Places to visit inKolkata

The best places to visit in Kolkata range from colonial landmarks on the Maidan to temples on the Hooghly and old mansions in the north. This guide to Kolkata attractions lists entry fees, timings and closing days checked against official sources where available.

Kolkata, known as Calcutta until 2001, is the capital and largest city of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River about 80 km west of the Bangladesh border. The Nawab of Bengal gave the East India Company a trading licence in 1690, and the Company developed the area into Fort William; after the Battle of Plassey in 1757 the city grew as the seat of British power and served as the de facto capital of India until 1911.

Wikipedia calls it by many sources the cultural capital of India. Its colonial-era buildings, including the Victoria Memorial, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Indian Museum, stand around the Maidan and Park Street, while north Kolkata keeps older mansions such as Marble Palace and Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the Tagore family home.

The Hooghly is crossed by Howrah Bridge, a symbol of the city, and religious sites line the river and the south: Dakshineswar Kali Temple and Belur Math to the north, and Kalighat Kali Temple in the south. Science City, on the eastern side, suits families. The Metro, buses, trams, taxis and ferries all help in getting around, and distances are best planned by area rather than crossing the city repeatedly. Check museum closing days, since many close on Mondays.