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Kolkata - The New York of India (Part II)

by: Meenakshi | last updated: September 23, 2009
Category: Travel, places | Tags: Kolkata, calcutta, travel, India, India travel destinations, places to see in India, West bengal, places to see in kolkata, india tourism
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Kolkata - The New York of India (Part II)

Kolkata, The capital city of West Bengal, is full of historic monuments, ancient buildings which are the imprints of the British Raj, religious places and many more other tourist attractions. It was not easy to cover them in one single article "Kolkata - The New York of India". So I decides to showcase the major tourist attraction of Kolkata in this "Kolkata - The New York of India (Part II)" article. Here I have listed the other top 25 tourist places of Kolkata.

1. Eden garden Stadium : The Eden garden Stadium of Kolkata is one of the biggest stadiums of India. The stadium is among one of the finest stadiums of the world. It is one of the oldest cricket stadiums in the country and is home to Kolkata Cricket team and IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders. The Stadium was established in the year 1864. Earlier the stadium had a capacity to accommodate about 1,20,000 people but after certain renovation works conducted in the stadium, the capacity is now reduced to accommodate only 90,000 people. After Melbourne Cricket Ground, Eden Garden Stadium is the second biggest Cricket stadium in the world.

Image credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Eden_Gardens.jpg/800px-Eden_Gardens.jpg

2. Salt Lake Stadium : Another name of the stadium is the Yuva Bharti Krirangan. The stadium was built in 1984 and is a multi utility stadium. The stadium is the third largest capacity football stadium in the world. Currently the stadium is used as a football ground and for other athletics. The stadium is elliptical shape and is situated 10 km away from the center of the city. It is spread over 76.4 acres of land and can hold up to 1,20,000 people in three tier configuration. The floodlights of the stadium contain 624 bulbs of 2 k.wt. each. The scoreboard contains 36,000 bulbs of 25 watt each. The stadium also has four underground water reservoirs and contains 10,000 gallon water.

Image credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Salt_Lake_Stadium_-_Yuva_Bharati_Krirangan_%2C_Kolkata_-_Calcutta_3.jpg/800px-Salt_Lake_Stadium_-_Yuva_Bharati_Krirangan_%2C_Kolkata_-_Calcutta_3.jpg

3. BBD Bagh : The BBD Bagh is also known as the Dalhousie square and is situated south of Howrah Bridge. The “BBD” in the name stands for Binoy – Badal – Dinesh. The three men i.e. Binoy, Badal and Dinesh were the young independence activists who were shot dead in the prison in the year 1930. The square is also known as “Tank square” or “the green before the fort”. The BBD bagh is located near Hooghly River and is the heart of the city. There are various famous building like the St. John’s Church, telephone bhawan, General Post Office, Royal exchange and Writer’s Building are situated around the square.

Image credit: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/193/440882544_b6274d9d1d_o.jpg

4. Indian Botanical Garden : The Botanical garden was founded in 1786. The Botanical Garden of Kolkata is spread over 270 acres of land and is house to about 50,000 species of plants. The Botanical Survey of India has found that there is a 250 year old Banyan tree which is 98 ft tall and is the oldest botanic in the Indian sub-continent, which is why it is famous for.

Image credit: http://www.indiamike.com/photopost/data/504/great_banyan.jpg

5. Pareshnath Temple : This is a Jain temple situated on the Badridas temple street and is dedicated to Sheetal nath ji. Out of 24 Jain tirthankaras Sheetal Nath ji is the tenth tirthankaras. The temple is the famous tourist attraction of Kolkata. The mirror work on the pillars attracts most of the tourists. The temple was founded in the year 1867 by Marwari Shrimal Jain named Seth Badridas. The temple showcases beautiful mirror work, floral motifs, marble flooring, chandeliers from Brussels and Paris, Eoropean statues and Glass mosaic blocks.

Image credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/Paresnath_temple_kol.jpg/800px-Paresnath_temple_kol.jpg

6. Nalban Boating Complex : The complex is one of the most fine and clean picnic spot in the city of Kolkata. A perfect weekend destination to spend time with family, friends and kids. The main activity in the complex is boating in various types of boats. The day spent here is an experience of a lifetime. The complex is located in the center of the Salt Lake City which is the new hub of Kolkata. The most attracting feature of the complex is the huge lake in the center. The lake is spread over an area of 400 acres.

