Introduction
Kolkata (Formerly known as Calcutta) is the capital of West Bengal State in Eastern India. It is the primary business, commercial, and financial hub of Eastern India and the main port of communication for North-East India. Kolkata is the perfect tourist destination to observe colonial British history in India. In this article, I will give complete insight into the Top 10 Amazing places in Kolkata to visit in the year 2022.
Kolkata is regarded as the Cultural Capital of India.
From refreshing gardens, serene lakes, historical buildings, museums, libraries, sports stadiums to ancient temples and churches, there are umpteen places in Kolkata to visit.
The royal history of Kolkata is sure to fascinate you, and you can plan to visit this city as per the informational guide of this article.
To make things easily navigable & understandable, I have designed this article in FAQ format.
Location of Kolkata
Kolkata is located on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, the city is approximately 80 kilometres west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the capital city of the West Bengal state in Eastern India.
Top 10 Amazing Places in Kolkata to Visit
Kolkata is a living, busy & vibrant city. There are a number of places in Kolkata to visit but here I will share only the Top 10 Amazing places in Kolkata to Visit which are visited by almost every tourist.
- Victoria Memorial
- Howrah Bridge
- Mother House
- Birla Mandir
- Dakshineswar Kali Temple
- Kalighat Kali Temple
- St. Paul’s Cathedral
- Eden Gardens
- Indian Museum
- Gurudwara Dum Dum Sahib
The complete details about the Top 10 Amazing Places in Kolkata to Visit is as below:
VICTORIA MEMORIAL
Victoria Memorial is a sightseeing place that one cannot miss when in Kolkata.
It is located on Maidan, Victoria Memorial Hall, 1, Queens Way, Kolkata. & you can reach here by easily booking a yellow taxi or ola/uber cab.
It was built in the memory of Queen Victoria & this memorial was opened to the public in the year 1921. It is the best Romantic place in Kolkata to Visit.
It is spread over an area of 57 acres of land, nestling 21 lush green gardens, 28,394 artefacts, and 3,900 artistic paintings.
You can explore this place by following two ways:
- Visit Victoria Memorial Gallery: It has huge collection of Indian paintings, Western paintings, Rare Photographs & Manuscripts preserved over the ages.
- Timings to Visit: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (Closed on Mondays)
- Entry Ticket Fee: INR 30 per person
- Ticket counter closes half an hour before the closure of galleries
- Visit Victoria Gardens: The Garden of the memorial was exquisitly designed on a total area of 57 acre land. There are statues of various dignitaries like Lord Bentinck, Governor- General of India (1828-1835), Lord Ripon (Governor- General of India from 1880 to 1884; the statue of Sir Rajendranath Mookerjee, the pioneer industrialist of Bengal is on the eastern side.
- Timings to Visit: 6:00 am to 6:00 pm (All days in a week)
- Entry Ticket Fee: INR 20 per person
It is the one of the most famous places in Kolkata to visit.
For more information & Ticket bookings, visit the official webpage here: https://www.victoriamemorial-cal.org/home/content/en
HOWRAH BRIDGE
The Howrah Bridge is synonymous with Kolkata and has remained the face of the City of Joy for ages.
It is one of the early engineering and architectural marvels of West Bengal, & the bridge is the sixth-longest suspended span cantilever bridge in the world.
Howrah Bridge has been standing strong for the past 76 years, with no pillars supporting its suspension over the Hooghly River and has also witnessed several historical events including World War II.
It is an icon of Bengal’s history and culture, connecting Kolkata to Howrah. Being the gateway to Kolkata, anyone who enters Kolkata has to pass through this bridge to reach other parts of the state.
You may do the following things on Howrah Bridge:
- Take a long walk on the Bridge.
- Do Photography at Mallik Ghat Flower Market.
- Take a cruise on the Ganges.
MOTHER HOUSE
The Mother House is the last resting place of Mother Teresa (Nobel Peace Prize Winner) as she was buried in the tomb inside the house.
A small museum that has been named “Mother Teresa’s Life, Spirit and Message” houses whatever minimal belongings Mother had such as her sari, crucifix, rosary, worn sandals, worn out enamel dinner bowl.
