Major Attractions in Kolkata Kolkata&Rsquo

Major Attractions In Kolkata by newsdesk Kolkata’s lungs are the vast expanse of lawns called the Maidan, bordered by the Hooghly river at one end and the elegant boulevard, Chowringhee, at the other. Towering over the northern end of the maidan is the Shahid Minar, a 48m column erected in 1828 in an intriguing combination of Turkish, Egyptian and Syrian architectural styles.Around the maidan are many of Calcutta’s historical landmarks -- the magnificent Fort William still out of bounds for visitors, St. John’s Church, the Royal Calcutta Turf Club and Eden Gardens, which has a cricket stadium to seat 100,000 persons - a site where many a great sporting battle has been contested. Eden GardensHigh Court At the southern end of the Calcutta Maidan is the imposing white marble Victoria Memorial, built by the British in 1921, modelled on the Taj Mahal. It is a treasure trove of Raj Relics, offers tree-lined walks in splendid parks, 'lakes' and houses a number of statues and busts of eminent people including that of Queen Victoria. The exhibits include paintings, manuscripts, firearms, statues, lithographs and furniture. The memorial was Lord Curzon's idea. No other location in Calcutta has more pleasing or more amply open surroundings. To the east of the Memorial is St Paul’s Cathedral, one of the most important churches of India with its impressive stained glass windows. The National Library in the stately Belvedere House, the erstwhile residence of the Lieutanant governor of Bengal, has the largest collection of books (one million) in India. Built in 1875, the Indian Museum is a fine and huge example of Italian architecture. This is the largest museum in the country having six sections namely Art, Archaelogy, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Industry. The mummy kept here is a special attraction along with fossils of prehistoric animals, a huge tortoise, a roomful of meteorites and art from temples. The Botanical Gardens in Howrah, were laid out in 1786 on the west bank of the river. There is a great variety of carefully classified flora and fauna. A great tourist draw is the 200-year old Banyan tree with a circumference of over 400 metres ! Howrah Bridge is an engineering marvel of its day and a vital link across the river Hooghly. The third largest bridge in the world, has around 2 million people crossing over it daily (be prepared for the crowds!). The bridge is also called Rabindra Setu. Near the Race Course is the second, imposing and ultramodern bridge on the Hooghly called Vidya Sagar Setu, another milestone of Calcutta. This cabled bridge is more famous now for its traffic jams, you would travel faster if you abandon your taxi to cross the bridge and dash to the railway station – by foot! Lying to the North is Belur Math, built to look like a temple, a mosque and a church from different angles, underlining the very ethos of India. This is the head quarter of the world famous Ramakrishna Mission. Swami Vivekananda started his relegious journey to take India to a new socio-cultural revolution from here and this is his tribute to his guru - Sri RamaKrishna. One of the very important temples is the Kali Temple at Kalighat. It is right next to Mother Teresa’s Home For The Destitute. The combination of high-tech with impressive visuals to bring science closer to people is Science City, on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. The quick sand; the electrostatic place where hair stands on its ends when electricity is passed, sending a ball to great heights through vacuum suction are some of the popular activities to indulge in. Other popular rides include the space trip and the space show on a circular screen. The splendid buildings of Kolkata evoke a flavour of the Raj. Notable among these are the Writers Building - the seat of government; the silver-domed General Post Office and St. John’s Church, which has a memorial to the city founder Job Charnock. Major Attractions In Kolkata by newsdesk.

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