This article presents details about 10 most beautiful places to visit in Kolkata under the title Best 10 Places to Visit in Kolkata.
Kolkata is gifted with a wide variety of tourist attractions that provide each visitor with a distinctive experience and keep tourists happy. There are countless attractions to explore in Kolkata, including serene lakes, calming parks, historical structures, museums, and libraries. There are also numerous old churches and temples. The commercial zones, theme parks, and delectable restaurants make sightseeing more fascinating. A trip to Kolkata is likely to fascinate every traveler with all of these and much more.
What are those 15 beautiful places?
- Victoria Memorial
- Howrah Bridge
- Dakshineswar Kali Temple
- Indian Museum
- Kalighat Temple
- Alipore Zoological Gardens
- Kolkata Race Course
- Marble Palace
- Eco Tourism Park
- Jorasanko Thakurbari
Now let’s find out the details about these places one by one.
01) Victoria Memorial
- Address: Victoria Memorial Hall, 1, Queens Way, Maidan, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- Open Hours: All Days From 10am to 5pm
- Web Site : Victoria Memorial
When visit in Kolkata, one must not miss the Victoria Memorial. This memorial was erected in Queen Victoria’s honor and unveiled to the public in 1921. It was created by William Emerson, a well-known architect of the time and the president of the British Institute of Architects at the time.
Unquestionably, this location is one of the best art museums in the nation, with an extensive collection of lithographs, historical documents, artifacts, and paintings depicting the royal British dynasties. It also displays an astonishing architecture, standing 184 feet tall and covering 64 acres of ground.
The expansive grounds of the Victoria Memorial include two enormous pools in the gardens and a well-kept lawn that surrounds the museum structure. David Prain and Lord Redesdale created the grass and gardens.
The massive premises of the Victoria memorial consist of manicured lawn and gardens that surround the museum building along with two huge pools in the gardens. The gardens and lawn were designed by Lord Redesdale and David Prain.
There are few facts about the Victoria Memorial and the most interesting of them is that the building of the memorial took 15 years to complete. The total cost of this construction is INR 10,500,000. The necessary funds for this came from the royal states of India.
02) Howrah Bridge
- Address : Howrah, West Bengal, India
Make sure to include the Howrah Bridge in your list of tourist attractions when visit in Kolkata. It is such a beautiful place. It is also known as Rabindra Setu is considered to be the busiest bridge in the world. A fine example of 20th century engineering excellence.
This bridge was built in 1874. The Howrah Bridge over the Hooghly River is a tourist destination in Kolkata. This bridge connecting Kolkata and Howrah is about 705 meters long. Built on two 270 feet tall towers. Built without using nuts or bolts, this bridge is truly amazing.
The river Hooghly is crossed by two more bridges at Vivekananda Setu and Vidyasagar Setu. This bridge is considered the symbol of Bengal’s history and culture as it has stood for many historical events including the First and Second World Wars. Classified as a “Suspension Type Balanced Cantilever” type structure, the bridge was the third longest cantilever bridge in the world when it was built and was hailed as an architectural masterpiece.
Tata Steel provided the majority of the high tension steel needed for the bridge’s construction, which totaled Rs 25 million. The bridge, which serves as an access route for more than 200,000 cars and more than 150,000 people per day, is regarded as the busiest cantilever bridge in the world right now.
03) Dakshineswar Kali Temple
- Address: Dakshineswar, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- Open Hours: All Days From 6AM–12:30PM, 3–8:30PM
- Web Site : Dakshineswari Kali Temple
This shrine is dedicated to Devi Bhavatharini, a manifestation of Goddess Kali. Dakshineshwar Kali Temple draws a large number of devotees every day. Located on the banks of the Hooghly River, this temple was built in 1847 by Rani Rashmoni, Queen of Janbazar. Spread over 25 acres, this temple is revered and trusted by devotees who come here to seek the blessings of the Goddess and find solutions to their problems.
As far as the past of this shrine is concerned, it appears that the temple has a strong spiritual as well as socio-political significance. A special architectural feature here is that the temple is built in the traditional “Nava-Ratna” (Nine Kotra) Bengali architectural style. For the construction project Rs. 900,000 cost and time taken to complete.
When his elder brother passed away, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa became the head priest and the temple became famous among the devotees. As an ardent follower of Goddess Kali, he significantly changed the socio-religious atmosphere of Bengal.
Rani Rashmoni, the founder of the temple, played an equally important role in raising its fame. Contrary to conventional wisdom, she allowed members of every social group to enter the temple, breaking the boundaries imposed by class, caste, religion and religion.