It is considered as a pilgrimage & holy place to visit. The Mother House is the Head Quarter of the Missionaries of Charity that pulls thousands of visitors from all around the world.
This place is also used for meditation by visitors as it is a soulful place filled with positive vibes thereby imparting peace of mind.
Location: Mother House is located at 54, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Rd, Maula Ali, Beniapukur, Kolkata. The major landmark to look for when searching for the Mother House is Sealdah Loreto Convent.
The visiting hours of the Mother House are:
- Morning 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and
- Evening 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
The Mother House remains open all day of the week except for Thursdays. The house remains closed for visitors on Easter Sundays and 26th December, days after Christmas.
There is no entry fee to visit Mother House.
BIRLA MANDIR
Birla Temple of Kolkata is one of the finest artworks and beauty of Kolkata city. It was built by the industrialist Birla family and took 26 years to complete. The temple was opened to the public in 1996.
The festival of Janamashtmi is being celebrated with great enthusiasm here.
Birla Temple of Kolkata is a 20th-century magnificent structure built in white marble stones and cream-coloured sandstone, reflecting Rajasthani architecture.
The temple is related to the Hindu God Lord Krishna and his consort, Radha.
There is no entry fee to visit Birla Temple.
The temple remains open between 5:30 AM to 11:00 AM and 4:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
Photography is strictly prohibited inside the temple premises.
Location: It is located at 29, Ashutosh Chowdary Ave, Ballygunge, Opposite Ballygunge Post Office, Ballygunge, Kolkata. Rabindra Sadan, Maidan Metro and Kalighat metro stations are the nearest metro stations to Birla Mandir Kolkata.
DAKSHINESWAR KALI TEMPLE
Dakshineshwar Kali Temple is a Hindu temple located on the eastern banks of the Hooghly River in a small town in the north of Kolkata named Dakshineshwar. The exact Location is “May Dibas Pally, Dakshineswar, Kolkata”.
The Dakshineshwar Temple is located 13 km away from Kolkata and 19 km from Howrah.
Your trip to Kolkata is incomplete if you do not visit this historical temple.
It was constructed by Rani Rashmoni of Bengal in 1855 who was a believer of Goddess Kali.
The Dakshineshwar Kali Temple is built in ‘Nava-Ratna’ or nine spires style, very typical to ancient Bengali architecture. The main Kali temple is a three-storeyed south-facing monument with nine spires distributed in the upper two storeys.
There is no entry fee to visit the temple.
Temple remains open on all days with the following timings:
- October to March: 6:00 am to 12.30 pm and 3:00 pm to 8:30 pm
- April to September: 6:00 am to 12.30 pm and 3:30 pm to 9:00 pm
KALIGHAT KALI TEMPLE
Kalighat Kali temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali and is situated by the banks of Adi Ganga, which is a small canal that connects to the Hooghly River.
The current structure of the temple is said to be only 200 years old.
The Kalighat Kali temple premises houses a couple of smaller temples, one dedicated to Shiva and is called “Nakuleshwar Mahadev Temple” and the other temple is dedicated to Radha- Krishna and the locals call it “Shyamo- Ray temple“.
There is no entry fee to visit this temple.
Photography is not allowed inside the temple & mobile/camera is also not allowed inside.
The temple is open between 5:00 AM to 2:00 PM in the morning and 5:00 PM to 10:30 PM during the evening.
ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL
This cathedral is an Anglican church, the first of its kind within the British territory, outside of Great Britain. It is a historical building with religious significance.
The cathedral still has the Willis pipe organ with 41 stops, made by Henry Willis & Sons of London. Towards the western porch, there is a library situated in the cathedral premises. Bishop Wilson was the brains behind the idea of a library being set up and he also donated 8000 books and manuscripts which were from his personal collection.
It is surrounded by a very well-maintained garden.
There is no entry fee to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The opening hours of the cathedral are from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM in the morning and then from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM in the evening, on all the days of the week except on Sundays. On Sundays, it is open from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
EDEN GARDENS
Eden Gardens is the first and the oldest cricket stadium in India.
Built-in 1864, Eden Gardens is the largest cricket stadium in India and the second largest in the world, after the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.
