Victoria Memorial

Calcutta Victoria memorial hall is a fabulous museum that was established in the year 1921. The credit for designing and drawing the plan for this monument goes to Sir William Emerson, President of the British Institute of Architects. Victoria Memorial of Kolkata, India is a fantastic place that will take you into the world of past history, where you can view the photos and effigies of prominent personalities, who made an incredible contribution in the glory of India. Today, Victoria memorial is one of the finest art museums in Kolkata. It is a 184 ft tall edifice that was constructed on 64 acres of land. The museum houses a group of mind-blowing figures above the north porch that epitomize prudence, learning and motherhood.

This ancient Kali temple is Kolkata’s holiest spot for Hindus and possibly the source of the city’s name. Today’s version is a 1809 rebuild with floral- and peacock-motif tiles that look more Victorian than Indian. More interesting than the architecture are the jostling pilgrim queues that snake into the main hall to fling hibiscus flowers at a crowned, three-eyed Kali image. There’s no need to join them to feel the atmosphere.

Behind the bell pavilion but still within the mandir complex, goats are ritually beheaded (generally mornings) to honour the ever-demanding goddess. To the direct east is a pea-green ‘holy pond’ and by the sanctuary’s north perimeter, a ‘tree of fertility’.

Unless using their services to queue-jump into the central shrine hall, a token donation of ₹20 is sufficient for any impromptu temple guide. Donating ₹21 is even better – giving a sum ending in one is considered lucky and implies that you are familiar with local customs

This resplendent 1835 raja’s mansion is overstuffed with dusty statues of thinkers and dancing girls, much Victoriana, ample Belgian glassware and fine if bedraggled paintings, including supposedly original works by Murillo, Joshua Reynolds and Rubens.

Napoleons beat Wellingtons three to one in the music room, which is lavishly floored with marble inlay. The ballroom retains its vast array of candle chandeliers with globes of silvered glass to spread illumination: original 19th-century disco balls!

Admission is free, but before arriving you need to get a permission note from West Bengal Tourism or India Tourism . To find Marble Palace from MG Rd metro, walk north and turn left at the first traffic light (171 Chittaranjan Ave). Coming from the east, it’s on the lane that leaves Rabindra Sarani between #198 and #200

Fort William is a must visit tourist attraction place of Calcutta. Situated at the banks of river Hooghly, it was named after King William III of England. Fort William of Kolkata, India, was established during the tenure of British Raj in 1696. It was the guardroom of this two-storied building, where the black hole tragedy took place. During the Plassey war in 1757, Siraj Ud Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal attacked on the fort and defeated the Britishers. This paved way for the construction of a new fort by British.

The new fort was initiated by Robert Clive, which got completed by 1780. The basic
purpose of setting up Calcutta Fort William was to prevent attacks from Muslim invaders. The area that was cleared around the fort became maidan, where several exhibitions and fairs take place. The foundation of the old fort is still intact. Till date, it is a military area and the Arsenal inside it is worth watching, but for that prior permission of the commanding officer is required

National Library in Kolkata, India is the largest library of our country that is supported by the Dept of Culture, Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Government of India. It is constructed on 30 acres Belvedere Estate in Kolkata. It was basically set up to collect, distribute and preserve material that is produced within the country. There are no special criteria for membership of Calcutta national library. Infact, any person who is above the age of 18 can become its member. However, to avail the facilities of reading room and lending, separate membership is required.

National library has a huge collection of books and periodicals received from different parts of the country. Here, you can find books in almost all the Indian languages. There are separate language divisions that process the information for their readers in their respective native languages. Some of the language divisions that maintain their own collection consist of Hindi, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Sindhi, Telugu and Urdu. Also, these language divisions help in solving the reference queries of their readers. There is a separate division for children that cater to their information and recreation needs

Eden garden of Kolkata, India is one of the major tourist attraction places of the city of joy. Eden gardens is basically a cricket stadium, where people have witnessed the history of Indian cricket. It is the oldest cricket playground in the country and also the finest one. Calcutta Eden Gardens Cricket Club came into existence in the year 1864. The first ever first-class match that took place in the Eden Gardens was in 1917-18 and the first test match to be played here was in January 1934 against Douglas Jardine’s MCC. It was in February 1987, when the first ODI match was hosted here. It has undergone a tremendous modernization and infact, today it boasts of its large accommodation that can capaticitate about 1,20,000 persons. Eden gardens of Calcutta definitely falls into the category of must see places

Shopping Malls in Kolkata:

• City Centre
• Forum
• Pantaloons
• Westside
• The Gariahat Mall
• Hiland Park
• Big Bazaar
• Bazaar Kolkata

Within these malls one can find anything from branded clothes, bags, perfumes, toys, diamond jeweleries, trendy shoes, watches to exotic food courts.

• Emami Shopper’s City
• Fancy Market
• Metro Shopping Centre
• Vardaan Market
• Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan
• Samavayika
• AC Market