The main temple has 12 lower Shiva shrines with a Shivalinga made of black stone in the spacious courtyard. Twelve Jyotirlingas serve as representations of Shiva temples built using the traditional Bengali “Aath-chala” (eight-cornered) architecture. Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa attained enlightenment in a local Shiva temple.
04) Indian Museum
- Address: 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Rd, Fire Brigade Head Quarter, New Market Area, Dharmatala, Taltala, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- Open Hours: Monday Closed. All other days from 10am to 5pm
- Web Site : Indian Museum
The Indian Museum, also known as the Imperial Museum of Calcutta (in colonial texts) is located in central Kolkata, West Bengal, India. This museum has won the 09th place among the oldest museums in the world. And the most special thing is that the Indian Museum is the oldest and largest museum in India.
The museum has a very rare collection of antiquities, armor and jewellery, fossils and skeletons as well as mummies are on display. You can also see Mughal paintings here. This institution was established in 1814 by the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Danish botanist Nathaniel Wallich is considered the founder of this museum.
Thirty-five galleries of cultural and scientific artifacts from Indian art, archaeology, anthropology, geology, zoology, and economic botany are divided into six divisions. The galleries in these areas house numerous rare and distinctive items linked to the humanities and the sciences, both Indian and trans-Indian. Particularly the art and archeology departments have important international collections.
It is a separate entity under the control of the Indian government’s Ministry of Culture. Shri Arijit Datta Chowdhury, the Director General of NCSM with the additional responsibility of Director General of the National Library, is the present Director of the Indian Museum.
The board of trustees of this organization oversees the administrative supervision of the cultural sectors of art, archeology, and anthropology, while the other three science divisions are the Geological Survey of India, the Zoological Survey of India, and the Botanical Survey of India. The Education, Conservation, Publishing, Presentation, Photography, Medical, Modeling, and Library coordinating service units make up the Museum Directorate. The Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists this institution, which serves a variety of purposes, as one of national importance.
05) Kalighat Temple
- Address: Anami Sangha, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
It is a well-known legend that the city of Kolkata got its name from the name of ‘Kalika’, the super-goddess of Kalighat. This story that connects the two cities of Kalighat and Kolkata is still spoken by the old people living in those cities.
The Kalighat Temple in Kolkata is regarded as one of the 51 Shakti Peeths’ most significant sites. The right foot toes of Goddess Sati’s burned body are said to have fallen off at Kalighat during Lord Shiva’s Rudra Tandava.
The Kalighat temple is mentioned in both 15th- and 17th-century literature. The first temple, which was a modest cottage, is thought to have been constructed in the first half of the 16th century. The temple’s current building, however, is only thought to be 200 years old.
By the banks of Adi Ganga, a narrow canal that empties into the Hooghly River, is where you’ll find the Kalighat temple. This canal was thought to follow the Hooghly River’s original course or path, which is why it was given the name Adi Ganga, where “Adi” stands for “Original.” The existence of archer coins, which were common during the Gupta era, attests to the temple’s occupancy at the same site during that time.
A few elevated platforms are available in the temple’s courtyard for performing specific tasks and for viewing the rites performed inside the sanctum sanctorum.
06) Alipore Zoological Gardens
- Address: Alipur Zoological Garden, Alipore, Kolkata
- Open Hours : Open every other day except Thursday (From 9am to 5pm)
- Web Site : Alipore Zoological Gardens
Alipore Zoo was established in 1876. It is considered to be the oldest zoo in India. Spread over an area of more than 46.5 acres, the Alipore Zoo is home to numerous species of native mammals, reptiles and birds.
Sometimes called the Calcutta Zoo, this botanical garden was a private zoo owned by Richard Wellesley, who was the Governor of India at the time in 1800. But as a result of renovation and development, it became India’s first formal zoo as a natural history project.
There are over 1266 animals at the zoo, including primates, herbivores, and carnivores from 108 distinct species. There are various endangered species of birds, including the exotic pheasant, cockatoo, macaw, stork, and spoonbill. The Reptile House at Alipore Zoo is located in a unique area that was created to meet the demands of each inhabitant, whether they be snakes, swamp crocodiles, or gharials. Many migratory birds are drawn to centrally situated water bodies on the zoo’s property each year.
07) Kolkata Race Course
- Address : Maidan, Khiddirpore Rd, Race Course, Hastings, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- Open Hours : 24 hours / All Day
- Web Site : Kolkata Race Course
The first horse race was held at Kolkata Race Course, which has the distinction of being one of India’s oldest racetracks. Its stunning scenery makes it a must-see location on your trip of Kolkata. Although many horse races take place on holidays and on weekends, the best months to visit this location are from September to March.
