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               KOLKATA TRAVEL GUIDE


Kolkata  (formerly Calcutta) is the capital of West Bengal and the second largest city
in India (after Mumbai). If Bangalore is the Seattle of India, then Kolkata is the sub-
contintent's New York. It is an 'in your face' city that shocks and charms the
unsuspecting visitor. Abject poverty and filth mix inexplicably with crumbling British
Raj-era gems, sprawling gardens and historical colleges. Long known as the
cultural capital of India, Kolkata continues to spawn generations of poets, writers,
film producers and Nobel Peace Prize winners. If your visit only allows for a visit of
one or two of India's metropolitan cities, then definitely consider placing Kolkata on
your itinerary. Love it or hate it, you definitely won't forget the city on the Hooghly.

Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911. Once the
centre of modern education, science, culture and politics in India, Kolkata witnessed
economic stagnation in the years following India's independence in 1947. However,
since the year 2000, an economic rejuvenation has led to a spurt in the city's growth.
Like other metropolitan cities of India, Kolkata continues to struggle with
urbanisation problems like poverty, pollution and traffic congestion.

Kolkata is noted for its revolutionary history, ranging from the Indian struggle for
independence to the leftist and trade union movements.

The discovery of the nearby Chandraketugarh, an archaeological site, provides
evidence that the area has been inhabited for over two millennia. The city's
documented history, however, begins with the arrival of the British East India
Company in 1690, when the Company was consolidating its trade business in
Bengal. Job Charnock, an administrator with the Company was traditionally credited
as the founder of this city. However, recently experts have endorsed the view that
Charnock was not the founder of the city.

In 1702, the British completed the construction of old Fort William, which was used
to station its troops and as a regional base. Kolkata (then Calcutta) was declared a
Presidency City, and later became the headquarters of the Bengal Presidency.
Faced with frequent skirmishes with French forces, in 1756 the British began to
upgrade their fortifications. When protests against the militarisation by the Nawab of
Bengal Siraj-Ud-Daulah went unheeded he attacked and captured Fort William,
leading to the infamous Black Hole incident. A force of Company sepoys and British
troops led by Robert Clive recaptured the city the following year. Kolkata was named
the capital of British India in 1772, although the capital shifted to the hilly town of
Shimla during the summer months every year, starting from the year 1864. It was
during this period that the marshes surrounding the city were drained and the
government area was laid out along the banks of the Hooghly River. Richard
Wellesley, the Governor General between 1797–1805, was largely responsible for
the growth of the city and its public architecture which led to the description of
Kolkata as "The City of Palaces". The city was a centre of the British East India
Company's opium trade during the 18th and 19th century; locally produced opium
was sold at auction in Kolkata, to be shipped to China.

By the early 19th century, Kolkata was split into two distinct areas—one British
(known as the White Town), the other Indian (known as Black Town). Even at the
time, the poverty of the 'Black Town' shanties was considered shocking. The city
underwent rapid industrial growth from the 1850s, especially in the textile and jute
sectors; this caused a massive investment in infrastructure projects like railroads
and telegraph by British government. The coalescence of British and Indian culture
resulted in the emergence of a new Babu class of urbane Indians — whose
members were often bureaucrats, professionals, read newspapers, were
Anglophiles, and usually belonged to upper-caste Hindu communities.[15]
Throughout the nineteenth century, a socio-cultural reform, often referred to as the
Bengal Renaissance resulted in the general uplifting of the people. In 1883,
Surendranath Banerjea organised a national conference — the first of its kind in
nineteenth century India. Gradually Kolkata became a centre of the Indian
independence movement, especially revolutionary organisations.


GENERAL INFORMATION

Time zone         IST (UTC+5:30)
Area                   185 km˛ (71 sq mi)
Elevation           9 m (30 ft)
District(s)          Calcutta †
Population        4,580,544 (2001)
Density              24,760/km˛


PLACE TO VISIT

Howrah Bridge - spans the Hooghly River linking Howrah to Kolkata. It is said
to be the busiest bridge in the world. No photos allowed.

Kali temple of Dakshineswar - is to the north of the city on the banks of
the Ganges, across from Belur Math.

TBD -  Kolkata been nicknamed the City of Palaces. This comes from the
numerous palatial mansions built all over the city. During the British colonial era
from 1700-1912, when Calcutta was the capital of British India, it witnessed a spate
of frenzied construction activity of buildings largely influenced by the conscious
intermingling of Gothic, Baroque, Roman, Oriental and Islamic schools of design.
Unlike many north Indian cities, whose construction stresses minimalism, the layout
of much of the architectural variety in Kolkata owes its origins to European styles and
tastes imported by the British and, to a much lesser extent, the Portuguese and
French. The buildings were designed, and inspired by the tastes of the English
gentleman around and the aspiring Bengali Babu (literally a nouveau riche Bengali
who aspired to cultivation of English etiquette, manners and custom as such
practices were favourable to monetary gains from the British). Today many of these
structures are in various stages of decay. Some of the major buildings of this period
are well maintained and several buildings have been declared as heritage
structures. Conservation efforts are patchy and are often affected by problems of
litigation, tenant troubles, ownership disputes, old tenancy laws and a lack of funds.

Rabindra Sarovar - is a large open lake and park area housing boating clubs,
an open air theatre and eateries and comes under the Ballygunge area.

Marble Palace - The marble palace was the private mansion of Zamindar
(Land owner) Raja Rajendro Mullick, who had built this palace in 1835. It is situated
on the Muktaram Babu Street in a congested part of the city. A real garden, of may be
an acre with a Palladian Mansion set square in the centre. Today this place has an
incongruous collection of statues and paintings. There is also a private zoo housing
a collection of birds from different corners of the world.

Fort William - the massive and impregnable British Citadel built in 1773. The
fort is still in use and retains its well-guarded grandeur. Visitors are allowed in with
special permission only.


HOW TO REACH

By plane - Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport [2] (IATA: CCU)
connects Kolkata with South East Asia and receives some flights from Europe but is
surprisingly small for a city of this size and hasn't been refurbished since the 1950s.
The domestic terminal, on the other hand, is among the best in India. It is
undergoing a major face-lift and expansion to cope with the expanding bulk of air
traffic and new airline companies popping up almost every month.

By train - There are two major railway stations in Kolkata - Howrah (not in Kolkata
actually, it's in the next city Howrah) and Sealdah. A new terminus station called
'Kolkata' has also started functioning since 2005, but presently it accommodates
very few trains.
The Foreign Ticket Office is on Fairly Place (with the main GPO on your left, take the
next left - the office is a few minutes walk on the left) - very helpful and efficient
service.
Kolkata is well connected by rail to almost all the big stations in India and also
serves as the gateway to the North Eastern India.