Kolkata – A thriving Modernity backed with opulent history & cultures

The 'City of Joy' and an inspiration to millions through centuries, Kolkata evokes images of tenacity and resonance. A melting pot of several communities, lovely arts & cultures and colorful festivals and detectable dishes, the city thrives on vividness and is considered as the 'cultural capital of India'. Today, thousands of travelers take Kolkata flights and visit this cosmopolitan to explore amazing sights and attractions. On the eastern bank of River Hooghly, Kolkata was set up as a trade a settlement in 1690, and owing to its strategically importance, it emerged to be India's cultural capital and the commercial capital of Eastern India. The rights for trading were obtained by East India Company from then Mughal emperor Farookh Siyar in 1717. And very soon by 1772, Kolkata has become the capital city of British India. This lovingly city began to grow swiftly after that. In 1854, Kolkata acquired the first railway line, which was set up from Calcutta to Hooghly. Now, Calcutta had become the second home to Englishmen. The structures built up during colonial era are still prominent in the city, representing its rich past. Architectural grandeur of these buildings is really hard to surpass over. They are not just in city of Kolkata, but also abundantly available in the nearby towns such as Dalhousie, Esplanage and Chowringhee. These notable structures mainly include the General Post Office, Writers Buildings, Treasury Building and Currency Building etc. Other than that, some structures built by rich and powerful Bengalis such as Marble Palace are also worth exploring during Kolkata trip. If rich Indian culture is talked about, Kolkata is the name that always comes upfront. Its powerful cultural backbone makes it stand ahead in crowd. The great laureates Rabindernath Tegore, economist Amritya Sen, Mother Teresa and many other great poets and artists were born in Kolkata. Some other great souls intimately associated to Kolkata include Raja Rammohan Roy, Satyajit Ray and great leader Subhash Chandra Bose. Owing to its rich history & cultures and a multi-religion population, Kolkata celebrates a large number of festivals. Durga Puja, held in October month, is the most celebrated fest that allures thousands of devotes from far and wide. The entire city turns colorful with joy and merriment all around. Other than that, the city celebrates Christmas, Id-ul-Fitr, Diwali, Holi and Muharram with fervor and enthusiasm. When planning for a Kolkata trip, it's advisable to be acquainted with Kolkata tourism well ahead. Advance booking of Kolkata hotels and other travel facilities is also recommendable. Major Attractions of Kolkata: • Victoria Memorialrn• Fort Williamrn• Marble Palacern• Hawrah Bridgern• Botanical Gardenrn• Alipore Zoological Gardenrn• Kali temple The Best time to visit: Though the city is open for travelers all through a year, the best time to visit here is between October and March. Currency: Indian Rupee (INR) Banking hours: 9:30am to 3:30pm (from Monday to Friday) and 9:30am to 1:30pm (on Saturday) For more info about Kolkata tourism, you can search through some reliable travel portals.