sign in sign up
<<
Home , Charles Eyre, Chowringhee, Chowringhee Road, Dharmatala, Howrah Bridge, Vivekananda Setu

Getting out and about around

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 . It is located in eastern 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 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 ). 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, and . 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 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 Road. One can board the underground Metro Rail and disembark at Park street station. Local 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 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. The original fort was built by the British under the supervision of John Goldsborough. Sir Charles Eyre started the construction of the old fort by constructing the South-East bastion and the adjacent walls. In 1701, John Beard, the successor of Sir Charles Eyre, added the North-East bastion, and in 1702, he started the construction of the Government House (Factory) at the centre of the fort. The construction of the Old Fort was completed in 1706. Situated near the bank of the river Hooghly, the original building had two stories and projecting wings. A guard room in the fort became the .

College Street

Statesman House

Presidency Inn

Fort William

In 1756, the then Nawab of Bengal, Siraj Ud Daulah, attacked the fort and conquered the city and changed the name of the city to Alinagar. The Nawab of Bengal, led the British to build a new fort in the . This was started by in 1758, after the (1757) and completed in 1781. The cost of construction was approximately two million pounds. The area around the fort was cleared, and the Maidan became "the Lungs of Kolkata". It stretches for around 3 km in the north-south direction and is around 1 km wide. The fort is octagonal with three sides facing the . The old fort was repaired and used as a customs house from 1766 onwards. The new fort is still in use, and is used as the headquarters of the Eastern Command of the Indian Army.It is heavily guarded by the Indian Army and civilian entry is restricted. The fort is built of brick and mortar in the shape of an irregular octagon surrounding 5 km². 5 sides of the octagonal fort look landward and 3 sides towards the river. The fort is surrounded by a moat 9 meter deep and 15 meter broad which can be flooded in times of emergency. There are a total of 6 gates - Chowringhee, Plassey Calcutta, Water Gate St Georges and the Treasury Gate. The Fort constructed on the banks of the Hoogly river by British intended to check the expansionist urges of other European powers. The solid construction of the Fort shows the importance given to the Forts by the European powers in their

urge for conquering India. The similar types of Forts we can see at Bekal, Kannur and Thalassery in Kerala[Reference Forts in North Malabar by Nandakumar Koroth].

= Tibetan Delight 66/1, , Kolkata Presidency Inn Fort William 700020 DIRECTIONS:- Imagine you are walking towards Hazra crossing from Exide Crossing, keeping on the left side footpath of Chowringhee. The second left that you come upon is suburban hospital road, home to Hamro Momo, Orchid and Momo Plaza. Now right on that corner is a weird wrought iron balcony type thingy St Pauls Cathedral hanging from the building. Proceed from that corner along the main road, until you come upon a gap between two buildings. Take a Victoria Memorial peek inside, if you see blinky lights in the distance, you’re there. Go in and take the first left which presents itself. Tibetan Delight Eat the Momo's

Victoria Memorial On the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901, Lord Curzon, who was then Viceroy of India, placed before the public the question of setting up a fitting memorial to the Queen. He suggested that the most suitable memorial would be a "stately", spacious, monumental and grand building surrounded by an exquisite garden. This was to be a historical museum where people could see before them pictures and statues of men who played a prominent part in the history of this country and develop a pride in their past. The princes and people of India responded generously to his appeal for funds and the total cost of construction of this monument amounting to one crore, five lakhs of rupees, was entirely derived from their voluntary subscriptions. The princes and people of India responded generously to his appeal for funds and the total cost of construction of this monument amounting to one crore, five lakhs of rupees, was entirely derived from their voluntary subscriptions. King George V, then the Prince of Wales, laid the foundation stone on January 4, 1906 and it was formally opened to the public in 1921

(Taken from http://www.victoriamemorial-cal.org ) The Garden of the memorial was exquisitly designed on a total area of 64 acre with the building covering an area of 338sq.ft by 228 sq.ft.. On way to the north gate is a bronze statue of Queen Victoria by Sir George Frampton, R.A.(the pix shown above). The Queen is seated on her throne, wearing the robes of the Star of India. Approaching the building from the south, visitors pass the King Edward VII memorial arch with a bronze equestrian statue of the King by Sir Bertram Mackennal surmounting it and a marble statue of Lord Curzon by F.W. Pomeroy, R.A. There are also other statues of various dignitaries like Lord Bentinck, Governor- General of India (1828- 1835), Lord Ripon (Governor- General of India from 1880 to 1884; the statue of Sir Rajendranath Mookerjee, the pioneer industrialist of Bengal is on the eastern side. There are twenty one gardeners to maintain the garden and the morning walkers have four associations. Most of the members of the morning walker associations are the rich and the famous of Calcutta. But the authority of the memorial has no official link with these associations. Victoria Memorial Garden remains open to visitors at these hours, all throughout the year (even on holidays) from 5.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. but sale of entry tickets closes at 6.45 p.m. Entry to the garden may be restricted to visitors by order of the authority. Entry to the garden: Rs. 4/- per head, per entry Entry to the museum: For all foreigners - the entry fee to the museum is Rs. 150/-(per head) The Victoria Memorial Hall holds Light & Sound (Son-et-Lumiere) shows regularly, as a permanent special event. Rates of Ticket: Rs. 10/- and Rs.20/-. Counter opens at 12.30 p.m. (Church Gate). No advance booking. Full ticket for children above three years. No shows on Mondays, National Holidays and Holi and between July to Septembetr. October to February: 7.15 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. (English)

