Kolkata: City of Joy

On December 2005, my son took a leave from the office and we planned a trip from Bangalore to Kolkata, “The city of Joy” which is also the capital of West Bengal and the old capital of the East India Company.

We took a trip by the “Yeshwanthpur Howrah Express” which is a direct train from Bangalore to Kolkata on the 23^rd of September 2005. The departure time of the train from Yeshwanthpur is 7: 30 PM. We boarded the train from K.R.Puram station as it is closer to our house. It departed from here at 8: 30 PM. During the journey we passed from the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, and West Bengal. The important stations which came in the way are Tirupathi, Vishakhapatnam, Vijaywada, Rajmundry, Bhubhneshwar, and Howrah. We reached Kolkata at 7: 30 AM on the 25^th of December 2005. From the station we took a cab and went to “Gujarat Samaj” for boarding and lodging. Immediately after coming out of the station we passed through the famous, “Howrah Bridge”.

At the Gujarat Samaj the charges per day are Rs. 100 – Rs. 150 or more according to the choice of room (AC or Non AC). The rooms are comfortable with attached baths and basic necessities. On the ground floor, food is available. Thalis are available at Rs. 35 – 40 according to the menu. North Indian, South Indian, and Chinese are also available. Besides Kolkata is a city where you can avail of all the delicacies at reasonable rates and the food is very tasty. I have visited many places in India but nowhere did I find the food so tasty. The pani pooris and masala moori of Kolkata are famous all over India. Just after finishing our daily chores, they booked us a trip around the city in the tourist bus wherein we visited important sightseeing places in Kolkata as described below :-

1. First of all we visited the “Dadavadi”. It is a Jain Temple with beautiful carvings and statues of Jain Tirthankaras made of pure gold. The temple is surrounded by beautiful gardens.
2. Our second place of visit was “Belur Math” of Rama Krishna Mission where the “Bhikshus” were studying and performing the rituals. From there we took a boat to Dakshineshwar which is the abode of Shiva Lingas in various forms.
3. The third place of visit was the “Victoria Memorial” the famous palace of Queen Victoria and its slight resemblance to the Taj Mahal was an eye – candy. It is surrounded by a huge garden with beautiful flowers and lakes. Generally people come here for walks and in winters, this place becomes a hot spot picnic spot.
4. Next, we visited the nearby “Birla Planetorium” wherein we viewed the astronomical beauty in its entire splendor. After that we had lunch.
5. Post lunch we went to the “Science City”. It is a place of rare importance. There is a collection of dinosaurs. There is a special Helicopter simulator charged at Rs. 50 per head. There is also a portion of the Science City where we can demand to go to any part of the world and we found ourselves standing in a replica of the same, which is a wonderful experience since everyone cannot afford to go to such places and fulfill their wishes.
6. Our trip ended with our visit to the famous “Botanical Gardens”. It is a huge garden, consisting of a collection of rare botanical species including the famous 300 years old “Banyan Tree” which is the main centre of attraction in this garden. It was a very good experience there. We left the place after having evening tea and snacks.

The next day we went shopping and visited the famous “New Market”, “AC Market”, “Metro Plaza” and the “Vardaan Market” all in a short time doing window shopping since we had heard that Kolkata is a highly economical city. The famous Bengali Tangai Sarees and the Kota Sarees are available in plenty. Readymade clothes are cheaper than other metros and crockery and glass ware items are the cheapest. I had bought a dinner set and tea set.

We had visited the Park Street in the evening with all its lights and grandeur. There is a cluster of hotels in this street and if one visits Kolkata, one should really have a stroll on this street.

The third day in the morning we went to the famous “Burra Bazar” area of Kolkata which is the heart of the city for all your needs. There are shopping malls, eateries, grocery shops, etc.

There are many modes of transport in Kolkata like the state bus, the mini bus, public bus, auto –rickshaws, taxis, and trains. The hand rickshaw pullers also frequent through the lanes. The transport is economical and convenient.

We then went to visit the Dumdum Airport and from there, took a ride in the famous Metro (Underground) train of Kolkata to the last stop of the train, Tollygunge.

On the fourth day, we went for a trip to Digha the famous sea beach. We took a bus from Esplanade Bus Stand and reached Digha in 4 hours. The ticket was Rs. 80. It is a beach where large number of tourists visit every year. There are innumerable hotels near the beach. Jute items and sea shells are sold abundantly. We stayed for a whole day and returned at night. The next day we went to “Aquatica”, the water sports centre.

Lastly we visited “Shantiniketan” the famous institute of Rabindra Nath Tagore where Smt. Indira Gandhi had also studied in her childhood. The school is in calm and serene village on the outskirts of Kolkata where many students were studying the subjects of their interests. We returned to Kolkata the same evening by train.

Next morning we took a taxi and travelled around the city. We visited the salt lake city and Rajarhat, the IT hubs. The city of Kolkata is beautiful with monumental buildings and shopping arcades. The roads are wide and traffic is well maintained with flyovers. We visited the VidyaSagar Setu.

In the evening we took a taxi and reached the Howrah Station. We had passed the famous “Howrah Bridge” all illuminated with light for Christmas. It looked spectacular and was a feast to the eye. Our train started and my heart gave a sigh since I did not want to leave this city of Joy so soon. We though missed the opportunity of enjoying the pomp and grandeur of the famous Durga Puja of Kolkata.