Kolkata

Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, has a rich intellectual heritage. It is a lively centre of Bengali culture that can be equally enchanting and shocking. Founded in 1690 by Job Charnock on the banks of the Hooghly River, Calcutta was the capital of British India until 1911. The city was officially renamed Kolkata in 2001. A walking tour through the city’s ‘White Town’ will reveal some of the most impressive colonial architecture on the Indian subcontinent – most notably the Raj Bhavan, or Government House, built (1803) by Lord Richard Wellesley who famously said, “India should be governed from a palace, not a counting house”.

The old Writers Building from 1776, located on Dalhousie Square (now called BBD Bagh), along with the gothic St. Paul’s Cathedral and the impressive white marble Victoria Memorial – nicknamed the ‘Taj of the Raj’ – are all stunning examples of colonial architecture that still stand today. The story of Calcutta’s inhabitants is equally enthralling. A visit to South Park Cemetery will reveal the stories of some of the city’s colourful colonial residents, and just off Cornwallis Street, you can browse through the dusty book stalls and sample Kolkata’s intellectual side at the India Coffee House. Kolkata is also home to the family house of Noble Prize laureate Rabindranath Tagore and the fascinating Indian Museum (founded 1814) – regarded as the Jadu Ghar (House of Magic) by locals.

A walk through Kolkata’s colourful morning flower market or a stroll along crowded Chowringhee Street will uncover yet more aspects of the city’s diversity and character, as will a tour of the potter’s colony of Kumartoli or a visit to the eye-opening 19th-century Marble Palace. Calcutta is also home to several fine synagogues and has a noted culinary scene. While no longer the ‘Jewel of the East,’ Kolkata is a historical and cultural treasure trove that is not to be missed. Kolkata is also an excellent base to explore the almost forgotten towns of Serampore, Chinsura and Chandannagar (Chandernagore), which reveal West Bengal’s often-overlooked colonial history. Further north lies Murshidabad, founded by Emperor Akbar and became renowned as one of Bengal’s most glamorous cities in the 18th century.