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Kolkata (Calcutta)

Why Go? History ...... 445 ’s second-biggest city is a daily festival of human Sights ...... 446 existence, simultaneously noble and squalid, cultured and Activities ...... 458 desperate. By its old spelling, Calcutta conjures up images of human suff ering to most Westerners. But locally, Tours ...... 459 is regarded as India’s intellectual and cultural capital. Sleeping ...... 459 While poverty is certainly in your face, the dapper Bengali Eating ...... 463 gentry continues to frequent grand old gentlemen’s clubs, Drinking ...... 466 back horses at the Calcutta Racetrack and tee off at some of Entertainment ...... 467 India’s fi nest golf courses. Shopping ...... 468 As the former capital of British India, Kolkata retains a feast of colonial-era architecture, albeit much in a photo- genic state of semi-collapse. Meanwhile urban slums con- trast with dynamic new-town suburbs and a rash of air- Best Places to Eat conditioned shopping malls. Kolkata’s also the ideal place to » Bhojohari Manna (p 466 ) experience the mild, fruity tang of . Friendli- er than India’s other mega-cities, this is a city you ‘feel’ more » Kewpies (p 465 ) than simply visit. » Oh! Calcutta (p 465 ) » Fire and Ice (p464 ) When to Go Best Places to Kolkata (Calcutta) Stay °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 32/800 » Oberoi Grand (p 460 ) 24/600 » Chrome (p 461 ) 20/68 » Tollygunge Club (p 462 ) 16/400 0/32 » Ashreen Guest House 8/200 (p 460 ) -20/-4 0 J FDNOSAJJMAM

Oct The city Nov–Jan Cool May–Sep Best dresses up mag- and dry; there’s avoided unless nificently for the a November film you’re prepared colourful mayhem festival and a for a very serious of Durga Puja. big book fair in drenching. January.

Food MAIN POINTS OF Fruity and mildly spiced, Bengali food favours the sweet, rich ENTRY notes of jaggery (palm-sugar), daab (young coconut), malai- The city has three kari (coconut milk) and posto (poppy seed). Typical Bengali major train stations curry types include the light, coriander-scented jhol, drier Howrah, Sealdah and spicier jhal and richer, -based kalia. Strong ‘Kolkata’ (Chitpore). notes feature in shorshe curries and paturi dishes that come The airport is well steamed in a banana leaf. Gobindobhog bhaat (steamed connected domesti- ) or luchi (small puris) are the usual accompaniment. cally and has a modest More characteristic than meat or chicken (murgir) are chin- range of international gri (river prawns) and excellent fi sh, particularly white rui fl ights. Buses arrive (rohu), fatty chital, cod-like bhekti and tasty but bone-fi lled frequently from Ban- ilish (hilsa). Excellent vegetarian choices include mochar gladesh and regional ghonto (mashed banana-fl ower, and coconut), doi destinations. begun ( in creamy sauce) and shukto, a favourite lunchtime starter combining at least fi ve diff erent vege- tables in a milk-based sauce. Bengali desserts and sweets are legendary. Most characteristic are mishti dhoi (curd de- Fast Facts liciously sweetened with jaggery), (syrupy sponge » Population: 14.7 million balls) and cham-cham (double-textured curd-based fi ngers). » Area: 185 sq km » Telephone code: %033 DON’T MISS » Main language: Bengali Sampling distinctive Bengali food, walking the chaotic » Sleeping prices: back alleys, riding the Hooghly ferries, taking a motor- $ below ₹1200, $$ ₹1200 bike tour to see more of the city and – if you’ve got to ₹10,000, $$$ above more time – an excursion to the Sundarbans. ₹10,000 Top Tip

Top Festivals Come for the head-spinning » Dover Lane Music Conference (www.thedoverlanemusic contrasts and disarmingly conference.in, late Jan) Indian classical music and dance at human quality of the city Rabindra Sarovar. rather than for specifi c sights. » Kolkata Boi Mela (www.kolkatabookfaironline.com, late Jan/early Feb) Asia’s biggest book fair. Resources » Saraswati Puja (early Feb) Prayers for educational success, all dress in yellow. » Bengali Recipes (http:// » Rath Yatra (Jun/Jul) Major Krishna chariot festival similar sutapa.com) to the Puri equivalent. » Tourist office (www » Durga Puja (www.durga-puja.org, Oct, see p 457 ) Kolkata’s .wbtourism.com/kolkata/ biggest festival. index.htm) » Lakshmi Puja (full moon after Durga Puja) and Kali Puja » News & Listings (www (Diwali) feature more idol dunking. .calcuttaweb.com) » Kolkata Film Festival (www.kff.in, mid-Nov) Week-long » Classified ads (http:// festival of Bengali and international movies. kolkata.quikr.com, http:// kolkata.clickindia.com)