Kolkata Travel Guide

Kolkata is the culture capital of India. Kolkata city means- communist stronghold; cricket crazy; Kolkata- Lapierre and Collin's City of Joy and Mother Teresa's karmbhoomi is overcrowded, vibrant, volatile, exciting, snobbish, academic and erudite, all that and it still has a charisma that is unbeatable and a personality that is hard to resist.

It was said that, what Bengal thinks today, India will think tomorrow and of course what Bengal thinks today, Kolkata or Calcutta already thought yesterday! The bastion of Bengali bhadralok, Kolkata is the city of the bespectacled jhola slung intellectual and is India’s cultural capital. Today’s Kolkata is a little tired, overwhelmed by the burden of too many people and not enough civic infrastructure.

However, Kolkata city is the nerve centre of trade and industry in eastern India, and the most important city in the region. Look beyond the squalor and you will find that Kolkata retains a certain something that is sepia tinted, elegant and charming. Call it Calcutta, or call it Kolkata- you either hate it or love it, but you can never be indifferent to the city founded by Job Charnock way back in the 17th century.

The Dover Lane Music Festival held at the end of January is a treat for Indian Classical music lovers and should not be missed! Artistes from all over India perform here and these programmes carry on to the wee hours of the morning.