Location
Kolkata is located near the eastern coast of India, in the state of West Bengal. It is 1462 kms from Delhi, 1987 kms from Mumbai and 1676 kms from Chennai.

Famous For
Well-known for its history and the grand Victoria memorial.

Climate & the best time to visit
The city of Kolkata experience a very humid and hot summers during the months of April to October with temperature reaching up to 42 'C. During the winter months, the temperature falls to about 9.6 'C providing a pleasant weather to enjoy. Monsoon arrives in mid June and stays till September. The best time to visit the city of Kolkata is during the months of October and March.

The City
Kolkata was nothing more than a village, until the 17th century. However, today it is one of the major metropolitan cities of India along with Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The credit for its present position goes to the expansion plans of the European powers, specially the British Raj. Kolkata was once the capital city of British India and the Gateway to India till 1912. Kolkata, also known as the 'City of Joy' is situated near the eastern coast of India, in the state of West Bengal. Once you are in Kolkata, you will enjoy with shopping, screening monument and other remarkable areas are places of Worship, meditation and important buildings.

Kolkata is a mix-up of light and shade, a strange jumble of ancient and modern, skyscrapers and Victorian edifices, haven of the rich and the poor as seldom found anywhere in the world.

Attractions in the city

Victoria Memorial : Victoria Memorial, with its formal gardens & watercourses, continues to be Kolkata's pride and joy. It was designed by Sir William Emerson, it was completed in 1921.This is a amazing hybrid building, with Italian statues over its entrances, Moghul domes in its corners and tall elegant open colonnades along its sides.

Eden Gardens : In the North-West corner of the Maidan are small & pleasingly laid out Eden Gardens. Winding paths intersect the stretch dotted with beautiful trees and shrubs, and there is a large artificial lake. Next to the gardens, is the world famous Eden Gardens cricket Stadium. The stadium is believed to be the largest in Asia with a sitting room capacity of more than a lakh spectator. The Kolkata cricket ground, where International test & one day matches are held, is also within the Eden gardens. Near the garden, you can take a pleasant walk along the bank of Hoogly River.

Birla Planetarium : Birla planetarium of Kolkata, is India’s one of the largest museums in Asia. The credit for establishing this wonderful center of communication, science & environment goes to Birla Education Trust. It provides useful portion of information about our solar system, galaxies, life span of stars, planets, space and other heavenly bodies in the most interactive manner via audio video aids. Usually the lectures are given in Hindi, English, and Bengali and occasionally in Tamil, Oriya & Gujarati.

Sunderbans Tiger Reserve : Sunderbans is a very popular wildlife sanctuary of our country. It is the habitat of the Royal Bengal Tiger but you can also find the estuarine crocodile, wild boar and several varieties of birds and snakes. It is situated on the south of Kolkata, India and stretches till Bangladesh. In addition, Sunderbans is the largest delta of the world. It is an experience, which you will treasure forever!

Shantiniketan : Shantiniketan in Kolkata is mainly known for Vishva Bharti University, is located 211 km from Kolkata.It provides a platform for the convergence of western and eastern culture. Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore laid its foundation.

Kali Temple : Kali Temple is located in the city of Kolkata, on the banks of the river Hooghly (Bhagirathi). Kaali is regarded as one of the main deities of Bengal. Each year, it has been attracting more and more crowds. In fact, Kolkata’s Kali temple has come in the top list of must see tourist attraction places. For Hindus, Kali temple in Kolkata is one of the most sacred pilgrimage destinations.

Howrah Bridge : Howrah Bridge is popularly known as the Rabindra Setu, was set up in 1874 and it is said to be busiest Bridge of the world. It positioned on two 270 feet high pillars. Kolkata Howrah Bridge is a beam bind bridge that was constructed without using any nuts and bolts. Howrah bridge has two sister bridges also, namely, Vidyasagar Setu and the Vivekananda Setu that are situated at different points over the hoogly river. This bridge acts as an essential symbol of Kolkata.

Ganga Sagar : Gangasagar Mela is the biggest fair celebrated in West Bengal. This fair is held where the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal connected. Hence, the name is Gangasagar Mela. A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga drains into the sea is believed to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day.

How to reach

By Air : The airport in Kolkata is located at Dumdum, around 17 km northeast of the city center. As it a metropolitan city, so almost every domestic flight are available.

By Rail : The city has two major railway stations- Howrah and Sealdah. Trains from the other parts of the India connect Kolkata. Super-fast trains are also available such as Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express.

By Road : The Esplanade Terminus, in the center of the city, is the main bus terminus. Kolkata is well connected with most of the cities of India by road. The buses are air-conditioned, clean and at ease.