Howrah (from Wikipedia) Bridge, is a bridge that spans over the Hooghly River in , India. It was originally named the New because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city Kolkata (Calcutta). But on 14th June 1965 it was renamed to Rabindra Setu (named after a great poet and the first Indian Nobel laureate). However, still it is popularly known as the Howrah Bridge. The bridge is one of three on the Hooghly River and is a famous symbol of Kolkata and West Bengal. This sentimental landmark and identity of Kolkata and West Bengal, apart from bearing of many stormy weather of the region, it successfully bears the weight of a daily traffic of approx 150,000 vehicles and 4,000,000 pedestrians. It is one of the longest of its type in the world.

History

By 18th century AD, Calcutta and Howrah on the opposite banks of Hooghly River had grown up to be the most important economic and cultural centers of British India, and a need for bridging the Hooghly = River arose. To address this challenge the Howrah Bridge famous Floating was built in 1874 by Sir Bradford Leslie. The Floating Pontoon Bridge was built using timber on pontoon. The bridge was opened to let river traffic through. The bridge had hinged shore spans since Hooghly River is subjected to tides. During high tides these became very steep and bullock carts were not able to negotiate their way, which resulted in traffic jams. It was also feared that the floating bridge could affect river currents and cause silting problems. With time the bridge became too inadequate for the ever increasing traffic. Due to all these reasons Government of Bengal in 1933 decided to replace the Floating Pontoon Bridge. The Floating Pontoon Bridge which was originally commissioned to service for 25 years, was decommissioned on February 1943, after its long service of 69 years. Construction of the New Howrah Bridge was Fort William started on 1937. The Cantilever Era was Presidency Inn prevailing at that time, and engineers felts that cantilever bridges were more rigid than suspension bridges. This bridge is one of the finest cantilever bridges in the world - left to India by the British engineers. Considering various aspects like navigational, hydraulics, tidal conditions of the river and the projected traffic conditions, Rendel Palmer & Tritton came up with a design for a of 1500 feet, with a 71 feet wide roadway and two 15 feet wide cantilever footways. Considering the quotation from various firms, the contract was awarded to Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Co. Ltd of Darlington, with a strong recommendation that they use Indian-made steel, which they agreed to do. Out of the total 26,500 tons of steel used, Tata Iron and Steel Company supplied 23,500 tons of steel and fabrication was done by Braithwaite, Burn and Jessop Co. at four different shops in Calcutta. The two huge monoliths which was sunk (on the first stage of construction) is still the biggest ever sunk monolith on land. It is told that while clearing the muck, all kinds of curious things was brought up, which included anchors, grappling irons, cannons, cannon balls, brass vessels, variety of coins. 40 Indian crane drivers were trained on the job and worked in three shifts of 8 hours each. The job of sinking the monoliths were carried out round-the-clock at a rate of a foot or more per day. One night, while grabbing out the muck to enable the monolith to move, the ground below it yielded and the entire mass plunged down two feet, shaking the ground. The impact of this shake was so intense that the seismograph at Khidirpore had registered as earthquake and a Hindu temple on the shore was destroyed;

which was subsequently rebuilt. In spite of these challenging situations the monoliths were placed true to position. To keep the water out at depth of 103 feet around the foundations so that construction can be done, around 500 people were employed on the compressed air operation. The air pressure maintained was about 40 lb per square inch. The work on the foundation was completed on November 1938. By the end of 1940 the erection of the cantilever arms was commenced and was completed in mid-summer of 1941. The two halves of the suspended span, each 282 feet long and weighing 2,000 tons, were built in December 1941. 16 hydraulic jacks, each of 800 ton capacity were pressed in to service for joining the two halves of the suspended span. After completing the steel work of the deck and concreting of roadway. the New Howrah Bridge was finally opened to traffic on February 1943. The old Floating Pontoon Bridge was decommissioned. In May 1946, census of the daily traffic on the bridge was taken and it was found to be 27,400 vehicles, 121,100 pedestrians and 2,997 cattle. The rate of only vehicle traffic over the bridge was 20% more than that on the London Bridge, in the same period, which was till then the busiest bridge in the metropolis. The final cost of the bridge amounted to ₤2,500,000.

