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» Howrah Bridge » Fort William » Bellur Math » St. Paul's Cathedral » Eden garden » BBD Bagh » National Library   » Indian Museum » Birla Planetarium » Victoria Memorial » Nicco Park » Marble Palace » Science City » Botanical Gardens                     » Dakshineshwar Kali Temple

Howrah Bridge
The Howrah Bridge is the first cantilever suspension bridge of its type. Its a feat in modern engineering and technology. Constructed in 1874 over the river Hooghly, the bridge joins the twin cities of Howrah and calcutta (Calcutta). In year 1871, the need for a bridge between Howrah and Calcutta was felt. After its completion in 1874, it became India's first floating structure. The bridge was partially built in India and partially in Britain. It is one of three bridges on the river Hooghly and is the most famous symbol of not only Calcutta but also West Bengal. Calcutta-Howrah Bridge is a feat of nineteenth-century bridge engineering and technology. The 270 ft high and 1528 ft long bridge was completed in 1874, becoming the biggest floating structure of India. Famed British professional Engineer Sir Bradford Leslie was appointed the chief architect for the project.
Fort William	Top^
Fort William constructed in 1781 in the honour of King William –III is the nerve centre of these Eastern operations of Indian Army, being the Eastern Army Command. Situated on the picturesque banks of the Hoogly the Fort has been a witness to many bloodbaths and historical moments. Constructed in an octagonal shape the fort houses the famous St. Peter’s Church constructed in 1928. The association with Armies has provided the fort with accommodation, offices and recreation and training facilities such as swimming pool, movie hall, boxing stadium as well a firing range. Being under the stronghold of the Indian Army the entry to the fort is restricted.
Bellur Math	Top^
Belur Math is the most enchanting temple in Belur. In 1897 Swami Vivekananda founded Ramakrishna Mission in loving memory of his Guru Ramakrishna Paramhansa who preached unity of all religions. It is the international head quarters of Ramakrishna Mission. Swami Vivekananda is largely credited with the concept of the Math. This mission has branches all over the country. The architecture of the structure is very interesting. From any angle you look at it the structure is like a temple, a mosque or a church depending on the way you look at it. The main gate of Belur Math leads to the Ramkrishna Sarada Mandir. The mission was founded by Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) in 1938 and named after his mentor Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa (1836- 1886).
St. Paul's Cathedral	Top^
The St Paul’s Cathedral is one such monument which was constructed in 1847 and still stands tall. Situated at the heart of the city near Vitoria Memorial the Cathedral draws many eyeballs mainly due to its Indo-Gothic design and remarkable beautiful architecture. Renovated and repaired after structural damage the cathedral has withstood numerous natural as well man made calamities. The 201ft high church has intricate art work and murals on its walls while the stained glass painting on west window warrants special mention.
Eden Garden	Top^
Eden Gardens is the oldest cricket ground in India and also one of the finest in the world. It was established in the year 1864 and has the largest accommodation as compared to all the grounds in the world. Though there is no definite information about the history of Eden Gardens, some believe that the land belonged to the Maharaja of Cooch-Behar, while some are of the opinion that it was the property of the Auckland Family. However, one thing which is certain is that the land was conferred to Governor General's family, who, in turn, presented it to the citizens of Calcutta for recreational purpose. It was, then, that the Calcutta Cricket Club was established, Eden Gardens serving as it's headquarter. In the year 1871, the pavilion was built with which started the history of playing cricket in the ground, amidst Sylvan surroundings. However, it was in the year 1917-18 that the first ever first-class match was played. The foremost test match played was in the January of 1934, against Douglas Jardine's MCC. Since this first match, the ground has hosted more test matches than any other venue in India. Talking about the one day internationals, the first match was played in 1987 February against Pakistan.
