O Kolkata~ 7 things to do in 3 days

Kolkata, once called The city of Joy, has often been in the news for one reason alone~ it's deadly political angle! Previously it was the hotbed of naxalite unrest, and more recently political killings and unrest has been at the forefront. All these thoughts had me terribly worried, about whether or not I should stop by for a visit.

But I finally did…. 

"Damn, this is the longest railway platform I have walked," I thought to myself, while catching my breath. Now and then, I looked around suspiciously from the corner of my eye, in case some thug jumped out from nowhere, but nothing of that sort happened. The only threat I faced was that of raucous and arrogant cabbies~ something we are familiar with almost everywhere.

Getting to Kolkata

Kolkata is one of India's major metros and is well-connected by air/ road/ rail. The most comfortable and cost-effective way to get here is by train.

There are 5 major railway stations for this purpose. These are:

Howrah RS, Kolkata RS, Sealdah, Shalimar (newly constructed station) and Santragachi jn.

 

Kolkata's yellow cab

What is special about Kolkata?

Situated on the banks of the river Hooghly, Kolkata is steeped in history, tradition, culture and is famous for its delectable cuisine and sweets. This was my first time in a city that held my imagination for years. Movies such as Victoria 203 and Howrah bridge made me yearn to see what it was like.

Here's my pick of the 7 best things to do during a 3 day visit to Kolkata

Tip: start the day early for an easy and comfortable tour of the city.

< Day 1 >

1- Millennium park to Howrah boat ride

There are frequent ferry services from Millennium park to Howrah. At just 12rs one way, this trip is a must for a first-timer to the city. Looming ahead over the Hooghly river, is Kolkata's iconic Howrah bridge.

  

What is special about the Howrah bridge?

The Howrah bridge is an engineering masterpiece, considering the fact that it is built without nuts, bolts or pillars to support its suspension. The entire structure is riveted together consuming 26,500 tons of steel and a high tensile alloy called Tiscrom, that was supplied by none other than TATA steel in 1942.

It is one of the busiest bridge. The Howrah railway station is located right opposite the ferry. Also check out → Mullick ghat flower market at the foot of the bridge, and nearby market area.

2- Gaze at Kolkata's British legacy

Kolkata (then Calcutta) was the first capital of British India right until 1772 and by the 1800s, they successively began improving the city to make it a thing of beauty. 

On your return from Howrah to Millennium park is →The Kolkata stock exchange area 

Stop by and gaze at the impressive British colonial heritage buildings that look so fresh even to this day. The landscape bears a striking resemblance to Chennai (Madras) and Mumbai (Bombay) since these too were important subordinate cities during the British era.

Small bites near Kolkata stock exchange

Stop by Kona dukan for malai toast + kesar chai 50rs. It's a typical streetside joint, so skip it incase you don't prefer the ambience.

 

Malai toast, Kolkata street food

 

Right opposite in the same lane is → Writers building which is the seat of the state govt.

Other buildings in the area are 

→ General post office, which is a high domed and stately looking building.

→ Mercantile building (another historical landmark)

A stately heritage building from the British era in Kolkata (Calcutta)

→ St. John’s church → Black hole monument → Job Charnock mausoleum 

Job Charnock was an agent of the British East India company in 1690. Sadly it was closed to Covid when I visited.

 

St. John's Cathedral at Kolkata. Within its precincts is located the Job Charnock mausoleum

 

Sign off for Day 1/-

 

< Day 2 >

There are frequent buses to Dharmatala (area). Stop by here for yet another iconic monument.

3- Victoria memorial hall

Open from 10 am to 5pm, monday closed, ticket 10rs and foreigner ticket 150rs. 

One look at this beautiful monument had me thinking, what's all the fuss about The Taj Mahal! The hall has an interesting display of exhibits mostly to do with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, besides a wealth of information, bringing out nationalist emotions.

 

 

Kolkata's iconic Victoria Memorial Hall

Nearby the memorial is~

→ Maidan, an expansive area of greenery and well-manicured gardens with tongas.

→ St. Paul’s Cathedral

→ Birla planetarium (open all days 12.30 to 6.30 pm) 

4- Indian museum 

This museum which is also referred to as The Imperial museum looks like a palace of the colonial days. It has a widespread courtyard around which is the stately pillared balconies. 

The Is a treasure house of Indian sculptures, geology, anthropology etc. What a great place to research for students in that subject. Among the prominent exhibits is an Egyptian (human) mummy which is about 4000 years old, and the skeleton of a dinosaur.

5- Kalighat temple 

Maa Kali is synonymous with Kolkata The Kalighat temple is rather decrepit in appearance, but important as one of the 51 

shakti peethas..This is the place where Sati's toe is said to have fallen.

Sign off for Day 2/-

< Day 3 > 

6- A tram ride before it's too late

A tramway is an eco-friendly commute, but the administration has been working towards doing away with the tramway to make more room for fuel guzzling means of transportation. Social activists on the other hand are working towards and for modernizing the tramway network. Until then seize the moment at hop into a tram.

7- A trip to Diamond harbour or Hajipur

Hajipur was named Diamond harbour by the British. There are buses and share autos from the rly stn for a few kms upto an intersection road. From there onwards you can engage a private auto till Diamond harbour jetty or wait for a less-frequent bus on this route. The drive is pleasant and passes through the country-side. Fishing is a major occupation here, and the sight of village folks going about their simple lives in this part of the coast is quite different and nice to watch.

The mouth of the river Ganga is quite wide at Diamond harbour, hence there are ferry services available to Kukrahati (Haldia) and other places which is apparently an average 45 min boat ride. Even if you don't wish to go anywhere, sit awhile by the harbour. The fresh cool breeze will certainly not disappoint.

 

 

Tip~ for ferry services timings to Haldia and other places from Diamond harbour kindly check the ferry timings before heading. As a cue large vessels timings to Haldia are 7.50, 10.15 am and 1.15 afternoon. 

Other places/ things I missed out on~

Jorasanko thakur bari 

Nearby Howrah is Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home, but could not as I was non-vaccinated then.

Watch a football match at Eden gardens

Hope you enjoyed reading this blog. Your comments will be appreciated. Bye for now!!