Description The New Howrah Bridge was built between 1937 and 1943 and had a single 450 m span. It is technically a cantilever truss bridge, constructed entirely by riveting, without nuts or bolts. It is currently used as a road bridge, but previously had a tram route as well. The bridge also has sister bridges over the river at different points, namely the and the . Howrah Bridge is the gateway to Kolkata. Built on the Hooghly River, its original purpose was to facilitate military transportation between Kolkata and the industrial town of Howrah during World War II. It remains an cantilever bridge connecting the city to its main railway station, the Howrah Station, the one of the busiest railway stations of the world. The bridge is 705 meters long and 97 feet wide. More than 26,500 MT of high-tensile steel went into this unique bridge supported by two piers, each nearly 90 meters above the road. An engineering marvel, it expands as much as a meter during a summer day. The eight-lane bridge carries a steady flow of approx 150,000 vehicles, 4,000,000 pedestrians and thousands of cattle every day. Its best view is from the middle of the river (but photography there is prohibited). The ferries running from below the Howrah Station another way to cross the river and view the bridge. Howrah Bridge was also the title of a 1958 Bollywood film starring Madhubala, and Ashok Kumar.

Birla Mandir From http://www.indfy.com/kolkata/places-to-see-in-kolkata/birla-mandir.html The majestic Birla Mandir, which towers to a height of 160 feet at the junction of Ashutosh Chowdhury Avenue is a marvel of India's indigenous craftsmanship. Spread over a 44 kathas of land, the temple which is built of white marble, is of stupendous dimensions. This majestic temple has been designed on the pattern of the famous Lingaraj Temple of Bhubaneswar. According to reliable sources, work on this colossal temple began way back in the 1970's and it took all of 26 years of painstaking labor to complete this temple. A visit to this temple will reveal the intricate Rajasthani temple architecture, which is predominant. The manner in which the layering and decoration of

the temple facades have been done is a pointer to the high degree of skill involved during the construction process.

Victoria Terminal

Chowringhee-Park

Birla Mandir

Not only is the Mandir an architectural marvel in Kolkata's landscape, this temple has experimented with innovative ideas to add luster. For instance, episodes from from the sacred Hindu scripture - has been pictorially depicted through stone engravings which means that the eternal message of the Gita is lapped up by visitors without much difficulty. In a similar vein, Birla Mandir depicts the ideals of Hinduism as enshrined in the Vedas and Upanishads and their application to everyday life. The grandiose white marble temple is at its glittering best after dusk when the entire temple and its surroundings are illuminated. The sight of Birla Temple at night which is all decked up with electric diyas and sparkling chandeliers makes for a truly ethereal experience. No wonder, many tourists come to visit the temple after dusk, rather than in the morning. The Birla Temple is one of the finest specimen of the greatness of Hindu religion and accordingly it has portrayed gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon, like Radha & Krishna, Shiva & Durga and even deities of Hanuman, the Dasha Avatars and Ganesha. The concept of unity in variety which is the plan of the universe is very well depicted at the Birla temple.

Hindu temples are by and large known for their chaotic scenes. But the Birla Mandir is like a breath of fresh air. There is a strict code of conduct, which every visitor has to abide by. For instance, you can't carry bags, mobile phones and cameras to the temple. Even loitering in the verandah is prohibited. A memorable way of experiencing the sublime spiritual atmosphere of Birla Mandir is by being present at the temple premises in time for the evening Aarti. Once the Aarti is over and with lights coming on, the temple is illuminated like a bejeweled bride. Soft music is piped which makes for a transcendental experience. Nearest metro station: Maidan.

ChowringheeChowringhee----ParkPark The Chowringhee-Park Street-Esplanade stretch is by far the most happening place in Kolkata and a wide variety of restaurants are located here where you can truly indulge in mouthwatering Bengali, Mughlai, Chinese, Italian and continental spread. A visit to Tangra, Kolkata's version of Chinatown is especially recommended which is an exclusive Chinese bastion in Kolkata and lots of authentic Chinese restaurants are available here. The Chinese delicacies available at Tangra are lip smacking good. As far as traditional Bengali dishes are concerned, Peerless Inn and Oh! Calcutta are great options. Aminia, Rahmania and Shiraz are fabled for their Mughlai spread. Mainland China, Marco Polo, Chung Wah and Golden Dragon offer delicious Chinese cuisine. Drop in at Domino's at Russel Street and Pizza Hut at for Italian delicacies. Celebrity restaurants like Indian Cricket icon Saurav Ganguly's signature restaurant-Saurav's- The Food Pavilion is a top draw. Barista, Café Coffee Day and Flury's are irresistible as far as beverages are concerned. A visit to Flury's is highly recommended which is one of Kolkata's most enduring Raj era restaurant. The ambience is very British and the service is of a very high standard.