Kolkata - An Interesting Ancient City

By Author: Nagma Biswas
Total Articles: 26
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Even after losing the title of the Capital of the Nation to Delhi, Kolkata remains a city much loved and a city that continues to be an enchantress. A concoction of so many odds, the city has come up as a fascinating maze of different hues, completely different, yet, inseparable. Power-packed with everything that makes a city in India, this metropolis has a lot more to offer than any other city in the country. Growing since the time of its conception, Kolkata has grown into a mass of many layers. Taking in as many elements as possible, Kolkata has made sure that not even an inch of its space is wasted.

Seeing many ups and downs in its course of history, Kolkata might have lost the glamour of being the largest city but has continued to remain the most alluring one. Even before Job Charnock gave the city its present form, the region lured invaders and traders with its wealth. It was this affluence that attracted British too and made it their base to increase trade and rule in due course.

Receiving the first wave of education, Kolkata was the first to have an educated bourgeois with a clear thinking and independent ...
... thoughts. It was then that a different culture emanated here and gave a distinct character to the city. This wave gave birth to personalities like Rabindranath Tagore too, who earned International fame and made their homeland known to the rest of the world. The British rule of Kolkata also resulted in some of the finest monuments the city still boasts of. It was them who erected the Victoria Memorial here. Aimed to replicate the Taj, the monument couldn't beat the splendor of the original masterpiece, but earned a fame of its known and gave a character to the city. Another major landmark in the city is the Howrah Bridge and is one of the very few bridges that have become landmarks themselves. Kolkata is home to one of the finest cricket grounds in India, the Eden Gardens.

The religious temperament of Kolkata is pretty well-known. The presence of innumerable temples in the city testifies the same. Even when Kali temples dot the entire city, the Kalighat Kali Temple has been assigned a different and higher reverence. The Dakshineshwar Temple commands equal respect here.

Food is another obsession in Kolkata. Bengalis with their passion for food have turned Kolkata into a haven for foodies. Seafood specialties and Bengali sweets are something one can't afford to miss. Chinese has also found its way in Kolkata's cuisine; it is however quite Indianized.

Tourists can be advised to take a good time in hand to explore Kolkata in its entirety. Exploring the streets on foot can be more rewarding, for it allows you to get a closer look of the real Kolkata. Street kind of shopping is the best thing you can do here.

Nagma Biswas is an author writing about travel and tourism in India and abroad. To book Hotels in Kolkata visit Sarovar hotels.