Kolkata Travel Guide

KolkataIndia's second biggest cityis a perpetually ongoing festival of human existenceconcurrently luxurious and squalidrefined and franticpointedly futuristicwhile beautifully in decay. A vibrant 350-year-old metropolis located on India's Eastern Coastthe capital of West Bengal thrives on contradictions and imposing spectacles; nothing is commonplace in this city. Famously known as the City of JoyKolkata isin every sensethe artisticcultural and intellectual capital of the country. Kolkata's streets are vividhecticchaoticand yetbrimming with life and creativity. Driven by the indomitable spirit of the self-made middle classthe city has created a beautiful juxtaposition of the old colonial-era charm with the nascent upcoming hipster culture that thrives amongst the city's millennial residents.

Starting from admiring the flourishing art scene in the city to going on rewarding gastronomical explorations to wandering amidst the countless bazaars to sitting by the banks of the Hooghly and enjoying a peaceful sunsetKolkata is soaked in layers and layers of heritage and cultureand peeling off each layer to look beneath the hood is a very rewardingonce-in-a-lifetime experience. As the famous quote goes"If you want a city with a soulcome to Calcutta".

Formerly the capital of the British empire before the government was shifted to DelhiKolkata has a distinct tinge of its royal past lingering in every nook and cranny of the city. If you want to soak in some of the city's regal pasttake a walk along the streets of North Kolkatawhich houses some of the oldest mansions in the cityswathed with vines and a persistent sense of aristocratic pride. Kolkata is home to Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral housewhich has now been converted into a museum and houses a staggering collection of family portraits and paintings. There are plenty of ghats all over the city where you can sit and enjoy a sunset while sipping on teaone of the most noted of these being the Prinsep Ghatwhich offers stunning views of the Vidyasagar Setu in the backdrop. Close by is Millennium Parkwhich is a beautified waterfront park from where you can avail boat rides and cruises.

Kolkata has a very lively nightlifeand the entire stretch along Park Street houses innumerable bars and pubs where you can party the night away. Kolkata's street food is famous all across the countryand the city is lined with eateries and food stalls at every cornerwhere you can savour local Bengali foodor try out local snacks such as Jhalmurior Ghugni Chaat.