The polo field next to the racetrack is reputed to be the best in India. When horse races are not scheduled, the city’s aristocracy settle for polo tournaments that are hosted by the Royal Calcutta Turf Club. The Royal Calcutta Turf Club looks after the racetrack. The racing track serves as the ideal memory of the colonial era. It was built in 1820 for the East India elites as a common area for social events, sports, and other amusements.
08) Marble Palace
- Address : Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- Admission : Free
In North Kolkata, there is a grand nineteenth-century palace called Marble Palace. It is one of the most exquisite and well-preserved homes from Calcutta in the nineteenth century. The house gets its name from the marble sculptures, floors, and walls that make it famous.
Raja Rajendra Mullick, a prosperous Bengali trader who had a penchant for art collecting, constructed the home in 1835. His descendants have continued to live there, and right now, Raja Rajendra Mullick Bahadur’s family is there. Nilmoni Mullick, who constructed the Jagannath temple that predates Marble Palace and still stands on the property but is solely accessible to family members.
The architecture of the home is Neoclassical, while the layout, with its open courtyards, is predominantly Bengali in character. There is a thakur-dalan, or family members’ place of worship, close to the courtyard. The three-story structure, designed to resemble a Chinese pavilion, has decorated verandas with fretwork and sloping roofs as well as large fluted Corinthian pillars. The property also has a lake, a rock garden, a lake with lawns, and a small zoo.
Because Marble Palace is still a private residence, taking pictures is not allowed. Free admission is available, however a permit must be obtained at the West Bengal Tourism Information Bureau in B. B. D. Bagh, Kolkata, at least 24 hours in advance. Although the areas of the house that are currently inhabited are off-limits, there are guides inside the house who give visitors tours of the entire structure. Except on Mondays and Thursdays, Marble Palace is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
09) Eco Tourism Park
- Address: Major Arterial Road(South-East, Biswa Bangla Sarani, AA II, Newtown, Kolkata
- Open Hours: Monday Closed. All other days open from 2.30-8.30 pm
- Web Site : Eco Tourism Park
The largest park in India thus far is Eco Park (also known as Prakriti Tirtha), which is an urban park in New Town, Greater Kolkata. A 104 acres water body with an island in the middle surrounds the park, which is located on a 480 acre parcel of land. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, conceptualized the park in July 2011.
There are three main sections to the park.
1) ecological regions include urban forests, meadows, and wetlands.
2) Theme parks and gardens.
3) and public recreation areas in cities.
In accordance with the various species of fauna that have been planted, the Eco Park is further divided into various sub-parts. In this park, there are also replicas of the Seven Wonders of the World for visitors to see. The park will contain a variety of settings, including grasslands, tropical tree gardens, bonsai gardens, tea gardens, cactus walks, heliconia gardens, butterfly gardens, play spaces, and amphitheaters, according to the concept.
Interesting Activities.
Paddle Boating, Shikara Riding, Rowing, Duo Cycling, Speed Boat, Bird Watching, Gun Shooting, Archery, Kayaking, Cultural Events, Gaming Zone and many other activities that you may like. (Charges apply)
10) Jorasanko Thakurbari
- Address : Ganesh Talkies, 267, Rabindra Sarani, Singhi Bagan, Jorasanko, Kolkata
- Open Hours : Monday Closed. All other days open from 10.30 am – 5.00 pm
- Web Site : Jorasanko Thakurbari
Without visiting the ancestral home of one of Kolkata’s most beloved residents—who also happens to be the first ever Asian to win the prestigious Nobel Prize—a trip to the city would be incomplete. The ancestral home of poet and artist Rabindranath Tagore, Jorasanko Thakur Bari, should not be missed when visiting Kolkata.
The Thakur Bari, also known as the Rabindra Bharati University and literally translating to “House of Tagores,” today serves as a center for Indian Classical Fine Arts and high-quality education. In 1961, a section of the structure was transformed into the Rabindra Bharati Museum. Every member of the Tagore family is represented, along with their lives and tales. It is an opulent “red brick” home with a 35,000 square meter footprint.
Rabindranath Tagore was not the only important person in the home; the women of the Tagore family were as well-known for their accomplishments in a variety of fields. It’s significant to note that the Tagore household never adhered to the purdah practice, which was common in India before independence. Discussions about politics, culture, art, literature, commerce, and other topics of the wider world were equally welcomed by the ladies. While exploring the museum, one might catch a glimpse of this and learn more about the family.
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