices in this temple in the past. Moreover, some gossips say that Thuggee followers were monks in this temple. They were killing and robbing local people. They did those crimes in attempts to satisfy Kali who was the goddess of death. In fact, Kali as a goddess never had any destructive nature. Such inhumane deeds were the result of an inaccurate understanding of the goddess and her place in the pantheon.
The waterfront of the Hooghly River is the most crowded place in the city. The length of the waterfront is more than four kilometers. Both residents and guests of the city enjoy taking a stroll here, admiring numerous park areas where people can sit on benches or throw coins to one of the fountains. Are you a fan of active recreation? You will see multiple boats docked along the waterfront. These boasts wait for tourists who want to make an interesting river excursion.
The city’s airport is situated twenty kilometers from central Kolkata. This airport serves flights of many international carriers. Having landed at the airport, tourists can always call a taxi to the city center. There is also a new railroad that connects the airport to Kolkata downtown. If you plan to get to Kolkata from India’s capital, you can always get on a train that goes from Delhi to Kolkata.

City tours, excursions and tickets in Kolkata and surroundings

Reference information
Map of all parks
National and city parks around Kolkata
♥   World Heritage Site 'Sundarbans National Park' , 95.4 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Map of all art museums
Art galleries in Kolkata and around
♥   Art museum 'Indian Museum' Kolkata, 2.1 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'Victoria Memorial (India)' Kolkata, 3.8 km from the center. On the map   Photo

Sightseeing in India: things to see

The most famous mosques, which are recommended for a visit, are Jama Masjid, Minasel, Oila-t-Kuhna Masid, Moth-ki-Masjid, Fathehpur Sikri, Sunehri Masjid and Zeenat-ul Masjid. The majority of the abovementioned mosques were built in the 15th – 16th centuries. There are also mausoleums that belong to the 13th – 14th centuries - Adham Khan's Tomb, the tomb of Shams-ud-din Iltutmish, the tomb of Sultan Guri, Humayun's Tomb and Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah. These buildings have not only historical, but also architectural value as many of them are true masterpieces of architectural art. … Open
Car rental on OrangeSmile.com Rentals in Kolkata

Hilton builds third luxury hotel in Kyoto

It will welcome its first guests in 2024. 313 rooms of various categories will be available, the interior of rooms and hotel spaces will become one of the main features of the high-class hotel. When decorating the rooms, it is planned to use local textiles, which are famous for their high quality and are considered to be one of the best in the world. Read this

19.03.2024

Search touristic sites on the map of Kolkata

Address/Sight name City/Region Country Within radius, km
 Types of touristic objects to search for
Hotels & Car rental
Carhire locations
0 star
1 star
2 stars
3 stars
4 stars
5 stars
Touristic places
Art galleries
Churches/Temples
Museums
Castles/Palaces
Monuments
Touristic areas
Sightseeings
Attractions
Attraction parks
Casino
Theaters/Cinema
Disco/Clubs
Parks
Zoo
Aqua parks
Transport
Airports
Train stations
Bus stations
Metro
Parkings
Fuel stations
Ports/Ferries
Open the list of object types
Health/Sport
Open the list of object types
Food/Money
Open the list of object types
Shopping
Open the list of object types
Beauty/Medicine
Open the list of object types
City services
Open the list of object types
Useful services

Sightseeing in regions nearby Kolkata

All about Kolkata, India - sightseeings, attractions, touristic spots, architecture, history, culture and cuisine. Prepare your trip together with OrangeSmile.com - find out the 'must see' things in Kolkata, which places to visit, which excursions to take, where the breathtaking views are waiting for you. Planning your trip with this travel guide will help your to get the most out of Kolkata in few days.
OrangeSmile.com - online travel reservation expert providing reliable car rental and hotel booking services. We feature more than 25.000 destinations with 12.000 rental offices and 200.000 hotels worldwide.
Secure Server
Head office
Weegschaalstraat 3, Eindhoven
5632 CW, The Netherlands
+31 40 40 150 44


Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About us
Copyright © 2002 - OrangeSmile Tours B.V. | OrangeSmile.com | Under the direction and management of IVRA Holding B.V. - Registered at Kamer van Koophandel (KvK), The Netherlands No. 17237018