Getting out and about around Kolkata Map Is available at http://tinyurl.com/34tdry or http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=104429962170361876967.000440e93f51 332cdfba4&ll=22.557745,88.355699&spn=0.021164,0.047035&z=15&om=1 Kolkata Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. The city has a population of almost 4.5 million, with an extended metropolitan population of over 14 million, making it the third-largest urban agglomeration and the fourth- largest city in India. Kolkata served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911. Once the centre of modern education, science, culture and politics in India, Kolkata witnessed economic stagnation in the years following India's independence in 1947. However, since the year 2000, an economic rejuvenation has led to a spurt in the city's growth. Like other metropolitan cities of India, Kolkata continues to struggle with urbanisation problems like poverty, pollution and traffic congestion. Kolkata is noted for its revolutionary history, ranging from the Indian struggle for independence to the leftist and trade union movements. Kolkata cuisine The Bengali fondness for good food is legendary. Exotic Bengali cuisine is available at select restaurants like Suruchi and Aheli (Peerless Inn). To experience the true taste of traditional cooking, it is best to befriend a Bengali. His hospitality will definitely include a meal! Sweets hold a position of pride for the Bengali. Cottage cheese based sweets like sandesh, rosogolla and chanar payesh are very popular all over India. Mishti doi (sweetened curd) and Patali gur confectionery (date palm jaggery) are must try delicacies. Special mention must be made about kathi rolls (kebabs wrapped in dough), a culinary delight of Calcutta. The confectionery of Calcutta are well known all over India. Flurry's (formerly Swiss owned) on Park Street, Nahoum's (oldest Jewish bakery) in New Market are famous. Key elements of Kolkata's cuisine include rice and macher jhol (fish curry), with rasagolla,sandesh and mishti doi (sweet yoghurt) as dessert. Bengal's vast repertoire of fish-based dishes includes various hilsa preparations (a favorite among Bengalis). Street foods such as beguni (fried battered eggplant slices), kati roll (flatbread roll with vegetable or chicken, mutton, or egg stuffing), phuchka (deep fried crêpe with tamarind and lentil sauce) and Chinese food from China Town in the eastern parts of the city are quite popular. Bengali women commonly wear the sha ķi and the salwar kameez, often distinctly designed according to local cultural customs. In Kolkata there is a growing trend among the youth girls and women to wear Western attire. Among men, European dressing has greater acceptance. Men also wear traditional costumes such as the panjabi with dhuti or pyjama, often on religious occasions. New Market New Market is a market in Kolkata. New Market, is situated on Lindsay Street. Technically, it referred to an enclosed market but today in local parlance the entire Lindsay Street shopping area is often known as New Market. History Some of the earliest English quarters were in an area known then as Dalhousie Square. Terretti and Lal Bazar nearby were customary marketing haunts of the British gentry. Later settlements were in Kashaitola, Dharmatala and Chowringhee. As Calcutta entered the 1850s and British colonies became the order of the day, the Britishers overtly displayed their contempt to brush shoulders with “natives” at the bazaars. In 1871, swayed by an orchestrated cry from English residents, a committee of the Calcutta Corporation contemplated a market which would be the prize preserve of Calcutta’s British citizens. Spurred by the committee’s deliberations, the Corporation promptly purchased Lindsay Street. The East India Railway Company executed the designs and with a renowned architect R. Bayney, pitching, an architecturally Gothic market-complex crystallized in 1873. Bayney was honoured with a 1000 rupee award , arguably a large sum in the 1870s for his achievements. News of Calcutta’s first municipal market spread rapidly. Affluent Englishmen shopped at exclusive retailers like Rankin and Company (dressmakers), Cuthbertson and Harper (shoe-merchants) and R.W. Newman or Thacker Spink, the famous stationers and book-dealers. New Market was thrown open with fanfare to the English populace on January 1, 1874. New Market was formally christened Sir Stuart Hogg Market on December 2, 1903. Sir Stuart then Calcutta Corporation’s chairman, had tenaciously supported the plans for building New Market. To this day, a painting of Sir Stuart Hogg adorns Calcutta Corporation’s portrait gallery.This name was later shortened to Hogg Market. Bengali society, in the British