About Kolkata

The Name of Kolkata and the anglicized name Calcutta have their roots in Kalikata, the name of one of three villages (Kalikata, Sutanuti, Govindopur) in the area before the arrival of the British.

The discovery of the nearby Chandraketugarh, an archaeological site, provides evidence that the area has been inhabited for over two millennia. The city’s documented history, however, begins with the arrival of English East India Company in 1960, when the company was consolidating its trade business in Bengal. Job Charnock, an administrator with the company was traditionally credited as the founder of the city and in response to a public interest litigation the High Court ruled in 2003 that the city does not have a specific founder.

Tourists Places in Kolkata

As a city, Kolkata is a class apart. It has an identity that makes it unique in its own right. A city is all about its inhabitants and it is they who make Kolkata so special. They are greatly opinionated and are fond of arguing, and many a times their opinions are backed by lots of passion, and utter ignorance. Indeed a miniscule section of the people of this city is well-read and culturally evolved, but what makes this city different is that here all and sundry harbor pretensions of being art and literary connoisseurs. As a tourist, what will strike you most when you visit Kolkata is passion. Be it a cricket match, a film festival, a poetry reading session or a theatre performance; Kolkata wears its heart on its sleeves, though many a times quite clumsily.

Kolkata has a rich colonial legacy which is manifested in its several tourist attractions like Victoria Memorial, BBD Bagh, Fort William, Writers Building, etc. Shahid Minar, Marble Palace, Botanical Gardens, Nicco Park and Science City are some of the other tourist attractions of Kolkata.

Victoria Memorial

The Victoria Memorial Hall was opened in 1921. . Presently it is the finest and most prominent building and art museum of Calcutta, India, under the Department of Culture, Government of India.

National Library in Kolkata

The National Library, India is the largest library in the country. The library is situated on a scenic 30 acres Belvedere Estate, in Kolkata, formerly Calcutta City.

Science City in Kolkata

With this noble intention, a task force was created and as per its recommendations, a series of Science centers and museums were set up all over India. The Science City in Kolkata is one of the most spectacular Science Museum in the country.

Eden Ganden - Cricket ground of Kolkata

Established - 1864
Capacity - 90,000
Floodlights - Yes
End names - High Court End, Pavilion End
Home team - Bengal
Curator - Probir Mukherjee

Along with the MCG, the Eden Gardens remains cricket's answer to the Coliseum. It first hosted a Test back in the days of India's cricketing infancy, with Douglas Jardine's team easing to victory inside four days in 1934. Since then, it has become something of a place of pilgrimage for most international cricketers, a chance to strut their stuff in front of the most passionate and vocal crowd in the game.

St_Paul Cathedral in Kolkata

Calcutta St. Paul's Cathedral is the first Episcopal Church of the Orient. Bishop Wilson patronized the construction of this beautiful church in 1839. The credit for the awesome designing of this Indo-Gothic architecture goes to Major W.N. Forbes. The work of establishing the St. Paul Cathedral of Kolkata, India got completed in 1847.