Image credit: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2675839620_a2de6e9d3f_o.jpg

7. Tipu Sultan Mosque : The mosque popularly known as “Tipu Sultan Shahi Masjid” and is situated near Esplanade terminus at 185, Dhartamtalla Street. This historical piece is open for all the people regardless of their religion and is considered as a monument of cultural heritage in Kolkata. The mosque was constructed by Prince Ghulam Mohammed, youngest son of Tipu Sultan, in 1832.

Image credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/archive/4/48/20080117041540!Kolkata_Tipu_Sultan%27s_Mosque3.jpg

8. Shaheed Minar : The monument is also known as Ochterlony Monument. The minar is situated on the northern extreme of Maidan (the garden outside Fort William). The minaret stands ata an elevation of 48.16 meters above ground. The monument was built in 1828 and was initially named as Ochterlony Monument and was renamed in the year 1969 as Shaheed Minar.

Image credit: http://www.mcs.utulsa.edu/~partha/images/personal/l11.jpg

9. Science City : The science city of Kolkata is situated in the eastern part of Kolkata. It is one of the major tourist attractions that attract people of all age groups. The city has a big auditorium that can accommodate 2300 people at a time. The auditorium is named as the city theater. There are various sections in the complex that includes the Dinosaurs Complex, Ropeway, a toy train, Science Park, Life Science Corners, Dynamotion and the Space odyssey.

Image credit: http://www.sabjanta.net/Myimages/sciencecity.jpg

10. Shantiniketan : The list of must see sites in Kolkata is not complete without the mention of Shantiniketan. Shantiniketan is situated 136 kilometers away from the city and is the place where Rabindranath Tagore lived. It is today a university also known as Vishwa Bharti University and a centre of learning.

Image credit: http://www.westbengaltourism.gov.in/application/Img_Maint/uploads/10/Shantiniketan.jpg

11. Dhakuria Lake : The Dhakuria Lake, also known as Rabindra sarovar, is an artificial lake and a tourist spot in Kolkata. The lake provides rowing facilities and children’s play center. It was previously known as Dhakuria Lake and in now renamed as Rabindra Sarovar. The lake is an ideal spot to enjoy a weekend with kids, friends and family.

Image credit: http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/22401255.jpg

12. Vidyasagar Setu : The Golden Gate bridge of Kolkata is also known as the second Hooghly Bridge. It is the newest suspension bridge of the city established in the year1992. The Bridge is supported by 457 m long and 115 m wide 121 wire cables. The bridge connects two cities namely Kolkata and Howrah. The bridge has 9 traffic lanes that can handle 85,000 vehicles every day. It is the Asia’s largest cable stayed bridge.

Image credit: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3024/2603770232_35d5b499b2_b.jpg

13. Writers Building : The Writers Building, during the British Rule, used to be the junior servants (the clerical and administrative staff) building. The junior servants then were called writers hence the name came into existence as “Writers Building”. Today the Building is house to the Secretariat of West Bengal Government. It is a massive red color building situated at the BBD square of Kolkata which is the heart of the city.

Image credit: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3437/3259200770_48db3087f6_o.jpg

14. Jorasanko Thakurbari : The word Thakurbari literally means “House of Thakurs” and Jorasanko is a place in Kolkata. The thakurbari is the ancestral home of the Tagore family. Currently the mansion is located in the premise of Rabindra Bharti University campus. The mansion was built by Prince Dwarkanath Tagore (Rabindranath Tagore's grandfather) in the 18th century.

Image credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Jorasanko_Thakur_Bari.jpg

15. South Park Street Cemetery : The South Park Street Cemetery was constructed way back in 1767. It was built in order to accommodate British Soldiers. The cemetery is one of the oldest burial grounds of the city. The cemetery has big headstone that dates back about a century and give it an ancient look. The calm surroundings of the cemetery are really enjoyable.

Image credit: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2671/3947026057_3efef6863c_o.jpg

The famous Mother Sarani (Park Street) Cemetery.

Image credit: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3530/3947026065_9d77b7e92a_o.jpg

Another tomb in the South Park Street Cemetery, Kolkata

Image credit: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3432/3947026063_2264609482_o.jpg

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