Raj era, called it as Hogg Saheber Bazaar. New Market’s growth kept pace with the city’s urbanization endeavours until World War II. The northern portion of the market came up in 1909 at an expense of 6 lakh rupees. Finally, beneath the gathering clouds of World War II, an extension on the south flanks was engineered. A finale to these structural expansions in the 1930s was the installation of New Market’s historic clock-tower. Fire of 1985 A fire burned down the original building on December 13, 1985. It has since been rebuilt. Food in this area Mocambo on Park Street used to have belly dancers but is now famous for Continental fish dishes. Nearby, the chelo kebabs of Peter Cat are an all-time favourite as are the steaks at Olympia. The landmark Flury's has been revamped; diners continue to throng here for sandwiches and pastries at breakfast and tea-time but the service is frustrating. On Middleton Street, the much-hyped Sourav's (after former skipper Ganguly) could do with a course on efficiency and speed; even the dishes are forgettable. On the other hand, even the newly opened One Step Up provides wholesome Continental food at reasonable rates. BBQ in Taj Bengal, 34, Belvedre Road – a poolside restaurant serves Indian and Continental barbecue specialties. Indian Museum New Market Presidency Inn Moulin Rouge, Someplace Else, Peter Cat, Park Hotel Mocambo Free School Street T3 Flury's BarBQ IndiaIndiann Museum Been to Kolkata and not been to the oldest and the largest museum on the country! Seems a little unfair! Isn’t it? I am talking about none other than the INDIAN MUSEUM. The Indian Museum in Kolkata, built in 1875 is by far India’s biggest museum and is ranked as one of the best in Asia. You will be spell bound by the sheer variety of collections ranging from a room full of meteorites to fossils and skeletons of prehistoric animals. The museum also showcases rare paintings and artifacts of ancient and modern India. The Egyptian mummy draws hordes of visitors. As far as historical antiquities are concerned the museum is a virtual treasure trove with a splendid collection of 50,000 coins and many Buddhist artifacts, which keep the visitors spell bound. One of the prized possessions of the Indian Museum is the ash remains of Lord Buddha. The Museum is an impressive building built in the Italian style of architecture. The Museum has over 60 galleries divided into six main sectors as - Art, Anthropology, Archaeology, Geology, Industry and Zoology. Entering the Museum, one first comes across the history of evolution of man. From the pre-historic days, the evolution of man has been chronologically exhibited here. Several antics of Mohenjodaro and Harappa are also preserved here. There are collections of coins, dresses and stones. In a nutshell, the museum in Calcutta reveals the life and culture of Indians from the hoary antiquity till date. The museum is a must visit site especially for children as they learn about the evolution of man from pre- historic times. It is situated in Chowringhee on Jawaharlal Nehru Road. One can board the underground Metro Rail and disembark at Park street station. Local buses and taxis are available from various points of the city. Don’t forget to drop in either of Shahid Minar, BBD Bagh, and St. Paul’s Cathedral, Birla Planetarium and not to forget Victoria Memorial when you are visiting Indian Museum. All these places are worth your time! But ya don’t make your plans to be at Indian Museum on after 5 pm and before 10am as the museum is closed then. And even watch out whether if it’s a Monday ‘coz that’s a holiday for them! College Street We took a taxi to reach College Street cutting across the heavy traffic, not as though in Bangalore where we live. College Street is a hamlet of small cottage book shops, which sell old and few new books. This is one of the most visited and a well known place among the educational but not necessarily intelligent community. The shops were separated according to the subjects of the books sold by them. It would be a waste to roam around without knowing what to buy, as every shop-keeper would literally pull you. Moreover searching without a subject title would be tougher. Most of the books were related to study in colleges and universities. I purchased few books on history, while Hema bought some for her school and Prachi bought the controversial book of Taslima Nasreen. Yeah! Everything was at a very cheap price. Fort William Situated on the bank of river Hooghly and named after king William III. The fort occupies five square kilometers and has six gates. The Arsenal inside is worth visiting for which a prior permission is required from the Commanding Officer. There are actually two Fort Williams, the old and the new.