BBD Bagh	Top^
BBD Bagh continues to be one of the posh areas of calcutta city. BBD Bagh used to be the seat of British Power and was formerly called Dalhousie Square. The locality observed the name change after the siege of British Writer's Building by three brothers, Binoy, Badal and Dinesh. BBD as such stands for the initials of the three brothers. The building established by the British in the year 1880 still provides its services with a new crew, all those employed by the local government. The Writer's Building and the General Post Office of British era still exist as landmarks in BBD Bagh territory. BBD Bagh and its surrounding roads and areas like Netaji Subhash Road, Biplabi Trailakya Maharaj (formerly Brabourne) Sarani, Lyons Range, India Exchange Place, Mission Row, R.N. Mukherjee Road and Fairlie Place form the older commercial hub of the city.
Botanical Gardens	Top^
Botanical Gardens, calcutta (Calcutta) must be on your destination list. The garden takes pride in displaying the innumerous species of plants and the brilliant natural habitat for the growth and development of the total flora world. The Indian Botanical Gardens calcutta (Calcutta) is located on the other side of the calcutta city in a suburb of calcutta named Shibpur, an area in the Howrah District. The garden was originally established in 1786. Colonel Kyd was the brainchild behind this mammoth project which presently is home to a massive 12,000 living plants and over two and half million dried out plant specimens. These varieties are collected from all over the globe and are kept securely in the herbarium. The Indian Botanical Gardens, calcutta is the oldest botanical garden in the country and is the home for the development of the tea that is grown presently in Assam and Darjeeling. The garden has a massive and amazing collection of the rarest of species of plants and tress from Nepal, Brazil, Penang, Java and Sumatra. The garden remains open from sunrise to sunset and is truly a magical destination for the tourists to the city.
Birla Planetarium	Top^
Birla Planetarium calcutta is a major tourist attraction in the ‘city of palaces’. This planetarium in calcutta set up in 1962 is similar to London planetarium. Shows extending for about an hour are either in English, Hindi, or Bengali. Audience is enthralled by the spectacular show of constellations, zodiacal patterns of the sky, and space probes. M.P. Birla Planetarium was founded as an educational, research and scientific institution in September 1962 and formally inaugurated in July 1963 by the then Indian Prime Minister Pandit J. L. Nehru. This was the second planetarium to be established in a Commonwealth country and the first in India. The planetarium dome measuring 23 meters in diameter has a seating capacity of 688. At the center is the Carl Zeiss Universal Planetarium Projector.
Dakshineswar Kali Temple	Top^
Location: Bank of the Ganges, north of Belur Math in calcutta Dedicated to: Goddess Kali Founded by: Queen Rasmani of Janbazar Year of establishment: 1847 - 1855 Dakshineshwar Kali temple has an interesting story. The construction of this fabulous temple was initialized in the year 1847 and got completed in 1855. The credit for the formation of Calcutta Dakshineswar Kali temple goes to the queen Rasmani of Janbazar. Located on the bank of the Ganges, north of Belur Math in calcutta, it is dedicated to Goddess kali. It is a spacious temple covering an area of about 25 acres. Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the famous spiritual leader is also associated with this temple, as it was over here only that he had worshipped Goddess Kali and formed a rare form of love for her, which is popularly known as maha-bhava in Hinduism.It is one of the largest temples in calcutta.
Marble Palace	Top^
Marble Palace, calcutta located close to the Tagore’s residence in the northern part of the city and certainly a worth watching place in Calcutta (now calcutta). Marble Palace, calcutta houses an age-old art gallery owned by the Mallick family of Chorbagan. Built in 1855 with Italian marbles by one of Bengal's richest landlord Raja Rajendra Mullick Bahadur, this art gallery personifies the earliest effort at collecting by a private individual. Marble Palace, calcutta has an interior courtyard, completes with a throne room and happens to be one of the Heritage Buildings in calcutta. European art objects, oil paintings, both original and copies, and a varied assortment of Chinese and Japanese porcelain are among its prized collections. The paintings include works by Rembrandt, Reynolds, Rubens and Van Goyen besides many others. There is also a small zoo of birds and non-carnivorous animals. The Marble Palace has confirmed its place in the annals of history despite the colossal presence of the Indian Museum.
