Kolkata Hotels

Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. Formerly known as Calcutta, the city presents a vibrant synthesis of old with new, of cultural heritage with new age developments and of traditional values & rituals with modern developments. "City of Joy", "Cultural Capital of India" and "The city of Processions” are some of the names used to describe it. Several prominent personalities including Mother Teresa, Subhash Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore and Satyajit Ray spent a major part of their life here.

It was the advent of British that initiated the modern history of Kolkata which today is India's 3rd largest metropolitan area. Technology & ideas merge here with a popular socio-political culture to give a new shape to the city. Due to several palaces and historical monuments located here, Kolkata is also called the “City of Palaces”. With its well established industry, developments and infrastructure, Kolkata provides enormous opportunities in education, culture, tourism, economy, industry and many more aspects.

Information Technology has especially witnessed a tremendous growth and contributes richly to its economy. Several large industries from various corporations exist here including the Calcutta Stock Exchange which is second largest stock exchange in India. The oldest museum in Asia -the 18th century Indian Museum is located in the city housing a vast collection of Indian history and Indian art. The Victoria Memorial, Marble Palace, National Library of India, Shaheed Minar and Writers' building are other prominent buildings in the city serving as popular tourist attractions.

History of Kolkata

The history of Kolkata in intermingled with the advent of British East India Company in the cou ntry. Although it is today one of India’s four metropolitan cities, Kolkata had been witness to a great variety of s ocial, economical and political upheavals during the course of its glorious history. Whereas the archae ologists believe that the area was inhabited from as far back as 2000 years ago, its documented history begins from the arrival of British in the year 1686.

The city of joy as it is fondly called was established in the year 1686 when the east India company in a bid to expand their colonialist rule captured the three small villages of Sutanati, Govindpur, and Kalikata. It was the contingent under the supervision of Job Charnock who came to the banks of Hooghly River and took the lease of these three villages from the Mughal Sultanate. The name Calcutta was derived from the last of these village settlements, resulting in east India company establishment in west Bengal. The location was an added advantage for the British as it was bounded by Hooghly River on one side and salt lakes on the other. They Mughal allowed complete rights to carry on the trade with full autonomy I in the region.

The city later came under the completer rule of British until 1756, when a fierce battle ensured between the British forces and Siraj-Ud-Daula (Nawab of Bengal) resulting in the expulsion of British away from the town. In 1757, the famous Battle of Plassey took place in which Robert Clive took over the city by defeating the Nawab. Later in the year 1774, a Supreme Court was established making Calcutta the base of justice. The independence movement was also gaining momentum which reached its peak in 1905 when people stood against Lord Curzon's plan regarding the partition of Bengal. This famous anti partition movement was led by none other than Rabindranath Tagore himself, led the nationalist s. The Partition was successfully repealed in 1911 and the capital was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.

Kolkata was always in limelight during the independence movement. Several eminent personalities like Rabindra Nath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Subhash Chandra Bose mostly operated from here. Until the year 1912, Kolkata was the capital of India which was later shifted to Delhi. In 2001, Calcutta was officially renamed Kolkata which continues to this day.

Culture of Kolkata

Kolkata is referred to as the ‘social and cultural capital of India’. The city possesses one of t he richest cultural heritages in the country which although not very old, is remarkably rich and pleasant in terms of its variety. This culture has fostered several world renowned personalities, artists, romantic men & women as well as volatile poets emerging from the intellectual city. Kolkata is identified with an enormous zest for life. Fairs, festivals & cultural events are an intrinsic part of Kolkata culture which has music & dance woven into its fabric. Kolkata population is diverse and ethnic social backgrounds.

Kolkata is believed to be the birth place of Modern Indian literature from where stalwarts like Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, Uday Shankar and Jamini Roy belonged. The city is especially famous for its music as well as the drama & theatres. Folk dances and songs are popular in the city and several big and small theatre groups features large outdoor stage plays. The small or big social gatherings in Kolkata are also famous as ‘Adda’ or chat sessions which do not require any special place happen. Street corners, tea shops or small parties- their subjects range from politics, sports, religion, news, books, art, films, music, food and involves passionate discussions.

Kolkata cuisine are no less popular with Bhaat (rice) and Macher jhol (fish curry) being the traditional dish. Kolkata’s wide range of sweets are equally mouthwatering and the Rassagolla is a must try for everyone. It is said that every district in the state has a sweet that is unique to it. Several fairs & festivals are celebrated in the city with much vigor and enthusiasm. Durga Puja is the most popular and is synonymous with Bengali culture. In a nutshell, the city of Joy is a pleasant synthesis of song & dance, exquisite cuisine, grand fairs & festivals as well as religious fervor resulting in a one of a kind experience.

Kolkata at a Glance

Kolkata at a Glance

Population: 7.7 million

Location: On the Bay of Bengal coast

Climate of Kolkata:

Summer: April to June

Winter: November-February

Best time to Kolkata: November to January

Nearest Railway Station: Howrah/Sealdeh

Nearest Airport: Dumdum

Must Visit:

Language spoken: Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, English, Oriya, and Bhojpuri

Religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christians, Buddhist, Sikhs and Jains

STD Code: 033

Climate & Best Time to Visit Kolkata

Kolkata being situated close to the sea experiences an uniform experience throughout the year. The summer season starts falls during the months of April to June with temperature in the range of 30° to 42° Celsius. The winter season lasts from November and continues till February with minimum temperature around 9°celcius. The city experiences rainfall during July to September with the onset of monsoons.

Keeping in view the prevalent weather conditions and other related factors, the best time to visit Kolkata is regarded from November to January.

How to reach Kolkata

By Air: Dumdum International airport in the city provides direct flights to both domestic & international destinations. Situated at a distance of around 17 km northeast of the city center, some easily accessible destinations are Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Varanasi, Lucknow apart from most of the countries in the Southeast Asia.

By Rail: Kolkata has two main railway stations at Howrah and Sealdah respectively. Super-fast trains and local ones connect it with various cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bokaro and Rourkela.

By Road: Kolkata is connected with most of the Indian cities by road. The Esplanade Terminus in the heart of the city is the main bus terminus. A new development is the starting of the Dhaka-Kolkata bus service. The buses are colorful, air-conditioned and comfortable.