Kolkata (Calcutta)
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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd # Kolkata (Calcutta) Why Go? History .......................453 India’s second-biggest city is a daily festival of human exist- Sights ........................453 ence, simultaneously noble and squalid, cultured and des- perate. By its old spelling, Calcutta conjures up images of Activities ....................465 human suffering to most Westerners. But locally, Kolkata is Volunteering ..............465 regarded as India’s intellectual and cultural capital. While Tours ..........................465 poverty is certainly in your face, the dapper Bengali gen- Sleeping.....................466 try continues to frequent grand old gentlemen’s clubs, back Eating ........................470 horses at the Calcutta Racetrack and tee off at some of In- dia’s finest golf courses. Drinking & As the former capital of British India, Kolkata retains a Nightlife ..................... 475 feast of colonial-era architecture, albeit much in a photogen- Entertainment ........... 476 ic state of disrepair. Meanwhile urban slums contrast with Shopping ................... 477 dynamic new-town suburbs and a rash of air-conditioned shopping malls. Kolkata’s also the ideal place to experience the mild, fruity tang of Bengali cuisine. Friendlier than In- dia’s other metropolises, this is a city you ‘feel’ more than Best Places simply visit. to Eat ¨¨Bhojohari Manna (p475) ¨¨Oh! Calcutta (p474) When to Go ¨¨Fire and Ice (p474) Kolkata (Calcutta) ¨¨Amigos (p474) °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 32/800 24/600 20/68 Best Places 16/400 to Stay 0/32 8/200 ¨¨Oberoi Grand (p468) ¨¨Chrome (p468) -20/-4 0 J F DNOSAJJMAM ¨¨Hotel Kempton (p467) Sep/Oct The Nov–Jan Cool May–Sep Best city dresses up and dry; there’s avoided unless magnificently a November film you’re prepared for the colourful festival and a for a very serious mayhem of Durga big book fair in drenching. Puja. January. 451 MAIN¨POINTS¨ Food OF¨ENTRY Fruity and mildly spiced, Bengali food favours the sweet, rich notes of jaggery (palm sugar), daab (young coconut), The city has three malaikari (coconut milk) and posto (poppy seed). Typical major train stations: Bengali curry types include the light, coriander-scented Howrah, Sealdah and jhol, drier spicier jhal and richer, ginger-based kalia. Kolkata (Chitpore). Strong mustard notes feature in shorshe curries and paturi The newly rebuilt air- dishes that come steamed in a banana leaf. Gobindobhog port area has a growing bhaat (steamed rice) or luchi (small puris – dough that range of international puffs up when fried) are the usual accompaniment. More flights. characteristic than meat or murgir (chicken) are chingri Buses arrive fre- (river prawns) and excellent fish, particularly rohu (white quently from Bang- rui), fatty chital and cod-like bhekti. If you can handle the ladesh and regional bones, ilish (hilsa) is considered the tastiest fish, kachki destinations. are very small and lau ghonto – an acquired taste – is fish head pounded with pumpkin. Excellent vegetarian choices include mochar ghonto (mashed banana-flower, sometimes with potato and coconut), doi begun (eggplant in curd) and Kol shukto, a favourite lunchtime starter combining at least five Top Tip K different vegetables in a milk-based sauce. Bengali desserts Come for the head-spinning ata ( and sweets are legendary. Most characteristic are mishti contrasts and disarmingly dhoi (curd deliciously sweetened with jaggery), rasgulla human quality of the city c (rosewater-scented cream-cheese balls) and cham-cham rather than for specific alcutta) (double-textured curd-based fingers). sights. For a colourful and very affectionate portrait of Kolkata’s ever-vibrant street food scene, see http://streetfoodkolkata. com which includes recipes, films and sells a brilliantly Fast Facts evocative book. ¨¨Population: 14.7 million ¨¨Area: 185 sq km DON’T¨MISS ¨¨Telephone¨code: %033 Sampling distinctive Bengali food, walking the ¨¨Main¨language: Bengali chaotic back alleys, riding the Hooghly ferries, taking a motorbike tour to see more of the city and – if you’ve ¨¨Sleeping¨prices:¨¨ got more time – an excursion to the Sunderbans. $¨below ₹1200,¨$$ ₹1200 to ₹10,000, $$$ above ₹10,000 Top Festivals Resources ¨¨Dover¨Lane¨Music¨Conference (hlate Jan) Indian ¨¨Bengali¨Recipes (http:// classical music and dance at Rabindra Sarovar. sutapa.com) ¨¨Kolkata¨Boi¨Mela (hlate Jan/early Feb) Kolkata Boi Mela ¨¨Tourist¨office (http:// Asia’s biggest book fair. westbengaltourism.gov.in/ web/guest/kolkata) ¨¨Sarawati¨Puja¨(hearly Feb) Prayers for educational success – all dress in yellow. ¨¨News¨&¨Listings (www. calcuttaweb.com) ¨¨Rath¨Yatra (hJun/Jul) Major Krishna chariot festival similar to the Puri equivalent. ¨¨Curiosities (http:// rangandatta.wordpress. ¨¨Durga¨Puja (hSep or Oct) Kolkata’s biggest festival. com/blog-index/calcutta- ¨ h ¨Kolkata¨Film¨Festival ( mid-Nov) Week-long festival of kolkata) Bengali and international movies. ¨¨Classified¨ads (http:// kolkata.clickindia.com).