National Library	Top^
The National Library is the first public library to be set up in the whole of eastern India. This is at present located on the Belvedere Road,calcutta. Being the capital of the British East India Company, calcutta was the hub of all intellectual and academic activities. There were scholarly activities, which necessitated the formation of libraries. Though there was the Calcutta Public Library, it was actually run on proprietary basis. The National Library is an integrated form of the libraries that functioned independently in the British era. Today the National Library is the biggest public library which has a collection of 22,70,954 books along with a huge collection of manuscripts, newspapers and periodicals. This Library forms the nucleus of calcutta`s intellectual craving. National Library, calcuttaThere is a history associated with the National library. The library was not called the national library earlier but went through an evolution and merged with the public libraries and British Secretariat libraries into what we know today as the National Library. Earlier the libraries that run on donations, the public and other libraries did not function professionally.
Indian Museum	Top^
Calcutta Indian museum, founded in 1814, is one of the oldest museums of Asia. It is located in Chowringhee on the Jawaharlal Nehru Road. Indian museum of calcutta, India provides you a complete plethora of items to glance. Infact, there is a need to spend one whole day to view all the items. In the must watch category, we have the 4,000-year-old mummy and the urn that is said to contain the ashes of Buddha. Indian museum is more commonly known as 'Jadughar' as in house of magic, where you can also enjoy the fossils, coins, Gandhara art, stones etc. Initially, Indian museum consisted of two departments, namely, Geological and Zoological on one hand and Archaeological and Anthropological on the other. However, in 1840, the Economic Geology Department was also added. On entering the museum, you can find the history of evolution of man. Each phase of evolution has been superbly depicted. On visiting the museum, you will also come across the preserves of several antiques of Mohenjodaro and Harappa. Thus, it can be said that the Indian museum reveals the life history and culture of Indians from ancient times till date in the most beautiful manner.
Victoria Memorial	Top^
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 calcutta, 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 calcutta. 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. It was designed by Sir William Emerson. It also act as a museum, where people could see before them pictures and statues of men who played a prominent part in the history of India. Presently it is the finest and most prominent building and art museum of Calcutta, India, under the Department of Culture, Govt. of India.
Science City	Top^
Science city is truly a unique center of science, communication and environment. This institute was built in 21st century and till date it is the only one of its kinds within the country. Calcutta science city is located on Calcutta's Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. It can capacitate about 2215 persons. The science city of calcutta, India consists of the main auditorium, 1 small size auditorium and about 8 fully air conditioned seminar halls. These seminar halls are well equipped with latest technology audiovisual systems. It is easy to reach Science city, as it easily accessible by buses and other means of transportation. The concept of science city is simply mind-blowing. Infact, it has given a new dimension to the field of science that teaches various scientific aspects through the process of discovery and that too in the outdoor settings. Open on all weekdays except Mondays the Science city is one place to get lost in the cycle of evolution with roaring dinosaurs, mammoths, sabre tooths and many other Jurassic life size creatures. Hold your breath all these activities can be undertaken within a budget of Rs 100/- per head, just make sure that you reach early so that you don’t regret the lack of time for not being able to do justice to each section.
Nicco Park	Top^
Nicco Park is more popularly known as Jheel Meel. It is the ultimate fun and entertainment destination for kids as well as adults. It draws huge crowds on the weekends, as it serves as the perfect place for relaxing mind, body and soul. It takes you into the world of fantasy and imagination. It provides wide choices of fun rides to choose from. To name a few, we have the Toy Train, Cable Car, Tilt-a-Whirl, Water Chute, Water Coaster, Flying Saucer, Pirate Ship and Moonraker. Calcutta Nicco Park, situated at Salt Lake, is an amazing amusement park. It can be said about the Nicco Park of calcutta, India that, it is like the Disneyland of West Bengal with lots of wonderful games and rides. Its most recent addition is the Cave ride that is very interesting and adventurous. It is a spacious park covering about 40-acre land. It is one of the biggest amusement parks in the country and it was opened in the year 1991. For nature lovers, it is truly a feast for eyes. Its main highlights include the beautiful rose garden and the food park, where you can enjoy the mouthwatering yummy dishes. Popular cuisines include North Indian, Bengali, South Indian and Chinese fast food. Today, Nicco Park enjoys the status of being the first amusement park of the world that has obtained ISO 9002 certification from a famous European Certifying Authority.