Welcome to our very first blog about the City of Joy, Kolkata. Ever since the colonial era, Bengal has cradled Calcutta, now Kolkata, as a center of culture, heritage, and knowledge. Furthermore, in the 19th and 20th centuries, it was the birthplace of the Bengal Renaissance and Indian nationalism and once was the famous British capital of India.
If you’re new to the city, you might find it overwhelming at first, but if you had the correct guide, you’d find its treasures quite alluring. Therefore, we bring to you 7 places that you must visit while traveling to Kolkata, dear reader.
Fort William, Maidan, Kolkata
The remarkable architecture of Fort William, built during the 17th century under the British East India Company’s rule stands as a reminder of the city’s colonial past. On the banks of the Hooghly River, the fort functioned as a defensive structure for the British and was named after William III of England. Once a colonial stronghold, it now accommodates the Eastern Command Headquarters of the Indian Army. Locals and tourists are often drawn to this extraordinary historical monument, and the government opens it for them on a few select days.
Victoria Memorial, Maidan, Kolkata
Perhaps one of the most well-known monuments in Kolkata is the Victoria Memorial commissioned by Lord Curzon as a tribute to Queen Victoria. Once a roaring, beautiful memorial for the British Queen, it now is a museum that has 25 galleries displaying the rich cultural heritage of Bengal and tributes to the famous Netaji Subash Chandra Bose. The museum’s majestic dome and intricate design is quite a draw for tourists and locals, who love to walk around its expansive grounds and spend time within its verdant gardens.
South Park Street Cemetery, Mullick Bazar, Kolkata
This graveyard nestled in the heart of Kolkata is a poignant testament to the city’s colonial era. Established in the 18th century, it serves as the eternal resting place of many foreign generals, their wives, and family. While one might think walking through a graveyard is morbid, this cemetery in the Park Street area of Kolkata is anything but morbid.
The cemetery has a serene atmosphere with moss-covered tombstones and beautiful foliage, however, here is the fun bit – some think the cemetery might be haunted. Anyway, it stands as a quiet, reflective place in the bustle of this city, but whether you can glimpse a ghost or not remains to be seen.
Indian Museum, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata
Surprisingly, one of Asia’s biggest multipurpose museums is situated in Kolkata and was inaugurated in 1814. Housed in a grand neoclassical building, the Indian Museum has a diverse and large collection of archaeological, geological, anthropological, natural, and cultural artifacts. There are ancient sculptures, textiles, an Egyptian mummy, and many rare paintings that tourists and locals visit and marvel at. From Harappa to Mauryan, from Prehistory to British history, the museum exhibits a plethora of knowledge for the curious mind.
Paul’s Cathedral, Maidan, Kolkata
As a city that has been under strong colonial influence ever since the late 1700s, Kolkata has its fair share of churches and cathedrals. However, St. Paul’s Cathedral is undoubtedly the one people know the most and visit a lot. Built-in the 19th century, it is a majestic Gothic architectural marvel. Its spires and stained glass windows are magnificent as are the shadowy interior halls. Within its pews, people could find a tranquil spiritual reverence and decked to nines on Christmas Eve.
Jorasanko Thakur Bari, Girish Park, Kolkata
In Bengal, everyone is well aware of the name Rabindranath Tagore. Even if you aren’t from the State, you’d know him as the person who composed our National Anthem and was a prime member of the Bengal intelligentsia. Jorasanko Thakur Bari is his manorial residence in Kolkata. This ancestral property was built in the 18th century by the Tagores (Thakurs) and was the place where the Nobel Laureate took his last breath. Now a walk-in museum showcasing his life, this establishment had become an ode to the phenomenal figure Tagore was.
Writer’s Building, B.D Bagh, Kolkata
Another of the city’s opulent architectural marvels, the Writer’s Building was built in 1777 and served as a colonial administrative office. As such, the place has a bloody history too during the freedom struggle when freedom fighters shot down British officers in an attempt to boycott their oppressive rule. A neoclassical monument, reflecting the city’s torrid colonial past, the building now is used to house the secretariat of the Bengal government.
One cannot deny the exemplary past of Kolkata and one definitely cannot forget the indelible mark it left on the city. From Plassey to partition, the city has never stopped being grand and magnificent. As such, the monuments, temples, stadiums, museums, cathedrals, and parks scattered all around the beautiful city are an ode to that rich heritage.
If you’re traveling to the city, make sure you visit the aforementioned places because they’re just simply the grandest opulence the city has to offer, along with locations like the Howrah Bridge, Princep Ghat, Belur Math, National Library, etc.