The well-maintained stadium is located in Kolkata’s B. B. D. Bagh Area, very near to the State Secretariat and opposite the Calcutta High Court.
Entry to the garden is free but entry to the stadium is only permitted during matches and restricted by tickets.
INDIAN MUSEUM
The Indian Museum in Kolkata is the ninth oldest museum in the world and the largest museum in India with its foundation stone laid in the year 1814.
It has exhibits of some finest collection of artefacts that include, armours, fossils, skeletons, antiques, ornaments, Egyptian mummies and contemporary paintings as well as paintings from the Mughal era.
The Indian Museum has a total of 35 galleries divided into 6 categories namely Anthropology, Art, Archaeology, Geology, Zoology and Economic Botany.
The present building of the Indian Museum is another architectural grandeur that stands strong till date.
The Indian Museum is located in Chowringhee, on the very busy Jawaharlal Nehru Road in Central Kolkata.
The visiting hours of the Indian Museum are:
Tuesday to Friday – 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM
Saturday and Sunday – 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Note: The museum remains closed on Mondays and public holidays.
Entry Fee: INR 50 per person
GURUDWARA DUM DUM SAHIB
Gurudwara Dum Dum Sahib is located at SH 1, Motilal Colony, Rajbari, Dum Dum, Kolkata.
It is located at just walking distance from the Airport in Kolkata & this Gurdwara Sahib was established in 1968 has a historical significance.
Gurdwara dum dum Sahib is located on a strategic junction with bus, taxi, train and metro connectivity. All long-distance buses to North Bengal, Bihar and North-East pass through here.
Daily Nitnem, Asa di Vaar kirtan, and all-important Gurpurabs are celebrated here. Special Diwans are held on Sangrand, Masya and every Sunday along with other regular programmes.
During my visit to Kolkata, the festival of Vaisakhi was being celebrated & there was a rush at Gurudwara sahib.
HOW TO REACH KOLKATA?
Kolkata is well connected with all means of transport and you can reach here by adopting anyone out of the following ways:
By Road: Kolkata being a metropolitan city has a very good network of roads and these roads are wide & 6/4- laned Highways. Kolkata is at a distance of 1500 KM from New Delhi, the National Capital of India which will take 28 hours to reach. Esplanade Terminus is the main bus stand of the city. Along with buses running from Shillong and Tripura to Kolkata, there are buses between Kolkata, Dhaka and Bhutan as well. You can easily book a cab/taxi or bus to reach Kolkata from New Delhi. You can book your bus tickets through the Redbus app/website.
By Rail: Kolkata is linked by railways to the rest of the country. The city has two main railway stations which are located in Howrah and Sealdah. From super-fast trains to express, there are many trains running to the city from all over India. The railway is the most economical way to travel to Kolkata. For more information and booking the train, you can visit the official website of IRCTC or download the app IXIGO.
By Air: The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport is connected to all the prominent cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Port Blair, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, etc. You can book your tickets through Makemytrip.com or IXIGO app which I personally use.
Which is the best time to visit Kolkata?
The best time to visit Kolkata is from October to March as the weather remains pleasant during this period of time. Other months of the year are hot and scorchy.
Where to stay in Kolkata?
Hotels of all price ranges exist in Kolkata city. You can pick any hotel based on your interest and budget.
You can book your stay through Booking.com below.
Booking.comWhat’s the best way to get around Kolkata?
There are a number of options that you can select to explore Kolkata city. The cheapest option is to hire an autorickshaw to visit the main tourist points. The other two unique options to explore the city are:
- Tran trains
- Yellow taxi
How was my experience?
Kolkata is a very picturesque city with lots to explore. I visited this place twice and I had an amazing time exploring the different places of interest in two days (places in Kolkata to visit). I reached here by air from Chandigarh International Airport.
Final Words about best places in Kolkata to visit
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog about the best places in Kolkata to visit . If you have any other questions or concerns about visiting Kolkata city (or places in Kolkata to visit), please comment in the comment box. I will be glad to answer your queries. Thank you for reading, I am always excited when one of my posts is able to provide useful information on a topic like this!
