Kolkata (Calcutta) Travel Guide |
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On This Page:Kolkata (Calcutta) Travel Guide
Once the proud capital of the British Raj, Kolkata is deeply evocative of an era and sensibility lost in time. Established as the trading post for the East India Company on the banks of the Hooghly River by Job Charnock in 1690, it grew to be the biggest colonial trade center in Asia, earning it the name "Jewel of the East." With its splendid Victorian buildings, ornamental pools, stone-paved footpaths, figured lampposts, and sweeping esplanade, it was entirely European in its architecture and sensibility, and the burgeoning city became the stomping ground of a new breed of sahibs and memsahibs who wore their white skins and British manners as though they were royal insignias. But Kolkata was effectively built on a disease-breeding swamp—the marshy delta of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers—and this, combined with the heat, humidity, and the Bengalis' prominence in the struggle for independence, finally persuaded the British to transfer the capital. In 1911 they left for Delhi, leaving Calcutta to rot.
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Ask a QuestionDo you have a travel question about this destination or can you provide a tip to a fellow traveler?  Join the discussion with Away.com's in-house experts in our travel Q&A. Hotels  The Oberoi Grand, Calcutta
15 Jawaharlal Nehru Road
Calcutta 700013 Map Distance: 2.5 mi. (from destination center) Hotel Class: 
Expert Rated & Recommended
The Park Hotel - Calcutta
Expert Rated & Recommended
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AttractionsB.B.D. Bagh
Central Kolkata, south of Howrah Bridge, and north of Jawaharlal Nehru Rd
Kolkata, India Distance: 0.0 mi. (from destination center) Description: For those interested in colonial architecture, this part of central Kolkata makes for very... Read More Belur Math Shrine
Belur Rd., Howrah
Howrah, India Distance: 0.0 mi. (from destination center) Description: The headquarters of the international Ramakrishna Order, Belur Math combines the architectural... Read More College Street
Bidhan Sarani, N. Kolkata
Kolkata, India Distance: 0.0 mi. (from destination center) Description: This stretch of road, deep in the heart of the university quarter, is famous for its 5,000 or so... Read More AirportsMajor Airports near Kolkata (Calcutta)
Other Smaller Airports near Kolkata (Calcutta)
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